Question for PR reps: What makes a travel Web site more attractive?

[GreenGlobalTravel.com]

We're in the process of designing our new website, which will offer travel news, budget travel deals, destination features, global cultural offerings, trip planning guides and more.

Aside from the obvious readership/page click stats, we're curious what features would make a travel website more attractive to you as a PR rep for future press trips and partnerships?

You can get a taste of what we're planning to offer via our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/GreenGlobalTravel. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

Bret Love & Mary Gabbett
GreenGlobalTravel.com

[Marian Goldberg]

In response to the query about what makes a travel website attractive:
Here are some tips:

1. WHO:
It's really important whose site it is. For example, the background of the travel media professional is extremely important. Examples include: Indigare being founded by the former editor of Town + Country Travel. Related to the "Who" is the site owner’s ability to get the word out BEYOND the site. For example, some site owners are prolific public and industry speakers -- at various consumer and trade travel shows around the USA and abroad, on television talk shows, etc. So, a travel industry client feels it can get mentioned beyond the blog or website. For this reason, clients often will specifically request the editor/founder of a blog /website be the one to attend a press trip and not allow a contributing writer to take the editor’s place. If the editor is the one giving most of the public talks, he or she is the person who will have the personal experience and then blab about it everywhere. He or she is not going to do much blabbing about an experience that one of his or her interns had.

2. PROFESSIONALISM
Another thing that is important is the professionalism of the site itself. How does it look in general? Is it easy to navigate? How well is it connected to / linked with other social media streams? How professional are the videos/photos? How specialized is the site to a particular niche. Take a look at this site: http://www.savoryjapan.com. The owner of this site got invited, almost a year in advance, to a major international food conference that for the first time is focusing on Japan. The organizers of the conference found the site on the Internet and just invited Risa – airfare, accommodations, admissions and all – without knowing how many people visit the site, because:

*She seems extremely knowledgeable.
*They checked up on her with other Japanese travel and food authorities
*The site is very professional
*The site is very targeted to exactly the kind of coverage and exposure they are looking for at the conference.

3. EDUCATION
What does this site teach the user/reader? Risa's site TEACHES users/readers so much about Japanese food culture not just destinations in Japan. In deciding to invite her as a media rep to the conference, I am sure the organizers felt strongly about this, as they are very focused on teaching the world about Japanese culture and cuisine.

Personally, I learn something new from SavoryJapan every visit. I just read this:

OUR LOGO
The red circle represents a hanko (a stone stamp that is used as a signature in Japan). The format is inspired by the distinctive circular hanko that were hallmarks of the Rimpa school of art. The hiragana script says "umami" – which the Japanese consider to be the fifth taste (after salty, sweet, sour, and bitter). Umami is translated into English as "savory," hence the site's name, Savory Japan. For more on umami, read the article The Power of 5 (http://www.savoryjapan.com/learn/culture/power.of.five.html).

For me, this was fascinating!
It's one thing to read a captivating travel story, but it's really wonderful when a reader can learn a little snippet about a destination or type of travel or experience or cultural phenonmenon just by reading a few words. This prompts readers to actually read more, and certainly helps with site visitation.

Well, that's just my two cents.

[GreenGlobalTravel.com]

Marian.
Thanks so much for the depth and thoughtfulness of your response! All great points worthy of consideration. Hopefully we can build a site that will one day be worthy of mentioning alongside the others you referred us to. We'd love to hear any other suggestions anyone else may have.
Have a great weekend,
Bret Love & Mary Gabbett
GreenGlobalTravel.com

[Marian Goldberg]

The site is the branding of who you and your associates are. YOU are a big part of what makes the site important, and the site also should continue to be your voice and give you relevance and intern the site relevance. If you have expertise and passion, that should come out in the site.

GreenGlobalTravel.com said:

Marian.
Thanks so much for the depth and thoughtfulness of your response! All great points worthy of consideration. Hopefully we can build a site that will one day be worthy of mentioning alongside the others you referred us to. We'd love to hear any other suggestions anyone else may have.
Have a great weekend,
Bret Love & Mary Gabbett
GreenGlobalTravel.com

[frank shiell (aka Pancho)]

for attractive website?
Instant definition of product/destination: where-is-it / map, highlights, special-unique essence...
PHOTO + QUICK DESCRIPTION, every word specific.
SIMPLICITY! in graphics and copy. WhereIsIt? WhatIsIt? Eye-friendly fonts (!!), WOW-photography that grabs and inspires the viewer (photos static, not changing/fading into others rather controlled by mouse). Deliciously-written descriptions. Absence of clichés or dead words (i.e. "nestled", etc.); no verb-izing caption words: "Experience", "Taste".
Generic "Green" "eco" "save planet" are becoming used "to death" (as it were), yawn words... Need fresh, vitimized =original= writing on these crucial topics, with a jolt or two.
KEEP IT SIMPLE and BRILLIANT.... with a memorable visual identity.15 minutes left to edit your comment.

[GreenGlobalTravel.com]

Given the fact that a significant portion of my freelance income comes from eco-related stories and my website is called GREEN GLOBAL TRAVEL, I suppose I'll have to respectfully disagree with you, Frank/Pancho. If wanting to make the planet a better place through my writing makes me "yawn" in your eyes, then I'm proud as hell to be boring!

Just out of curiosity, are you in fact a PR rep? You don't write like one.

[Bruce Murray]

PR people like to see people using promotion, PR and marketing. I know you haven't launched yet, but I suggest you reconsider your main domains current content. Add a facebook widget like the one on my www.30DaysInParis.com website. Add a way for PR and other people to contact you. Your text on the page doesn't support your sites title. Domain name suggests a "green" point of view, but your sites description doesn't. You also describe your project as a "labor of love", in many cases thats code for "we have no money". I suggest that you are delivering mixed messages. PR folks may not like that and may not want to partner with you. Love the logo and tag line!

[frank shiell (aka Pancho)]

GreenGlobalTravel.com said:

Given the fact that a significant portion of my freelance income comes from eco-related stories and my website is called GREEN GLOBAL TRAVEL, I suppose I'll have to respectfully disagree with you, Frank/Pancho. If wanting to make the planet a better place through my writing makes me "yawn" in your eyes, then I'm proud as hell to be boring!

Just out of curiosity, are you in fact a PR rep? You don't write like one.

[GreenGlobalTravel.com]

Thanks for the suggestions, Bruce! Since we're already providing daily content via our Facebook page, I asked our web designer to replace the "intro letter" with a Facebook widget and add a way for people to contact us. Wish I'd thought of that!

As for our site being a "labor of love," to us that means we're willing to pour our heart and souls into it without focusing on the money. It's more about sharing our love of travel, nature/wildlife, and global culture, and letting the money work itself out. I have a successful writing career that pays the bills (not to mention site development and marketing costs), so this is more about trying to make a positive difference in the world. In fact, if we win the Tripatini blog contest, we've already pledged the money to a local wildlife refuge we love!

As for the "Green" angle, our editorial coverage will definitely show where our primary interests lie. Our tagline-- "Conserve Nature. Conserve Culture. Conserve Cash."-- sums it up pretty well in 6 words. Hopefully PR people *and* readers will like it. Thanks again for your thoughts!