The year is 2020; driven by technology undreamed of today, the world of hotel marketing is unlike anything we can imagine. As marketers what will our role be? Will we have any role at all? If the changes in the last five years are any indication, these are wonderful questions to ponder. Here in the present, we can safely say online marketing has come of age; if it was cutting edge yesterday, it's the norm today. But, what about the future? What can we expect, what do we have to do to be relevant to the consumers of today and tomorrow? Perhaps the only thing we can say for certain is that as long as technology continues to change at blinding speed, our biggest challenge will be just to keep up. READ MORE

High-Speed Internet Access has arguably been the single most contentious technological addition to the hospitality industry since the advent of the Property Management System. It's hard to imagine something so beneficial creating such a varied reaction and in the process destroying nearly billions in venture capital along the way. As an amenity or service, high-speed access has truly "crossed the chasm" from "nice to have" to a common requirement of business and leisure travelers alike. Compounding the challenges resulting from the wide rates of adoption of HSIA is that many brands are now offering the service for free. This obviously makes it difficult to preserve the de facto standard of the $9.95 per day business model. So now that all of the dust has settled and the drama has played out, hoteliers worldwide are left wondering - is there an ROI? READ MORE

In the early days of Internet marketing, the goal of most web site owners was to drive as many potential customers to their site as possible and hope that some of these visitors would conclude a transaction, thus creating a new and relatively inexpensive channel for generating revenue and reducing costs. To date, with only 5% of all reservations being booked online, I believe it is fair to say that most web site owners in the hotel sector have not been able to convince users to complete a transaction/reservation online. And this will not dramatically change until site owners recognize that to get users to make an online reservation, the site must first and foremost establish a bond of trust with them. READ MORE

If you are under the impression that once your web site is up and running that most of the hard work has been completed, you have made a very serious mistake. Your web site is probably one of the most powerful and cost effective marketing tools you have and as such I suggest you view it as you would any other asset or investment and use it to its maximum potential. This feature examines how, over the long term, you insure that your web site remains fresh and interesting and that visitors continue to have a positive and rewarding experience at your site. READ MORE

When you get right down to it, your web site is just another extension or variation on your actual hospitality property. Visitors must be able to easily navigate their way through your site and find what they are looking for. As with any hotel, make it difficult to find the front desk and you'll probably never get too many guests making a reservation. Visitors must be able to easily access information about rooms, rates and amenities and they don't want to be kept waiting - again, no different than if they were in your lobby and could not find the front desk. Hit the mark in these key areas and most likely you will provide your web site visitors with a satisfying and positive web site experience - one that will encourage repeat visits and build loyalty. READ MORE