When successful NJ-based travel agency Travelong of Summit wanted to attract more customers via the web, they had to decide whether to launch their own website, or keep the website they had for years, which existed within the domain of Virtuoso, a global travel network they’re part of. The drawbacks of this sub-domain set up was that it did not allow Travelong of Summit to control the content, apply their own branding, or take steps to boost their search results.
To help Travelong of Summit reach their goals, Harris Web Works built a new website, in WordPress, for easy of updating, flexibility, and the ability to showcase Travelong’s services, expertise and vacation offerings. This included adding a blog with articles on hot travel topics and destinations. The site is built with a strong search engine optimization (SEO) foundation using Yoast, to help users become aware of the site when searching travel-related topics.
Harris Web Works also launched a Facebook page for Travelong of Summit, and implements a strategic approach that includes continually adding content, sharing from travel industry leaders, and advertising to specific target audiences.
While Travelong of Summit wanted their website to live outside of Virtuoso’s domain, they still wanted users to see the many travel packages offered through Virtuoso. Virtuoso is the travel industry’s leading luxury network, consisting of travel agencies and travel partners (hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, etc.), and does not sell directly to consumers. Therefore, Travelong’s new site was built to include embedded i-frames that bring in real-time data from Virtuouso. This gives users the ability to search Virtuoso’s database of many cruises, properties, tours, packages and promotions, within the Travelong of Summit domain and branding. The website gives users the opportunity to search many vacations or see a few select special trips, learn about the expertise of the travel consultants, then contact Travelong of Summit to start planning.
