Resellers: Have You Been Coordinating with Your Suppliers?

If you’re a tour operator or reseller, one of the most important factors in your success is having something to sell. But that something to sell must be presented properly so that guests will purchase it. The challenge is that the supply is largely out of your control. So, how do you make sure what you are presenting to your guests looks its best? In this new blog series, we’ve got a few suggestions to help you coordinate with your suppliers. Let’s start with photos.

  Make a Good First Impression

The first photo that’s displayed should be of the property. When guests look at your eCommerce site, they see the property tiles first, so it’s important that all your suppliers are showing similarly staged photos. A photo of the property will also inform guests of what type of accommodations your supplier is offering. It’s easy for the guest to tell if the supplier is a hotel, condo, house, or something else from the first picture.

  Size Is Important

All of your suppliers should be using the same photo size so your site looks consistent. Company photos should be 840 x 560 px and product photos should be 840 x 460 px. For more info about making photos look great, check out this article.

  Encourage Change

Talk to your suppliers about rotating or updating their photos. Photos should change with each season. Guests who are interested in summer activities do not want to see photos of snow. The quality of smart-phone cameras is constantly improving and DSLR cameras are very affordable; it may be beneficial to invest in one. Photos matter – they should be relevant to the season and high quality.

  Show Other Activities

While a lodging supplier may not offer any activities themselves, it’s a good idea to show activities that a guest can book with the lodging photos. A guest might get the idea to go dog sledding because they saw it in the photo gallery of the condo they were viewing. If a guest can see the zip line from their balcony, include a picture of it. Cross promoting lodging and activities within the same listing will inspire your guests to book an extra adventure while increasing your sales.

As you continue to on-board new suppliers, provide them with a set of guidelines of how to best configure their products to optimize their display on your site. In our next article, we’ll discuss how to make the most out of promotions.