Effective search engine marketing solutions, web optimization and top position in the search engine in today’s downward spiraling financial climate, is massively critical in determining the difference between keeping your business or losing your business, never mind thinking about breaking a profit.
Worldwide hotel and travel bookings have swayed by 6%+ in comparison to last years bookings and cancellations of bookings have dramatically increased above the industry normal to 60%+, even within large multinational hotel chains.
With no way to predict or foresee a turn around from this financial situation, seemingly traditional crisis management techniques such as down sizing, cost and overhead reduction as well as “burying our head in the sands” according to one spokesman, seem to be the only answer many organizations have to offer.
In order to try and identify an answer to this crippling market direction, our researchers talked to management and marketing departments within a number of leading traditional travel agents and worldwide hotel chains. Many pointed towards internet marketing as being the priority solution, though many companies now have to risk further investment into technology, the view is spend now in order to attempt to kick start new revenue lines and stay ahead of the competition.
Online Travel Marketing expert Steve Chadwick tells us, IT decision-makers identify technologies and strategies and give us a clear indication “ That 50% of all travel is booked through the internet system, and then another 40% of all traditional bookings start as research through destination information sites, blogs and travels online community or social website ”.
Hotels, retailers and wholesale agents are falling victim to this downturn, and unless we adopt a new way of thinking, many traditional business not adopting new technologies and strategies will go out of business,so the. Search engine marketing solution for travel,turis and hospitality industries involves everything from effective website optimization to the copywriting, strating out with someone who knows your industry put you steps ahead of your .Many hoteliers are now having to redefine both their traditional and internet strategy to avoid falling along the wayside, an effective internet strategy is crucial to attracting traffic and more importantly converting visitors to bookings.” commented a representative from a leading online research company.
Some Key Internet Strategies Involve:
1. Customer Feedback and Experience rating programs.
2. Multiple site development, to attract visitors that on average visit 3 to 4 sites before making a booking.
3. Competitor Online Monitoring and Tracking.
4. Online Incentives such as packages, discount programs.
One hotelier explained that after taking part in an Online Marketing Seminar, and after implanting the above marketing techniques, traffic to bookings increase by 65%, which was 30% higher than the regional norm.
In 2011 it is expected that more than 60% of all Travel and Hotel bookings will be handled by Internet based Travel companies, and that more that 80% of all bookings with be directed by internet marketing strategies. Already we are seeing that global hotel chains are booking now over 50% of all sales through their online systems.
Research also showed that as high 90% of all Travel and Tourism related companies in 2009 had at the very least begun to adopt and integrate internet marketing strategies as a matter of priority. “Industry peers who wish to be ignorant of traveler and customer booking trends are not only losing valuable revenue, but risk potentially loosing a highly valuable audience that now is lacking any form of loyalty.
Key Steps to Success Internet Marketing:
1. Strong Brand and Customer Friendly Online Identity.
2. Well Structured and User Friendly website.
3. Website that manipulates a browsers sense of romance for a holiday destination.
4. Destination advice and insight into things to do.
5. Trip and Holiday planning facilities.
6. Photo albums and Image libraries of recent / past guests.
7. Strong message of customer service and 24/7 online help.
8. Industry accreditation and affiliation.
9. Loyalty program / Reward scheme.
The most important thing to remember when developing an internet marketing strategy is that industry and competitor knowledge is key, also brand engagement, forward thinking ideas, product knowledge and trustworthiness are all critical to coming out top of the pile.
Once an effective and efficient site has been developed, the next step would be to hire or acquire the services of a SEO specialist. The role of a specialist is to ensure that your online presence, your website are optimized to the max, whilst ensuring that web and internet traffic is driven towards your site. The use of an online editor or copywriter will add relevance and interest to the content of your website as well a topic articles written to raise your online profile and presence.
The cost of creating and adopting an effective search engine online marketing campaign is minimal in monetary sense, when you compare that the actual cost of not investing, could be simply going out of business. For the few hundred dollars a campaign would cost, consider the return on investment to be estimated at 300- 400%.
Priceless where the key word within the travel & tourism industry at the moment is survival !
