Helpful Secrets Hotels Need to Know about Online Visibility
Be seen and be found is an ongoing challenge for many Hotels online today. And when a potential customer found you then you have put in actions that help them convert into a direct booking.
The time span all for this interaction is extremely short so use it smartly. Online visibility is all about smart positioning. And there are three helpful secrets that support smart online positioning for Hotels.
- Optimize for visibility
- Provide alternative solutions
- Change the Status Que
Optimize for visibility
Are you in here for the short-haul or the long journey? If your focus is geared towards the short-haul and tends to gear towards quick fixes then you will end up disappointed and frustrated.
Positioning your hotel is part of a dynamic long journey. It incorporates Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Optimization (SMO) and Search Engine Result Page (SERP).
But more than anything Online Visibility is about getting found wherever conversations are happening that are important to your customers, and your business.
Rather than focusing on trying to be number one for a few big keywords, smart Hotels should focus on being visible online for the many keywords and phrases used by prospects and customers who have a need and are looking for alternatives that meet this need.
See online visibility today supports Hotels that take smart actions. With a tight budget for many Hotels, you have to start to focus on smarter positioning.
Typically SEO and SERP have been more static than SMO. Many Social Networks today have very high page rank. SEO and SERP feed of the dynamic processes that SMO supports. SMO is geared towards dynamic processes.
Hotels today need to find a balance that backs both the static and dynamic processes. At one point you could get away with put all your eggs in one basket, but not today.
You have to do focus on techniques and strategies that are geared towards paid media, owned media, and earned media.
Paid media is represented by pay per click, display ads, retargeting, paid influencers, paid content promotion, and Social Media Ads.
Owned media is represented by your Hotels website, mobile site, blog site, and Social Media channels.
Earned media is represented in your Hotels community sharing, mentions, reposts, and reviews.
All of these domains are equally important today to capture customers attention. Still many Hotels appears to have their primary focus on paid and owned media.
No doubt that when many customers do their online research your Hotels website will show up through paid and owned media. But the next step in this process today is that customer also combines their research learning more about what their communities input. The question then becomes does their community have interesting and unique stories to share about your Hotel?
Surprise and delight are key elements to the unique customer experience. But nothing is stopping your Hotel from adding these elements to the total customer experience -> before stay – during the stay and after a stay.
Provide alternative solutions
Thinking outside the traditional box is a great way to stand out from the crowd. It all about providing a unique personalized experience.
In Denmark, there is a Hotel called Patienthotellet. This is a unique concept providing an alternative for people that in for long hospital treatment. The Hotel provides primary functionality of a hospital and also medical staff. And it provides Hotel functionality with an on-site restaurant, parking options, minibar, flat-screen TV, bathroom facilities, and free WiFi.
This is a highly targeted alternative that comes with very specific requirements.
Here in the US, we have a great alternative like Crown Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station. I am sure I will find Sheldon from Big Bang Theory sleeping at the train station. And in my neck of the wood, you can always visit The Shack Up Inn.
Though for many Hotels thinking outside the box requires some creativity. Many Hotels provide solutions for nursing moms that visit and work at the Hotel. Some hotels provide a babysitting service for business travelers that bring their child with them.
With an abundance of information at your fingertips, today Hotels has a unique opportunity to identify new alternatives.
These opportunities will primarily be visible through earned media.
Online visibility today is no longer about just being found, but it is about taking actions that trigger your Hotel communities attention.
And after you identified and taken action towards a sustainable alternative then you need to create awareness toward this alternative. At this point, you will combine all three elements paid, owned, and earned media.
Change the Status Que
If you don’t position your Hotels in ways that support paid, owned and earned media customers will take another path and they won’t need you anymore.
And with all the information available the customer attention span is very short today. Hotels have to change the Status Que in their favor.
This is influenced by two primary factors happiness and experience.
81% of customers expect an immediate response today. This type of response cannot be done through paid media. Here you have to combine owned and earned media.
A customer that has interaction with a Hotel team member through all stages of their experience is happier with their overall experience. And we know that happy employees are more productive.
Employees that can focus on solutions and alternatives are more likely to generate a positive customer experience. Concerns typically escalate when no solutions or alternative is provided.
Employees are performance-driven. Recognize all employee moments.
Happy Employees is unconventional in ways that add new values to the Customer Experience.
Unconventional employees don’t have limiting beliefs, and they will utilize Social Media to add value to all reference points of the Customer Experience.
Empower your Hotels employees to engage with customers. Hospitality is a trait that is part of your Employees genes. You will find the X-factor when to allow your employees to bloom.
Customers today want to take part in forming their experience. Utilize your employees as performers that becomes part of their story.
It is the story that brings the customers back to your Hotel, it is the story the customers share with their network.
Passion, strengths, purpose, and character are the essence of your employee’s trait. Employee Happiness will grow when you empower these traits. Desire, willingness, and mindset can all be trained.
Online visibility today is a team effort that includes both online and offline actions. If you keep leaving key pieces of the puzzle on the table you will never be able to experience the true values of the whole picture.
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About the author
Are Morch is the founder and owner of Are Morch – Hotel Marketing Coach. Get more from Are on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Instagram| Podcast
