Description: VisitNBTX.com launched in June 2024. The website was completely revamped from the previous PlayInNewBraunfels.com. The revamp included a new CMS platform, new domain for branding and simplicity along with a new CRM platform feeding information to the CMS. We started from scratch to create the look and feel of the website to provide visitors, stakeholders and residents a more pleasant experience. Our previous site was very text heavy, and we shifted to something more “magazine like” and visually appealing to showcase the magic of New Braunfels we want people to experience.
Objectives: User experience was very important when creating the new website, so we carefully mapped out the site plan to ensure it was easy to navigate and included pertinent information for visitors. Our previous website had a high bounce rate reaching up to 70% with one of the main factors being a poor user experience. The new website decreased bounce rates 40% and engagement time is just under 1min. Over 165k unique users visited the website in non-peak season (9 months) averaging over 18k users per month.
When creating the sitemap, we utilized Google Analytics to ensure the most visited pages were easy to find and navigate. We also modified our main navigation verbiage to be straightforward and easy for visitors to find what they are looking for. Our website is very directory driven as we have a lot of tourism industry businesses to showcase, and we wanted to ensure our elaborate website was easy to navigate.
The search feature on VisitNBTX.com is inclusive of directory listings and articles on the website. For example, when you search Gruene Hall, you will find the directory listing for the dance hall where you can gather basic location information, description of venue, as well as a direct link to the Gruene Hall website and social channels. If that’s not what you were looking for you can also find any articles featuring Gruene Hall on our website. While visitors and stakeholders may be looking for different components, we wanted to ensure there was one place to navigate which provided all available search results.
In order to enhance the user experience and make it more personal we provide a variety of filters/categories so the user can look for places they are interested in specifically. For example, if you are looking to stay in a Bed & Breakfast as opposed to a hotel, in the “Places to stay” section you can select Bed & Breakfasts from the drop down or filter a few options when searching for that perfect place to stay!
Project Cost: $12,250
In-house or Agency: In-House