Specific Industry: Hamam baths, spa & wellness, massage, tourist attraction, UNESCO historic site, UNDP development programme
Client Location: Nicosia, Cyprus
Year launched: 2007
Web service: Complete website solution, including web design concept, programming development, flash elements, content research & writing, photos, video editing & upload, SEO & Internet marketing, including Wikipedia, Wikitravel, Wikimap and links to major organisational websites such as the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and Cyprus Airways in-flight magazine, domain and hosting, as well as a number of updates – at no extra charge.

Hamam Omerye in the heart of Old Town Nicosia, Cyprus is a 14th century building restored by EU funding and a bi-communal UNDP/UNOPS project to operate once again as a hammam bath. In 2006, the hamam received the Europa Nostra prize for the Conservation of Architectural Heritage.

Following the website, Hamam Omerye is now a well-known major historic and tourist attraction in the capital of Cyprus, both in terms of its architecture and history, as well as its appeal for relaxation, spa & wellness treatments, including Turkish bath, a large variety of massages, body scrubs, facials and other beauty therapies among other.

Indeed, Hamam Omerye Baths is a true working example of Cyprus' rich culture and diversity, blend of multiple complex cultures, stone struggle, yet sense of freedom and flexibility. The site's history dates back to the 14th century, when it stood as an Augustinian church of St. Mary. Stone-built, with small domes, it is chronologically placed at around the time of Frankish and Venetian rule, approximately the same time that the city acquired its Venetian Walls. In 1571, Mustapha Pasha converted the church into a mosque, believing that this particular spot is where the prophet Omer rested during his visit to Lefkosia. Most of the original building was destroyed by Ottoman artillery, although the door of the main entrance still belongs to the 14th century Lusignan building, whilst remains of a later Renaissance phase can be seen at the north-eastern side of the monument.

Working with Web-Conceptions, freelance web developers

Hamam Omerye Baths is one of Nicosia's most appealing, interesting and working tourist site. As a business facility it must also however attract local clientele, as Nicosia's tourism industry is still very niche, specialised (also not so significant) and quite seasonal. With no website, and very well hidden within Nicosia's Old Town Venetian wall labyrinth, Hamam Omerye found it quite difficult to operate efficiently. This website project had three main goals:

• •   Educate local clientele about the benefits of this facility
• •   Inform visitors to Nicosia and Cyprus about the facility and site attraction
• •   Enrich Cyprus's and Nicosia's overall tourism product and municipal facilities

Overall, the mission for hamambaths.com was to boost business and increase revenue, allowing the venue to be feasible and operate in its own right. Website content and SEO would be fundamental.

Results driven: a website meeting online goals

Hamambaths.com was and still is one of Web-Conception's most successful website projects. The amount of visitors continues to be astonishing, particularly as so many are unique visitors. A clever design, with clean code, clear informative content and other appealing aesthetic elements. Most successful is no doubt search engine optimisation, heavily driven by the website's copywriting. Following the website's launch, Hamam Omerye's clientele reached staggering levels; even to the point where hot water was running out – as it was extremely busy! Management had to take drastic action, increasing supplies and reducing the amount of customers allowed in any one given time. Since its success, the establishment has received continued upgrades and refurbishments, as well as introducing new products and services. Management is now restoring a next door historic building and expanding its operations. Indeed remarkable success and the perfect example of how the right website can optimise performance.

Key aspects to the success of hamambaths.com include:

• •   Well researched and well written original website content – this created immense intertexuality, with countless websites copying the text for their own websites and portal purposes, also in turn including a hyperlink to hamambaths.com
• •   Natural numerous credible links, including the national tourism board www.visitcyprus.com (Cyprus Tourism Organisation), Wikipedia, Wikitravel, Wikimap, major newspapers in other countries, such as www.independent.co.uk, Cyprus Airways in-flight magazine, www.ogamos.com, Trip advisor, www.beincyprus.com, www.cyprusforall.com, and countless other tourism-related websites
• •   Selected (niche) and unique key words, titles and descriptions
• •   Strategic branding from the very beginning, which included choosing the URL www.hamambaths.com. This has now become the highest ranking and most respected URL in its respective industry
• •   Follow-up tracking, monitoring and SEO testing and amendments

Visit Hamambaths.com

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