Since last month’s article about ‘How Travel Guides Increase Revenue Online’, I have received lots of questions about how content leads to site conversion in practice.  Therefore, in this article I will provide practical examples of how content can achieve better rates of site conversion.

A really good example of this is Virgin Trains.  The homepage of this website has the same functionality as other travel sites.  It links to other pages including special offers and additional services. The difference is that also on the page is a ‘News’ section and an ‘Events’ section.  The ‘News’ page is not just functional, it is interesting to the reader, making it good for site conversion.  It contains useful information such as how to get railcards for discounted travel, dates when trains will be packed with football fans and additional services offered by Virgin Trains that customers may not otherwise be aware of.  Calls to action include the links to further information about ‘Express Cars’ and ‘Carry My Luggage’.  These calls to action encourage the customer to actually make a booking online.

When you ‘click here for more events’, you get taken to the City Guides page. This page looks exciting.  The colour and graphics on the page capture the reader’s attention, as does the text.  In the middle of the page is information about what is going on in Manchester and on the sides of the page there are promotional offers.  The Manchester Guide full story contains lots of information about what is going on in Manchester, which is (1) interesting, (2) is keyword rich and (3) includes buy now special offers that convert into sales.  On the top left hand side of the page is a call to action in the form of a ‘buy tickets now’ icon.  On the right hand side of the page there is another call to action in terms oif Virgin Value fares.  The content seems unique and gives a personal opinion on what to do in Manchester. The personal touch keeps readers engaged and provides them with information they may not get from a standard paper city guide.

Alaska Airlines is another example of a company that includes City Guides on its website.  From the homepage you can select City Guides from the drop down menu entitled ‘Destinations’.  I will use the Orlando City Guide as an example.  This guide tells us about the usual attractions in Orlando, such as the Epcot Centre and Universal Studios, in a matter-of-fact, non-glamorous way.  The Guide lists recommended restaurants to visit when in Orlando, providing a first-timer with a head start when visiting a new city.  It also tells the reader the current weather in Orlando.  On the same page, you can also book your flight, hotel or package.  Like the Manchester Guide the content is (1) interesting, (2) keyword rich and (3) provides opportunity to purchase.

I have given you some examples of how you apply content in practice. The ultimate aim of any website is to convert visitors into sales and we at LeadGenerators believe that good content helps to achieve this objective if peppered with calls to action.

Salima Baloo - Search Engine Optimiser, LeadGenerators

If you would like to discuss content for your site please contact us at marketing@leadgenerators.co.uk