Essential Elements for a Successful Bed and Breakfast Websites

We know from experience with our own bed and breakfast properties what makes a B&B website successful; but don't just take our word for it. According to BedandBreakfast.com's Inkeeper News (April 2007 edition), the most important elements of an effective website are:

Let's look at why each of these elements is so important and see how the idsWEB Lodging Packages address each one:

Professional, up-to-date design
As Innkeepers, we understand that "curb appeal" is critical for favorable first impressions; but are first impressions really formed when guests pull into the drive? ABSOLUTELY NOT! With more than 80% of most B&B bookings now coming from property websites or online directories such as BedandBreakfast.com, first impressions are formed weeks and months prior to a guest's arrival. You certainly wouldn't let your front lawn become overgrown, or your signage and exterior to fall into disrepair, so why be content with a website that is years out of date? Studies show that you have 5-10 seconds to impress site visitors before they decide whether your site is what they are looking for before moving on to the next site. A fresh, up-to-date design can help turn site visitors into B&B guests!

Consistent navigation
Nothing is more frustrating for a prospective guest than having to search for basic property information. Your website's navigation should provide a clear path to the most sought after information - Price, Location, Contact Details and Property Photos. Site Menus should appear in the same place on every page and tabs should have intuitive titles such as: Rates, Directions, Reservations, Image Gallery, Area Information, etc.

Uniform template
The critical elements of your website should be consistent on every page. Navigation should be in the same place and react the same way on every page. Property name and reservation contact information - phone number, email and link to online reservations page (if applicable) - should be featured prominently at the top of each and every page. All of the IDS bed and breakfast design templates do just that!

Great Photos
Like any commodity available for purchase online, high quality photos are ESSENTIAL! Old, out-dated snapshots simply can't convey the personality and beauty of your property. Snapshots with dingy lighting and a yellow or blue tint aren't very appealing and can turn you best marketing tool into your biggest turn-off. A professional will be able to shoot photos of each room in your bed and breakfast from the best angle and with proper lighting and coloring. But even good quality images won't help if they aren't displayed properly. Our design packages include flash image galleries to show off your images and add that "wow factor" to your property's website. Investing in good quality, professional photography is one of the best things you can do to capture guests interest and get them to contact you for availability and more information.

Good SEO
Our designers use Google Webmaster Guidelines to incorporate built-in search engine optimization where ever possible. We utilize alt-tags, meta-tags, page titles, and monitor keyword density to help your bed and breakfast website get improved organic search results.

Strong call to action
Each of the specially designed Bed & Breakfast web design templates puts your property contact information front and center!

Reliability
At Information Data Systems, we pride ourselves on OUTSTANDING customer service. We understand that the world of internet and web design can be confusing, so we are here to guide our customers through every step of the design process. Our support staff is 100% local. You will NEVER have to wade through an automated menu to reach a live human being.