Website support for hospitality businesses in Japan
A website that
travelers can find,
and want to visit
Relying only on booking platforms and review sites makes it hard for travelers to reach you directly. I help you improve how your site shows up in searches from abroad, what your English pages tell visitors, and how easily they can book or contact you. We start by looking at your current site together, and I explain clearly what is worth fixing now. Consultations are available in English.
Challenges
Does any of this sound familiar?
- Most of your guests come through booking platforms, and very few find your own website
- Your site has English pages, but hardly anyone from abroad visits them
- You know what travelers want, but running the business leaves little time for the website
- You are not sure which part of your site to improve first
Usually, the problem is not your business.
Often the cause is one of two things: travelers abroad do not know your business exists, or your site does not yet show them what makes it worth visiting. The good news is that both can be improved, one step at a time.
Service
Southern Cross Global— Three routes to reaching travelers abroad
Visits from abroad do not happen by chance. They follow a sequence: travelers find you, understand you, and then decide to visit. I help you build that route into your website, one step at a time.
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Get found from abroad
When travelers search for things like “[area] + hotel” or “[area] + restaurant,” your site should be one of the options they see. The first step is to put your business where travelers are already looking.
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Show travelers what makes you special
Even well-written English can miss what first-time visitors to Japan want to know before they decide. I review your pages from a traveler’s point of view and help organize the information, photos and wording so your atmosphere, your care, and the ways to enjoy your place come across clearly.
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Make it easy to book or contact you
Once travelers are interested, they should be able to move through your site without getting lost. I improve the links between pages and the path to booking or inquiry, then check how visits from abroad change and plan the next improvement.
You do not need to do all three at once. After looking at your current site, I suggest a realistic order, starting with what is likely to help most right now.
For You
Who this is for
Hotels and ryokan
Places to stay that want to be chosen by international travelers, and want more visitors on their own website instead of relying only on booking platforms.
Guesthouses and vacation rentals
Small, independently run places to stay that want to share their character and the warmth of meeting guests.
Restaurants and cafés
Places to eat that want to show their food and atmosphere in a way travelers understand.
Shops and experiences
Souvenir shops, craft studios and cultural experiences that want travelers to discover what makes them unique to Japan.
If your business is not listed here but you want to welcome international travelers, please feel free to get in touch.
My Stance
A partner, not just a vendor
I do not want to simply finish a task and leave. My goal is for travelers abroad to find your business, and for visits from abroad to grow over time. I want to work beside you toward that goal and think it through together.
- I start from the goal. Every suggestion is judged by one question: will it help travelers abroad find and visit you?
- I explain things plainly. No wall of jargon. I tell you honestly what you need to know to make a decision.
- I tell you what I cannot do. Then I keep looking for a way that does work.
Profile
About me
Founder, Southern Cross Global Sunao Iizuka / 飯塚 直
Hello, I am Sunao Iizuka, the founder of Southern Cross Global. Based in Gunma, I help places to stay, restaurants, shops and experience providers that want to welcome international travelers build websites that travelers can find and understand.
For more than 20 years, I have worked directly with customers. I have also worked in corporate sales, and today I teach people how to use smartphones, explaining technical topics in words that fit each person.
I have been studying English for more than 20 years. I have also studied web development, English content, search from abroad and site navigation, and I research how international travelers look for places and decide where to go.
International travelers are not all the same. What they need to know depends on their country, region and reason for traveling. I check each site one part at a time, asking two questions: what information do travelers want, and can they visit or book without worry?
I am at the stage of building my first case studies in the inbound tourism field. That is why I do not make big promises. I start by looking at your current site, sorting out what works and what could be better, and explaining clearly what is worth doing now.
The name Southern Cross Global comes from my travels in South America and the Sydney Marathon, which I ran as a personal challenge to grow. Sailors in the Southern Hemisphere have long used the Southern Cross to find their way. I hope to be a small guiding star for businesses taking their first steps toward international guests.
If something is beyond what I can do, I will tell you honestly. Then I will keep looking for a way that works, and stay alongside you as a partner.
- Based inGunma, Japan (online support anywhere in Japan)
- Experience20+ years in customer-facing work / corporate sales / smartphone instructor
- English20+ years of English study / consultations available in English
- FocusResearching and improving search from abroad, English content and site navigation
- PrincipleBe honest about what I cannot do, and keep looking for what I can
Flow
From first contact to ongoing support
We start with a free 30-minute check to review your current website and sort out how to reach more travelers from abroad.
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Get in touch
Use the form below to tell me your business name, website URL and what you would like help with. I will reply to schedule an online check.
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Free website check
We meet online in English, for example on Zoom, for about 30 minutes. I look at your site beforehand, then explain whether travelers abroad can find it easily and whether your English pages show what makes your business special.
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Improvement proposal
Based on the check, I propose priorities, what to do, a schedule and costs. You only sign up if you are happy with the proposal.
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Improvements and ongoing support
After we agree, I work through the improvements your business needs, such as search optimization for travelers abroad, English content and site navigation. After changes go live, I check visits from abroad and suggest next steps.
What the free check covers
A quick review of how your site works with search from abroad, the content of your English pages, and how clearly your business’s appeal comes across. The check does not include fixing your site on the spot, and I do not guarantee search rankings.
Free Website Check
Free website check for international travelers
I review your website in advance, then spend about 30 minutes explaining how to help travelers abroad find you and how to reach more of them. The check is available in English.
You are welcome to ask at any stage
“We do not have English pages yet.”
“We have English pages, but no visitors from abroad.”
“We do not know where to start.”