Project Context & Objectives
Drive Barbados offers tourists and locals a seamless online car rental experience across Barbados’s key destinations. The client’s goals were to:

1. Present available vehicles with clear specifications, pricing, and availability calendars.
2. Simplify the reservation process with real‑time booking and confirmation.
3. Optimize for mobile use—critical for on‑the‑go travelers.
4. Lay the SEO groundwork for competitive local rankings on queries like “Car rental Barbados” and “rent a car Bridgetown.”

Approach & Technology
Developed on WordPress with a lightweight, travel‑focused theme and Elementor Pro for modular layouts (vehicle catalogs, feature highlights, and CTA strips). Key integrations and enhancements included:

• Booking Engine Integration: Connected a dedicated car‑rental booking plugin (e.g., RnB or MotoPress Hotel Booking) to manage fleet availability, date pickers, and secure online payments.
• Vehicle Custom Post Type: Created a “Vehicle” CPT with taxonomies for Category (SUV, sedan, convertible), Fuel Type, and Passenger Capacity; displayed via dynamic Elementor listings.
• Performance Optimization: Implemented server‑level caching, minified assets, WebP conversion, and lazy loading—achieving sub‑2 s loads to cater to mobile users.
• SEO Foundation: Yoast SEO for metadata, LocalBusiness schema, clean URL structures (e.g., /fleet/suv), and optimized on‑page copy targeting “Barbados car hire,” “rent a car Barbados,” and related long‑tail terms.
• Trust & Support Features: Embedded Google Maps for pick‑up/drop‑off locations, clear insurance & policy details, and multilingual readiness (English & potential Papiamento).

Standout Functionality & UX Highlights

• Interactive Fleet Gallery: Filterable vehicle grid with high‑res photos, key specs, and “Book Now” buttons that open the date‑picker overlay.
• Real‑Time Availability Calendar: Prevents double‑booking and improves user confidence during reservation.
• Multi‑Step Booking Flow: Collects driver details, insurance options, and payment in clear, segmented steps—minimizing form abandonment.
• Responsive Mobile Experience: Sticky “Book Your Car” CTA and thumb‑friendly date selectors ensure friction‑free reservations on smartphones.
• Customer Reviews & Ratings: Carousel of guest testimonials highlighting service quality and convenience, boosting trust.

Results & Impact

• Faster Mobile Loads: Achieved average load times under 2 s, reducing bounce among mobile visitors.
• Increased Bookings: Streamlined booking flow and real‑time availability lifted completed reservations by an estimated 35%.
• Local SEO Growth: Optimized fleet and service pages for targeted keywords, securing top‑3 rankings for “rent a car Barbados” in Google local pack.