www.langdale.co.uk generates "serious amounts
of business" for the Langdale Leisure Estate, with its hotel, country
club, timeshare units and pub.
Since taking the Web site over as "a marketing
tool" for the 50 acre Lake District estate, sales and marketing director
Fredericka Johns has been amazed by the results.
"What I can say is, we all need to do it,"
she stressed, and gave these tips to fellow tourism operators about making
the most of the internet:
Web sites must be fun. Langdale's features
photograph galleries, votes for your favourite pub, e-mail postcards,
free screen savers to download, news and links to other sites. Change
your site frequently: "Be changeable. We do serious amounts of business
over our Web site because it changes."
Web sites must be fast. Graphics are not that
important, and people can get tired of waiting for them. Use lots of
little bite-sized pages, as people like to click.
Web sites must be friendly, easy to navigate
for elderly people, with clear instructions, on-line booking, perhaps
merchandise and special offers: "The most visited page on the Langdale
Web site is the special offers page."
Have an e-mail subscription service, to give
people the information they want, when they want it.
Promote your Web site everywhere - letterheads,
vans, menus, literature.
Be committed to your Web site: "We don't put
much in our Web site in terms of real money. What we do put in is real
commitment."
Never mind how many people visit your site: "The
only way to measure your Web site is, how much business do you write
off it?"
The Dedicated Partnership Maude Street, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4QD - England, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1539 736677
Fax: +44 (0)1539 736688
