The Essence of an Online Presence
August 20, 2008
If you have heard of the phrase ‘Like a needle in the haystack’, then you will have an idea of the infinity of the internet. Your website is like that proverbial needle hidden somewhere amongst the vastness of the Internet. There are thousands of websites currently on the internet that are related to the travel industry and all of them are vying for the attention of the same audience. So, unless you want your website to be forever lost like that needle, you need to take measures to build an online presence for your hotel.
Here are the some facts that make it essential for you to build a strong online presence:
Website Design & Content: A good hotel website will act as its online sales engine, information guide and brand ambassador. To ensure its effectiveness, you need to ensure that your website design will appeal to your target audience. This includes having simple yet effective navigation tools, which enables visitors to navigate through your website easily. For example: You should have a reservation button or link on every page to make it easy for visitors to book.
You also need to make sure that your content is relevant i.e. a hotel in Kerala shouldn't be providing travel information about Goa and vice-versa. You need to update your content on a regular basis; mainly, your room rates and package information. Nothing puts off visitors more than outdated pricing. They will assume that you're not interested and will seek out your nearest competitor.
Search Engine Optimization: Search Engine Optimization is defined as a process of developing or re-developing your hotel website to attract traffic by securing top ranking on the major search engines/directories for selected search terms and phrases. This simply means that by optimizing your hotel website, you make it easier for the search engine and thereby your guests to find you (your hotel) on the internet. For example: If you are a Beach Resort located in Colva, Goa, here are some search engine phrases which you can use - Beach Resort Colva, Beach Resort Goa, Colva Goa, Hotel Goa.
Search Engine Marketing: Search Engine Marketing or SEM is a form of Internet Marketing. By employing any SEM technique - Paid Inclusion, Traditional Ads and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising, you can gain maximum visibility for your hotel website on various search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, MSN etc. It will help you generate sales, drive traffic to your website and increase customer awareness of a customer.
Offline Advertising: In addition to using Search Engine Marketing Programs to market your website, you can also promote your hotel offline by including your website address in all forms of communication – Visiting Cards, Brochures, Ads etc. This will help make visitors i.e. potential guests aware of your hotel. By taking these steps, you can enhance your online presence, thereby, increasing your website traffic and overall profitability.
August 20, 2008
If you have heard of the phrase ‘Like a needle in the haystack’, then you will have an idea of the infinity of the internet. Your website is like that proverbial needle hidden somewhere amongst the vastness of the Internet. There are thousands of websites currently on the internet that are related to the travel industry and all of them are vying for the attention of the same audience. So, unless you want your website to be forever lost like that needle, you need to take measures to build an online presence for your hotel.
Here are the some facts that make it essential for you to build a strong online presence:
- Travel is the biggest commodity sold online.
- There are approximately 7 billion potential guests online.
- Today, 58% of travelers obtain travel information directly from the Internet.
- 35% travelers book directly via the Internet.
- 73% of online guests prefer to book directly via the hotel brand website.
- Travel industry will remain the number one online retail category. It is expected to grow to $119 billion by 2010. (Forrester Research)
Website Design & Content: A good hotel website will act as its online sales engine, information guide and brand ambassador. To ensure its effectiveness, you need to ensure that your website design will appeal to your target audience. This includes having simple yet effective navigation tools, which enables visitors to navigate through your website easily. For example: You should have a reservation button or link on every page to make it easy for visitors to book.
You also need to make sure that your content is relevant i.e. a hotel in Kerala shouldn't be providing travel information about Goa and vice-versa. You need to update your content on a regular basis; mainly, your room rates and package information. Nothing puts off visitors more than outdated pricing. They will assume that you're not interested and will seek out your nearest competitor.
Search Engine Optimization: Search Engine Optimization is defined as a process of developing or re-developing your hotel website to attract traffic by securing top ranking on the major search engines/directories for selected search terms and phrases. This simply means that by optimizing your hotel website, you make it easier for the search engine and thereby your guests to find you (your hotel) on the internet. For example: If you are a Beach Resort located in Colva, Goa, here are some search engine phrases which you can use - Beach Resort Colva, Beach Resort Goa, Colva Goa, Hotel Goa.
Search Engine Marketing: Search Engine Marketing or SEM is a form of Internet Marketing. By employing any SEM technique - Paid Inclusion, Traditional Ads and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising, you can gain maximum visibility for your hotel website on various search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, MSN etc. It will help you generate sales, drive traffic to your website and increase customer awareness of a customer.
Offline Advertising: In addition to using Search Engine Marketing Programs to market your website, you can also promote your hotel offline by including your website address in all forms of communication – Visiting Cards, Brochures, Ads etc. This will help make visitors i.e. potential guests aware of your hotel. By taking these steps, you can enhance your online presence, thereby, increasing your website traffic and overall profitability.
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