In a blog we posted on February 10, 2010, RezStream provided five practical ways to boost online reservations, with the promise to follow up in March by sharing five more helpful tips. We hope you enjoyed part one of this two-part article last month and that you find equally as useful our tips six through ten!
6. Search Engine Optimization: Are you aware of the EXACT keywords people are searching in relation to the product you are selling? Choosing keywords incorrectly can equal incredible losses in online revenue. A well optimized website yields more revenue than any other source.
HOT TIPS:
• Test organic keyword options in pay per click first.
• Don’t guess. Use tracking tools to show exactly what people are searching for. You will probably be surprised!
• Make sure you are not competing for a keyword you have no chance
in ranking favorably for.
• Understand there are numerous data centers and that Google
tracks your IP. You may not actually rank where you think you do. Use software to effectively track your “real” positioning in Google.
• Google is responsible for 60% of searches as they bring in the revenue. Focus your efforts here and you will be rewarded.
7. Competitor Research: Chances are there is a competitor out there that is doing a great job with their Internet marketing. Research their strategies and duplicate their efforts. Find a hidden gem that elevates your profits.
HOT TIPS:
• Find out where your competition has their incoming links through Google alerts and Yahoo alerts.
• Compare the number of pages indexed in Google to yours. Typing “Site: domain.com” in Google will tell you this information.
• Compare your specials to those of your competition.
• Compare your website design appeal to that of your competitors,
as well as added features like social networking, video, and blogs.
8. Offer Online Bookings: If you are not offering online bookings, you are overlooking a very lucrative income source. To offer a complicated
(or non-standardized) online booking engine is another way to lose money. Don’t make your potential guests learn how to use your “pretty” calendar. Provide potential guests with a STANDARD look and feel booking process. A large (and growing) percentage of people prefer to book online!
HOT TIPS:
• Make sure your booking engine looks and feels like your website.
• Your booking process should be easy to use. The standard four-step process is the best.
• Capture guest emails in the booking process for email marketing.
9. Content, Content, and More Content: Adding fresh content to your website is an effective way to increase exposure in the search engines for cross linking and having new pages to optimize. And your visitors also appreciate fresh content! Increase exposure, traffic, and revenue with content.
HOT TIPS:
• The search engines favor larger websites and ones that are constantly growing by content additions.
• Add new content on a consistent basis via a blog, media room, attraction pages, guest reviews, and videos.
• Every page of your website can be the very first one a guest sees.
Be sure to pitch yourself on every page.
• Always explain your points of difference.
• Make sure your content is keyword-rich and that it cross links effectively throughout your website.
10. Track Results: If you are not tracking statistics to your website, you do
not know what works and what doesn’t. Hold directories, Internet marketing companies, your website design, email blasts and other business partners accountable. If you scrutinize your statistics, you can maximize profits and make positive changes.
HOT TIPS:
• With the proper tracking device, you can monitor online bookings to the source (email blast, pay per click, local marketing, SEO result, and directory submission).
• A tracker can tell you if your visitors respond well to your website.
• If you use Google Analytics, make sure your booking engine supports its revenue-tracking feature.
Conclusion:
This article contains the second half of ten proven ideas that will produce more online reservations. Keep in mind that “on page” factors such as how your website looks, how it is organized, and other factors determine your conversion rates. Make sure your website is in tiptop shape first and then focus on driving more quality traffic to it. Although a number of people with websites think, “anyone can do Internet marketing,” it is a wise practice to allot marketing dollars for this complex science. Your best bet is to hire a qualified professional who will dedicate time each and every month to work on your search engine visibility. This practice will make you more money and in the long run, guarantee a better bottom line.
