Understanding visitors

Humans can be very cynical. Or if not really cynical, certainly cautious.

Offer something that people really want and too often the response is ‘that sounds too good to be true’.

You’re spent ages choosing the perfect photo, agonised over your pricing, refreshed your website, pondered the right social media messages and considered every word you use. You’ve done everything right and offer an amazing service.

And then the frustrating response to all this is ‘that sounds too good to be true’.

I might have fibbed a bit when I wrote 'Hollywood is calling'. But you're reading this blog now so it sort of proves a point. 

We're fascinated by the glamour of the film industry, by 'red carpet' events and might even secretly enjoy being a little star-struck from time to time. How would it feel to be part of it? 

I'm not actually offering you a starring role in the latest blockbuster, but I am inviting you to consider how it might feel to walk on that red carpet? 

You're probably wondering …

Sometimes it pays to look backwards and think about the past, to use old ideas to create new opportunities and new markets. Nostalgia is a powerful motivator, and particularly effective in tourism marketing.

After the past difficult year it's perhaps not surprising that nostalgia has become so important. It's been found to help counteract loneliness and anxiety, conjuring up positive emotions. A glimpse of happy times from the past can help people cope with stressful times in the present.

Usin…

When VisitBritain first started to promote Britain to Chinese visitors, there was a problem. Chinese travellers were less interested in coming to Britain than other European countries. When Chinese people were asked to think about London and what they expected to see, they thought it might be foggy, perhaps even dirty. London was rarely thought to be as attractive as Paris. Why? 

It turned out that the Chinese media had depicted London as foggy since Victorian times, drawing on descriptions in …

Small businesses have a great advantage over larger ones: they can offer a much more personalised service, and tailor what they do to suit their customers better. 

It can sometimes be hard to convey this to visitors  though.

When you write words on your website, in a mailing or on social media do you ever feel like you're casting your words out into the world, not knowing where they'll land or who will read them? I know the feeling!

​It's hard to write in a way that will appeal to potential new g…

I've had several messages recently from people who say that they've had more visitors to their website but it hasn't necessarily resulted in more bookings.

Why? Is there anything you can do? 

Quick answer: yes!

First of all, it's worth establishing that people aren't just coming to your website for five seconds and then 'bouncing out' because they don't at all like what they see. Google Analytics will help you with this.

Let's assume there's nothing fundamentally wrong with your website, a…

Do you struggle sometimes when I say things like 'write for your target market' or 'get inside the mind of your customers'? 

Second-guessing what your guests want isn't easy. Neither is looking at your business from their perspective.

We're often too close to see the things that others see from outside. When they're pointed out, you probably say 'of course' but it's hard to see in advance. 

Can you do anything about this? Yes!

Ask your customers.

Ask them what they love, ask them what the…