Hotel Internet Marketing Services
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The Future of Hotel SEO
Jitendra Jain of Starwood Hotels Dubai sees change brewing in the hotel SEO industry, which may sound surprising to some, seeing as hotels were slow to catch onto the idea of optimizing their pages for search engines. In the past, hotel chains could rely on their brand name or location alone, without surfing for new clients. It used to be that they could piggyback off the travel booking sites, but more and more hotel SEO is honing in on capturing audiences directly and running a self-sufficient empire.
"Experience building will become key to the looking and booking process online," said Jain. She added that hotels will allow all elements of the hotel to be booked separately or bundled together to allow more personal customization.
Additionally, hotel SEO like paid search will fall by the wayside and top placement won't necessarily be everything anymore. Instead, more than just text will be optimized – videos and photos will be as well. Also, Google may begin to show rankings based on past searches. "Successful hotel search marketing of the future will be more about optimizing content of all types and reaching the right audience through the right niche and social search channels," Jain writes.
Hotel Internet Marketing & SEO: Crucial During Economic Downturn, Experts Agree
Even though hotel bookings are down 5% compared to last year, experts say hotel online marketing is the key to growing and winning business. Hotel SEO is important, considering nearly 40% of all travel is booked online and another third is at least researched online. Hotel Internet marketing involves everything from web design and copywriting to web 2.0 and blogging.
According to Smith Travel Research, hotel bookings this September were down 5% compared to last September and cancellations are 50% above normal even with high-end chains. Since much of the travel industry's revenue depends upon corporate travel and meetings, the economic downturn has everyone in a pinch. While the high cost of fuel (and subsequently airline travel), coupled with a decline in jobs and disposable income is undoubtedly a factor in decreased business travel, some experts say that web elusiveness and poor strategies are also part of the problem.
In 2008, more than a third of all hotel bookings will be generated from the Internet and another third will be at least influenced by hotel Internet marketing before being booked offline. Major hotel brands are booking 40% of all sales online and it's estimated that 45% of all hotel bookings will be completed online by 2010. A recent study by Foivance, a UK consulting firm, found that the vast majority of travel industry business owners were not engaging in effective hotel Internet marketing. The hotel online marketing study concluded, "Companies who ignore how their customers want to interact and move without barriers between channels are not only missing revenue opportunities but also are in danger of losing their audience."
"For hoteliers who want to stay ahead of the competition, hotel Internet marketing strategies are critical to driving demand and converting online bookings," said Jan Tissera, President of TravelCLICK International. After participating in their hotel online marketing conference, lodgers enjoyed a 57% increase in revenue (that was 23 points higher than the national average.) Some of the hotel online marketing strategies included: adding consumer reviews and ratings to their hotel Internet marketing strategies, expanding across several sites (since the average online shopper visits 3-4 websites before deciding), proactively monitoring hotel seo strategies / tracking consumer reviews and adding incentives for on-site booking with packages, services and exclusive offers.
Step one for any successful hotel Internet marketing campaign is to have a good website that reflects a trustworthy product. "Word of mouth is essential, but so is a totally immersing website that makes you feel the full romance of the location," says Josh Kelly, Principal and Chief Strategist for FINE Design Group. He cites two winning hotel online marketing strategies by Joie de Vivre Hospitality and Francis Ford Coppola Resorts. The former site offers a "My California" section with colorful pictures, an Experience Planner, a matchmaker quiz to help consumers find their ideal California hotel experience, a Things to Do section and advice from personal, local travel guides; while the latter site allows visitors to look at Coppola's scrapbooks of information and photo albums, while experiencing the full unfettered beauty of the locations right from their computer. At the end of the day, both hotel Internet marketing strategies create a brand that is engaging, forward-thinking, knowledgeable, trustworthy and ultimately, a cut above the rest.
Step two, once the design has been selected and implemented, is to access hotel SEO and copywriting services. "Think of hotel SEO as a magnet that brings in more targeted web traffic," says Adam J. Morien, owner of OptiTrex online marketing company based out of Portland, Oregon. "The ole saying is very true - 'Content is king.' The more relevant content you have on your industry, the higher you will rank in search engines. One thing to keep in mind is that hotel SEO driven content is only one piece of the pie." Professional copywriters can add hotel Internet marketing press releases, website copy that appeals to the senses but also sells, informative and interesting blogs to reel in more readers and newsletter/email hotel online marketing packets to directly appeal to consumers. Consider that a hotel Internet marketing email campaign costs approximately hundreds to set up, but consistently delivers an average return-on-investment of 200%!
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Hotel Internet Marketing
In August 2008, Prophis eResearch asked 433 American travelers about their online hotel Internet marketing browsing this past year. They wanted to know if people were swayed by user-generated blogs, videos and reviews, if they flocked to official website content or if they just meandered around the search engines for a while.
Prophis eResearch found that people still very much valued the experiences of friends, family and coworkers. Word-of-mouth is one of the most coveted areas of hotel Internet marketing. Features like "Forward to a friend" on blogs, e-newsletters and web pages can really help promote the spirit of sharing. People are definitely making good use of the official travel sites from the places they want to go.
In the PhoCus Wright Consumer Travel Trends Survey (2007), 64% of travelers consulted a search engine, which shows the continued importance of search engine optimization within the hotel Internet marketing industry. One of the emerging trends in hotel Internet marketing is the growing influence that personal reviews are having on consumers. The best known site is Trip Advisor, but there are countless others. Even social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook have travel groups.
As consumers look for hotels, flights and destinations, they're looking for a more personalized experience that speaks to their interests, dreams and history. The best hotel Internet marketing will use e-newsletters, ads, copywriting and social networking strategies that provides tailored information, rather than just dry sales copy. |
