Research into visitors' use of 'official' tourism destination websites suggests that providing information for those that have already made the decision to visit may be the main purpose of such websites.

Maps, guides and travel information are just three key types of information likely to fall into this category. Here are some ways to strengthen the way that this visitor information is included in your website:

1. Make sure visitor information is easy to find on your site. Don’t bury visitor information deep in your site. Make sure that there is a clear link from your homepage
2. Make sure you include maps. Maps are an extremely important resource for potential visitors. At a minimum, you should have a map of the main areas within your destination. If your tourism pages are part of a larger local authority website, there may well be a range of maps available on your site. However, don’t expect users to search for these maps across the site. Bring them all together in one place
3. Provide travel information on your site, not just links. It can be time-consuming to keep travel information content up to date. Because of this there can be a temptation to provide a series of links to travel information located on external websites. However, in order to retain the visitor on your site, you should aim to provide at least some content of your own on key travel topics such as how to get here, travelling around the destination etc. If more detail is needed, then provide links once you have provided some basic information. Also make it clear that the link leads to an external site
4. Make the most of walks information. Information on walks in your area is likely to be very popular amongst residents and visitors alike. Make sure that you provide both good quality online information and links to downloadable versions

  Project Archive