Understanding who your web site visitors and customers are, what they want to do, how they tend to behave and if they've had a rewarding experience at your web site does not necessarily have to be a complicated process. To develop a deeper understanding of who your visitors are and learn how to create a site that accommodates their wants and needs, you should now or in the very short time commit to the ongoing development of a solution to monitor customer satisfaction and their web site experience. Let's face it - web sites are designed by people, for people. For a site to succeed, it must attract and please your visitors and customers. If a site is intended for, or targeted to a particular type of visitor, then the appeal and functionality of your site must be optimized for that type of individual. If your site is intended for a particular type of visitor ie. a business traveller, then an obvious measure of the site's success is the extent to which the business traveller's needs and desires are met. When you get right down to the basics, the best way to understand if that business traveler's needs were met is to ask them. READ MORE

Your website should be a source of comfort for your die-hard, higher frequency visitors. Typically, the word comfort, when used in the context of a hospitality article, denotes soft beds, immaculate sheets, and epic-sized couches. But I'd like to propose that the idea of comfort should be carried over to the online channel, as well. If a hotel stay can excel in comfort, such that even the most jaded and weathered travelers feel that your rooms are like second homes, then shouldn't that same commitment be carried through in your web presence? It absolutely should. READ MORE

Isn't it just like that pesky Internet? It snuck up on us hoteliers in the late 90's and just when you've made the last "tweaks" to your rate parity, SEO and channel optimization strategies and are ready to put your feet up on your desk, let out a sigh of relief and go back to "business as usual" (if there is such a thing anymore), along comes Web 2.0 to throw everything into chaos again! What exactly is Web 2.0? Well, like a lot of things surrounding the Internet, it can have different meanings and encompass a wide range of concepts depending upon your perspective. Generally, however, the term "Web 2.0" refers to the next stage in the evolution of the Internet to shift even more "power" to individual users. You're probably more familiar with Web 2.0 than you realized. Got a page on MySpace, read a movie review on a Blog or looked up something on Wikipedia lately? They're all great examples of Web 2.0 developments and they're just the tip of the iceberg. READ MORE

In my last article, I touched on the importance of optimizing your website so that it would feel like a second home to your higher frequency visitors, who inevitably tend to be higher volume travelers and thus compose a highly attractive, high value segment. Equally significant, however, is the flip side of the coin. Infrequent visitors can sometimes get short shrift when too much effort is devoted to catering to the needs of repeat visitors. The factors that will add value to the online experience for repeat visitors - storing of travel history, updated counts of rewards program points, storing of AAA membership numbers - will only be of incidental significance to the infrequent set. With this in mind, I'd like to touch on some strategies for making your site as effective as possible at converting on booking intent for infrequent visitors. READ MORE

As business owners we are always looking to improve the bottom line, aren't we? We are always looking for ways to make our clients happy while improving our margins. Guest Internet services are a great place to improve the guest experience your hotel provides while potentially increasing revenue. In this article, I will outline the 5 questions you need to ask your potential vendors to make sure that Guest Internet Services are a success at your property. READ MORE