Mobile technology is no longer something we are simply anticipating. The development of new technologies and ideas has brought about higher expectations from your potential guests. With the increase in smartphone use and android applications, it’s evident: the mobile trend is here…and it is here to stay.
This explosion of the mobile web over the last 10 years places an important burden on hoteliers to implement a mobile-ready website. Why? The growth of mobile usage among the travelling public is increasing at an astonishing rate. The statistics speak for themselves – the number of mobile subscribers will surpass 5 billion in 2010, over 70% of the population. Every day, more and more people are surfing the internet from their mobile devicefor travel related purposes. By not being a part of the mobile world, your hotel has limited exposure and will miss out on reservations. Research demonstrates that around 10% of hotel guests with mobile phones with data plans have used them to reserve rooms. Furthermore, mobile bookings are expected to exceed $1 billion in 2010.
Smartphone users are technically savvy and expect to be able to interact with your hotel via their mobile devices. If your hotel does not have a “mobile ready” website,you run the risk of losing business to hotels that do provide access to their information in a convenient and easily accessible format. Your hotel must therefore develop a mobile strategy in order to keep up with these growing expectations, as well as to reap the benefits this new technology brings with it.
The growth of mobile use within the travel industry means some hoteliers are left behind. How can you keep up?
“You can’t literally translate the conventional website for the wireless world,” Starkov said during the European Hospitality Technology Educational Conference. “There are many limitations, primarily (which) come from usability and the inability to organize huge amounts of content on your mobile Web.”
The trick is to keep it simple by getting a mobile-ready website designed and developed for viewing on mobile screens. Include only the most important information relevant to consumers on-the-go. It is vital that the functionality and navigation is clear and includes call-to-actions that give your site the best chance of converting your mobile visitor into a paying hotel guest. Presenting this information in an easy-to-read format and avoiding the use of multiple images is vital to keep your mobile audience engaged with the site. You must also consider the differences in mobile devices - some phones support Java, others don’t. Compatibility with iphone is important but make sure your website is optimised to work on any phone that has the internet.
A recent EyeforTravel report states that the use of mobile in travel distribution is “unavoidable” and is “the key to success of any travel business in the future.” Whilst a standard website is vital for desktop users, a mobile website is crucial for smartphone mobile users.
Mobile websites and applications are designed specifically for mobile use and are made so your guests can effectively navigate through your website. By ignoring this fundamental requirement, your hotel may be missing out on reservations.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides hotel reservations and digital marketing solutions for hoteliers globally including mobile-ready websites.
Why choose a GlobRes.mobi website?
• Optimised to work on any phone and adapts to any screen size
• Easy-to-update by anyone via a content management system (CMS)
• Book via ‘click2call feature’ which allows guests to call the hotel direct from their phone
• Website visitors are automatically redirected to the mobile site when they navigate to your website via a mobile device.
To start with a .mobi website or ask additional questions, simply CLICK HERE and complete the short online form and one of our sales executives will contact you. Alternatively email marketing@globres.com for further advice.
Follow our blog: www.bloglines.com/blog/globres
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/globres
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Why you should be leveraging your hotel’s exposure on TripAdvisor
When prospective guests search for your hotel on the web, what do they see? TripAdvisor and other social media networks are readily accessible from every search engine and make it easy for your potential guests to get an insight into your past guests’ experiences at your property. TripAdvisor has top rankings on Google for thousands of hotels, so if your hotel has the number one spot for its name, recent reviews of your property, both positive and negative, are also in prime position.
Hotel reviews are now up all over the web and found, for example, on sites like Google Maps. TripAdvisor has also introduced a partnership group, which gives hoteliers and travel websites the opportunity to post TripAdvisor reviews. This group already consists of 100 content partners and 14,000 websites with a widget or badge. No longer tucked away on TripAdvisor.com, your reviews, both positive and negative, are accessible by travelers from almost anywhere on the web.
Yet TripAdvisor is still a tool that many hoteliers are failing to use to their advantage for hotel reputation management. With 32 million unique visitors every month, and with more than 30 million reviews on over 1 million properties, TripAdvisor wields more influence on hotel and travel choice than any other platform.
So, how do you leverage this exposure?
As TripAdvisor continues to evolve its digital visibility on the web, it endeavors to increase reservations for hotels. One of its newer initiatives is the “business listing”, which allows hoteliers to include direct contact details on their hotel’s page on all TripAdvisor domains. Business listings are available for an annual fee, but they do not enhance your property’s ranking on TripAdvisor. Your property’s ranking is affected by a number of factors including quantity of reviews, actual ratings from the reviews, and whether the reviews are out of date – the more current a review, the more positive an impact it will have on your property’s ranking.
With this ever-increasing visibility of online reviews, monitoring and managing what guests are saying about your property on TripAdvisor, is vital. Relying on a small number of good reviews in not enough, especially if your competition is actively encouraging their guests to post reviews. If your competitor’s guests post positive reviews, you may see their property ranked higher than yours, if it’s not already, so why not actively solicit reviews from your guests? There are tools available on TripAdvisor to help you; sign up via “Owners’ Center” on your TripAdvisor listing and benefit from email reminders, review widgets, flyers, and custom reminder cards. You can also actively manage your reputation from here by creating management responses.
Management responses are a critical reaction to negative reviews. How a hotel responds to criticism can sometimes have more influence over a booking decision than the criticism itself. A well-crafted management response can go a long way – it’s a public opportunity to apologize to the guest who posted the review and to show all prospective guests that you have remedied the issue. It also demonstrates your commitment to improving your hotel and your guests’ experiences.
Putting all these measures in place should not detract from your most important goal – to give your guests a great experience. By taking advantage of the unique insights you get via reviews and by applying this knowledge to improving traveler experience, you are able to achieve your objective at a completely new level. Hoteliers must address problems travelers identify so they don’t have a negative impact on future guests’ experiences….and your reviews!
Learn more about creating an effective reputation management strategy.
About GlobRes
GlobRes is one of the few companies to offer a full online reputation management service that includes creating management responses to hotel reviews. GlobRes relieves your hotel of the pressure of finding all the mentions of your hotel on the internet and responding appropriately and effectively.
Why choose GlobRes as your Online Reputation Manager?
• Your dedicated account manager pro-actively monitors what guests are saying about your hotel online.
• You receive notifications of new reviews directly to your mail box from your account manager.
• We respond publicly to reviews & comments and interact on your behalf with your online community in five different languages.
• We upload images, add factual information about your hotel and upload new content to give your hotel accurate representation on the prominent hotel review sites.
• We provide you with coding to install on your website allowing you to feed your hotel’s positive reviews from TripAdvisor on to your site.
Editors Note: Please direct all press queries to marketing@globres.com
Hotel reviews are now up all over the web and found, for example, on sites like Google Maps. TripAdvisor has also introduced a partnership group, which gives hoteliers and travel websites the opportunity to post TripAdvisor reviews. This group already consists of 100 content partners and 14,000 websites with a widget or badge. No longer tucked away on TripAdvisor.com, your reviews, both positive and negative, are accessible by travelers from almost anywhere on the web.
Yet TripAdvisor is still a tool that many hoteliers are failing to use to their advantage for hotel reputation management. With 32 million unique visitors every month, and with more than 30 million reviews on over 1 million properties, TripAdvisor wields more influence on hotel and travel choice than any other platform.
So, how do you leverage this exposure?
As TripAdvisor continues to evolve its digital visibility on the web, it endeavors to increase reservations for hotels. One of its newer initiatives is the “business listing”, which allows hoteliers to include direct contact details on their hotel’s page on all TripAdvisor domains. Business listings are available for an annual fee, but they do not enhance your property’s ranking on TripAdvisor. Your property’s ranking is affected by a number of factors including quantity of reviews, actual ratings from the reviews, and whether the reviews are out of date – the more current a review, the more positive an impact it will have on your property’s ranking.
With this ever-increasing visibility of online reviews, monitoring and managing what guests are saying about your property on TripAdvisor, is vital. Relying on a small number of good reviews in not enough, especially if your competition is actively encouraging their guests to post reviews. If your competitor’s guests post positive reviews, you may see their property ranked higher than yours, if it’s not already, so why not actively solicit reviews from your guests? There are tools available on TripAdvisor to help you; sign up via “Owners’ Center” on your TripAdvisor listing and benefit from email reminders, review widgets, flyers, and custom reminder cards. You can also actively manage your reputation from here by creating management responses.
Management responses are a critical reaction to negative reviews. How a hotel responds to criticism can sometimes have more influence over a booking decision than the criticism itself. A well-crafted management response can go a long way – it’s a public opportunity to apologize to the guest who posted the review and to show all prospective guests that you have remedied the issue. It also demonstrates your commitment to improving your hotel and your guests’ experiences.
Putting all these measures in place should not detract from your most important goal – to give your guests a great experience. By taking advantage of the unique insights you get via reviews and by applying this knowledge to improving traveler experience, you are able to achieve your objective at a completely new level. Hoteliers must address problems travelers identify so they don’t have a negative impact on future guests’ experiences….and your reviews!
Learn more about creating an effective reputation management strategy.
About GlobRes
GlobRes is one of the few companies to offer a full online reputation management service that includes creating management responses to hotel reviews. GlobRes relieves your hotel of the pressure of finding all the mentions of your hotel on the internet and responding appropriately and effectively.
Why choose GlobRes as your Online Reputation Manager?
• Your dedicated account manager pro-actively monitors what guests are saying about your hotel online.
• You receive notifications of new reviews directly to your mail box from your account manager.
• We respond publicly to reviews & comments and interact on your behalf with your online community in five different languages.
• We upload images, add factual information about your hotel and upload new content to give your hotel accurate representation on the prominent hotel review sites.
• We provide you with coding to install on your website allowing you to feed your hotel’s positive reviews from TripAdvisor on to your site.
Editors Note: Please direct all press queries to marketing@globres.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Online hotel reviews are at the heart of any good reputation management strategy
The explosion of consumer generated content has led to a very specific and important requirement for hoteliers to engage with online reviews, communities, and dialogue regarding their property. The days of measuring customer satisfaction via the traditional hotel comment card are long gone. Reviews are now online and there for the public to see, as are quality ratings. Moreover, research demonstrates that travellers are seeking out hotel reviews and consider the online review a vital decision-making component for their future travel plans. Trip Advisor states that over 50% of consumers will not book a hotel unless they have read reviews. Online reviews empower the consumer but for many small, family run hotels this new era of information sharing is scary. Not necessarily because they do not fare well in the review stakes, but simply because they do not understand how to effectively manage their online reputation. Traditionally, hotels are comfortable with private reviews and feedback, but the Internet has enabled public scrutiny. Many hotels have not gotten as far as devising an online reputation management strategy and more worryingly, some hotels have no clue about what (good or bad) is being said about them on the internet.
So where should you start? Resource limitation and budget constraints are common problems for smaller hotels. Investing in an automated reputation monitoring tool may therefore seem a long way off, especially if you have only recently implemented a web booking engine. You may be reluctant to pursue trends you do not view as ‘proven’ to generate revenue. But the facts cannot be ignored - credibility of reviews among consumers is high within the hotel sector and therefore has a direct impact on your revenue.
Firstly you must identify what is being said about your property on the most popular review sites on the internet. Don’t expect to monitor hundreds of sites effectively - the sensible places to start are TripAdvisor, Expedia and Google. Hotels have the opportunity to respond publicly to reviews on each of these platforms. Posting management responses to reviews is a great way of demonstrating commitment to customer satisfaction and it will enable you to remedy any complaints or issues that might have a negative impact. The key is to respond quickly and politely and to follow through on any reassurances or promises. If the complaint escalates, you should encourage the customer to discuss the matter privately.
If you dig a little, you will find that there are hundreds of online reputation monitoring tools available. Be wary of paying for them as there are great tools available at no cost. There is little point in paying for a tool when applications like Google Alerts and Minggl serve the same purpose for free. The key in identifying an online reputation management service worth paying for is whether it adds value by providing you with something you don’t have the capacity for in-house i.e. professionally written management responses which are far more beneficial to the busy hotelier. Automated monitoring tools which post standard responses to reviews undermine the purpose of the exercise – ultimately to cultivate long standing relationships with previous guests, listen to their feedback, learn from their comments and keep them coming back to your hotel as often as possible.
Social media websites such as Facebook can also play a vital role in online reputation management, enabling you to cultivate relationships over the web with potential guests. Ideally, there should be synergy between social media marketing and online reputation management strategies. Consistent messages should be reflected through all mediums. If you get great feedback on a review website, you should encourage that person to follow your hotel on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace or alternatively to follow your blogs. Social media pages go further than simply providing a forum for reviews; they facilitate photo-sharing, comments, conversation and are a perfect arena for subtle and effective marketing campaigns. Launching promotions specific to your social media audience is a sure fire way of acquiring more fans and followers. Whilst this does not necessarily impede any future negative reviews, it is a fantastic method of engaging positive reviewers and potential guests sourcing future travel destinations and hotels.
When managing social media profiles, here are some key principles to keep in mind:
• The conversation about you will go on with or without you. Make sure you’re taking part or even steering it.
• Present your social media profiles as a way for people to connect with others to discuss your hotel - not solely to receive marketing messages. Encourage your fans to “tell the story”.
• Promote photo-sharing to your fans. Maybe consider a photo-contest.
• Get hotel staff involved in blogging, posting and interacting.
Hoteliers have sources at their finger tips to ensure happy guests are nurtured and public negative reviews are avoided. By demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction to past and potential future guests, you are giving your hotel the best possible chance of securing future reservations and evading any damage to your hotel’s reputation.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides online reputation management services and social media management services to hotels globally.
GlobRes connects hotels with their guests through increased exposure via all channels including GDS, IDS, Digital Marketing and the hotel’s own website. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Please direct all press queries to marketing@globres.com
So where should you start? Resource limitation and budget constraints are common problems for smaller hotels. Investing in an automated reputation monitoring tool may therefore seem a long way off, especially if you have only recently implemented a web booking engine. You may be reluctant to pursue trends you do not view as ‘proven’ to generate revenue. But the facts cannot be ignored - credibility of reviews among consumers is high within the hotel sector and therefore has a direct impact on your revenue.
Firstly you must identify what is being said about your property on the most popular review sites on the internet. Don’t expect to monitor hundreds of sites effectively - the sensible places to start are TripAdvisor, Expedia and Google. Hotels have the opportunity to respond publicly to reviews on each of these platforms. Posting management responses to reviews is a great way of demonstrating commitment to customer satisfaction and it will enable you to remedy any complaints or issues that might have a negative impact. The key is to respond quickly and politely and to follow through on any reassurances or promises. If the complaint escalates, you should encourage the customer to discuss the matter privately.
If you dig a little, you will find that there are hundreds of online reputation monitoring tools available. Be wary of paying for them as there are great tools available at no cost. There is little point in paying for a tool when applications like Google Alerts and Minggl serve the same purpose for free. The key in identifying an online reputation management service worth paying for is whether it adds value by providing you with something you don’t have the capacity for in-house i.e. professionally written management responses which are far more beneficial to the busy hotelier. Automated monitoring tools which post standard responses to reviews undermine the purpose of the exercise – ultimately to cultivate long standing relationships with previous guests, listen to their feedback, learn from their comments and keep them coming back to your hotel as often as possible.
Social media websites such as Facebook can also play a vital role in online reputation management, enabling you to cultivate relationships over the web with potential guests. Ideally, there should be synergy between social media marketing and online reputation management strategies. Consistent messages should be reflected through all mediums. If you get great feedback on a review website, you should encourage that person to follow your hotel on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace or alternatively to follow your blogs. Social media pages go further than simply providing a forum for reviews; they facilitate photo-sharing, comments, conversation and are a perfect arena for subtle and effective marketing campaigns. Launching promotions specific to your social media audience is a sure fire way of acquiring more fans and followers. Whilst this does not necessarily impede any future negative reviews, it is a fantastic method of engaging positive reviewers and potential guests sourcing future travel destinations and hotels.
When managing social media profiles, here are some key principles to keep in mind:
• The conversation about you will go on with or without you. Make sure you’re taking part or even steering it.
• Present your social media profiles as a way for people to connect with others to discuss your hotel - not solely to receive marketing messages. Encourage your fans to “tell the story”.
• Promote photo-sharing to your fans. Maybe consider a photo-contest.
• Get hotel staff involved in blogging, posting and interacting.
Hoteliers have sources at their finger tips to ensure happy guests are nurtured and public negative reviews are avoided. By demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction to past and potential future guests, you are giving your hotel the best possible chance of securing future reservations and evading any damage to your hotel’s reputation.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides online reputation management services and social media management services to hotels globally.
GlobRes connects hotels with their guests through increased exposure via all channels including GDS, IDS, Digital Marketing and the hotel’s own website. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Please direct all press queries to marketing@globres.com
Monday, January 25, 2010
Innovative Hoteliers are Set for a Lucrative 2010
Despite the doom and gloom of the recession, GlobRes hotels have thrived throughout the year. Using a blend of innovate marketing, appropriate hotel technology and dynamic rate management, these hotels have not only weathered the storm, but are set for a lucrative 2010. GlobRes is pleased to share these good news stories from hotels that do not simply enjoy success based on a brand name, or successes of the past, but are constantly refining their internal processes and strategies to ensure success in the future.
The Miller of Mansfield in the United Kingdom epitomises a ‘hands on’ approach to maximise distribution, using special promotions and loading dynamic packaging into the web booking engine. The hotel has also implemented stay restrictions, which have been hugely beneficial in generating more revenue. Playing to its strengths and unique selling points, the hotel attracts many business travellers through the week. The promotion of the hotel’s restaurant plays a vital role in this; it has become very well known throughout the area. Despite being a small property with only 13 rooms, the hotel’s bookings through the GDS continue to rise every month. This is due to the hotel’s continued commitment to managing the GDS effectively with the help of GlobRes.
Marketing opportunities through new websites, pay-per-click adverts, online PR and blogs can seem endless, but because they have become travelers' tools of choice, marketing through these mediums needs to be effective. Embracing this, the Akassia resort in Egypt overhauled the design of their website earlier this year. Wissam Jindy at the Akassia found the thought of a complete redesign very daunting, but was relieved when the Digital Marketing Team at GlobRes took the reigns. Wissam commented “The new website is far more user-friendly and is simple, compact and to the point.” Wissam chose from a plethora of website templates available from GlobRes. The chosen design fit the hotel’s digital image and guaranteed a good solid foundation with best practice on-page SEO incorporated. The Akassia resort had, until now, shied away from any specific digital marketing initiatives through concern that the website would not convert visitors into reservations. With the new website live, Wissam is now embarking on a Google AdWords campaign through GlobRes to generate quality, targeted traffic direct to the site. Hence, 2010 promises to be another exciting year for this forward thinking hotel.
Social Media networks are rapidly consuming the online environment and evolving the use of the Internet for hoteliers. Michael Vogt at the Layana Spa Resort in Thailand has jumped on board the social media bandwagon and created a number of social media networks. He engages with the hotel’s online followers on a day-to-day basis, maintaining effective relationships with potential and past guests. “I feel Facebook looks much better than the other social networks – and really gives you a ‘fan club’ feeling. I have now connected two systems, which means that if I update something on Facebook, it will also be linked to a “tweet” on Twitter. Because of this, I only work with Facebook and have twitter updated automatically.” Hotel social media management promises to play a critical role in customer relations and online reputation management in the future. For this reason, Michael is looking forward to capturing more of his online audience by creating a MySpace page in the New Year.
The Arenula Hotel in Rome, Italy, owes much of its success through 2009 to strong direction, management and a ‘hands on’ approach to technology. This hotel engages with the systems in place, to ensure the very best is achieved through the GDS. Listening to advice from GlobRes, the team are proactive and update prices and extra rooms in their inventory on a daily basis. The hotel also invests time in RedX, loading promotional rates and offers. This kind of commitment has resulted in monthly increases of up to 50% in terms of reservations. The Manager at the Arenula commented “the Support Team was very helpful during the installation and training of the program. We receive prompt replies in case of any questions we may have concerning the system.”
There is no defined list of do’s or don’ts for sustainability during the recession – what works for some hotels will not work for others. Ensuring you move with the times in terms of distribution is certainly vital, but your level of engagement with it will impact on the degree to which you are successful. The City Hotel in Dubai has proved this. GlobRes identified that fundamental changes to the rate structures on the GDS were required in order to maximise production. Therefore, their account manager suggested a simplified rate and room structure, which was taken on board by the hotel. These vital changes made the property easier to view, sell and manage on the GDS. Furthermore an “early bird” rate plan suggested by GlobRes has been very popular. Travellers benefit from a 10% discount if they book a week in advance, payment must be made upfront and the hotel will not accept cancellations. Ultimately, this type of engagement with the GDS has played a major role in increasing the hotel's revenue.
In spite of the economic downturn and its’ impact on the travel industry, GlobRes hotels are seeing high occupancy levels and increasing revenue. These hotels are forward thinking, creative and innovative and do not simply attempt to weather the storm by relying on outdated strategies. Hotels receive invaluable support and guidance from a proactive team of professionals at GlobRes resulting in more revenue, happy guests and happy staff.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides the best hotel central reservation systems and hotel Internet marketing services for hotels around the world. Connecting hotels with their guests through increased exposure via all channels including GDS, IDS, Digital Marketing and the hotel’s own website. GlobRes operates a fully serviced support centre, offering assistance to hotels in English, Italian, German, Spanish and French. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Please direct all press queries to Samantha Hasler. Tel +41 41 500 0111 or email marketing@globres.com www.globres.com
The Miller of Mansfield in the United Kingdom epitomises a ‘hands on’ approach to maximise distribution, using special promotions and loading dynamic packaging into the web booking engine. The hotel has also implemented stay restrictions, which have been hugely beneficial in generating more revenue. Playing to its strengths and unique selling points, the hotel attracts many business travellers through the week. The promotion of the hotel’s restaurant plays a vital role in this; it has become very well known throughout the area. Despite being a small property with only 13 rooms, the hotel’s bookings through the GDS continue to rise every month. This is due to the hotel’s continued commitment to managing the GDS effectively with the help of GlobRes.
Marketing opportunities through new websites, pay-per-click adverts, online PR and blogs can seem endless, but because they have become travelers' tools of choice, marketing through these mediums needs to be effective. Embracing this, the Akassia resort in Egypt overhauled the design of their website earlier this year. Wissam Jindy at the Akassia found the thought of a complete redesign very daunting, but was relieved when the Digital Marketing Team at GlobRes took the reigns. Wissam commented “The new website is far more user-friendly and is simple, compact and to the point.” Wissam chose from a plethora of website templates available from GlobRes. The chosen design fit the hotel’s digital image and guaranteed a good solid foundation with best practice on-page SEO incorporated. The Akassia resort had, until now, shied away from any specific digital marketing initiatives through concern that the website would not convert visitors into reservations. With the new website live, Wissam is now embarking on a Google AdWords campaign through GlobRes to generate quality, targeted traffic direct to the site. Hence, 2010 promises to be another exciting year for this forward thinking hotel.
Social Media networks are rapidly consuming the online environment and evolving the use of the Internet for hoteliers. Michael Vogt at the Layana Spa Resort in Thailand has jumped on board the social media bandwagon and created a number of social media networks. He engages with the hotel’s online followers on a day-to-day basis, maintaining effective relationships with potential and past guests. “I feel Facebook looks much better than the other social networks – and really gives you a ‘fan club’ feeling. I have now connected two systems, which means that if I update something on Facebook, it will also be linked to a “tweet” on Twitter. Because of this, I only work with Facebook and have twitter updated automatically.” Hotel social media management promises to play a critical role in customer relations and online reputation management in the future. For this reason, Michael is looking forward to capturing more of his online audience by creating a MySpace page in the New Year.
The Arenula Hotel in Rome, Italy, owes much of its success through 2009 to strong direction, management and a ‘hands on’ approach to technology. This hotel engages with the systems in place, to ensure the very best is achieved through the GDS. Listening to advice from GlobRes, the team are proactive and update prices and extra rooms in their inventory on a daily basis. The hotel also invests time in RedX, loading promotional rates and offers. This kind of commitment has resulted in monthly increases of up to 50% in terms of reservations. The Manager at the Arenula commented “the Support Team was very helpful during the installation and training of the program. We receive prompt replies in case of any questions we may have concerning the system.”
There is no defined list of do’s or don’ts for sustainability during the recession – what works for some hotels will not work for others. Ensuring you move with the times in terms of distribution is certainly vital, but your level of engagement with it will impact on the degree to which you are successful. The City Hotel in Dubai has proved this. GlobRes identified that fundamental changes to the rate structures on the GDS were required in order to maximise production. Therefore, their account manager suggested a simplified rate and room structure, which was taken on board by the hotel. These vital changes made the property easier to view, sell and manage on the GDS. Furthermore an “early bird” rate plan suggested by GlobRes has been very popular. Travellers benefit from a 10% discount if they book a week in advance, payment must be made upfront and the hotel will not accept cancellations. Ultimately, this type of engagement with the GDS has played a major role in increasing the hotel's revenue.
In spite of the economic downturn and its’ impact on the travel industry, GlobRes hotels are seeing high occupancy levels and increasing revenue. These hotels are forward thinking, creative and innovative and do not simply attempt to weather the storm by relying on outdated strategies. Hotels receive invaluable support and guidance from a proactive team of professionals at GlobRes resulting in more revenue, happy guests and happy staff.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides the best hotel central reservation systems and hotel Internet marketing services for hotels around the world. Connecting hotels with their guests through increased exposure via all channels including GDS, IDS, Digital Marketing and the hotel’s own website. GlobRes operates a fully serviced support centre, offering assistance to hotels in English, Italian, German, Spanish and French. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Please direct all press queries to Samantha Hasler. Tel +41 41 500 0111 or email marketing@globres.com www.globres.com
Monday, November 23, 2009
Optimise your landing pages to ensure you retain your hotel’s website traffic
Often overlooked when one is tweaking bids and refining keywords lists within an AdWords campaign, is the importance of landing pages. You can have the most appropriate keywords, be targeting the best possible traffic and have perfectly crafted and compelling advert copy, yet lose reservations because your landing page is not effective. Making changes on your pages together with tweaking your campaigns, will improve the account and convert good click-through rates into lucrative reservations. Here are three simple steps you should follow to make sure you do this for your hotel.
1.Are your users getting what they want?
When a user clicks on your sponsored link advert, they already have specific expectations about the page they are being transferred to. If you’ve stated ‘beautiful golf courses within walking distance’ or ‘10% discounts online’, it is essential that these promises are repeated in a prominent position on the landing page. Cohesion of messages creates synergy between the sponsored link advert and the hotel and its facilities. If you fail to meet these expectations, your landing page will fail to resonate with the user. This, in turn, leads to a higher than necessary abandonment rate and far fewer reservations. To decipher which pages may be letting you down, you must critically analyse your adverts and their landing pages, and re-work the positioning of your “call to action” phrases where necessary. Google analytics will give you bounce rate statistics per landing page – this is valuable information and allows you to evaluate the effect that re-working your landing page has on your abandonment rate.
2.Are you using ‘call to action’ ?
A ‘call to action’ is a phrase that entices a web visitor to do something, for example the statement “buy now” is a call to action. Website visitors clicking through with the intention of making an enquiry or reserving a room on your web site, can falter if clear ‘call to action’ phrases are not used on the landing page. Hiding contact forms or ‘reserve online’ buttons amid unnecessary on-page clutter, dilutes the impact of the call to action. You must add a very clear call-to-action, such as a large button - this will increase web site conversions by giving the reader a clear path through to the web booking engine.
If your landing page has more than three or four paragraphs of text, or is otherwise quite ‘busy’ due to graphics, make sure you use ‘calls to action’ consistently throughout the page. You should not leave your website visitor scrolling back up and down the page in order to find the online reservation link. Remember you have paid for that click; therefore you must give your hotel the best chance of converting that click into a reservation.
3.Have you performance-tested your adverts?
Testing performance is a pretty simple piece of advice, but it is surprising how many advertisers let this basic good practice guideline fall by the wayside after the first flush of enthusiasm has passed. Testing a landing page’s effectiveness can be as simple as trying two different page titles or as complicated as changing form layout, number of fields, content length and style.
Getting the most out of your landing page will often also hinge on how visitors got there in the first place. So, while you’re in a testing frame of mind, you could at the same time check the messages used within the advert text. Typical parameters include changing titles, the inclusion of different special offers and discounts, and using varying ‘call to action’ phrases.
Following these three simple steps will ultimately optimise each of your landing pages and secure your hotel an increased return on investment from your paid adverts on Google. These activities are equally important to consider within best practice SEO. Whilst they may not turbo your organic rankings, they do play a positive role within your digital marketing strategy in its entirety.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides hotel reservations and digital marketing solutions for hoteliers globally. GlobRes offers Google AdWords account management, online reputation management and social media management. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Samantha Hasler leads the Digital Marketing Team at GlobRes www.globres.com. Please direct all press queries to marketing@globres.com
1.Are your users getting what they want?
When a user clicks on your sponsored link advert, they already have specific expectations about the page they are being transferred to. If you’ve stated ‘beautiful golf courses within walking distance’ or ‘10% discounts online’, it is essential that these promises are repeated in a prominent position on the landing page. Cohesion of messages creates synergy between the sponsored link advert and the hotel and its facilities. If you fail to meet these expectations, your landing page will fail to resonate with the user. This, in turn, leads to a higher than necessary abandonment rate and far fewer reservations. To decipher which pages may be letting you down, you must critically analyse your adverts and their landing pages, and re-work the positioning of your “call to action” phrases where necessary. Google analytics will give you bounce rate statistics per landing page – this is valuable information and allows you to evaluate the effect that re-working your landing page has on your abandonment rate.
2.Are you using ‘call to action’ ?
A ‘call to action’ is a phrase that entices a web visitor to do something, for example the statement “buy now” is a call to action. Website visitors clicking through with the intention of making an enquiry or reserving a room on your web site, can falter if clear ‘call to action’ phrases are not used on the landing page. Hiding contact forms or ‘reserve online’ buttons amid unnecessary on-page clutter, dilutes the impact of the call to action. You must add a very clear call-to-action, such as a large button - this will increase web site conversions by giving the reader a clear path through to the web booking engine.
If your landing page has more than three or four paragraphs of text, or is otherwise quite ‘busy’ due to graphics, make sure you use ‘calls to action’ consistently throughout the page. You should not leave your website visitor scrolling back up and down the page in order to find the online reservation link. Remember you have paid for that click; therefore you must give your hotel the best chance of converting that click into a reservation.
3.Have you performance-tested your adverts?
Testing performance is a pretty simple piece of advice, but it is surprising how many advertisers let this basic good practice guideline fall by the wayside after the first flush of enthusiasm has passed. Testing a landing page’s effectiveness can be as simple as trying two different page titles or as complicated as changing form layout, number of fields, content length and style.
Getting the most out of your landing page will often also hinge on how visitors got there in the first place. So, while you’re in a testing frame of mind, you could at the same time check the messages used within the advert text. Typical parameters include changing titles, the inclusion of different special offers and discounts, and using varying ‘call to action’ phrases.
Following these three simple steps will ultimately optimise each of your landing pages and secure your hotel an increased return on investment from your paid adverts on Google. These activities are equally important to consider within best practice SEO. Whilst they may not turbo your organic rankings, they do play a positive role within your digital marketing strategy in its entirety.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides hotel reservations and digital marketing solutions for hoteliers globally. GlobRes offers Google AdWords account management, online reputation management and social media management. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Samantha Hasler leads the Digital Marketing Team at GlobRes www.globres.com. Please direct all press queries to marketing@globres.com
Effectively manage your hotel’s reputation in the 21st Century
Long gone are the days of private complaints from guests. The birth of web 2.0 media has taken visitors’ complaints into the public forum of the internet, meaning that a hotel’s reputation is under scrutiny by all prospective guests. Guest comments and ratings are now openly accessible, yet countless hoteliers are not tracking what is being said. Published negative reviews can have a detrimental effect on your reservation levels because customers are able to apply a more thorough set of criteria and gain (what they believe to be) a truer picture of a hotel as it is based on past experiences. The 21st century traveller is savvy and far more driven to comparison shop. Review sites such as TripAdvisor provide visible quality measurements and yet a majority of hoteliers are missing out on the value these insights provide – to learn from these reviews and to respond effectively to them.
According to TripAdvisor, 57% of consumers read reviews before deciding to book a hotel. Other statistics put the total influence at around 40% to 65%. Statistics aside, with around 24 million consumers reviewing hotels on TripAdvisor alone every month, it is clear that the amount of guests relying on other people’s opinion, is growing. Though hoteliers do consider reviews to be important for their reputation, many do not monitor and track what is being said about them on the internet. But is tracking alone enough? To combat negative reviews and ensure hoteliers protect their hotel’s good name, action must be taken. For many smaller properties, the problem lies in stretched resources - without adding hotel reputation management to everyday activities. Reputation management requires a commitment of time, time to track reviews and to create management responses or, where necessary and for more escalated cases, to communicate via telephone with the said reviewer.
Understanding negative reviews is vital for successful reputation management. If time and time again the same problems rear their heads, it is vital action is taken. Often, negative reviews are rooted in the hotel simply not meeting the expectations of the traveller. Perhaps the resort is described and rated as a 4 star on the website, but it simply does not measure against other 4 star hotels and therefore causes disappointment. Reviews can be very insightful in terms of the expectations of the visitor – expectations that may have been set by the website content. Hoteliers should be prepared to be flexible and adapt according to the feedback they receive from past guests. However, only by tracking reviews and dialogues about the hotel, can the hotel achieve this.
There are hundreds of automated review management tools available on the market. These range from free tools to tools that require a monthly management fee. Paying over the odds for an automated tool is not wise, especially if you don’t have the resources available to actually “do something” about what you read. Finding an agency you can trust to manage your online reputation in its entirety, would certainly be preferable, especially since hiring a full-time person on staff would be far more expensive. If you are in the favourable position to dedicate time to reputation management, ensure you follow these vital tips to increase your success:
1. Track what is being said about your hotel online.
2. Respond publicly to the review.
Do – Thank the reviewer for their comments, apologise for any genuine negative experiences, explain the measures you are putting in place to prevent such an occurrence again, make yourself available for an offline chat should the reviewer wish to contact you.
Don’t – Be Angry, derogatory or get personal with the reviewer, do not accuse the reviewer of being a fraud (this may happen, however it is hard to prove and will not solve the issue of the review and your response being public), do not reply publicly offering a discount or complimentary stay – this could encourage abuse. If you do wish to offer this, do it offline and request that you would expect the review to be removed in return.
3. Make appropriate changes within the hotel or to the website to address issues that consistently manifest themselves through your reviews.
4. Advertise that you have fixed the problem! Add this information to the review site if appropriate.
5. Be proactive and encourage your guests to leave their positive feedback when they exit the hotel.
Ultimately, the manner in which you respond to reviews will shape your hotel’s public persona to potential guests. The fact that you are able to do this publicly creates a unique opportunity to address and resolve issues and guarantee you do not have the same problem again. This will lead to better reviews in the future, the power of which should not be underestimated.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides online reputation management services and social media management services to hotels globally.
GlobRes connects hotels with their guests through increased exposure via all channels including GDS, IDS, Digital Marketing and the hotel’s own website. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Please direct all press queries to Samantha Hasler. Tel +41 41 500 0111 or email marketing@globres.com www.globres.com
According to TripAdvisor, 57% of consumers read reviews before deciding to book a hotel. Other statistics put the total influence at around 40% to 65%. Statistics aside, with around 24 million consumers reviewing hotels on TripAdvisor alone every month, it is clear that the amount of guests relying on other people’s opinion, is growing. Though hoteliers do consider reviews to be important for their reputation, many do not monitor and track what is being said about them on the internet. But is tracking alone enough? To combat negative reviews and ensure hoteliers protect their hotel’s good name, action must be taken. For many smaller properties, the problem lies in stretched resources - without adding hotel reputation management to everyday activities. Reputation management requires a commitment of time, time to track reviews and to create management responses or, where necessary and for more escalated cases, to communicate via telephone with the said reviewer.
Understanding negative reviews is vital for successful reputation management. If time and time again the same problems rear their heads, it is vital action is taken. Often, negative reviews are rooted in the hotel simply not meeting the expectations of the traveller. Perhaps the resort is described and rated as a 4 star on the website, but it simply does not measure against other 4 star hotels and therefore causes disappointment. Reviews can be very insightful in terms of the expectations of the visitor – expectations that may have been set by the website content. Hoteliers should be prepared to be flexible and adapt according to the feedback they receive from past guests. However, only by tracking reviews and dialogues about the hotel, can the hotel achieve this.
There are hundreds of automated review management tools available on the market. These range from free tools to tools that require a monthly management fee. Paying over the odds for an automated tool is not wise, especially if you don’t have the resources available to actually “do something” about what you read. Finding an agency you can trust to manage your online reputation in its entirety, would certainly be preferable, especially since hiring a full-time person on staff would be far more expensive. If you are in the favourable position to dedicate time to reputation management, ensure you follow these vital tips to increase your success:
1. Track what is being said about your hotel online.
2. Respond publicly to the review.
Do – Thank the reviewer for their comments, apologise for any genuine negative experiences, explain the measures you are putting in place to prevent such an occurrence again, make yourself available for an offline chat should the reviewer wish to contact you.
Don’t – Be Angry, derogatory or get personal with the reviewer, do not accuse the reviewer of being a fraud (this may happen, however it is hard to prove and will not solve the issue of the review and your response being public), do not reply publicly offering a discount or complimentary stay – this could encourage abuse. If you do wish to offer this, do it offline and request that you would expect the review to be removed in return.
3. Make appropriate changes within the hotel or to the website to address issues that consistently manifest themselves through your reviews.
4. Advertise that you have fixed the problem! Add this information to the review site if appropriate.
5. Be proactive and encourage your guests to leave their positive feedback when they exit the hotel.
Ultimately, the manner in which you respond to reviews will shape your hotel’s public persona to potential guests. The fact that you are able to do this publicly creates a unique opportunity to address and resolve issues and guarantee you do not have the same problem again. This will lead to better reviews in the future, the power of which should not be underestimated.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides online reputation management services and social media management services to hotels globally.
GlobRes connects hotels with their guests through increased exposure via all channels including GDS, IDS, Digital Marketing and the hotel’s own website. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Please direct all press queries to Samantha Hasler. Tel +41 41 500 0111 or email marketing@globres.com www.globres.com
Monday, November 2, 2009
On-page optimization tactics that ‘win big’ when it comes to organic rankings
Ensuring your website is search engine friendly, must be one of hoteliers’ most important online marketing considerations. Unfortunately, if this is overlooked during those vital months of website design and implementation, you could be left with a website and no organic traffic. But, all is not lost! Previously I have discussed the importance of off-page SEO techniques to increase your website presence, namely, quality link building through content production and distribution. However, there are also simple on-page tweaks you can make to your website to improve your organic rankings or, in the very least, give your website the best opportunity for indexing by the search engines.
Improving user interaction and user experience, will ultimately increase your search engine rankings. A primary concern of any search engine is the accuracy of its search results. If they send a user off to your web site, will that user be happy to land there? Will your site be relevant to his query? If so, users will happily go back to that search engine, knowing that it can direct them to useful, relevant sites. On-page optimization is a vital component of any successful SEO strategy. It encompasses everything you see on the page; unique page titles, URL structures, meta tags, image labeling, and more….
Do all your pages have unique page titles?
This may be a basic consideration, but unique and accurate page titles are the foundation on which more dynamic search engine optimisation changes are built. As new content is uploaded, page titles can be overlooked. If you have a large site, running through all pages will take time. The title tag of a page tells the search engine and the user what that section of your site is about and, more importantly, will normally be used by the search engine to populate the site’s listing information in the search engine page results (SERPs.) The title can include not only keywords but details of your geographical location – showing search engines and users that this page is relevant to their query.
When checking page titles, take the time to cast your eye over the ‘meta description’ tag. While a succinct summary won’t turbo power your rankings on Google, it will tell the search engine and user what the page is about.
Are your URL structures suitable?
An organised site is one that is easily accessible and easily readable by the search engine spiders. A logical file structure with information arranged into folders should be accompanied by a URL that uses recognisable words and that could be used to ascertain what the page is about. For example, rather than www.thisismywebsite.com/web/docs/page677890/x/0078.html, a URL such as www.thisismywebsite.com/articles/seo-site-audit.html would be far more effective. Site users and search engines would be able to make an educated guess as to the content of the page. The first example is unwieldy, which may also cause problems when targeting backlinks. The second URL can easily be copied and pasted and any missing parts, such as the second half of the title of the page, would be apparent – whereas a structure using parameters and codes, as in example 1, is not easily readable. In this instance, it would not be apparent if a section of the link had been missed when copying and pasting for a backlink.
Is your site navigation as simple as it can be?
Google’s guidelines state that, while its results are shown at page level, their spiders like to have a global overall view of where each page sits in relation to the rest of the site. So, a logical navigational structure will help the search engine build a more accurate view of your site as a whole.
Site navigation can be thought of as the layers of an onion; users peel back each layer to go from one stage to the next and travel deeper into the hotel website. Each time changes are made, don’t forget to update your sitemap (the on-site directory of pages within the site) and the XML Sitemap (the sitemap submitted to the search engines).
Is your content compelling?
Easily the most important of all on-page aspects, a site rich in compelling and unique content, will win big in the search results and with conversion rates. Is your content compelling to the search engines? This requires more in-depth keyword research as you’ll want to be sure you’re including the phrases that searchers will key in when looking for your product or service. Search trends change, so keeping an eye on keywords proving popular will help content appear relevant and up-to-date.
Keyword placement is equally important in content, so check the titles and sub-heads used on each page of information. If newly discovered keywords or phrases, that you have only recently begun to favour, are not prominently positioned on the page, it’s time to get editing. When revising and creating information for the site, look at how you have linked from one page to the other. This anchor text is just as important on-page as it is off-page. Descriptive anchor text guides search engines through a site in much the same way roadside signposts help guide a driver to their ultimate destination. What’s more, the better the anchor text is within a site, the easier it is for customers to find what they are looking for.
Have your images been overlooked?
No matter how large or small your site, you’ll have at least one or two images on show to your visitors. However, there is a lot more to including a photo on your site than simply uploading it with a relevant caption. As a file based addition, an image will have a file name and (hopefully) alt text.
File names and alt tags should be straightforward. Alt tags in particular should describe the image as accurately as possible, so visitors, unable to see the image, still get an idea of what should fill that space. In the case of an image being used as a link through to another page within the site, the filename will perform much the same function as anchor text, making keyword inclusion and relevant information essential.
While basic points, these are easy to overlook as a site develops over a period of time, It really should be checked routinely, to make sure the most is made of the limited optimization possibilities afforded by pictures.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides hotel reservations and marketing solutions for hoteliers globally. GlobRes offers hotel website design for free when purchased with hotel reservation systems. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Samantha Hasler leads the Digital Marketing Team at GlobRes www.globres.com. Please direct all press queries to marketing@globres.com
Improving user interaction and user experience, will ultimately increase your search engine rankings. A primary concern of any search engine is the accuracy of its search results. If they send a user off to your web site, will that user be happy to land there? Will your site be relevant to his query? If so, users will happily go back to that search engine, knowing that it can direct them to useful, relevant sites. On-page optimization is a vital component of any successful SEO strategy. It encompasses everything you see on the page; unique page titles, URL structures, meta tags, image labeling, and more….
Do all your pages have unique page titles?
This may be a basic consideration, but unique and accurate page titles are the foundation on which more dynamic search engine optimisation changes are built. As new content is uploaded, page titles can be overlooked. If you have a large site, running through all pages will take time. The title tag of a page tells the search engine and the user what that section of your site is about and, more importantly, will normally be used by the search engine to populate the site’s listing information in the search engine page results (SERPs.) The title can include not only keywords but details of your geographical location – showing search engines and users that this page is relevant to their query.
When checking page titles, take the time to cast your eye over the ‘meta description’ tag. While a succinct summary won’t turbo power your rankings on Google, it will tell the search engine and user what the page is about.
Are your URL structures suitable?
An organised site is one that is easily accessible and easily readable by the search engine spiders. A logical file structure with information arranged into folders should be accompanied by a URL that uses recognisable words and that could be used to ascertain what the page is about. For example, rather than www.thisismywebsite.com/web/docs/page677890/x/0078.html, a URL such as www.thisismywebsite.com/articles/seo-site-audit.html would be far more effective. Site users and search engines would be able to make an educated guess as to the content of the page. The first example is unwieldy, which may also cause problems when targeting backlinks. The second URL can easily be copied and pasted and any missing parts, such as the second half of the title of the page, would be apparent – whereas a structure using parameters and codes, as in example 1, is not easily readable. In this instance, it would not be apparent if a section of the link had been missed when copying and pasting for a backlink.
Is your site navigation as simple as it can be?
Google’s guidelines state that, while its results are shown at page level, their spiders like to have a global overall view of where each page sits in relation to the rest of the site. So, a logical navigational structure will help the search engine build a more accurate view of your site as a whole.
Site navigation can be thought of as the layers of an onion; users peel back each layer to go from one stage to the next and travel deeper into the hotel website. Each time changes are made, don’t forget to update your sitemap (the on-site directory of pages within the site) and the XML Sitemap (the sitemap submitted to the search engines).
Is your content compelling?
Easily the most important of all on-page aspects, a site rich in compelling and unique content, will win big in the search results and with conversion rates. Is your content compelling to the search engines? This requires more in-depth keyword research as you’ll want to be sure you’re including the phrases that searchers will key in when looking for your product or service. Search trends change, so keeping an eye on keywords proving popular will help content appear relevant and up-to-date.
Keyword placement is equally important in content, so check the titles and sub-heads used on each page of information. If newly discovered keywords or phrases, that you have only recently begun to favour, are not prominently positioned on the page, it’s time to get editing. When revising and creating information for the site, look at how you have linked from one page to the other. This anchor text is just as important on-page as it is off-page. Descriptive anchor text guides search engines through a site in much the same way roadside signposts help guide a driver to their ultimate destination. What’s more, the better the anchor text is within a site, the easier it is for customers to find what they are looking for.
Have your images been overlooked?
No matter how large or small your site, you’ll have at least one or two images on show to your visitors. However, there is a lot more to including a photo on your site than simply uploading it with a relevant caption. As a file based addition, an image will have a file name and (hopefully) alt text.
File names and alt tags should be straightforward. Alt tags in particular should describe the image as accurately as possible, so visitors, unable to see the image, still get an idea of what should fill that space. In the case of an image being used as a link through to another page within the site, the filename will perform much the same function as anchor text, making keyword inclusion and relevant information essential.
While basic points, these are easy to overlook as a site develops over a period of time, It really should be checked routinely, to make sure the most is made of the limited optimization possibilities afforded by pictures.
About GlobRes
GlobRes provides hotel reservations and marketing solutions for hoteliers globally. GlobRes offers hotel website design for free when purchased with hotel reservation systems. Complete our online contact form for more information.
Editors Note: Samantha Hasler leads the Digital Marketing Team at GlobRes www.globres.com. Please direct all press queries to marketing@globres.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
