HeBS Internet Marketing Blog

Hotelier's 2009 Top Ten Internet Marketing Resolutions

2009-01-14T17:50:47-05:00

Happy New Year HeBS Blog Readers!

Here at HeBS we believe that an ROI-centric Internet marketing strategy will be your perfect survival tool this year, given this difficult economic environment.

This year you have to be more focused. In order to improve marketing ROIs, retain existing and attract more affluent travelers, and out-smart the competition, DO NOT spend marketing dollars blindly. With the sophisticated analytical tools available - such as Omniture - we can all track every single marketing dollar spent down to the conversion process.

Make sure to check out the "Hotelier's 2009 Top Ten Internet Marketing Resolutions", and start the year off right!Internet-savvy hoteliers with robust Direct Online Channel strategies are the winners in economic downturns like this one.

Click here to read the full article.

Max Starkov of Hospitality eBusiness Strategies to Receive “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing” 2008 Honor At HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala

2008-12-09T17:23:50-05:00

The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has selected HeBS' very own Max Starkov as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing” for 2008. The sixth annual list recognizes the “best of the best” in the hospitality, travel and tourism industries, and the recipients will be honored at HSMAI’s annual Adrian Awards on Jan. 26, 2009, at the New York Marriott Marquis.

From Max - “Inclusion in the Top 25 list is a true honor. This award recognizes what HeBS stands for in the hospitality industry - pioneering best practices in Internet marketing and distribution, helping hoteliers utilize the Direct Online Channel and increase direct online bookings and ROIs, and educating hoteliers on how to boost their Internet marketing presence and establish interactive relationships with their customers. Here at HeBS we strive to give the very best service while aiding in the professional development of our hotel clients.”

Read more about Max's award by clicking here!

Announcing the 2009 Benchmark Survey

2008-10-20T14:11:41-04:00

HeBS has launched the 2009 Benchmark Survey on Hotel Internet Marketing Strategies, Budget Planning and Best Practices!

For the third year in a row, we are surveying hoteliers about what Internet formats and methods they are using to reach their customers, what Internet marketing practices they find most productive, why they choose to devote marketing dollars to certain mediums over others, and much more.

Some findings from last year's survey:

The industry reported that online business is coming from their own website more than third parties or corporate brand sites.
Similar to 2007, the highest percentage of survey respondents use search engine optimization and organic search in their search marketing campaigns. This was followed by paid search, then local search.
When asked what Internet marketing objectives they did not achieve in 2007 and would like to focus on in 2008, the highest percentage of hoteliers said website optimization followed by search optimization (organic search).
The more hoteliers learn about online direct distribution and Internet marketing, the more they realize their property website does not conform to industry’s best practices.
Almost half of hoteliers surveyed were planning a blog on the hotel’s website. Other Web 2.0 formats planned for 2008 included photo sharing, surveys and comment cards on the website, and creating profiles on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace.

Click here to participate! We will provide the answers to all survey respondents at no cost.

HeBS Announces Luxe Worldwide Hotels New Website Launch!

2008-10-14T13:13:24-04:00

HeBS proudly announces the launch of the new Luxe Hotels Worldwide website, www.LuxeHotels.com. HeBS applied award-winning design and the industry’s best practices in website optimization in order to develop a top revenue and lead-generating website, and position Luxe Worldwide Hotels as the premier lifestyle hotel brand.

Luxe Worldwide Hotels and its member hotels will benefit tremendously from the new brand website in the form of more bookings, incremental revenues and lucrative group leads. The new website is user-friendly, booker-friendly, customer-interactive friendly, and search engine-friendly.

Other website assets:

Award-winning design with an up-to-date look and feel and wide screen layout
Rich visual content, including Flash animations, video and visual galleries
Easy to use, consistent 4-tiered navigation addressing all key customer segments
Significantly enhanced textual and destination content on the new website
Customized, state-of-the-art, content management system (CMS), undoubtedly the most advanced CMS in the industry today. The new content management system allows Luxe Hotels to add and edit textual and visual content on a 24/7 basis, add new hotel properties, edit or add copy or photos as needed, and keep customers up-to-date on all Luxe Hotels' happenings.
Advanced hotel search functionality, incorporating search by Luxe collection (Legends, Elite, Signature), hotel locations, city and country search, by hotel services and amenities, activities and customer segments (meeting, spa, wedding, golf, spa), search by interactive global map, etc
World-class website analytics and campaign tracking tool by Omniture Analytics
Comprehensive online reservations functionality
New website optimized for premier placement in the search engines
Interactive mapping and hotel directions using Google Maps API

The website targets all important Luxe Hotels key customer segments including leisure and business travelers looking for upscale, luxury and boutique accommodations. It also targets meetings, event and group planners looking for a unique hotel experiences. Additionally, the new website has a special section for travel agents, which offers them the chance to ‘Join the Luxe Hotels Travel Agent Network’ and to submit RFPs for the Corporate Rate Program and for Group Tours.

Let us know what you think about the new Luxe Hotels Worldwide website!

Local Internet Marketing Strategies for Franchised Hoteliers

2008-09-15T11:51:09-04:00

While major brands have become skilled eMarketers on the national and international level, franchised hotels are starting to realize that the hotel chains’ e-Commerce departments cannot possibly capture all available online revenue opportunities for their property. Especially on the local level, franchisees are looking for new and innovative ways to generate incremental online revenues.

Franchised Hoteliers can boost revenues in these difficult economic times, generate incremental online bookings and business opportunities, improve occupancy, and "steal" market share from the competition by launching a comprehensive Local Internet Marketing Strategy. Such a ROI-centric local strategy includes: property website optimizations (mini-site on brand website and independent property website); local search marketing; local strategic link building, property-level email marketing, key customer segment online initiatives, and local online sponsorships.

Check out the latest HeBS article, "Local Internet Marketing for Franchised Hoteliers," and find out how you can launch your own Local Internet Marketing Strategy.

Diamond Hawaii Resort & Spa Website Launched!

2008-07-07T14:08:25-04:00

HeBS recently launched the new website for Diamond Hawaii Resort & Spa (www.DiamondResort.com) located in Wailea Maui Hawaii.

HeBS Client AmericInn® Wins 2008 Interactive Media Award for its Website!

2008-06-30T12:16:29-04:00

HeBS has received the Outstanding Achievement Award in Web site Development by the Interactive Media Awards™ for the AmericInn International Web site (www.AmericInn.com ). Recognized for excellence in the Hotel/Resort category, AmericInn is the only hotel chain website to win this award in 2008.

Content on the site was implemented using a content management system designed specifically for the AmericInn marketing team, who are now able to log in and make changes to the copy and photos themselves. The content management system makes the development of the site more manageable and efficient, and provides AmericInn a way to keep the site timely.

Comment on "Getting Back to the Basics" Article

2008-06-10T15:44:58-04:00

Yesterday, HeBS received the following email:

"I am the DOS at a Hampton Inn in FL. We are located in central Florida and are primarily a retirement community. As you can well guess, our local economy is truly suffering. I was just commenting to some associates on just how demoralized everyone is feeling. After I read this article I felt much better."

How has our latest article affected your outlook on the current economic conditions as they relate to your hotel? Have you taken any of the steps in the article?

Getting Back to the Basics: The Hotelier’s Internet Marketing Action Plan for a Difficult Economy

2008-06-04T14:38:22-04:00

The slowing economy is affecting the hospitality industry in a number of negative ways: commercial bank credit is extremely tight, energy and food prices are on the rise, leisure travel consumers are staying home, and companies are re-assessing their corporate travel budgets. Smith Travel Research reports that year-to-date (January-April 2008) occupancy rates in North America fell by 1.9%; in Europe by 0.7% and in Asia Pacific by 3.1%, compared to the same period a year ago. What should hoteliers do in a deteriorating economic environment? What are the strategies that would help alleviate the negative impact of negative growth in occupancy? What action plan should hoteliers follow at this time? What should hoteliers do to succeed in 2008?

What should Hoteliers do in 2008?

Unlike the competition, do not cut your marketing spend, but re-evaluate the marketing efforts and advertising budget and focus on proven ROI-centric efforts and formats
Shift funds from offline to online advertising formats
Shift funds from brand-building to direct-response initiatives
Track every dollar spent with sophisticated website analytical and campaign tracking technology (e.g. Omniture Analytics)

2008 Dos and Don’ts

So what should hoteliers do? What marketing initiatives should they avoid right now? Hoteliers should NOT:

Experimenting with unproven advertising formats
Advertising on Third-Party Intermediary Sites (TPIs) –ad cost+TPI commission = total cost of 30%-40%
Trying “sexy” new media initiatives e.g. social media sites like YouTube, Facebook.com, MySpace.com, etc.

Here is what you should focus on right now:

Focus on proven, ROI-centric Internet marketing strategies + formats

Launch a comprehensive Internet Marketing strategy to reach potential customers
Launch a Local Internet Marketing Strategy to reach drive-in and impulse-buy customers
Launch a Differentiation Strategy as a top priority
Identify and promote the unique value proposition of the hotel

Take a hard look at what you are doing: are you taking chances with new and unproven marketing formats? Is your Internet marketing budget ROI-centric? Are you a smart marketer, or are you advertising blindly, with no clue as to what is working and what is not? Have you covered the basics:

Website re-design and Optimization
Search Marketing
Email Marketing
Strategic Linking
eCRM
Website analytics and campaign tracking

Please read our latest article on this subject.

How has your hotel been affected by the current economic situation? We welcome your feedback.

HeBS Wins Two 2008 Summit International Awards!

2008-05-19T14:53:28-04:00

Hospitality eBusiness Strategies has received two Summit International Awards in the Travel/Tourism Website category. Over fifteen years, the Summit Creative Awards has established itself as the premier arbiter of creative excellence for firms of this size.

HeBS received one Silver and one Bronze 2008 Summit Creative Award for its clients:

Silver to Hotel Amarano Burbank, the only luxury boutique hotel in Burbank CA
Bronze to Le Parc Suites, a luxury all-suite hotel in West Hollywood CA

Any feedback? We welcome your questions and comments.