7 Website Elements To Make Your Travel Planning Business Stand Out
by emily piepenbrink
The travel planning industry is booming, which is great news for you! More people than ever are turning to a professional to help them plan their vacations, honeymoons, and destination weddings. While I love that for you, it means one of your first hurdles in growing your business is going to be communicating your skill and experience across your website while still standing out from the crowd.
Many travel planners rely on similar tactics—beautiful photos, stock destination videos, and generic testimonials. While these elements are important to have on your website, they’re no longer enough to truly stand out. And, frankly, you can do better than being bland. Today’s travelers are savvy, time-poor, and craving personalization before they ever book a call. They want to be inspired by their travel experiences, and that starts with their visit to your website.
Here are seven creative, practical, and often overlooked ways to make a stand out travel website.
1. Go Beyond Stock Photos
Sourcing photos for all of the destinations you send people across the world means that, at some point, you’ve got to rely on stock photos. I get that, seriously, I do, but don’t let stock photos make up your entire website.
Ask clients for their photos to share on your website. Reach out to travel bloggers and ask if you can use their images on your site (with credit of course). Add your own travel photos. Do something to visually make your website look different!
I was looking at planners as background research for a travel planning website client and, whew, I saw SO MANY of the EXACT SAME photos. That’s wild. So getting creative to find photos that visitors haven’t seen, makes them feel confident you can offer something the competition can’t.
2. Replace Generic Testimonials With Story-Driven Social Proof
A client’s quote that says, “We had an amazing trip!” doesn’t do much to differentiate you from the travel planning pack.
Instead, find and add story-driven testimonials that highlight transformation. This sometimes means taking a little more time to draw out a great testimonial from a client. Ask past clients questions like:
- What problem were you trying to solve before working with me?
- What were you worried about?
- What changed once your trip was underway?
- How did it feel to finally get to take this trip?
Present these as short narratives rather than isolated quotes. You might even categorize them by traveler type—honeymooners, multigenerational families, solo travelers, luxury seekers.
This helps prospective clients see themselves in your past work and think, “They understand people like me and can help.”
3. Use Micro-Copy to Show Personality and Care
Micro-copy is the small text most websites overlook: button labels, form instructions, confirmation messages, and footnotes. This is a hot topic right now when it comes to website design. Essentially, it’s taking every opportunity (even the small ones most people miss) to help clients say yes to you.
For travel planners, micro-copy is a powerful opportunity to demonstrate warmth, professionalism, and attention to detail. A few examples:
- Instead of “Submit,” try “Let’s Start Planning”
- Instead of “Required field,” try “Help Me Personalize Your Trip”
- Instead of “Thank you,” try “I’m Already Brainstorming About Your Trip!”
These small touches create an emotional connection and make your website feel human—not clinical or cookie-cutter. They also signal the level of care clients can expect throughout the planning process.
4. Create a “Who I’m Not For” Section
While many websites focus on being inclusive, clarity is often more powerful than broad appeal. Plus, it’s a real chance to show some personality and speak all the things your ideal client doesn’t want – helping them know that you get them.
A thoughtfully written “Who I’m Not For” section can actually increase conversions by filtering out poor-fit clients and attracting the right ones. For example:
- You may not be the best fit for travelers who want the cheapest option. Not for the traveler who’d rather save $50 and opts to stand for the railtrip across Italy.
- Or those who prefer to book everything themselves. Not for those who want to spend 40+ hours trying to plan, book, and confirm overlapping travel schedules.
- Or travelers who don’t value expert guidance. Not for the travelers who would prefer to roll the dice and figure it out when they arrive.
When framed respectfully or with obvious comedy, this approach builds trust and positions you as confident in your expertise. The right clients will feel relieved—and more inclined to reach out.
5. Showcase Your Decision-Making, Not Just Destinations
Many travel planners showcase where they send clients. Fewer showcase how they think. Remember, we’re trying to set you apart. Anyone can travel to Aruba, but with you they will get the best of Aruba.
Consider adding a section that explains how you evaluate hotels, experiences, guides, or routes. For example:
- What makes a hotel worthy of recommendation?
- How do you balance luxury with authenticity?
- How do you plan for disruptions or last-minute changes?
This behind-the-scenes insight positions you as a strategic advisor, not just a trip organizer. It also helps justify your fees by highlighting the expertise clients are paying for.
6. Offer One High-Value, Unexpected Resource
Instead of a generic lead magnet like “Join My Newsletter,” offer a single, standout resource that solves a real problem for your ideal client. I know creating a lead magnet can take forever, but in the long run it’s so worth it. One of my favorite ways of helping clients figure out a lead magnet is having them brainstorm a digital product they think they could sell for $10. Usually, that’s a high-quality informational guide that will be a high-converting lead magnet!
Need Examples? I wrote a whole blog post full of Lead Magnets for Travel Planners.
The key is relevance and usefulness. This resource should feel generous, practical, and aligned with your services. When visitors walk away having already received value, trust builds naturally.
7. Design for Emotions, Not Just Beauty
Travel is emotional – people travel for all different emotional reasons. They want to feel inspired, romanced, adventurous, etc. When you know who your ideal client is, speak to the emotions that are behind their reasons for traveling. If they’re quiet luxury lovers, make sure your site is reflective of that – from your layout to your copy and photos. If they love an adventure, give them a little taste on your website.
This goes beyond aesthetics. Consider:
- Images that reflect your style and the people you serve
- Leave white space (small, empty space) to give visitors a chance to process the feelings you’re bringing up. It’s a chance for the eye to rest and process.
- Language that is right for the client and the types of travel your specialize in
- Clear next steps at every stage, no matter the emotions
An evocative website speaks beyond just words. It gives your visitors the sense you get them and that you’re the best person to work with.
You do what you do and you’re great at it. These seven elements can help you demonstrate that to potential clients with your stand out travel website. By focusing on storytelling, thoughtful positioning, and small details that communicate care, your website can become more than a marketing tool—it can become the first step of the journey itself. When your website feels as considered as the trips you plan, the right clients will notice.
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I believe we are called to a life of creativity, and I’m trying to show up for that every day. When I’m not designing website templates, brands or illustrations, I’m getting my glitter shoes metaphorically muddy with my own artistic pursuits. I’m a maker, a quilter, a Christmas enthusiast, a baker, and a truly abysmal (but passionate) gardener.
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