VTV Channel - A Vlog focusing on Hotel Merchandising Online

Page Position: How to Optimize Conversions Online Using OTAs

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:53 +0000

In this three episode series with Jean Francois Mourier, Founder and CEO of RevPAR Guru, you will learn about three important factors that can help you optimize conversions online: page positing on OTAs, content and reviews. This first episode about page positioning explores how hoteliers can optimize their conversions online using OTAs and reveals that:

- OTAs should be seen as “Googles” for hotels because travel shoppers use them like search engines
- Lowering prices to get to the top of the first page is not good for RevPAR
- Hotels listed at the top of the second page can get sales at higher prices

The Role of OTAs in the Travel Planning Process

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:00:16 +0000

Travel shoppers use online travel agencies (OTAs) more for research and comparison than booking. Although OTA market share is small, hotel listings on OTAs influence a much larger share of transactions. Hotels that are listed on OTAs see increased reservations on their own sales channels (call centers, booking engines, etc.).

In this episode, Chris Anderson, Assistant Professor at Cornell School of Hotel Administration explains additional factors that influence conversions:
- Page positioning
- Advertisements
- Competitive offers

Basically, the better you merchandise your hotel on OTAs, the greater your conversion factor will be.

Video: What Travel Shoppers Want

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:00:04 +0000

People connect with video. When researching hotels online, travel shoppers want to see two types of videos: professionally shot and guest produced. They want to be enticed but they also need validation. In this episode with Tom O’Rourke of O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing, you will learn:

- The roles of professional and guest videos
- Tips for developing inspiring videos
- Why travel shoppers want to see video

Untapped Online Opportunities

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:00:40 +0000

Some of the biggest untapped online eBusiness opportunities that hoteliers can take advantage of include:

- Using appropriate and market-centric content to merchandise
- Employing strategies used by successful airlines and online retailers
- Ensuring activities that drive and convert traffic work in tandem

In this episode with Felix Laboy, President and General Manager of Sabre Hospitality Solutions, you will learn about these untapped online opportunities and more that can help you extract the most value out of your presence online.

Developing an Effective Online Media Strategy

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:43 +0000

In recent years, hoteliers have had to adjust their focus from offline marketing efforts to online, which means developing an online media strategy that works. In this episode, Edward Perry, Senior Director of E-Commerce at WORLDHOTELS, identifies the key components of an effective online media strategy:

- A solid long-term business plan
- A knowledge of who your target audience is today your potential future audience
- An understanding of how your competitors are positioned in the market
- A presence on available digital channels, including OTAs

Also learn:

- How to attract and convert travel shoppers
- Where to spend your marketing dollars
- Which types of content are most effective

Increasing the Relevance of Your Hotel’s Content Using Personas

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:00:26 +0000

In this episode, Robert Cole the Founder of RockCheetah explains that personas differ depending on the reason for the trip and what the traveler hopes to accomplish. For example, the points-junkie who always uses a certain channel to plan business trips may behave completely different when planning a family vacation or a golf weekend with friends. Watch this episode to learn how to increase the relevance of your online content to appeal to different personas.

- Ask why guests like staying at your hotel
- Don’t say “I’m everything to everybody”
- All content (text, still images, video) needs to be suited to personas
- Show how your hotel will make their stay a success

The Role of Opaque Sites in the Travel Planning Process

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:00:50 +0000

Opaque bidding mechanisms are particularly attractive to value-seeking, non-brand loyal consumers who want 4 and 4 ½ star accommodations but don’t want to pay retail rates. Sites like Priceline and Hotwire that have opaque mechanisms offer hoteliers an opportunity to price into this segment while maintaining higher rates at retail outlets. Leveraging these sites typically results in improved RevPAR.

Tips on getting started with opaque sites:
- Start using them as soon as possible
- Give higher rates with restricted inventory
- Use them day-of or day-before

To Merchandise or Not

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:00:32 +0000

Hotels are doing a better job of merchandising online they have been in the past, states Felix Laboy, President and General Manager at Sabre Hospitality Solutions. However, there is still room for improvement. Hoteliers need to ensure their hotel information is not just out on the channels, but presented in the best way possible because better merchandised hotels are better positioned against their competitive set, have better exposure and higher revenues.

In this episode, you will learn tips on how to merchandise online:
• Optimize your website with relevant content
• Keep images, videos and rich media current
• Develop and execute a social media action plan

The Billboard Effect

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:00:31 +0000

Chris Anderson, Assistant Professor at Cornell University shares the results of a research study “The Billboard Effect” conducted in partnership with JHM Hotels and Expedia. In the study, four properties were cycled on and off Expedia over a period of three months.

Here’s what you will learn in this episode:

- Hotel placement on Expedia results in a 20% increase in bookings on other channels
- Reservations made on other channels (call center, brand.com, other sites) offset reservations made on OTAs
- Rates attained while being listed on Expedia were about 2-3% higher

The bottom line: Hoteliers need to think of OTAs as marketing vehicles versus reservation engines.

eBusiness for Hoteliers – Panacea or Pain?

VFM Leonardo — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:00:28 +0000

The internet has radically changed how consumers shop for travel. This has had a dramatic impact on the way hoteliers market and sell hotel rooms to travel shoppers. Due to the rapidly changing online environment, some hoteliers struggle with how to extract more value out of their presence online while others have found success.

Over the course of five specific topics, Henry Harteveldt, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, will discuss the impact of the internet on travel shopping and how hotels can turn the internet channel from pain to panacea.

1. How to Motivate the Content-Sensitive Traveler
2. The Role of Visual Content in Travel Shopping
3. The Pillars of Success in Travel eBusiness
4. OTAs and TPIs – The Gateways to Purchase Consideration
5. What Hoteliers can learn from Online Retailers