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Press Releases
INTERNET SALES & MARKETING
FUNDAMENTALS FOR HOTELIERS (PART 2 OF 2)
PARSIPPANY , NJ , OCTOBER 19, 2006 – The first element in part one of Internet Sales & Marketing Fundamentals for Hoteliers was Internet marketing. Taking those basics into consideration you will realize better distribution of your property information, optimization will increased the search engine rankings of your website, drive more traffic to your brand web pages and enable better tracking of your results to evaluate your ROI.
Now you need to open your Internet door and provide a buyer experience that differentiates your hotel and offers what your targeted shopper wants; location, accommodation and price. Your website is your “Point of Sale”. If your website is a proprietary website implemented to supplement your brand web pages, you still need to appeal to the shopper and guide them to your brand web pages and booking engine. If you are a brand hotel and still questioning why you need a website when you have your brand pages, consider these factors; (a) the value of having more than one sales channel to your booking engine will increase sales potential (b) by controlling the doorway you minimize the potential of a shopper choosing a competitor within the same brand or franchise website (c) the world wide web is a complex web of shoppers and it demands diverse links and buyer experiences (d) your brand sells their brand so capitalize on what the brand has for your property alone.
Your website is more than a brochure it is your “Point of Sale”! The website is where the shopper selects what they will purchase at that moment or at a later date. Your sales agents are photos, interesting and informative text, clear definitive maps, relevant links and easy navigation. All of these elements determine the shopper’s experience and final purchase decision. Your “Point of Sale” goal is to appeal to your target shopper’s interests and to move them to your booking engine. Some of the site design dos and don’ts are:
- 85% of all online transactions include a search engine. To benefit from this tremendous marketing channel you need to *fully optimize your website and maintain an ongoing optimization program. A site that is not optimized is like last years brochures sitting in the closet.
- Do not host your website on a server with sites you don’t know!
- Use text fonts that are large enough and colors that contrast well with your background
- Utilize bulleted lists instead of rambling text
- Limit text to about 300 words on any single web page
- Use good clear photos that present your hotel’s features in their best light
- Make photos large enough for the viewer; minimum 16,000 bytes 206x228 pixels)
- Feature an interactive map for directions, location and proximity to attractions
- Avoid linking to map sites that offer links to competitor sites or 3 rd party sites
- Have a link to your reservation page clearly positioned on all pages
- Always have a privacy policy, terms of use and site map in your bottom toolbar
- For most hotel and resort websites a flash introduction page is excessive and it is annoying to many shoppers
- Avoid a complete flash home page! This may inhibit an effective search optimization. If you offer an alternative HTML site don’t call it HTML
- Musical audio can be nice, but annoying to the shopper, always offer an off button
- Use names for your navigation tabs that clearly relate to what is on the pages
- Update or change text frequently
- Update search engine registration frequently
- Add to pages and content to your when possible
- Plan to redo your website’s look and feel every other year to keep it fresh for the shoppers
- Always offer your toll free reservations phone number on your web pages. Try a unique number so you can track calls originating from your website
There are many other design and website elements to consider that may relate to your hotels unique location, target market or onsite services. Some web masters and developers will question the points I have listed. This is because the website is a matter of taste. And, too often there is a conflict between what a developer feels is important and what is really needed for marketing purposes.
Just make sure your final design decisions are based on the shopper’s taste and needs, not your personal taste. The single most important objective is to offer interesting information, convenient navigation and security in the final purchase process.
Your internet booking engine is, of course, the most critical page on your website. The booking engine needs to indicate security and it has to be easy for the user to access availability and rates by room type. Try to limit your room types to no more than five this will keep it simple for the average shopper, don’t offer a long list of rooms based on rate types. Let the shopper select any relevant discounts such as AAA, AARP, seniors or corporate with their availability request. The bottom line is close the sale, so keep the process to as few steps as necessary. (1) availability request (2) select room and rate type (3) enter buyer and credit card details (4) receive a printable confirmation.
For the branded hotel with a proprietary website the reservations link will take the shopper to your brand reservations page. Make sure the reservation link on your website goes to the brand reservation page and not the brand home page or your property home page on the brand. Don’t forget to keep your brand toll free number available to the shopper.
There are definitely a number of additional website design and development considerations. You have to select the website elements that present your property in its best image and convey your primary selling points for your target markets. The only common factor for all hotel websites is that you must review your website regularly for broken links, typos, outdated information, updates and keep your website interesting for the shopper. If you find your website boring, it is equally boring for your prospective guest and that is a lost sale.
About Lodging Interactive
Lodging Interactive is a leading provider of Internet Marketing Services to the travel and lodging industries. The company provides a portfolio of effective Internet Marketing Services to hundreds of hotels, resorts, timeshares and bed and breakfasts worldwide. The Company also offers effective online tools and services; hotelBLAST.com, a self-service email marketing system, MyWebsitePromotions.com, a self-service online promotions marketing system, CommentCards.com, a full-service consumer-2-business comment card and survey service, SEOTracker an SEO Analysis and SEO Competitive Benchmarking Service, HotelMASHUPS.com interactive Google mapping services, and eProposal Rapid RFP Response System.
Lodging Interactive clients include branded properties such as Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton, Radisson, Crowne Plaza Hotels, Doubletree Hotels, Candlewood Suites, Best Western, Wyndham Hotels plus numerous independent properties. The Company is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ and can be reached at 973-402-4970 or by visiting its website at www.LodgingInteractive.com , www.MyWebsitePromotions.com or www.CommentCards.com .
Lodging Interactive is a proud member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and a supporter of the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). For more information you can also contact Richard Walsh, Vice President of Business Development at rjwalsh@lodginginteractive.com or at 973-402-4970.
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