Finding the Best Website Builder for Travel Agents
Many aspiring and established travel agents grapple with a fundamental question: How do I create a website for my travel agency? It’s understandable – your expertise lies in crafting incredible travel experiences, not navigating the complexities of web development. Your valuable time is best spent researching destinations and serving clients, not wrestling with different Website Builder For Travel Agents programs.
We aim to simplify this decision-making process. This article serves as a detailed guide, building on insights from industry sources and feedback from numerous travel agents.
Four Travel Agency Website Options: A Comparison
Choosing the right Website Builder For Travel Agents requires understanding the different available paths. Our comparison provides an overview of the primary options, which is helpful as you delve into the pros and cons of each model to determine the best fit for your specific travel business needs.
Most Popular Travel Agency Website Options Among Advisors
Based on extensive 2023 travel agency research reports surveying 1,758 advisors, we observed clear preferences for different website platforms.
Survey results showing popularity of travel agency website options like 3rd party, website builders, and CMS among advisors.
Discussions within online communities also shed light on agent experiences. Hearing from others using specific travel agency website platforms can provide valuable real-world perspectives. Exploring these conversations can offer additional context as you consider your options. Whether you operate as a sole proprietor or part of a larger structure, establishing a clear online presence is key. For instance, finding your niche and presenting it effectively online is crucial, whether you’re a specialized travel agent in penang malaysia or serving a global clientele.
Let’s explore each type of travel agency website option in detail.
1. Third-Party Travel Agency Website Templates
This category includes website programs specifically designed for travel agents by external providers. Examples often mentioned are Voyager1, Travefy, Passport Online, Truevail, and Advaia.
Host agencies frequently provide access to such programs, with approximately 65% offering some form of website support to their affiliated agents. Partnering with a host can sometimes grant you access to these third-party website builder for travel agents programs at a lower cost due to the host agency’s volume usage.
However, even if pursuing this route, it’s prudent to evaluate different programs offered through various hosts to find the one that best aligns with your needs. Your choice of a third-party platform might even influence your decision on what host is best for you.
According to recent industry surveys, Online Agency, Travefy, Passport Online, and Voyager Travel were among the most popular third-party options utilized by travel agents in 2023.
Consider a third-party travel agency website if the following points resonate with your business goals:
Who is it for?
A third-party travel agency website template might be the right choice if:
- You prefer a low-maintenance website requiring minimal setup or ongoing effort.
- You don’t need granular control over every site element but require a professional online presence.
- You want clients to be able to research and potentially book travel directly on your site.
These platforms typically provide pre-designed templates, pre-filled content, and sometimes a booking engine, along with automatic updates.
Pros & Cons
- Pros: A significant advantage is their ease of use and tailored design for the travel industry. They offer pre-designed templates, curated content libraries, potential booking engine integration, and automated updates, making the process of getting online relatively fast.
- Cons: Due to the templated nature and pre-filled content, it can be challenging to fully customize the site to reflect your unique agency brand and voice. It might result in a website that looks similar to many others using the same platform.
Design:
Third-party travel agency websites offer a selection of design templates. The level of customization varies; some allow only basic branding like adding a logo and choosing a color scheme, while others offer more flexibility with drag-and-drop features akin to general website builders.
Content:
The primary benefit here is the content. These platforms are often populated with extensive information on destinations, suppliers, cruise lines, tour types, etc., which clients can explore.
Automated feeds for supplier specials and industry news are also common. You will need to personalize sections specific to your agency, such as ‘About Us’ or ‘Meet the Team’ pages. If writing isn’t your strength, hiring a content writer is an option.
Backend:
Editing is usually limited to text changes within predefined layouts. More advanced platforms may offer drag-and-drop functionality. The learning curve for basic edits is typically low.
SEO:
While pre-filled content is a major convenience, it can be a drawback for SEO. Duplicate content across many sites using the same template is viewed negatively by search engines. Google prioritizes unique, valuable content and may rank sites with largely identical content lower.
“Pure affiliate sites consisting of content that appears in many other places on the web are highly unlikely to perform well in Google search results.” – Google Search Central
However, if your main goal is simply having an online brochure to direct clients to, rather than ranking high in organic search results, these sites are perfectly adequate.
Appearance:
Examples from platforms like Voyager Travel and Passport Online showcase the typical appearance of these third-party sites.
2. Website Builders (Build Your Own)
General website builders offer greater flexibility for customization compared to third-party templates specifically for travel. Popular examples include Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and GoDaddy.
For travel agents just starting or those seeking a user-friendly option, Wix is often recommended. Its intuitive interface allows users to potentially create your travel agency website in 7 minutes, as demonstrated by some tutorials.
These platforms enable users with no coding experience to build professional-looking websites easily. Wix and Squarespace were reported as the most used website builders by travel advisors in the 2023 survey mentioned earlier.
Survey results showing popularity of travel agency website options like 3rd party, website builders, and CMS among advisors.
Let’s examine the suitability and features of these website builder for travel agents platforms. Deciding on the right business name for travel agency is one of the first steps, and these platforms make it easier to build a site that reflects that brand identity.
Who is it for?
Website builders are ideal for travel agents who:
- Desire significant personalization for their site’s structure and content.
- Are willing to invest their own time in building and customizing their travel agency website.
They represent a middle ground between restrictive templates and fully custom development, offering more branding and content control without requiring coding skills.
Pros & Cons of Website Builders:
- Pros: Key advantages include user-friendly templates that are easily customizable to your specific brand identity, allowing your site to stand out.
- Cons: A booking engine is generally not included (requiring integration if needed), and building the site requires a greater time investment compared to using pre-filled third-party platforms.
Design:
Website builders provide a wide array of design templates that can be extensively customized with your colors, images, and layouts. Many, like Wix, even offer specific travel agency website templates. This allows you to create a unique look that avoids the “cookie-cutter” appearance.
Content:
Using a website builder like Wix or Squarespace means you are responsible for creating your own content, structuring pages, and organizing information. Templates offer layout guidance with dummy text, but you’ll need to write all the actual page copy. Hiring a content writer is an option if needed.
Backend:
These platforms typically feature a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to visually design your pages. They are built for users without coding knowledge. The learning curve for editing and managing content is generally low.
SEO:
Modern website builders have significantly improved their SEO capabilities. While an older stigma about poor SEO existed, you absolutely can build a successful, ranking travel agency website on these platforms today. They provide the tools needed to implement standard on-page SEO edits. Resources like WebsiteToolTester.com often offer helpful comparisons of the SEO features available on different website builders.
Appearance:
Examples of travel agency websites built on platforms like Wix and Squarespace showcase the diverse designs achievable.
3. Content Management Systems (CMS)
Content Management Systems (CMS) are generally suited for users with more technical comfort or those planning to hire a developer. Prominent examples include WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal.
CMS platforms are a popular, often cost-effective way to build travel agency websites. They offer extensive flexibility but come with increased complexity. If you are easily frustrated by technology or lack confidence in your technical skills, this might not be the best choice.
While the CMS software itself is often free, you will need to pay for hosting, typically around $10/month or more depending on your needs. Additional costs might include premium themes, plugins, or hiring a developer for setup or customization.
You don’t necessarily need to code to get a basic CMS site running, but achieving a highly polished, professional look often requires some developer assistance, which adds to the cost.
For hosting CMS sites, popular providers include Bluehost, GoDaddy, and WP Engine. Understanding the nuances of business models, like whether you’re a traditional agency or considering a multi level marketing travel agency structure, doesn’t directly impact the technical platform choice, but the complexity of your online presence might influence which CMS is best suited.
Who is it for?
A CMS might be right for you if:
- You want complete control and personalization of your website’s structure and content.
- You are tech-savvy.
- You have some coding knowledge or are willing to learn.
- You are comfortable spending time learning the CMS backend.
Pros & Cons of CMS
CMS platforms offer immense power but also require more effort.
- Pros: They provide access to thousands of templates (themes), are cost-effective in terms of the core software, offer robust SEO editing capabilities, and provide unparalleled flexibility in design and features through plugins and custom coding.
- Cons: The high degree of flexibility contributes to a steeper learning curve and requires more time, effort, knowledge, and ongoing maintenance. There can be ‘hidden costs’ for premium themes and plugins. Without technical knowledge, it’s easier to make mistakes that negatively impact the site.
Design:
CMS platforms like WordPress offer a vast library of themes, including many suitable travel agency website templates/themes. You can select free or premium themes and customize them extensively. Customization often requires coding knowledge or relies on complex visual editors provided by themes or plugins.
Content:
Like website builders, you are responsible for creating all the content for a CMS-based travel agency website. Themes may provide structure and dummy text, but you’ll need to write your own copy. Hiring a content writer is an option if you prefer not to write the content yourself.
Backend:
The backend interface of a CMS can be significantly more complex than a typical drag-and-drop website builder. The learning curve is higher. Achieving the desired design often involves working directly with code (HTML, CSS, PHP) or understanding complex theme/plugin settings. You often need to preview changes to see how they look on the front end.
SEO:
CMS platforms offer excellent SEO control. You have the ability to fully optimize technical and on-page SEO elements. However, simply using a CMS like WordPress does not automatically guarantee high search rankings. Success depends entirely on the SEO work you put into the site, including content optimization, technical setup, and link building. When considering different business models, like starting a travel agency or perhaps navigating legal aspects such as traveling with weed medical card considerations for clients, ensuring your website’s content is optimized and easily found is crucial for reaching your target audience.
Appearance:
WordPress examples demonstrate the wide range of designs possible with a CMS.
4. Hire a Developer
Hiring a developer is the path for travel agents who want a completely custom solution and have the necessary budget. This is the most hands-off approach regarding the technical build.
Costs vary widely based on the complexity of the site and the developer’s rates. Expect this to be the most expensive option, potentially ranging from $500 to several thousands of dollars for a full build.
Is hiring a developer for you?
Hiring a developer is ideal if:
- You want minimal involvement in the technical aspects of building your website.
- You have a specific, unique design or set of functionalities in mind.
- You have a significant budget allocated for your website.
Pros and Cons of Hiring a Developer
You can hire a developer for a full custom build or just for specific tasks or tweaks on a site you’ve started elsewhere.
Pros: Your site is customized exactly to your specifications, you can integrate unique features, and once you’ve communicated your vision, your involvement is minimal, allowing you to focus on selling travel.
Cons: This is the most expensive option, and you will likely need to pay the developer for any future updates or changes.
Design:
Working with a developer allows you to design your site precisely as you envision it. If you lack design ideas, you might need to pay for design services. A cost-saving tip is to gather inspiration from other websites you like and share specific examples with your developer.
Content:
You will still need to provide the content for a developer-built site. The developer can advise on best practices for page structure and content placement, but writing the actual text is usually your responsibility. Hiring a content writer is an option.
Backend:
Depending on the setup and your agreement with the developer, you may have limited or no access to the site’s backend. Typically, you will rely on the developer for updates and changes, incurring costs for their time.
SEO:
When hiring a developer, it’s essential to check their experience with SEO-friendly web development or if they collaborate with an SEO expert. Building a site with SEO in mind from the start is critical. Remember that significant SEO work also involves optimizing the page content itself. Finding a nice name for travel agency is a creative step, but ensuring clients can find that name online requires solid SEO practices, regardless of how the site is built.
What Websites Do Travel Agents Use?
Based on the 2023 survey, the majority of travel agents reported using a third-party travel agent website platform, often provided through their host agency, consortia, or franchise.
Among those who built their own sites, the vast majority utilized general website builders like Wix or Squarespace. Interestingly, only 26% of travel agencies reported having booking engines on their websites, and for 76% of those, the booking engine was included as part of the platform they chose.
The data on booking engines is worth considering.
Chart showing data on how many travel agent websites include booking engines.
Evaluate whether the space and potential complexity of integrating a booking engine are the best use of your website’s prime real estate, or if that space could be better used to build your brand and connect personally with prospective clients.
Other Important Website Purchases to Keep in Mind
Beyond the platform itself, several other essential components are needed for your travel agency website.
Domain
Your domain is your website’s address on the internet (e.g., YourTravelAgency.com).
Cost: Domains typically cost around $10-$15 per year, depending on the name and registrar. You rent, not own, the domain, so ensure you renew it to prevent it from lapsing. You might also consider purchasing variations like the .org or plural versions of your name.
Your domain is separate from your website itself. After buying a domain, it won’t display anything until you connect it to your website hosting. Many domain registrars offer website building services, but it’s generally best to choose your website builder for travel agents platform based on its specific features, not just where you bought the domain.
Popular domain registrars include Namecheap and GoDaddy.
Tip: Need help choosing your agency name? Consider resources available on nice name for travel agency options to find the perfect brand identity.
Hosting
Hosting is where all your website’s files are stored so they can be accessed on the internet.
If you use a website builder like Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly, hosting is usually included in your monthly or annual plan. If you use a CMS like WordPress, you will need to purchase hosting separately. Many CMS providers also offer their own hosting solutions.
Cost varies based on storage and traffic needs, but standard website hosting often starts around $10/month.
Popular Hosting Providers: Bluehost, GoDaddy, WP Engine.
Having a professional email address using your domain (e.g., info@YourTravelAgency.com) adds credibility compared to a generic free email service.
Custom email costs typically range from $5-$10/month per user.
You can often set up custom email addresses through your domain registrar or hosting provider. Google Workspace (Gmail for business) and Microsoft 365 are also popular options.
Here are a few popular custom email providers: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365.
In Closing
Creating a website is a vital step in showcasing your travel agency and services to a wider audience. It serves as a crucial first point of contact for potential clients to learn about your expertise and offerings. We hope this breakdown of the different options for a website builder for travel agents makes the process feel less daunting and more manageable, especially for those new to building an online presence.
Once your travel agency website is live, exploring marketing strategies can help you reach more clients.
We’d love to hear about your experiences – feel free to share in the comments below what type of website platform you chose and how it’s working for you!
