RezNEWS Feature Article:
2007 New Year’s Resolution: A Healthy Approach to
Website Design & Marketing
Adopting a new approach to market your website could possibly be the best New Year’s resolution you could make for your business in 2007. Every year, when it’s resolution-making time, the desire on many lists is to “get healthy.” Using the same focus as creating a plan to shed those extra pounds, think about what your business could gain from a “healthy website.”
Click here to download PDF version of article.
Resolution Step 1: Maintain basic website nutrition.
There are basic steps to follow for optimum website health. Basic website functionality and navigation is KEY. Without those main website attributes, the rest of the details won’t matter. Certainly, getting potential customers to visit your website is important, but it’s just the beginning. How your website handles that revenue potential is up to your “website nutrition.” Follow these RezNEWS pointers and you’ll be setting up your website for success in 2007!
1. Website functionality and design:
These days, having a website just for the sake of having a website is not enough. Remember the actual purpose of getting your customers to see your website. Make website functionality easy to use. There’s no point in bringing visitors to your website if once they get there, they are confronted with hard to use or confusing navigational steps. If potential guests cannot find the information they need to make a reservation, the probability of that visitor staying at your property is greatly reduced and the chances of them returning to your website are slim.
2. Aesthetically pleasing:
Is your website pleasing to the eye? Do the website’s color schemes match those at your property? Does your website highlight the popular attributes of your property which will entice visitors to stay longer and hopefully book online? Many studies have been conducted on how effectively a website converts based on color and design. It is proven that aesthetically pleasing website colors and design increase not only online bookings, but support an increase in occupancy levels as well.
3. Search engine compliant:
It’s not enough to just have a “good looking” website. Some of the most important factors implemented in your website are never seen by a potential guest. Search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN adhere to strict standards to make sure your website complies with their search algorithms to be indexed in the search engine. Today, over half of all website users start their experience at a search engine. Make sure your website is search engine compliant! If your property doesn’t even show up in a potential customer’s search, they won’t have the opportunity to see that “good looking” website.
To view RezStream websites that comply with these standards, click here.
Resolution Step 2: Create a marketing plan and stick to it.
One of the most important things you can do for your website is to make sure it appears in the right places at the right time. Using the most effective online marketing channels is part of making your website profitable. Doing research before making these choices will help reduce online marketing costs and diminish frustration in keeping up with website positioning.
1. Research and investigation:
Are you familiar with your target market? The most effective way to keep costs down in marketing your website is to do your homework. Make a list of attributes of current clientele; can you see a trend? Directly target those customers in a comprehensive customized online marketing plan, which can then eliminate the use of funds toward those who are not likely to stay with you. Next, thoroughly analyze your target markets’ online behavior. There is a plethora of information online about search trends and volume, right down to keywords, location, seasonality, competitors, and more. The more you know, the more you can strategically place your property online to fit into your niche market—all at the lowest cost possible!
2. Search engine optimization (SEO):
You may or may not know that when you do a search online for a product or service, the numbered listings or ”organic search listings” which appear after you click the search button are not there by chance. Although these listings cannot be bought and are based on algorithms used by search engines to index your site, search engine optimization is the act of altering a website so that it does well in the organic, or natural, crawler-based listings of search engines. Of course, these listings are the most profitable, lowest in cost, and highest converting listings you can be placed in. Understanding the criteria that search engines use for listing websites and how to profit from that criteria is KEY to generating revenue for your business.
3. Pay per click (PPC) marketing:
There are many reasons companies use this form of advertising. Why is this? PPC is the process of biding on keywords relevant to your website to gain top placement among search engines. These are the listings you see at the very top of search engines (in blue) or along the side of the page. PPC is not to be confused with SEO. Because it is nearly impossible to gain placement for every product or service you offer in organic listings, pay per click marketing helps achieve more visibility by targeting keywords, geographic locations, ad copy, and positioning. Knowledgeable search engine marketers recognize costs associated with pay per click and use specific tactics to generate revenue from low cost, high-converting terms.
Click here to learn more about techniques RezStream employs for its clients to achieve online marketing success.
Resolution Step 3: Keeping track of your success.
While looking at the quantifiable performance of your website, there are other performance measurements which also effect the bottom line. Whether your website is a success or failure, if you can’t properly track, analyze, and optimize a website’s performance, you could be throwing marketing dollars away.
1. Data tracking:
The use of tracking tools on a website provides information you would otherwise not have access to. These tools can tell you how many visitors came to your site on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, what pages were viewed, how long visitors stayed on the website, what was the most popular page, what were the navigation patterns, what keywords were used to find the site, and what source captured the most visitors, revenue, and searches. While looking at bottom line figures, keep in mind that key data tracking information can be used to dramatically increase conversions.
2. Ongoing analysis:
Recognizing what works and what doesn’t work on website performance and then acting on it appropriately will save time and money. It is important to know the navigation patterns of those visiting your website and make adjustments based on those numbers. There are many places a potential guest can find your site, such as search engines, pay per click marketing, bookmarks or type-in traffic, and directory listings. To truly realize the potential of these resources, you must thoroughly investigate the data. Just because a resource doesn’t bring in a direct conversion, does not mean it isn’t having a positive effect on overall business health by building brand awareness, generating return traffic, creating word of mouth buzz, or eliciting a phone reservation.
3. Optimization:
Acting on your findings from suggestions presented in this article is the next vital element in making your website work for you. This is where you really begin to understand the workings of your website in direct correlation with those who visit your site. Optimization is based on the data and analysis from your website and includes everything from website navigation, content and photo changes, to keyword optimization, link building strategies, placement among search engines, and directory submissions. There is a clear path from start to finish for every reservation made online. Are you making the correct adjustments to increase the frequency of traffic down that path?
To learn more about RezStream’s comprehensive website tracking, analysis, and optimization strategies, click here.
In summary
Creating, maintaining, and profiting from your website is similar to making a complete lifestyle change. Without manipulating each element, you’re sacrificing the success potential of all of your efforts. Online hotel and travel bookings are expected to skyrocket in 2007. Will your website be ready to take advantage of this trend? Stay ahead of the competition by following the many tips we’ve shared in this article.
About the author
Betty Bramlitt is a Senior Account Manager for RezStream, Inc. She specializes in pay per click marketing, including local search and Internet yellow pages. Betty has maintained large PPC accounts for major interactive ad agencies and direct ecommerce sites.
Click here to contact the author with comments or questions.
