Edge Resorts talk about their website development and design experience

Western Australia’s Edge Resorts Group opens its first luxury coastal resort in 2008.

Group Principal, Jon Jessop, chose OM4Tourism to develop the Edge Group website and the first resort website, for the $16 million 4.5 star Kalbarri Edge.

Jane Hammond Foster (OM4Tourism Managing Editor) asked Jon Jessop about the website design and development process.

Jane: What were your first impressions of the OM4Tourism website setup and content package services?

Jon: We were very impressed when we first had a look at the setup and content package you proposed. It was unlike any offers we’d previously sourced and had so many added features and bonuses that we’d never come across. It was really easy to visualise what OM4 were going to create for us.

Jane: Were there any issues that remained unclear to you in the planning stages?

Jon: Not really. Anything that we found unclear became clear after a quick discussion with you or Glenn, or by referring to the Client Role document you created for us.

Jane: How did you find the design phase? Were you happy with the result?

Jon: The design phase was a really easy task to be involved with. We told OM4Tourism what look and feel we were after and the designer followed through and produced it for us. We were definitely happy with the end result. Our page looks so professional and modern and has all the right content for our consumers. It really fits in with our beach resort look.

Jane: Have you found the Client Role document helpful?

Jon: The Client Role was extremely helpful. It was a great reference for understanding where we came into the equation and what we needed to do to enable OM4Tourism to produce the websites we were looking for.

Jane: Has the content been created according to your expectations, including use of images? Did you find the process painless, painful, or somewhere in between?

Jon: The content not only matches but exceeds our expectations. We provided OM4Tourism with basic facts about our resorts and they turned these into understandable, catchy, inspiring words that communicate our message exactly the way we need for our clients to understand.

Jane: Were you happy with the setup process for your AWeber and Google AdWords accounts? Were our explanations of the systems clear to you?

Jon: I must admit, at first we were very confused regarding AWeber and Google AdWords. We’d never heard of these concepts before and found it hard to grasp. OM4Tourism showed patience and explained them in simple and understandable terms. Very soon we caught on to how email marketing and pay-per-click advertising can help us get our brand out there and increase visitation to our sites.

Jane: Has our support been helpful so far?

Jon: The support has been fantastic. Every time there is something we don’t understand we email OM4Tourism and get an immediate response. This often involves referring us to the “How To” section, where we always find answers to our problems or questions.

Jane: How important is self-management of the site to you? Do you feel confident that our “How To” section and Forums provide enough support for you to manage your own site and online marketing?

Jon: To have the site self-managed is very important to us. We can add and change things at our own leisure. Being a new business means that we aren’t always getting things right the first time. Our opening function date changes, policies change, rates go up and down all the time, or we realise we’ve forgotten key information; so it’s great to be able to jump onto the website and change things whenever we need to. We don’t have to worry about calling up someone and waiting a week for the changes to take place, not to mention a possible bill at the end!

Jane: What areas have been the most challenging for you so far? What articles might we add to our “How To” section to help other tourism businesses learn to manage their site?

Jon: Learning about HTML code had been something we have struggled with. It’s something that will come in time with lots of practice and more support articles in your “How To” section.

Jane: What aspects of a website are most important for a business owner interested in marketing online?

Jon: Having customers being able to log onto our site and get the information they need without mucking around with lots of clicks, and then allowing them to be able to BOOK NOW! This turns your website into a business. There is nothing more satisfying than when you know your website is making money for you and enticing consumers into your product.

Jane: Any other comments you would like to make?

Jon: Our experience with OM4Tourism has been fantastic so far. We couldn’t have asked for more. They help us and teach us new things about running our site every day, which is important to us. When we first realised that we would need to start looking into websites, the task seemed daunting due to pricing and the new generation of technology. OM4Tourism have made getting a professional website affordable, exciting and easy for anybody to do.