Hotel Websites Checklist – Launches

Here is a basic hotel websites checklist for clients to use before they are go live so you can put your best virtual foot forward on launch.

Checking hotel websites before they launch is the job of the web development company you have hired but it is equally your responsibility – this is no time to become complacent when your brand or reputation is on the line. By no means is this an exhaustive list and your own checklist will be tailored towards your own individual website and project. However, this gives you a base to work from and outlines the basics website checks.

Cross-browser compatibility

This is where you check how your website renders in different browsers and different versions. You want users to have the same visual and operational experience regardless of what browser they choose. This includes Internet Explorer 7.0 and above and the current versions of Firefox and Chrome which tend to be backwards-compatible. Here is a useful online tool to check cross-browser compatibility.

Portable devices

You also want to see how your website renders on portable devices such as mobiles and tablets. One thing you should be aware of when deciding on the technical platform for your hotel websites is that certain devices such as Apple products do not support Flash at all. If you have decided to build your site in Flash, you may want to create another site specifically for mobiles. Here’s an online tool to test your site on the Apple iPad.

Search Engine Optimisation

This is a huge task and you may need assistance with this one. You want to check your pages to see if they are search engine friendly and that title tags (limited to 10-1270 characters in Google) and meta descriptions (limited to 160 characters) clearly match the content on the page. You should also review the page copy to see if your keywords have been inserted naturally throughout the text and that there is an XML sitemap.

Site speed

A sluggish site speed is a big issue for a lot of hotel websites mainly due to the large, high-resolution images on websites. With Google including page speed as a factor in their algorithms, it is crucial that your pages load as swiftly as possible to not only improve rankings but to enhance usability for visitors to the site. There are several tools you can use as a Site Speed Report in Google Analytics to diagnose the speed of your pages.

Proof-read the copy

Depending on how large your website is, you may need some help with this one but every page on your hotel websites should be checked for any spelling or grammatical errors. In addition every single page should have text on it. There is nothing more unprofessional than seeing blank pages or test copy on sites. If you are really pressed for time, you can write a disclaimer that more information will be forthcoming.

Make sure forms are working

This is another thing you should check before you launch hotel websites. You want to check that the enquiry forms, contact us forms, enewsletter forms, search facility and so forth are all working. Ensure that you get a confirmation email back (minus any spelling or grammatical errors). You also need to deliberately put in wrong details or omit compulsory fields to see if you get an error message alerting you of your error.

Check legalities

One of the most important checks but often neglected in the lead up to launch is to ensure that the most up-to-date and correct versions of your terms and conditions, privacy policies and copyright information have been uploaded to the site. These should be checked over by your legal team before you give them to the web designers.

Launching a new website can be exciting but fraught with disaster if the necessary checks are not done due to a lack of time or quality assurance. If you are thinking about redesigning your site, contact us to speak to one of our team and learn more about how we have helped hoteliers like yourself deliver successful hotel websites on time and on budget that have high Search Engine visibility and result in improved online revenue.

Here at Hotel Website Designers, our team of Hotel Web Design experts have a clear and demonstrable track record of proven results and deliver innovative, award winning hotel design and web development on time and on budget. Make an online enquiry or call us today to discover the best hotel web design and development services for your accommodation, lodging or resort needs.

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