Hotel Website Development – a Step-by-Step Guide to a Successful Website

So you have figured out you need a (new) website for your hotel? Great! That’s a good start to owning a successful website that generates lots of commission free reservations. To be able to have as many bookings as possible via your own website you need to work together with a company that knows the ropes of hotel website development. With over 20 years of experience in developing inviting and converting websites Porter is your partner of choice for hotel website development. In this article I will share with you a step-by-step guide to building (and maintaining) a successful hotel website.

The steps;

• Sign up,
• Collection of information and files,
• Design and setup,
• Loading of content,
• Booking engine integration,
• Fine tuning and testing,
• Launch of website,
• Post launch.

Sign up

Get in touch and sign up with Porter to start a fruitful collaboration. Together we will decide which kind of setup, which languages and which modules will be necessary for your hotel. This always depends on your hotel size, location and marketing efforts but also depends on your personal needs. Of course we will start with telling you exactly why we are the partner of your choice for your specific hotel. Not convinced yet? Read our reviews and learn what other hoteliers have to say about Porter. After signing our agreement we will get started right away.

Collection of design information and brand files

We will send you a comprehensive list of necessary information and files that we need from you. After we have received these files we will brief our experienced and top rated designers. Excited for your new website yet?

Design and setup

The magical process of designing your website has begun. Our designers will provide you with a mock-up of your website. This is an online design example which will give you a clear image of how your website could look like. This design will be based on the template of your choice, your hotel’s branding files/brandbook and chosen website modules. Note that designs, even though based on a template, are always unique. Had a look at the stunning design of your hotel website? Then this is the moment to share all your feedback so we can fine-tune the design to your liking.

After your approval we will adapt the design within the website which will be setup on our beta-server, according to your template and language specifications. We will send you the URL of your new site so you can see how the design works out as a actual website. This beta-server website will only be accessible to you and us, not yet to the rest of the world. So don’t worry if it’s not completely perfect just yet.

Loading of content

The next step is the loading of content. This is a critical step in the process since the right content is the reason new guests will visit your website. You and your marketing team will get access to the Hotel CMS and will receive a training in the use of our specialized Hotel CMS. This way your team will be able to maximize the use of the CMS, making it a powerful tool to convert lookers into bookers. If you will be making use of our online marketing services we can assist you with the placement of content. This will give you a clear SEO benefit.

Booking engine integration

We ensure a seamless connection between the website and the booking engine of your choice. This way we make sure that no visitors will be lost when trying to make a booking. Also, in case e-commerce tracking is featured by the booking engine of your choice we will get the right tracking in place. We are independent when it comes to booking engine providers. You choose the system, we take care of the connectivity to your website.

*TIP: make sure special offers are bookable via the booking engine.

Fine tuning and testing

Your website is almost ready to travel and inspire the world. We will make sure all technical settings are correct and in place. This way we make sure a proper indexation by search engines is guaranteed. Since we only develop responsive hotel websites we will also extensively test the website on many different browsers and device types. Are you ready for the launch?

Launch of the website

After your final approval we will launch the website. We have an extensive check-list with over one hundred things to check to confirm everything is done properly. For you it’s time to enjoy your new website and start making your hotel ready for the new guests that will be arriving. Do not forget to share your new website on your social media with your guests.

Post launch

After the launch of the site it is a great idea to keep working on content and to stay relevant for your guests. You can easily do this via the Hotel CMS. In case you have any questions about the site or the CMS please do not hesitate to get in touch with us and we will help you out immediately.

Activation of online marketing campaigns (optional)

Our mission is simple, we aim to enhance and maximize your hotel website’s marketing potential. A Porter website will be the first big step into achieving success, the deployment of relevant digital marketing tools such as search engine advertisement and a search engine optimization and content strategy will be the second.

Good news, you just went through all the steps of developing and launching a new and successful hotel website. As you can see the process can be easy and fast. Are you ready to start working on your new hotel site? Then get in touch.

Get in touch

By Niels Drenth
Hotel Marketing Specialist