THATBlog

Overwhelmed by the thought of developing a comprehensive - ultra-effective - hotel marketing plan? It is a major endeavor, but one with the potential for significant returns on your investment and time. Ready to increase your visibility, traffic, conversion rates, and profits? We thought so!

Our top five juicy secrets for a successful hotel internet strategy:

#1: Make your website easy to navigate

This may seem like a given, but we’ve all visited websites that were slow to load, difficult to navigate, and which made it impossible to find the information or tools we need.

If you have the wrong setup, if it’s hard for your visitors to access your booking function or to locate photos of your hotel, they’re going to be far less likely to book through your hotel website. Make sure that your site is as streamlined and easy to access as possible.

#2: Utilize SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ongoing process that encompasses the use of targeted keywords, building high-quality links, delivering valuable content, and more to help raise your place in the search engine results pages.

The goal is to be one of the top (or, better yet, the top) results when someone searches for phrases like “book hotel in [your city]”. Effective SEO can drastically improve the amount of traffic your website sees. Because it is a highly technical process, outsourcing is often the best way to put these techniques into action.

#3: Put Local SEO to Work for Your Hotel

Your location is one of your best unique selling points (USPs). Why not make the most of it by leveraging local SEO? Using ranking factors, such as name, address, and phone number, you can capitalize on location-based searches.

These steps will help you rank better. But remember: You’re appealing to people, not search engines. The easier it is for people to contact you, the faster they can book with you.

#4: Socialize

Raise your hand if you’re on social media. A few billion people are waving them in the air. Incorporating social into your hotel internet strategy is all but mandatory today. Depending on your target audience, you should maintain an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and other social networks.

Post regularly, and always deliver high-quality content. Whether you are linking to a great article on your website (e.g., “10 Must-See Attractions in the Sunshine State” or “How to Pack Like a Pro”), pointing guests toward relevant sites (e.g., nearby spas, sporting events, restaurants, theme parks, etc.), or announcing a hot promotion, you need to add value to your followers’ days.

Encourage interaction with potential and past guests; posting their photos, videos, and reviews is an excellent way to foster engagement and build trust with your audience.

#5: Let Your Content Do the Talking

Quality content should be a key focus of your hotel internet strategy.  Articles, blogs, whitepapers, videos and other formats should be informative and educational. Instead of a “hit ‘em over the head” hard sell, use a soft approach. Your content demonstrates your authority in this field and your unique value. Let that shine through, and your potential guests will sell themselves on you.

Having the right hotel marketing plan makes the difference when it comes to attracting website traffic and converting guests. Take the time to ask guests who have booked through your site how they found the process. Make sure you listen to their feedback and use it to grow your brand.