The website has officially launched; however, we are currently optimising loading times for an even better user experience. You can explore the site here.
CHALLENGES:
The hotel faced significant resource constraints, lacking an events manager, marketing & content strategy, and sufficient budget to execute a comprehensive website overhaul. With an estimated website build cost of £10,000–£15,000, we needed to develop a solution that delivered high quality while minimising expenses.
SOLUTION & IMPLEMENTATION:
Leveraging my expertise, I took a hands-on approach to divide the project workload effectively between myself and an agency. This collaboration resulted in a final development cost of just £2,000. My contributions included:
WEBSITE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT:
Spearheaded the design and strategic content creation for the site, ensuring it aligned with the hotel’s branding and marketing goals.
SEO & BOOKING FUNCTIONALITY:
Implemented SEO strategies to improve online visibility and search rankings, ensuring that potential guests can easily discover the hotel and integrated a seamless booking system to enhance user experience and drive conversions.
CONTENT CREATION:
Crafted engaging copy that tells the hotel’s story, highlights its offerings, and celebrates its 400 year heritage.
VISUAL CONTENT:
Conducted photography/videography sessions to provide high-quality content that capture the essence of the hotel and its surroundings. Which can be used for marketing purposes across, web, social, email, and 3rd party booking channels.
ANALYTICS & OPTIMISATION:
Set up Google Analytics to track user behavior, informing ongoing enhancements and data-driven decisions to improve the customer journey.
MOBILE EXPERIENCE:
The mobile experience was a top priority, ensuring seamless navigation and engagement across all devices. We integrated intuitive features like the alert icon, which highlights our latest news and offers, directly in the mobile layout. The "book now" button is always within easy reach, whether it’s through engaging animations or strategically placed pop-ups, allowing users to make reservations quickly and effortlessly. Users can also easily enquire via form or phone with just one or two clicks, making the booking process smooth and hassle-free, no matter what device they’re on. By focusing on mobile responsiveness and eliminating unnecessary touchpoints, we created a highly efficient user experience that encourages interaction and maximizes conversions.
To bolster our online presence and enhance search visibility, we developed dedicated pages that highlight local attractions in Wallingford and provide a rich historical context surrounding the hotel. Our history page weaves a narrative about the hotel’s evolution since its establishment in the 1600s, creating an engaging story that resonates with visitors. By showcasing nearby points of interest and the unique heritage of the area, we not only enrich the customer experience but also improve search rankings, driving more traffic to our website.
BOOKING SYSTEM:
Integrated a user-friendly booking system designed to streamline the reservation process, enhancing the overall user experience and significantly driving conversions. Recognising that a seamless booking experience is crucial—especially in the hospitality industry—efforts were made to eliminate unnecessary touchpoints, making the purchase journey as quick and simple as possible. To further increase potential revenue, add-ons were strategically incorporated into the booking process, allowing guests to easily select upgrades and additional services that enhance their stay. The more personaliSed this process is, the better the outcomes, as it not only facilitates effortless bookings but also maximises revenue opportunities, leading to increased occupancy rates and overall profitability.
We also integrated ‘Book Direct’ benefits strategically throughout the site, using engaging animations and pop-ups when visitors click on the 'Book Now' button. This enhances the user journey by reducing friction and encouraging immediate action, whether it’s booking a room, learning more about the hotel’s offerings, or making an enquiry. By focusing on smooth navigation and user-friendly features, we ensured that the site works flawlessly on mobile devices, providing a consistent and engaging experience from start to finish.
OUTCOME:
The Shillingford Bridge Hotel website has successfully launched, with ongoing improvements to loading times. Managing 90% of the project myself, we delivered exceptional value for £5,000, compared to an estimated cost of £30,000–£50,000 for a project of this scale, which included development, photography, SEO, email marketing setup, and content creation.
A well-rounded content and marketing strategy was implemented, focusing on storytelling to highlight the hotel's history and key offerings. SEO optimization of copy, meta titles, and descriptions boosted search visibility, driving organic traffic for rooms, events, and local attractions.
The site features seamless mobile navigation, social proof via reviews, and engaging features like direct booking pop-ups and revenue-boosting upsell options during the booking process. Overall, the project successfully enhanced the hotel's online presence and positioned it for future growth.