As a hotel, motel, or guest house owner, it’s becoming more and more difficult to know where to advertise, which social and business networks to join, which message systems to use, which social bookmarking sites to take advantage of, which blogs to follow and which blog platforms to post from.
Business Social Networks
LinkedIn is obviously the number one business social network, but what other business social networking sites should you be using? Facebook and Xing both have a huge number of professionals and industry experts at your fingertips, but how do you turn these numbers into tangible business contacts? Plus, developing leads and creating business opportunities is time consuming on both of these sites.
Twitter on the other hand creates a lot of high quality conversation, produces leads, and encourages information exchange without being time consuming. How long does it take to answer the question “what are you doing?” twice per day, thus informing potential guests of your news, unique selling points, and current promotions?
... And Advertising?
And where should hoteliers advertise nowadays and which online booking websites are the most popular with prospective guests? The choices are growing out of control!
Today, I was reading the 2009 National Travel Monitor by Ypartnership and Yankelovich.
In their report they state that “sixty-six percent of leisure travelers now use the Internet to plan some aspect of their travel (versus 35 percent in 2000), while 56 percent now report making reservations online… Travelers visit search engines such as Google, Yahoo or MSN first when considering vacation destination alternatives. The websites of specific countries or destination boards are visited next, followed by online travel agencies such as Expedia and Travelocity.”
The most popular websites for travel planning (according to the 2009 National Travel Monitor) are as follows:
Visit first when selecting a destination:
Search engine (Google, Yahoo, MSN) 34 percent
Website of national tourist office/CVB 23 percent
Online travel agency like Expedia, Travelocity 22 percent
Website of hotel chain 8 percent
Web site of individual hotel or resort 7 percent
Blog 1 percent
However, search patterns for selecting accommodation are understandably different. Consumers first visit the websites of online travel agencies; brand-specific sites are not the most popular when selecting lodging. Meta search engines that compare room rates are visited first by just over 1-out-of-20 travelers when selecting accommodation:
Visit first when selecting hotel/resort:
Website of online travel agency
(Expedia, Travelocity) 31 percent
Search engine (Google, Yahoo, MSN) 26 percent
Website of specific hotel chain 21 percent
Website of individual hotel/resort 10 percent
Meta search engine that compares rates 5 percent
So, what do I advise my clients?
I recommend that they adopt a selection of the aforementioned networking, advertising, and booking tools in order to optimize their visibility to consumers.
There is no need to waste valuable hours posting from every blog platform, networking in every available social networking site and updating your activities in each and every message system… Your message will get lost and you’ll stop to take a breath and wonder where your life has gone; it’s just too time consuming. So, stick to the tools and the methods that produce proven results:
1) Twitter twice daily to inform your prospective guests of news, great reviews, current promotions, and things that YOU find interesting.
2) Join relevant groups on LinkedIn to ask advice from industry experts.
3) Ensure that your hotel, motel, or guest house website is optimized to guarantee that you are listed within the top three results for your key words on search engines such as Google.
4) Connect with your local tourist information and the national tourist office to make certain that your hotel information is listed on all related websites and in all associated publications. Offer promotions, gifts, and prizes for tourists directed by these sources.
5) Keep your website up-to-date and conduct regular market research to discover what guests think and feel about your accommodation based upon what they see and read.
And finally...
Never underestimate the power of a strong and wide-spread network. Whether the network is physical or purely an online presence, it is and will continue to be invaluable for research, advertising, and producing precious leads.
For further information on the National Travel Monitor, please visit the publications section of YPartnership
Thanks for reading,
Emma
I am still on a search for the best hotel booking system for small to medium sized hotels. If you know of hotel booking software that can beat HotelSystems.co.uk for ease of use and functionality then please contact me on eharradine@hotmail.co.uk
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
How Do You Build Trust?
How do you convince prospective guests that you are a trustworthy hotelier and that they can believe what they read about your hotel and service? How do you know that you can trust your suppliers? How do you know that you can trust the hotel booking system provider that you’ve found on the website?
No doubt your customers look at dozens of hotels before they choose yours and you search tens, if not hundreds, of suppliers before you choose your booking system or cutlery supplier.
But why do your guests choose you, and why do you choose your suppliers?
It all comes down to trust.
When I originally researched booking software companies I was bombarded with thousands of badly designed websites, plastered with Google advertising, offering ridiculously low prices, ‘the best’ software available, and free twenty four-hour technical support. Naturally, these elements did little to entice me, in fact, quite the opposite; they sent me running to the hills.
So, what was I looking for?
When I stumbled upon Hotel Booking Systems I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh, clean, and simple website that was easy to navigate; a great start. Refreshingly, the website contained no Google ads and no ‘50% off if you buy today’ incentives; the prices quoted were the actual prices. Instantly, the company earned my trust.
As it turns out, I picked the right hotel systems company; both professional and reliable.
You make the same decisions
As a hotelier, you are faced with the same decisions, and without even knowing, you are making assumptions based upon very similar criteria. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to buy a hotel system from a software developer unable to create a simple and functional website.
These companies don’t appear to be trustworthy, and from experience I can tell you that appearances are not deceptive in this industry; they are not trustworthy companies and they are not run by trustworthy individuals.
... So do your guests!
You need to learn from the lessons you are taught when searching for suppliers because your guests’ minds work in an identical manner. Does your hotel or guesthouse portray your establishment as a trustworthy one and, in turn, are you perceived to be a trustworthy individual.
You don’t tolerate suppliers who ‘lie a little bit’ or ‘or try too hard, so neither will your prospective guests.
Many thanks for reading
Emma
No doubt your customers look at dozens of hotels before they choose yours and you search tens, if not hundreds, of suppliers before you choose your booking system or cutlery supplier.
But why do your guests choose you, and why do you choose your suppliers?
It all comes down to trust.
When I originally researched booking software companies I was bombarded with thousands of badly designed websites, plastered with Google advertising, offering ridiculously low prices, ‘the best’ software available, and free twenty four-hour technical support. Naturally, these elements did little to entice me, in fact, quite the opposite; they sent me running to the hills.
So, what was I looking for?
When I stumbled upon Hotel Booking Systems I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh, clean, and simple website that was easy to navigate; a great start. Refreshingly, the website contained no Google ads and no ‘50% off if you buy today’ incentives; the prices quoted were the actual prices. Instantly, the company earned my trust.
As it turns out, I picked the right hotel systems company; both professional and reliable.
You make the same decisions
As a hotelier, you are faced with the same decisions, and without even knowing, you are making assumptions based upon very similar criteria. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to buy a hotel system from a software developer unable to create a simple and functional website.
These companies don’t appear to be trustworthy, and from experience I can tell you that appearances are not deceptive in this industry; they are not trustworthy companies and they are not run by trustworthy individuals.
... So do your guests!
You need to learn from the lessons you are taught when searching for suppliers because your guests’ minds work in an identical manner. Does your hotel or guesthouse portray your establishment as a trustworthy one and, in turn, are you perceived to be a trustworthy individual.
You don’t tolerate suppliers who ‘lie a little bit’ or ‘or try too hard, so neither will your prospective guests.
Many thanks for reading
Emma
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
What Does Your Company Logo Say?
I am going to go off on a complete tangent today, purely because I’ve had a day of interesting debates about marketing with business and hospitality peers.
To give you some background…
I am currently developing my own training and marketing focused company here in China. The market research is complete, the business plan is written, and now the brand, logo, and website are being debated and designed. I spent last week talking to a designer who asked lots of questions about the company values and culture. And, it seems that he really listened to the answers, because he presented me with a logo which I believe is all-encompassing and totally captures the image I want for the company.
Guinea Pigs
So, the next step was to find some guinea pigs to gauge their reactions to the logo. I explained the company objectives and services to them, and tried to provide them with some insight into the values we hold. I then showed them the logo and on every occasion was asked, “Should I find some meaning in there?” “Am I missing something?” and “It doesn't conjure any understanding of what your company is about.”
Their reaction has led me to ask myself how much of a story a logo should tell about the products and services of the company it represents.
A Logo Should Embody the Culture
In my opinion, a logo should embody the culture of a company, not the product or service. The first logo that comes to mind is Apple. Apple sells music players, laptops, and mobile phones but is represented by an apple with a bite taken out. The logo is very fresh and clean, which is an honest representation of the company and its culture, but in no way represents actual Apple products and services. The same is true of Coca Cola, McDonalds, BP, and Nike, to name but a few. Nike doesn’t use the image of a trainer and McDonalds doesn’t have a burger in the logo!
The argument offered by my guinea pigs in return has been, “but how will your prospective customers know what you do?”
I had trouble answering this at first, but have come to the conclusion that I don’t need people to know what the company does from the logo alone. How often will they see the logo on its own? The logo will be on business cards, on the website, on posters and flyers, all alongside a greater marketing message displaying the services the company offers.
Represents Values
Take for example the Sheraton logo; a golden S inside a laurel wreath. The Sheraton doesn’t need the logo to show a hotel in order for its guests to know that it is a hotel chain; they need the logo to represent their values. A laurel wreath is known to represent victory, nature, and the continuation of life from year to year.
Despite many debates and opposing opinions, I am still of the firm belief that a great logo portrays aspirational ideas, rather than literal ones!
What Do You Think?
I would be interested to hear which direction you went in for the logo of your hotel or hotel booking system . Does your logo actually show a hotel? Or have you opted for a logo which portrays your company’s visions? If you have any views or comments please email me on eharradine@hotmail.co.uk or leave your comments below.
Many thanks for reading,
Emma
To give you some background…
I am currently developing my own training and marketing focused company here in China. The market research is complete, the business plan is written, and now the brand, logo, and website are being debated and designed. I spent last week talking to a designer who asked lots of questions about the company values and culture. And, it seems that he really listened to the answers, because he presented me with a logo which I believe is all-encompassing and totally captures the image I want for the company.
Guinea Pigs
So, the next step was to find some guinea pigs to gauge their reactions to the logo. I explained the company objectives and services to them, and tried to provide them with some insight into the values we hold. I then showed them the logo and on every occasion was asked, “Should I find some meaning in there?” “Am I missing something?” and “It doesn't conjure any understanding of what your company is about.”
Their reaction has led me to ask myself how much of a story a logo should tell about the products and services of the company it represents.
A Logo Should Embody the Culture
In my opinion, a logo should embody the culture of a company, not the product or service. The first logo that comes to mind is Apple. Apple sells music players, laptops, and mobile phones but is represented by an apple with a bite taken out. The logo is very fresh and clean, which is an honest representation of the company and its culture, but in no way represents actual Apple products and services. The same is true of Coca Cola, McDonalds, BP, and Nike, to name but a few. Nike doesn’t use the image of a trainer and McDonalds doesn’t have a burger in the logo!
The argument offered by my guinea pigs in return has been, “but how will your prospective customers know what you do?”
I had trouble answering this at first, but have come to the conclusion that I don’t need people to know what the company does from the logo alone. How often will they see the logo on its own? The logo will be on business cards, on the website, on posters and flyers, all alongside a greater marketing message displaying the services the company offers.
Represents Values
Take for example the Sheraton logo; a golden S inside a laurel wreath. The Sheraton doesn’t need the logo to show a hotel in order for its guests to know that it is a hotel chain; they need the logo to represent their values. A laurel wreath is known to represent victory, nature, and the continuation of life from year to year.
Despite many debates and opposing opinions, I am still of the firm belief that a great logo portrays aspirational ideas, rather than literal ones!
What Do You Think?
I would be interested to hear which direction you went in for the logo of your hotel or hotel booking system . Does your logo actually show a hotel? Or have you opted for a logo which portrays your company’s visions? If you have any views or comments please email me on eharradine@hotmail.co.uk or leave your comments below.
Many thanks for reading,
Emma
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