About this Episode
Market research proves that online travel shoppers value rich visual content that informs and supports their buying decisions. They gravitate to hotels that most effectively present themselves online. In this episode, Michelle Woodley, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Strategy at Preferred Hotel Group explains why hotel marketers need to visually merchandise their properties and offers tips on how to do it.
Click for Video Details
- Episode #46
- Posted on July 30, 2010
- Duration: 11:48
- Captions:
The Travel Shopper continues to evolve and behaviors have changed
Preferred Hotel Group is using a "Drive to Web" strategy
Content is Key - provide all the information that the guest needs
Online content effectively delivers on "when I want it what I want"
Preferred Hotel Group launched Project Web Content to enrich their website
Be more descriptive about amenities and what they mean to the traveller
Pictures say a thousand words but video is even better
Make sure you have content everywhere - Brand.com, your site, third-party sites...
Make sure your content is rich and consistent on all channels
Focus on Rich Visual content
Use Rich visual information to encourage a guest to choose you over another
Focus on the guest experience and show them how you will make their trip better
Focus on what the traveller is looking for
Don't just say it, show it
Travel shoppers are looking for experiential elements
Use content to make a connection with your guest
Preferred Hotels are unique and do not fit into a branded cookie-cutter environment
Role and function of ebusiness managers at branded hotels and unique properties are basically the same
Tools used to raise awareness, drive traffic and bookings are the same
There may be differences in the conversion process - unique properties are sometimes at an advantage
What are some of the recommendations for conversion tactics?
Step 1 - What would you tell your friend or relative about your hotel?
Step 2 - Find out what's said about you on referral sites, social media and third party sites
Step 3 - Take a long hard look - how does it match up to what you would tell your friend
Step 4 - Make the necessary adjustments - And use the visual element
Repeat the same process across all your guest segments
How do you look today and being critical about yourself is important
Michelle Woodley, SVP Global Marketing Strategy, Preferred Hotel Group - Embed Link:
7 Comments
Thanks for this interesting one which is very useful too.
Keep it up.
Thanks.
good info. content is the key!
Great insights about what matters today in Hotel Marketing; to promote writing of honest, useful and customer oriented content in all supports.
Thank you
Hi,
Excellent material, I’ll recommend it to anyone and I’ll definetly I’m going to. I have some suggestions, don’t take me wrong it is for you to get better. The interviewer voice didn’t sound well, too much eco comparing with the guest voice Ms. Michelle Woodley sounded pretty well.
I dare myself to say it was the room space or the microphone quality either of both; even so I received the message of this so important market opportunity which is the E-business.
Well keep on with the good work..
Jose Arias Vallejo.
Hello,
This episode was really interesting. I found the Conversion tactics and tips very useful.
Thanks…
Great Video! Such a great information. Thank you very much.
In your opinion what are people looking to experience in a 2 star property in another country?
One Trackback
[...] Watch it now: E-Business Strategies and Tactics for Hoteliers [...]