giftGRÜN realizes an innovative website for aachen tourist service eV

The city of Aachen, known for its rich history, cultural treasures and as a major center for science and technology, attracts numerous visitors every year. The websites of the aachen tourist service eV serve as a central source of information for the city of Aachen. The offer is aimed at both private visitors and business customers - accordingly, two websites have been maintained: one for tourism and another for Meeting and event area. In order to meet the diverse requirements of private and business visitors, the “aachen tourist service” has decided to fundamentally renew its online presence. The redesign responds to the need to modernize legacy systems and create a unified platform that revolutionizes information delivery and user experience alike.

After a multi-stage selection process involving renowned Aachen agencies giftGRÜN, the digital agency of GRÜN Software Group GmbH, with a future-oriented concept. The concept relies on WordPress as a central content management system to enable high flexibility, easy administration and optimal mobile use. The mobile-first approach to the relaunch also ensures that the website offers an intuitive and mobile-optimized user interface that meets today's requirements.

Patrick Heinker, CEO of giftGRÜN, explains: “We developed a user-centered concept that puts itself in the shoes of different groups of visitors – be it families, individuals or groups – and created targeted landing pages based on this.”

As part of the relaunch, one of the essential tasks was to establish the existing connection destination.one maintain and strengthen in order to integrate not only the POI database (Points of Interest), but also events, catering offers and various locations. This contributed to the seamless connection of these central elements and supported destination.one's specialization in digital solutions for guest communication. Destination.one serves a wide range from tourist information to hosts and other tourism service providers. The platform serves as an effective tool for managing, maintaining and making accessible tourist information and attractions.

In order to further improve the offering and the user experience, the implementation of the “TOMAS” interface not only created a direct real-time connection to a hotel booking platform, but also integrated the distribution of city tours, package deals and brochures. This extension enables our website visitors not only to check availability, but also to make hotel bookings directly via our website in order to plan their stay in Aachen and book securely online.

The comprehensive redesign of the Aachen Tourism website was based on a detailed analysis of the Sinus milieus. This in-depth analysis aimed to precisely define the target groups and make it understandable who the visitors are who come to the region and what characteristics and motivations these groups have. These valuable insights were supplemented by a market study by Tourismus NRW, which provided additional insights into the motivations and profile of people who choose Aachen and the surrounding area for short stays.

This in-depth information from both studies made it possible to take a tailored mobile-first approach to website development. By tailoring the design of the website specifically to the needs and expectations of the target groups defined by the Sinus Milieus, a significantly improved user experience was achieved. Optimizing for mobile devices not only ensured intuitive navigation, but also ensured that the content and design resonated and appealed to the specific interests and preferences of the target groups.

By integrating the findings from the survey and market study into the development process, the website was able to be designed in such a way that it is not only user-friendly, but also specifically addresses the motives and lifestyles of visitors. This approach resulted in a significant increase in visit times and engagement rates as visitors found themselves on a platform designed specifically for their needs. The strategic use of this detailed market and target group analysis maximizes the relevance and effectiveness of the website by establishing a direct connection with visitors and specifically meeting their expectations.

With WordPress you can now create targeted and search engine optimized SEO landing pages to increase online visibility and quickly present visitors with attractive destinations in the region. This innovative solution is aimed at both individuals and groups looking for tailored experiences. By using a well-thought-out SEO architecture, the landing pages ensure that users can easily and efficiently find exactly the offers that match their interests - be it an adventure for the whole family or a relaxed company for individual travelers.

At the heart of this approach is the presentation of the region as an attractive tourist destination, which is supported by high-quality content on the respective pages. Introducing specific landing pages, such as “Discover with Kids,” offers a new level of accessibility and usability.

The successful implementation of this project was the result of close cooperation between the team from aachen tourist service and giftGRÜN. By using agile project management methods, we were able to respond flexibly to challenges and design the website exactly according to our customer's needs and wishes. This cooperative way of working led to efficient and targeted project implementation, which was completed within around four months.