Client expectations

The client wanted a website to present his courses, showcase photos, share course information and, of course, let people book courses. He wanted bookings to go through an inquiry form, as he runs only a handful of courses a year and the groups are small. He preferred to keep things under manual control, while still being able to add photos, reviews and new course dates himself.

The client already had a logo and content - texts and photos. He wanted the logo colours reflected in the website design.

A design with a touch of water

I approached the website so that it would pull visitors straight into the world of sea kayaking. A dominant photo of a kayaker on the water at sunrise opens the site and sets the right mood of summer adventure. I underlined the water theme with subtle design elements - a translucent water surface in the background and a "brush" wave under the main headings.

Handling inquiries

Instead of an "expensive" booking system, I built a custom solution based on forms. There is only one booking form on the website, but it adapts to where (which page) the visitor came from.

For example, if a visitor clicks "book" on:

• the Homepage, they pick a course and the form immediately offers its dates.
• the Courses abroad page, they choose only from courses abroad and their dates.
• the Lefkada page (a course on an island in Greece), the course is prefilled and they choose only from that course's dates.
• the Courses for schools page, they don't see any date selection at all - school courses have no fixed dates, so the booking becomes a straightforward inquiry.

The client then receives an e-mail with the visitor's name, the course name and the exact dates. No back-and-forth asking "so, which dates?".

Course dates that look after themselves

In 2026 we gave the website a refresh and took bookings a step further. Course dates used to be just text on the course page. Now each date is a separate entry in the admin - course, departure date and return date. That's all the client needs to fill in → it's simpler and faster for him. The website then displays the courses dynamically across the site:

• The date appears on the course page and in the booking form.
• The form offers only upcoming dates - the client doesn't have to delete past ones and they no longer show on the website.
• A course with no scheduled dates hides its "Book" button and disappears from the homepage.
• The cache is cleared on save, so a new date shows up on the website right away.

And when the client wants to add a similar course or date, he duplicates an existing one with a single click and changes only what's different.

The whole solution is built on a custom plugin (PHP and JavaScript), using Advanced Custom Fields for courses and dates and Contact Form 7 for the form.

Technical solution

I built the website with speed in mind. Photos are converted to WebP and compressed, so the site stays fast despite its rich photo gallery.

The client also received video tutorials on working with images (and more), so he can manage the website himself without the risk of slowing it down.

Security is handled by WordFence, backups by UpdraftPlus, caching by WP-Optimize and speed by Oxygen Builder, on which the website is built with a minimum of unnecessary plugins and features the site wouldn't use.

I continue to maintain the website - the custom plugin receives security fixes and improvements together with the other websites I look after.

The whole solution is ready for future expansion - whether into a full booking system or an e-shop, as the client's needs grow.

More than a technical solution

A website isn't just a technical solution - it's a tool that helps sell experience-based courses. The client manages photos and reviews himself and can publish a new course date in seconds. Smartly designed forms make communicating with prospective participants easier.

Need a website for your experience business?

I'll gladly help you build a solution that:

• Catches visitors' attention at first glance
• Makes getting inquiries easier
• Is fast and reliable
• You can manage yourself

There are, of course, many ways to take bookings for experiences. This client wanted bookings via forms, but a booking system can be the answer too, as in the case of RedSeaDives.

Let's talk about how a website could help you.