TIG Global Unveils New Website for Beaches of South Walton

TIG Global, a subsidiary of MICROS Systems, Inc. and leading interactive marketing company for hospitality and travel, has designed and launched a new, comprehensive website for Beaches of South Walton (www.beachesofsouthwalton.com), a collection of picturesque beach communities located along a 26-mile stretch of Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. The new website was developed to engage consumers and bring awareness to each of the 15 unique beach communities that comprise this tranquil Southeastern destination.

“We required a website that would help conquer our challenge of communicating the exact location of Beaches of South Walton within Florida, as well as to differentiate each of our beach communities in a clear, concise format,” said Loretta Shaffer, director of marketing for Beaches of South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC). “TIG Global designed a new site that provides more clarity to the consumer in regards to the individuality, proximity and personality of each community. From beaches filled with activities for families with children of all ages, to remote, romantic beaches perfect for couples seeking a relaxing getaway, our destination has a tremendous amount to offer. TIG Global did an excellent job of helping us showcase the characteristics of each community, enabling our visitors to search for, and select, the beach that best matches their ideal vacation spot.”

Given the Beaches of South Walton’s success in achieving a high return rate from loyal visitors in core drive markets, the destination sought to generate awareness with new visitors by reaching them online. Leveraging the Destination’s partnership with the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and low-cost service from Southwest Airlines, one of the goals of the website is to capture new visitors from emerging markets through an inspiring, informative and interactive web presence. Additionally, for users that are less familiar with the Beaches of South Walton, TIG Global incorporated an “Explore Our Beaches” widget, where visitors can dive into each beach individually, or use the “Beach Finder,” an advanced search tool, to uncover the beach communities that best match their interests. To set the 15 communities apart, the beaches are branded through the use of color coding throughout the website and maintain a recognizable consistency for users as they navigate through the site. TIG Global also integrated an interactive map on the homepage that further educates site visitors and showcases some key attributes of the destination, such as public beach access, the location of trails and the state parks and forests, helping potential travelers map out vacation experiences.

The site offers a robust calendar of events, incorporating a live feed of content from the popular local website 30A.com, which also shares the locals’ favorites with visitors. Built on an open source content management system (CMS), the content, including photos, videos and calendar of events, can be easily and regularly updated at any time by the Beaches of South Walton TDC administrators. TIG Global also designed the site to be shared virally via social media. The new design encourages user-generated feedback through “like” buttons to indicate visitor favorites. Additionally, fans of the website can recommend the site to friends and family over social networks and email via share widgets throughout the site. Overall, the site reflects the Beaches of South Walton brand image and the many attributes of each beach community through beautiful photography and new, high-definition videos.

“With the opening of the new airport and launch of this comprehensive, yet user-friendly website, the opportunities for new business for Beaches of South Walton are tremendous,” said Angie Briggs, vice president of destination business development for TIG Global. “We are honored to share in this exciting time with the Beaches of South Walton community and to help them achieve continued success in the online space throughout the future.”

About MICROS eCommerce Services|TIG Global

MICROS eCommerce Services|TIG Global, a subsidiary of MICROS Systems, Inc., is dedicated to assisting the travel industry with exceeding their online marketing goals. Serving an extensive portfolio of clients worldwide, TIG Global combines its industry knowledge and e-business expertise to help clients maximize the online channel. TIG Global offers multi-language websites, a vast network of internationally based strategic linking partners, email and pay-per-click marketing campaigns tailored to all international markets, custom social media solutions, and websites optimized for major search engines around the world.