A well-designed website is one of the most powerful tools a travel brand can have. It is often the first touchpoint for potential customers looking for their next adventure and should reflect your brand’s mission and identity. But, common web design mistakes can drive users away, reduce bookings, and damage your brand’s credibility.
Here are five common mistakes we see on travel brands’ websites, and how we would use our preferred website development tool Webflow to fix them:
1. Slow load times
Speed matters in the travel industry. Travelers expect quick access to information, and if your website takes too long to load, they’ll likely leave before even seeing your offers.
How to fix it:
- Optimise images: Large, uncompressed images slow download times. Webflow’s built-in image optimisation ensures images load quickly without compromising quality.
- Use a fast hosting solution: Webflow provides global Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to deliver pages faster worldwide.
- Minimise code bloat: Webflow’s clean, lightweight code avoids unnecessary scripts that could slow your site down.
2. Poor mobile experience
A responsive website is vital for travel brands as a large portion of your clients are using their mobile devices to visit your site. Clunky navigation, slow performance, and broken layouts create frustration, leading users to abandon their booking.
How to fix it:
- Mobile-first design: Webflow allows for responsive design customisation, ensuring a seamless experience across all devices.
- Touch-friendly navigation: Avoid small buttons and links that are hard to tap. Design with mobile usability in mind.
- Fast-loading mobile pages: Webflow’s lazy loading and optimised scripts keep mobile pages running smoothly.
3. Cluttered design and confusing navigation
Some travel websites suffer from information overload, bombarding visitors with too many options, images, and text. This can lead to difficulty finding the information they need, ultimately deterring them from making a booking.
How to fix it:
- Use Webflow’s CMS for dynamic content: Instead of cramming all information onto one page, use Webflow CMS to organise destinations, tours, or blogs into structured, easy-to-navigate collections.
- Improve navigation: Use Webflow’s scroll-based animations and hover effects to guide users naturally without overwhelming them. Subtle motion can direct attention while maintaining a sleek design.
- Test usability: Conduct user testing to ensure visitors can easily find what they need and refine the experience based on feedback. Webflow allows you to publish and test designs in staging mode before pushing live, helping refine layouts based on user experience feedback.
4. Lack of SEO optimisation
If your travel website isn’t optimised for search engines, potential customers won’t find you. Some brands focus on aesthetics but neglect technical and content-based SEO, leading to poor search rankings and missed organic traffic.
How to fix it:
- Use SEO-friendly site structure: Webflow’s clean, semantic HTML and automatic sitemap generation help search engines index your pages properly.
- Optimise page speed: Fast-loading websites rank higher on Google. Webflow’s built-in performance enhancements support SEO success.
- Target travel-specific keywords: Using an SEO agency, conduct keyword research and create optimised content around destinations, travel tips, and experiences to drive organic traffic.
5. Inconsistent branding
A lack of visual consistency across your website can create a confusing and unprofessional image. This can confuse visitors and weaken brand recognition, making it harder to stand out against your competitors.
How to fix it:
- Create a Style Guide: Use Webflow’s colours and typography settings to maintain consistency across all pages. Define a primary and secondary colour palette and ensure all text elements follow the same hierarchy.
- Use Webflow’s reusable components: Design consistent buttons, headers, footers, and CTAs with Webflow’s Components feature. This allows your Webflow developer to apply changes site-wide in just a few clicks.
- Set brand guidelines in Webflow CMS: If your site has dynamic content (like blogs or travel listings), use CMS fields to standardise fonts, colours, and content formatting automatically.
Final thoughts
Your website is the heart of your travel brand’s online presence, and avoiding these five common mistakes can drastically improve engagement and conversions. With Webflow’s powerful development tools, travel brands can create fast, mobile-friendly, SEO-optimised sites that inspire and convert visitors into loyal customers.Looking to upgrade your travel website? Get in touch to see how Boost Brands can transform your online presence.
