Case Study: Revamping Searles Leisure Resort’s Website

Who Is The Client?

Searles Leisure Resort, located in the heart of Norfolk, offers a diverse range of holiday experiences, from luxury holiday homes to family-friendly camping. The resort’s extensive activities, picturesque location, and family-focused values have made it a popular destination for UK holidaymakers. However, as the business grew, the resort’s website failed to keep up with its expanding needs.

What Was The Problem?

Searles Leisure Resort’s existing website was becoming increasingly outdated and struggling to meet the demands of the growing business. Several issues were impacting the website’s ability to drive bookings and engage users effectively:

1. Outdated Design and User Experience (UX): The website’s design was no longer in line with the resort’s modern, family-friendly brand. Visitors found it difficult to navigate, which led to frustration and a high bounce rate.
2. Complex Site Structure: With too many pages and sections, the website was cluttered, making it hard for users to find relevant information or complete desired actions, such as booking a holiday or enquiring about holiday home ownership.
3. Content Management Challenges: The existing Content Management System (CMS) was not user-friendly, making it time-consuming and difficult for the internal team to update and manage the site.
4. Declining Support from Development Partner: The resort’s previous development partner was proving difficult to work with, offering poor customer service and failing to address issues in a timely manner.

What Was Our Solution?

We approached the project with the client's specific needs in mind, focusing on improving both design and functionality to increase website engagement and bookings. We proposed the following solutions:

• A Brand New, Bespoke Website:  We developed a completely custom design that better aligned with Searles Leisure Resort’s branding and messaging. The new design was fresh, modern, and visually appealing, with a focus on providing an intuitive user experience.
• Improved UX and Streamlined Navigation: Our team revamped the website’s navigation, integrating a custom booking engine for real-time pricing and availability. We also enhanced the search feature, making it easier for users to find holidays or properties. These enhancements made the website significantly more user-friendly and optimized for conversions.
• Re-platforming to WordPress: To address content management challenges, we migrated the site to WordPress, a more intuitive and flexible CMS. This empowered Searles’ internal team to manage and update content with ease, reducing the reliance on external developers.
• Optimised Conversion Points: We strategically placed calls to action (CTAs) throughout the site to encourage users to book holidays, enquire about holiday homes, and book activities, ultimately increasing conversion rates.

What Was The Result?

The redesigned website delivered a significant transformation, working towards the client’s goals and addressing their challenges effectively:

• Modernised Aesthetics: The new design gave the website a fresh, contemporary look that aligns with the resort’s brand identity while standing out from competitors through tailored visuals, a clean layout, and an emphasis on usability.
• Streamlined Structure: By consolidating and reorganising the site’s content, we eliminated unnecessary pages and created a simplified, intuitive structure. This drastically reduced clutter, enabling users to find the information they need quickly and effortlessly.
• Enhanced User Experience: The redesigned navigation offers a far simpler and more intuitive way for users to explore all services, from holiday bookings and golf activities to holiday home purchases. Previously cluttered and confusing, the site is now easy to navigate, ensuring a seamless and frustration-free experience.
• Increased Conversion Rates and Bookings: The improved user experience directly contributed to higher conversion rates across the website. Clearer calls to action, intuitive navigation, and a smoother booking process resulted in a noticeable increase in holiday bookings and engagement with other resort services. 

“Searles Leisure Resort have been working with Netmatters for over two years now. Initially brought in to look after our SEO & PPC it was soon recognised that the team are very passionate about their clients and providing them with insights and trends to help businesses. When it came to update the website it made sense for us to reach out to Netmatters, the quote they provided was competitive and we gave them the project. Through the build they kept us up to date with their progress. Now the website is live we are so proud of the end result, it has simplified the customer journey and given us a bright and fresh looking website. Thank you to all the team, we look forward to our continued working relationship.” Carolyn Johnson, Marketing & PR Manager – Searles Leisure Group

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