It takes about 0.05 seconds for a user to form an opinion of a website. Whilst first impressions count, a website needs to keep its visitors hooked and ensure they revisit in the future, especially within the leisure industry where businesses can rely heavily on online bookings. All this depends on the overall user experience that a website offers and the different elements that keep audiences happy.
Here are 5 key features that every good leisure website should have:
Effortless website navigation
Efficiency is the key to translating website visitors into bookings, therefore a good website should reflect this throughout the user experience. Generally, when people are browsing, they value ease of use, clear call to actions and an uncomplicated layout. More advanced navigation techniques can incorporate an element of customer predictability, whereby a website is designed based on the predicted customer journey.
Smooth booking process
The booking process on a website can be the make or break of a purchase or booking. With 60% of consumers now choosing to book online, a slick booking system is one of the most beneficial and valuable assets a leisure website can have. Mirroring the overall website, the booking process needs to be easy to understand, provide clear instructions and be available to customers all hours of the day.
Easy and efficient payment process
This one is simple. No customer wants to waste unnecessary time at this stage of the booking process, however they do want to feel assured that the website is secure enough for them to spend money confidently. Breaking up the payment process into simple sections and offering a clear and concise booking review gives users the impression of an efficient, less daunting payment experience.
Good search capabilities
To offer an extra layer of efficiency to a website, incorporating a search feature can improve the overall user experience dramatically. This essentially gives site visitors a shortcut to their end goal, aiding their customer journey. Collating and studying search data can also benefit businesses, being able to analyse and identify trends in consumer behaviour.
Optimised content for search engine marketing
In order for a website to rank highly on search engines, it needs to be correctly optimised. Search engines like Google want to provide the most accurate and useful results to their users and therefore favour websites that include unique content that’s easy to read. For example, be sure to use subheadings and bullet points and include keywords that are specifically relevant to your product or service throughout your content.
MP Digital are experts in providing a variety of online solutions for businesses in the leisure industry, from entire websites to bespoke booking systems. If your website is in need of an update or a more refined user experience tailored to your customers’ needs, feel free to get in touch.