Simple Ways to Increase Hotel Internet Sales Part 2

If you want to increase your hotel’s internet sales, it is important to allocate a significant amount of resources into internet marketing as well. Right now, it is believed that all major hotel brands are already generating more than 40 percent of their bookings through their hotel internet channels. By 2010, it is projected that 45 percent of bookings will be completed using internet booking software. Before you invest a significant amount of money in your online endeavors though, it is critical to know which areas and channels you need to focus on:

Paid Search Campaigns

Investing in search engine optimization (SEO) may be a good idea, but it takes time before results start to trickle in. An alternative to this is the pay per click campaign. Popular programs include Google AdWords and Yahoo Search Marketing. This program is worth considering for the hotel industry because it significantly improves web visibility. PPC is a particularly beneficial program while you’re waiting for your site to increase in ranking.

After your hotel website builds a good reputation, you can gradually stop this campaign. Some people use this as a replacement. However, it is never a good idea to use this over the long-term because of the extensive investment involved in order to sustain it. In addition, searchers are more inclined to trust search engine results instead of paid results. This will translate to better hotel revenue management on your bottom line.

Packages and Promotions

Just because you’re marketing your services online doesn’t mean you need to give up on offline marketing strategies altogether. Find out what packages click with your target audience and include it in your online service offerings. If people are booking your hotel because of its good location, free breakfast, corporate amenities, and scenic views, be sure to mention it on different hotel distribution channels including the internet.

User Generated Content

Some of the most successful websites today rely on users to generate its content. For example, video sharing sites, P2P, Wikipedia, and even YouTube depends on thousands of users to create and patronize its services. The same concept holds true in the hospitality industry. For example, social media sites can be very helpful in boosting hotel profitability. This is because people generally trust the opinions of others within their network; when their friends give reviews, they listen. In addition, travel-centric media sites that offer reviews are used by countless people when making purchase decisions.