At conference after conference, innkeepers tell us that 80%-90% of their
reservations are generated by the Internet, with many bookings coming
directly from their own websites. They know that an effective website is
essential to generate these reservations, yet have many questions about
cost, results and reliability. Here are some key points:
What are the most important elements of an effective website?
Although there are some notable exceptions, website design is not rocket
science, despite the astronomical prices some companies charge. While truly
creative custom websites are appropriate for some high-end properties, most
properties will do well by focusing on these
key points:
- Professional, up-to-date design: Any website more than three
years old needs a fresh look. At a minimum, add new photos. Other
updates can include enhanced navigation or a complete new design.
Antiques enhance your décor; an “antique” website will not deliver the
reservations you need for profitability.
- Consistent navigation: Easy-to-read links to the inside pages
of your site should run across the top of every page on your site (under
the header template) or down the left-hand side of the page.
- Uniform template: The top of every single page of your site
should have a design template that includes the following information:
- Inn name
- Toll-free phone number
- Book now button
- Marketing slogan that indicates the inn’s location
- Great photos: Spend as much as you can on the best possible
professional photography. Combining appealing photos with an effective
website generates reservations almost immediately. Large photos can be
optimized for the Internet so they load quickly; with most users now on
high-speed connections, there’s no need for the tiny thumbnails of the
early Internet. When hiring a pro, ask to see their online portfolio of
inn pictures. Interior shots are tricky; rooms must be appealing without
being over-staged or made to look larger then they are. Take seasonal
exterior shots yourself so you have photos of your inn in all seasons –
with spring blossoms, summer greenery, fall foliage, Christmas
decorations, winter snow, and so on. Remember, if your guests tell you
that your inn is much nicer than it appears on the Internet, you are
losing business every day.
- Good SEO: A knowledgeable web designer will create website
pages that will get you coverage on Google and other search engines by
building your website with SEO built in from the ground up. This
includes appropriate use of keyword density, meta and alt tags, page
titles, and other specific strategies. Your website is not an art
project; it’s a marketing tool designed to deliver reservations … lots
of them!
- Strong call to action: Never make prospective guests click
through multiple pages to find your phone number or reservations page.
The point of your website is to generate reservations, so make it as
easy as possible to do just that. In addition to a toll-free number,
have multiple links to a real-time booking engine, or you will miss
reservations from a large percentage of travelers.
- Reliability: Chose a company that offers reliable hosting and
promotion services, with a responsive support staff available to make
changes and answer questions.
How much should I spend?
Don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Unless your nephew is an experienced,
licensed plumber, you wouldn’t trust him to install your new $20,000
whirlpool and marble bathroom that just happens to be over the antique
crystal chandelier in your dining room, would you? By the same token, your
website designer should be a specialist in the B&B industry, and with a
track record of proven results creating websites that are not only
attractive, but easy to navigate, turn lookers to bookers, and come up well
in the search engines. If a friend or family member promises to build you a
website for free, consider that a “free website” may cost you tens of
thousands of dollars in missed reservations. In fact, a November 2006 study
by DoubleClick and ROI Research showed that the source that most influenced
Internet users to make an online airfare purchase was the website (33%), more than word-of-mouth (9%) or online ads (6%).
- Analyze your marketing spend: Average gross revenues for B&Bs are $150,000
annually (PAII Operations Study, 2004), and the average total marketing
spend is $24,000 (PAII Marketing Study, 2006), or 16% of revenues. If 90% of
your reservations come from all Internet sources, then consider allocating
90% ($21,600) of your marketing budget to Internet marketing. Of that 90% of
reservations, how much revenue is generated by your own homepage?
- Understand your conversion rates: It’s not just the number of “hits” your
website receives, but the revenue that results. Tracking software will tell
you how long people stay on your site, and how many pages views per unique
visitor. The longer they stay, the more pages they visit, the more likely
you are to convert a looker to a booker. On the other hand, the higher your
bounce or click-away rate, the lower your conversion will be. For example,
if you have 1,000 monthly visitors and you get 20 reservations, your
conversion rate is 2%. If the average reservation made from your website is
two nights at $150 nightly, your monthly gross is 20 x $300 = $6,000. If you
improve your website and increase the conversion to 3%, you’ve increased
your monthly gross income by 50%, e.g., 30 x $300 = $9,000. That’s an extra
$36,000 per year!
Looking for a new website at a price that won't break the bank? RezOvation offers effective website design, hosting, and promotion at a price you can afford.