The very first website ever developed by Flyway Media owner, Chris Hustad, was a hunting guide web design project. That was over 20 years ago, and we built the website on Microsoft Notepad…
Fast forward to today, and we don’t use Notepad anymore, and for good reason. :-) But the consumer has changed a bit, as well. While more people use Google now than ever before, how you rank has changed entirely. And of course, how you rank determines how busy your business will be (it’s really that simple). Let’s dive in why…
Remember the old days of marketing your outfitting business before the Internet??? Print media or sport shows was the name of the game. But that takes away a lot of time, and can be very expensive. And worse of all, you can’t really track the results (unless you ask each and every caller).
We literally don’t have a single client in the hunting industry that still does sport shows. They don’t have to, and that’s a good thing!
We use various web design platforms, based on the needs of the outfitter. Typically, and I’ve dealt with COUNTLESS outfitters across North America, the needs of all are about the same. Phone calls, and lots of them is usually the goal of every outfitter web design project.
While emails are nice, they’re often full of tire-kickers who often waste a lot of time and resources, just to be nickel and dimed. I can’t honestly say I’ve met a guide or outfitter who said they DIDN’T want a phone call? Why? Well, if they’re serious about booking a trip, they’re usually ready when they call.
In today’s realm, most hunter’s looking to book trips start their search on the Internet (Google, more often then not). From there, it’s really about your website and
Google Business Profile positioning among your competition to determine who gets that lead.
Obviously, if your website is buried on the 3rd page of the results, you’re not going to get much traction from it. And if you’re an outfitter, and you’re reading this with this same problem, you’re in for a treat. :-)
This is what we specialize in here at Flyway Media, and that is
SEO (search engine optimization).
"We recently had Chris at Flyway Media create and maintain our website for Falling Feathers Lodge. Chris and his team have been great to work with and always willing to make small changes to make sure his clients are satisfied. Top notch website built by a top notch designer and his company at Flyway! Highly recommend."
~ Mike Dorris - EPO Lodge in SD
Typically, when we look at a website built by another, we analyze it for “holes” or missing pieces of the SEO puzzle. MOST websites are FULL of mistakes, if you will, that causes your page to fall down the search results.
Now, if you’re a quality hunting outfitter, who does right by his or her clients, then it’s vital that you pass this message on to others.
Does your website create an accurate representation of what your operation offers? And, is it easy to find information and of course, how to book?
I’m always shocked how these simple mistakes happen on a daily basis. A hunting outfitter website, if nothing else, is simply a place for questions and answers. What are the prime dates? How much for a certain amount of people? What do we bring? All this should be displayed, and organized, plain as day for the customer. And not only that, but an immediate CTA (call to action) should be present. If they're not calling, then something simply isn't right.
A modern-day hunting and fishing guide web design, coupled with the right digital marketing mix, is a proven winner almost every time.
If you’re a guide or outfitter with a website, and you don’t know the answer to this question, you should find out. The key to any online marketing strategy is to see how well it’s working. After all, every single visitor is tracked nowadays, the numbers don’t lie.
Traditionally, here are the ways most hunting outfitters get their traffic online.
As stated earlier, most of your potential customers will start their research on Google/Bing/etc. What’s nice, is through various tools you can find out exactly what they typed to find you. Make sure you’re hitting the mark and it’s the gift that keeps on giving…
However, when shopping around for hunting website designers, you'll find that probably EVERY SINGLE ONE will claim to be SEO "experts". And after people get burned by these fly by night agencies, they're skeptical of others (and for good reason).
STATS DON'T LIE - We track not only stats, but engagements (phone calls, emails, etc.). You simply can't fake real world leads.
I’ve written about the importance of Google Business Profiles just recently, so you can find out more about what it is there. But in many cases, this can be just as important, if not more important, than your website itself.
If you're not aware of what's a Google Business Profile, search for "restaurants near me" on Google. You'll notice a "3-pack" of Google Business Profile listings, and a map next to it. THAT is where you need to be found, as well.
There are obviously a lot of social media out there in the world today, the key is knowing their demographics. The 2 dominant social medias in the hunting space are Facebook and Instagram. I’m not getting into what you think of their politics or policies, I’m simply stating where most of your customers are spending their time. Facebook is by far, capturing the older demographic who spend the most money on hunting trips. I would put a lot of focus there.
While these used to be a big player in search engine results, nowadays, they’re spotty. However, there is still a time or place for having a listing in the appropriate web directory. Keep in mind, however, that Google can and will penalize you for certain paid links. Keep that in mind if you’re employing a sound SEO strategy for your website design.
I come from a history of forum startups, so I know this niche well. While social media has taken the more dominant role in your customer’s time online, there is still a time and place for forums. Usually, each niche in the outdoors has at least a handful of active forums. While advertising here helps, being active a bit and having a gravitating personality here really shines.
Ads…yuck. Why do I say that? Well, if you’re looking to promote your hunting related business online, I still feel a well optimized SEO and Google Business Profile strategy with the right company is your best ROI. BUT there is still a time and place for ads, and they can produce leads when done right. While Facebook and others are somewhat easier to setup ads, places like Google Ads can take what feels like forever to learn. My tip is to outsource this, especially if you plan to spend a good chunk of change and for a decent period of time.
“We have had Flyway Media make multiple websites and have had them do SEO on all of our sites as well. They are very easy to work with and do a great job bringing our vision to life in a timely manner!”
~ Shane Erdmann @ Migrator Valley Media
I hate to sound redundant, as I’ve mentioned the same ingredients for fishing website design before. But if I’m somewhat repeating myself, it’s for good reason.
MOST hunting website designers, I’ve found, aren’t even hunters themselves. Now to be fair, a passion for hunting shouldn’t be a full pre-requisite for building a hunting website, but it certainly helps! Myself, I’m an avid waterfowler and angler. I love doing outdoor websites, for this reason.
I see the “wrong” photos on hunting outfitter websites a lot, in my opinion. What are wrong photos you ask? I feel an overabundance of “grip and grins” are common. Every outfitter has a gallery of dead stuff on their site. I get it, you get it done, but sometimes it also attracts the wrong clientele.
Mix it up, don’t just show 150 whitetail deer photos, show the whole experience. Show the lodge, the sunrises, the setups, action shots, etc. If all you offer is a shooting experience at trophy game, then you may be the exception here, but again, it’s all about hitting the right clientele.
I will say this out loud for those in the back of the room, MAKE SURE YOUR WEBSITE IS MOBILE-FRIENDLY! It’s quite rare nowadays, for me to see a client with traffic where mobile isn’t the overwhelming winner. In some cases, even over 80%. Make sure your website works on a phone, and works well.
Have you ever seen all these websites, claiming to be “the best” or something along those lines? How is that measured, anyways? Tongue and cheek here, but seriously, if you’re ranking well for keywords surrounding your business, the rest will take care of itself.
One last thing to note on hunting guide web design, is that often websites are simply too busy. The designer clearly isn’t seeing the forest through the trees. The site should be organized, easy to navigate, and easy to act (call/email/etc.). I stated this earlier but this is so important, a website like this should be simply questions and answers. Don’t overwhelm, it turns many away.
If you took anything away from this article, it hopefully is that a well designed website and Google Business Profile will be your best ROI. I’ve seen it countless times in this industry, and you’re really wasting your money in a lot of other avenues.
And while we may be biased as a digital marketing agency, it’s gauging from experience. We simply do not push services on our clients if we feel they aren’t going to get a real return as a result. Be very cautious of any agency that does.
Good Hunting!
"I have known Chris for over 15 years. He provides excellent service. I trust him with all of my website business. I highly recommend him to anyone wanting to upgrade their website."
~ Mike Ladnier - Bay Prairie in Canada
