Finding out how competitors in the hospitality industry are winning the on-line race was the theme for the conference organised recently by HWS (Hospitality Web Systems) Ltd, in collaboration with the MHRA.
Hoteliers from management and sales/marketing were invited to this conference which focused predominantly on the promotional aspects of having a hotel website. Reference was made to the technology involved but this was certainly not the focal point. The various global statistics show that the Internet has become one of the most popular methods to book a hotel room or to find out more information about a particular hotel.
A hotel website created for search engines provides successful returns as was demonstrated with the results attained by HWS where the highest in search engine rankings was achieved for the Suncrest Hotel on the generic and highly targeted keywords "hotel malta". Having a professionally designed website is necessary but it is only the first step. An organisation needs to proactively plan ways in which to gain footage in the race to feature well on the search engines. There are an ever-changing set of rules set by the search engines that must be adhered to at all times. While tour operators and other intermediaries have been extremely proactive in making use of search engines to offer their services, hotels both locally and internationally have lagged far behind. It is now time for hotels to catch up.
An effective website with the proper positioning on search engines will not only translate into an increase in hotel bookings, it can assist the client in his/her purchase decisions. One aspect which is often ignored completely is the amount of staff time that can be saved with an effective website. This can range from automating processes such as registration forms and having hotel information such as conference facilities readily available on the site. This will save time and money. Capturing client contact details is facilitated and can be used to encourage repeat business through e-newsletters, promotions, and so on.
Speaking to potential and repeat clients on a one-to-one basis is one of the greatest advantages the Internet can offer the hospitality industry. With advances in technology, an organisation can add information to its websites with a few clicks. As hotels operate in a global environment, the importance of multilingual websites was highlighted during the course of the conference. Local hoteliers should not miss out on the opportunity to communicate with clients in a variety of languages and to cater for this potential market. HWS introduced web administration systems that facilitate the uploading of multilingual content.
Marketing in the hospitality industry
Three essential principles of hospitality marketing - building a relationship with a client, attempting to retain this client and encouraging repeat visitors - can be successfully attained through the effective management of the internet through an organisation's website.
The key to Internet success is to have the right know-how and technology when planning each and every aspect of e-commerce. Efforts must be made to ensure that the hospitality operator features well on search engines. Facilities such as an easily updateable content management system, where the organisation can carry out changes to its website using everyday MS Office technology and multilingual content can place the operator a step ahead of its competitors.