We have been working with Village Hotels for over 6 years,
during which time we have helped grow their business, maximising
bookings and revenue, by developing a highly effective online
presence for the brand via their website and key online marketing
channels.
The brief
In 2011, we were tasked with re-designing and developing an
engaging and interactive new website that was a little different to
your average hotel website, that would bring to life the brand's
'Welcome to More' proposition and more accurately reflect the
in-hotel experience online.
The solution
We created a lifestyle-focused site that promotes the wide
breadth of offering consumers can experience at one of Village
Hotels' many locations. The homepage features an interactive
wall incorporating offers, photos, components, text and
illustrations to allow a huge variety of different, engaging and
ever-changing content to be displayed. It is a key
merchandising area that also helps the user navigate to focus areas
of the site.
Other new features include:
- A brand experience section that utilises stylish interior shots
to give the user a taste of what the hotels have to offer
- Interactive maps to aid in the search process
- An offers section, which allows users to filter and search
offers most relevant to them across all brands
- An events tool to make booking party nights at the hotels as
direct as possible
- A refined booking component to maintain and streamline the
direct booking process for the user
Phase 2 will see the natural extension of this, incorporating
online booking across all brands, so that booking a meal, a round
of golf, a party night, a spa treatment or a meeting room is as
easy as booking your room.
The result
The site went live in October 2011 and within the first month of
going live, conversion rates shot up to over 12%. Since then, there
has been a 62% increase in visitors to the site and a magnificent
15% reduction in bounce rate from the homepage. We're very happy
with this result and equally happy with the great feedback we've
received from both the client and from loyal customers via Village
Hotels' various social media channels.