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New destination website

By June 19, 2015October 30th, 2015What's new from the MRBTA?

The new website project led by digital guru Christian ‘coding is my middle name’ Bishop and Jenny ‘content curator’ Lee, are putting in the final hard yards as we get set to launch a new destination website alongside the new regional brand and local tourism organisation.

The website will introduce a dynamic shift in the way we promote the region – built on a platform of stunning regional imagery and brand elements, fully responsive to whichever digital device preferred by visitors (mobile smartphone, tablet or PC) and supported by the regional app.

You will see a focus on engaging user content, building on the strengths of powerful organic search results and featuring unique destination experiences, town profiles, guest bloggers, competitions, event previews, handy travel tips as well as your existing operator content generated by your business via Bookeasy. The opportunity for sponsored content will also be introduced in the second phase of its development as we gain further user insight so watch this space for further details.

Some Frequently Asked Questions to help you prepare for the new site.

Why did you choose margaretriver.com and not geographebay.com or yourmargaretriverregion.com?
The current margaretriver.com receives more than 1 million sessions each year. As over 80% of the current traffic is organic (i.e from people searching in Google etc), and a change to our URL would have likely resulted in a loss of traffic.

How does the new website promote the entire region?
The website focuses on the key experiences available across the region, as well as highlighting each of the towns and what they have to offer. Maps, guides and itineraries also help to encourage visitors to disperse throughout the region.

How does the website reflect the new brand?
The navigation menus reflect the key regional experiences identified in the Brand Blueprint for Your Margaret River Region. The design, including colours and fonts, has also been aligned with the branding style guide.

What is the focus of the new website?
The new website will emphasise authentic, experiential content from local writers to engage visitors and tell the story of Your Margaret River Region. Effectively we are moving away from the static ‘brochure’ model and focusing on fresh, dynamic content to provide genuine insights into the destination. This will, in turn, build trust with the visitor and inspire them to choose the region for their next holiday.

What are the other key features of the new site?
• The new website will be mobile responsive, which means the display will adapt to any mobile device including smart phones and tablets, enhancing the user experience.
• There is a strong focus on the use of large, high quality images and videos from local photographers, which capture the authenticity and diversity of the region.
• The website will become more of an interactive platform, allowing visitors to engage with us, ask questions and leave comments.
• Events will have a greater prominence on the new website, including landing pages for iconic regional events and a comprehensive calendar to help you promote your events.

How will my business be showcased on the new website?
Greater emphasis will be placed on images on your operator page, and high traffic pages such as the accommodation landing page will be broken down by category to help visitors find the specific experience they are looking for. Eg. ‘Farm stays’ will have its own category. Your operator page will also be mobile responsive.

Are we still using Bookeasy as the booking engine?
Yes, and we have worked closely with Bookeasy to ensure a smooth transition.

Do I need to update anything on my operator page on Bookeasy before the new website is launched?
This is an exciting opportunity to ensure your content and images are fresh and up to date. Once the new site goes live, check that you’re happy with your operator page content, including the way your images are displaying. We recommend that your images are landscape oriented, and a minimum of 800 pixels wide. You will find this information in the image properties.

What happens to the Geographe Bay website?
Each page on geographebay.com, including the home page, will redirect to the relevant page on www.margaretriver.com.

Can I still buy advertising, has this changed?
The new advertising opportunities will be more flexible and will allow your business to promote specific special offers. We’ll be providing information about these in the coming weeks.