Inside the Suitcase

Blue Escapes Website: Before and After / March 22, 2010

Ah yes. How wonderful it is to vacation in the Caribbean, travel the islands sipping rum and basking on the beach endlessly dreaming of the ocean and all things relaxing. Even if I can’t live this life of luxury, at least I can design it.

Blue Escapes offers luxury vacation villas throughout the Caribbean. With that type of business, and the fact that the owner, Hunter Butler, was named one of the Top 50 Villa Rental Specialists by Condé Nast Traveler magazine in 2008, it was time to give Blue Escapes a much needed facelift.

By focusing on font usage, Caribbean colors, awe-inspiring images that make you say “I wanna go there,” and high-end sophistication, Blue Escapes has become the premiere vacation specialist for islands like Anguilla, St. Thomas and Tortola.

Heres a quick glance at the before and after. See details below.

Before:

• The large logo, elementary colors, clip art usage and heavy text advertised the locations on offer as Caribbean “deals” vs high-end luxury getaways.
• The website lacked a strong conversion driver per page. The phone number and email address alone were too passive for immediate action.
• Photography usage didn’t showcase the amazing villas Blue Escapes has to offer. Because the images didn’t include captions, the user couldn’t easily get detailed information about a villa they were interested in.
• Overall, the website didn’t feel special, warm or Caribbean-like.

After:

• The colors and images used represent the ocean and landscape surrounding the Caribbean islands.
• Adjusting the logo size and color presents Blue Escapes as an intimate company and puts more emphasis on the villas.
• Having the email, phone number and contact form on each page increases conversion rates and makes it easy to get in immediate contact with Blue Escapes.
• Using a caption on each villa image creates a direct avenue for prospects to explore the site further.
• Large photos instantly draw the audience into the website.

See more after images.

Posted by Mackenzie

Before & After | No comments | Share