“Innovation is at the forefront of what we do,” Sandi Szalay, VP of Technology for Dream Vacations/CruiseOne, told the crowd of travel advisors who were gathered in the theater on board Celebrity Ascent for the organization’s annual national conference. And then Szalay and Alicia Linden, VP of Marketing for Dream Vacations/CruiseOne, revealed that come Dec. 11 of this year, the organization’s franchise owners would have access to a newly designed website homepage and easy-to-use content management system tool.
Linden added, “We wanted a more modern design, an improved customer experience, but what really wanted to do was strategically take these digital storefronts and turn them into customizable digital storefronts.” This means, she continued, “that you’ll be able to truly tailor the experience you want your customers to have.
“We are a network of niches, so whether you focus on cruise, land, luxury or all of the above, you have the customization capabilities to truly reflect that on your site.”
Linden went on to point out that agencies with multiple associates have multiple websites “that are reflected within the one agency, but each of these sites can be customized to be unique from one another.” This got a resounding applause from the audience.
Both Szalay and Linden noted that “vacation inspiration is at the core of this design,” with the goal of inspiring customers to be inspired to research vacations, book vacations and contact the travel advisor directly. Added Szalay, it’s about “arming your business with the best tools in the industry.”
Included among the enhancements is a cutting-edge CMS tool, which acts as a digital assistant that allows the advisor to update images, videos, links, banners, suppliers and types of vacations. “The website is designed to be intuitive and straightforward,” Linden pointed out. Additionally, advisors will now be able to leverage professionally designed templates to ensure the pages are visually appealing and SEO optimized. Furthermore, Google Analytics is integrated into the digital assistant tool, providing franchise owners with a streamlined experience to track website performance and make data-driven decisions.
One of the standouts of the new design is the Mega Menu, which offers guests a comprehensive view of destinations, activities and various types of vacations. “This is an enhancement to both the desktop and the mobile shopping experience,” noted Szalay. “It’s meant to guide your customers to help find the most relevant pages within your site. It can accommodate a large number of categories and links, which is meant to keep your site organized so the customer can find what they’re looking for. It [ultimately] reduces the number of clicks for your customers.”
Szalay was quick to point out that “you don’t need to be a graphic artist or software engineer in order to make your website your own. If you can point and click, drag and drop, select and save, this is going to be easy for you.” It’s as “easy as choosing a template and filling in the blanks.”
With SEO being an integral part of the enhancements, Dream Vacations/CruiseOne will be bringing in SEO experts who will be training advisors on best practices and how to get the most of the website.
New Website Design Launches Next Month
The site will be fully functional on day one, Dec. 11, 2024, but, stressed Szalay, “you don’t all have to race to the finish line on day one. I do, though, want you to start thinking about how you’re going to make your site your own.” With that, she noted that there will be support teams in place upon launch that will be hosting webinars and intimate Q&A sessions.
