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Casual Articles - Top 10 Electronic Marketing Musts
Many people feel they lack the expertise or the time to write a "Press Release". This form of marketing is not all that difficult and certainly not mysterious. By giving some attention to what others have written and applying a little elbow grease, you will be amazed at what you come up with.A Press Release is "news". It “tells” people about something, it doesn’t “sell” something, but it is still a very good sales tool! For instance, you are reading this article because you want to learn something that will help you. You aren't reading it because you wanted to buy something. In our business our main goal is to please our customers, providing them with a good, quality product and give them more than their money's worth. (Hence this article!) The trick is making money while doing all
8. Tracking Return on Investment from Hotel Website – Track your online and offline results. Since most people searching online will call the hotel to close the sales, offline tracking is essential. Typically, for every one person who books online, 5 people will call you. Establish a unique phone number for your website, whether it is a 800-number or local number. Train your staff to track phone results and to become familiar with what is sold online. Your Front Desk staff is an influential sales tool especially when it comes to closing the deal. Establish a good tracking system at the front desk.
9. Online Tracking – Review your website stats regularly! The key things you should review are how many unique visitors are finding your
Life is short on this planet for all of us. Even if you live to be a hundred years old, it quickly passes by. I recently turned 40 and 2006 seemed to have passed much more quickly than years past. It is as if time moves faster as we get older.Why am I telling you all this? If you have been caught up like 85% of the people who don't like their job, it is time for a change! I guess it is more significant to me now that I am over 40 as I seem to be getting a lot of calls in my business from people my age that are ready to change the direction of their life. I have heard just about every story imaginable from the person working inside when they yearn to work outside to someone feeling trapped in their job and no way out. When I have them on the phone, I am thinking to myself "this is A
If you want to secure your share of the lucrative online marketplace, think about all the steps you will take to target Leisure, Corporate, and Group markets for your lodging or resort. Then, create a well-defined e-commerce market plan by clearly identifying the tools that people use to find and book hotels online. Open your eyes to the myriad of online channels, such as Search Engines, Independent/Brand Websites, Email, Blogs, GDS sites, and Travel Sites that will help you gain presence and profit on the internet. These ten elements will make your internet journey worth your while.
Search Engines and Independent Websites For Lodging Industry
Get the best out of your independent and brand websites and soar on the search engines by defining your online marketing plan. Your initial move will be to identify why people are traveling to your neck of the woods.
1. Know Your Internet Market – Identify your target market by researching what people are searching for in your area on the internet. Then, market for local and regional factors. Use offline and online methodologies to determine which factors are bringing visitors to your area .Group these reasons into a clearly identified online marketing bucket, for example: Groups, Corporate and Leisure.
2. Content is King . . . Create content which addresses the needs of your customer. Develop unique reasons (USPs) for your hotel and destination, and develop a differentiated approach for key customer segments. Create unique specials and packages, event-related getaways, seasonal promotions and launch one-to-one marketing initiatives to provide unique value and personalization. If your online audience is looking for Paramount’s Great America theme park, then offer relevant content regarding the theme park, along with your hotel room, tickets, transportation, etc. Make sure you have high quality, rich and relevant content on your electronic distribution channels whether it is your brand site, your travel site, your hotel website, GDS, or your email marketing campaign. Talk about your USPs, packages, promotions with local events, and getaways.
3. Link Building . . . Make link building an integral part of your online hotel marketing efforts. You want to be listed wherever your customers are going and looking. Good quality links from relevant websites tremendously boosts your online presence and organic ranking. Secure links from relevant and good quality local, regional, national, and niche specific websites.
4. Increase Conversions from your hotel website – You will increase your online conversions by offering convenience and value. Remember, you do not have to discount your rooms to create value packaging. Get close to your customers needs. A good idea is to bundle local attractions, things to do and activities as part of your hotel packages. Packaging and quality photography converts! Make the booking process for your hotel easy and efficient. Give your customer ways to book your packages and rooms online.
5. Lowest Rates Guaranteed on hotel indepwebsite– The dynamic internet is changing the way people are making their travel and hotel arrangements. You can secure your customer directly by employing best practices such as rate parity across all sales channels, creating a strong links program, email marketing, loyalty programs, pay-per-click campaigns and last minute offers, etc. Your ultimate goal is to create a powerful presence on the internet through both independent and brand websites . . . and gain customer trust and loyalty.
Following A Successful Email Marketing Plan
6. Email Marketing – Develop a well defined and ongoing e-marketing plan. Offer your online guest a reason to “opt in” to your Email Offers program. Send compelling email messaging that gives them what they are looking for. Give reasons to come back, such as local events and last minute offers. Track the results of all your campaigns.
Get the Best From Your Distribution Channels
7. Participate In Distribution Channels & Check HODs! – To optimize your online marketing channels, check what your GDS (Global Distribution Systems) and IDS is saying about you. Call your Franchise GDS department and request a copy of your HODs (Hotel Description on Airline systems). Make your rates and limited inventory available on third party websites. Always practice rate parity. For independent hotels, participate in your GDS system.
8. Tracking Return on Investment from Hotel Website – Track your online and offline results. Since most people searching online will call the hotel to close the sales, offline tracking is essential. Typically, for every one person who books online, 5 people will call you. Establish a unique phone number for your website, whether it is a 800-number or local number. Train your staff to track phone results and to become familiar with what is sold online. Your Front Desk staff is an influential sales tool especially when it comes to closing the deal. Establish a good tracking system at the front desk.
9. Online Tracking – Review your website stats regularly! The key things you should review are how many unique visitors are finding your
When you want to take control and are thinking of starting your own affiliate program, there are certain things you will need to offer. You need to make it easy for affiliates to get on board and get started right away. To do this, you will need to offer them certain things to work with. You should immediately tell them everything they need to know in the first email you send to them. You don’t have to go into great detail about it but you can touch on certain things and give more detail on your site. Take a look at some of the tools you can offer affiliates to keep them interested and functioning.AdvertisementsIf you want your own affiliate program to work you need ads that are effective. You should make sure they are effective before you start handing them out to aff
2. Content is King . . . Create content which addresses the needs of your customer. Develop unique reasons (USPs) for your hotel and destination, and develop a differentiated approach for key customer segments. Create unique specials and packages, event-related getaways, seasonal promotions and launch one-to-one marketing initiatives to provide unique value and personalization. If your online audience is looking for Paramount’s Great America theme park, then offer relevant content regarding the theme park, along with your hotel room, tickets, transportation, etc. Make sure you have high quality, rich and relevant content on your electronic distribution channels whether it is your brand site, your travel site, your hotel website, GDS, or your email marketing campaign. Talk about your USPs, packages, promotions with local events, and getaways.
3. Link Building . . . Make link building an integral part of your online hotel marketing efforts. You want to be listed wherever your customers are going and looking. Good quality links from relevant websites tremendously boosts your online presence and organic ranking. Secure links from relevant and good quality local, regional, national, and niche specific websites.
4. Increase Conversions from your hotel website – You will increase your online conversions by offering convenience and value. Remember, you do not have to discount your rooms to create value packaging. Get close to your customers needs. A good idea is to bundle local attractions, things to do and activities as part of your hotel packages. Packaging and quality photography converts! Make the booking process for your hotel easy and efficient. Give your customer ways to book your packages and rooms online.
5. Lowest Rates Guaranteed on hotel indepwebsite– The dynamic internet is changing the way people are making their travel and hotel arrangements. You can secure your customer directly by employing best practices such as rate parity across all sales channels, creating a strong links program, email marketing, loyalty programs, pay-per-click campaigns and last minute offers, etc. Your ultimate goal is to create a powerful presence on the internet through both independent and brand websites . . . and gain customer trust and loyalty.
Following A Successful Email Marketing Plan
6. Email Marketing – Develop a well defined and ongoing e-marketing plan. Offer your online guest a reason to “opt in” to your Email Offers program. Send compelling email messaging that gives them what they are looking for. Give reasons to come back, such as local events and last minute offers. Track the results of all your campaigns.
Get the Best From Your Distribution Channels
7. Participate In Distribution Channels & Check HODs! – To optimize your online marketing channels, check what your GDS (Global Distribution Systems) and IDS is saying about you. Call your Franchise GDS department and request a copy of your HODs (Hotel Description on Airline systems). Make your rates and limited inventory available on third party websites. Always practice rate parity. For independent hotels, participate in your GDS system.
8. Tracking Return on Investment from Hotel Website – Track your online and offline results. Since most people searching online will call the hotel to close the sales, offline tracking is essential. Typically, for every one person who books online, 5 people will call you. Establish a unique phone number for your website, whether it is a 800-number or local number. Train your staff to track phone results and to become familiar with what is sold online. Your Front Desk staff is an influential sales tool especially when it comes to closing the deal. Establish a good tracking system at the front desk.
9. Online Tracking – Review your website stats regularly! The key things you should review are how many unique visitors are finding your
S Corporation is an elective provision that permits small business corporations and their shareholders to elect special income tax treatment. To become S Corporation or Small Business Corporation, the IRS has several special requirements.The corporation must timely file IRS Form 2553 with the IRS. This election must be made by March 15 of the current year, if the corporation is a calendar-year taxpayer. The election will then take effect for the current tax year. A new corporation must make the S election within 75 days of formation; otherwise, it will be a C corporation for the first year and an S corporation thereafter.The S corporation must not have more than 75 shareholders. Before 1997, the limit was 35. A married couple is counted as one shareholder. The shareholders o
3. Link Building . . . Make link building an integral part of your online hotel marketing efforts. You want to be listed wherever your customers are going and looking. Good quality links from relevant websites tremendously boosts your online presence and organic ranking. Secure links from relevant and good quality local, regional, national, and niche specific websites.
4. Increase Conversions from your hotel website – You will increase your online conversions by offering convenience and value. Remember, you do not have to discount your rooms to create value packaging. Get close to your customers needs. A good idea is to bundle local attractions, things to do and activities as part of your hotel packages. Packaging and quality photography converts! Make the booking process for your hotel easy and efficient. Give your customer ways to book your packages and rooms online.
5. Lowest Rates Guaranteed on hotel indepwebsite– The dynamic internet is changing the way people are making their travel and hotel arrangements. You can secure your customer directly by employing best practices such as rate parity across all sales channels, creating a strong links program, email marketing, loyalty programs, pay-per-click campaigns and last minute offers, etc. Your ultimate goal is to create a powerful presence on the internet through both independent and brand websites . . . and gain customer trust and loyalty.
Following A Successful Email Marketing Plan
6. Email Marketing – Develop a well defined and ongoing e-marketing plan. Offer your online guest a reason to “opt in” to your Email Offers program. Send compelling email messaging that gives them what they are looking for. Give reasons to come back, such as local events and last minute offers. Track the results of all your campaigns.
Get the Best From Your Distribution Channels
7. Participate In Distribution Channels & Check HODs! – To optimize your online marketing channels, check what your GDS (Global Distribution Systems) and IDS is saying about you. Call your Franchise GDS department and request a copy of your HODs (Hotel Description on Airline systems). Make your rates and limited inventory available on third party websites. Always practice rate parity. For independent hotels, participate in your GDS system.
8. Tracking Return on Investment from Hotel Website – Track your online and offline results. Since most people searching online will call the hotel to close the sales, offline tracking is essential. Typically, for every one person who books online, 5 people will call you. Establish a unique phone number for your website, whether it is a 800-number or local number. Train your staff to track phone results and to become familiar with what is sold online. Your Front Desk staff is an influential sales tool especially when it comes to closing the deal. Establish a good tracking system at the front desk.
9. Online Tracking – Review your website stats regularly! The key things you should review are how many unique visitors are finding your
Another pre-launch has hit the internet marketing community. It seems we are seeing a new one just about every week. The motives behind these pre-launches could be one of many reasons. I feel the top two are market testing and hype. The ones to be aware of are those who have a long pre-launch period and want you to pay before the launch. This has happened and they are still looking for those two scam artist.The newest Pre-launch is called "Who Loves Money" and it's launch date is slated for May 1st 2007. It is written by two 25 year old guys from Victoria British Columbia, Canada. They have published two previous ebooks, Beating Adwords and Inside the List. They also have a monthly subscription program called Wealthy Affiliate.Because I'm a marketer I'm always looking for ne
Following A Successful Email Marketing Plan
6. Email Marketing – Develop a well defined and ongoing e-marketing plan. Offer your online guest a reason to “opt in” to your Email Offers program. Send compelling email messaging that gives them what they are looking for. Give reasons to come back, such as local events and last minute offers. Track the results of all your campaigns.
Get the Best From Your Distribution Channels
7. Participate In Distribution Channels & Check HODs! – To optimize your online marketing channels, check what your GDS (Global Distribution Systems) and IDS is saying about you. Call your Franchise GDS department and request a copy of your HODs (Hotel Description on Airline systems). Make your rates and limited inventory available on third party websites. Always practice rate parity. For independent hotels, participate in your GDS system.
8. Tracking Return on Investment from Hotel Website – Track your online and offline results. Since most people searching online will call the hotel to close the sales, offline tracking is essential. Typically, for every one person who books online, 5 people will call you. Establish a unique phone number for your website, whether it is a 800-number or local number. Train your staff to track phone results and to become familiar with what is sold online. Your Front Desk staff is an influential sales tool especially when it comes to closing the deal. Establish a good tracking system at the front desk.
9. Online Tracking – Review your website stats regularly! The key things you should review are how many unique visitors are finding your
Don’t overlook your current customers. After all, they’re the ones who give you referrals and potentially come back for future sales.Marty Nemzow, best-selling author and marketing expert, says that not only does gaining a new customer cost much more than retaining an existing customer, but also that every lost customer costs money to replace.According to USA Today, it costs 40 times as much to acquire a customer and is does to keep a current one. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says that for the typical transaction-based business, each new customer costs roughly $800.The Insurance Pro Shop, which offers marketing tips for insurance professionals, suggests implementing annual reviews, client appreciation nights, and client workshops, which they say are some of the most p
8. Tracking Return on Investment from Hotel Website – Track your online and offline results. Since most people searching online will call the hotel to close the sales, offline tracking is essential. Typically, for every one person who books online, 5 people will call you. Establish a unique phone number for your website, whether it is a 800-number or local number. Train your staff to track phone results and to become familiar with what is sold online. Your Front Desk staff is an influential sales tool especially when it comes to closing the deal. Establish a good tracking system at the front desk.
9. Online Tracking – Review your website stats regularly! The key things you should review are how many unique visitors are finding your site every day, the top 10 referral sources, top 10 Keywords people are using to find you, the top 10 pages generating the most traffic, your click-through to goal conversion pages -such as reservations, manager specials, special offers pages – and the top 10 feeder markets. Your online marketing is constant process of researching, strategizing, implementing, tracking, and analyzing – not a one-time event!
10. Build A Good Online Reputation - Worry about what consumers say about you online? Check Trip Advisor, E-Opinion Sites, Yahoo Travel, Hotel Chatter, and local travel blogs in your area!
The realm of e-marketing is far-reaching and very rewarding if you utilize the many sales channels available to your hotel – from websites to personal emails. Creating search engine friendly brand and independent hotel sites, compelling content, maintaining email campaigns, and participating in travel sites and GDS will help you achieve the competitive edge on the internet. Remember, tracking your results will let you know what’s working and where your revenue is coming from.
Copyright 2006 Benu Aggarwal
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