Operators use business funding to launch mobile website
THE operators of a Highland guest house have embraced the growth in smartphone use by launching a mobile-friendly website after securing business funding from Bank of Scotland.
The new site for Kiltearn House in Evanton, Ross-shire, can take bookings from handheld devices with access to the internet. It is also said to be linked to over 260 tourism sites and ten booking agencies.
The move to introduce the site follows research carried out by Ed and Nel White, who run Kiltearn House; their study is said to have found that 37% of all traffic to the business’s website was fed through social media and mobile platforms, compared to 54% by traditional search engines.
Ed White said that consumers in the tourism industry are “increasingly being influenced and informed by social media”.
“Consumers have come to rely on networks and sites such as Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor to give feedback,” he said. “It is therefore important that we are as proactive as possible to help generate visitors and sales.
“We regularly monitor how our website is performing across all search engines which enables us to effectively react to changes in the market and keep ahead of the competition.
“Bookings via mobiles or tablets now accounts for the majority of our same day reservations and we trust that our new relationship with the Bank of Scotland will assist in achieving our aims for continued success.”
Barrie Aird of Bank of Scotland said the Whites’ proactive approach to technology will help them “reap the rewards on their bottom line”.
