Many independent hoteliers confess they know that doing a better job generating and managing online reservations is the single greatest source of untapped revenue. Yet creating an online site that actually simplifies bookings and transactions seems woefully out of reach for most in-house independent managers who don't have the luxury of an online staff. Here are some key questions to ask when you are sitting down with an online reservation technology vendor who is keen to secure your business, or meeting with your current partner to plan your 2008 online priorities. READ MORE

The paramount importance of the web as a sales channel for hotel brands has been amply proven in recent years. As such, optimizing the online booking process has become the Holy Grail for marketers and the subject of much analysis and punditry. All can agree that the goal is to weed out any potential sources of dissatisfaction and to give the booker a clear, streamlined, and unimpeded path to checkout, armed with all the information he or she needs to feel comfortable and satisfied with his or her decision to reserve online with your brand. READ MORE

So, you're using analytics. But how are you really doing? Have you set your own benchmarks? Are you improving against them? Do you know how you're performing against your industry? Is your "search function" a worthwhile feature on the site? Is your home page take too long to load? Is your reservation process too confusing and time consuming? Obtaining a better understanding of how, when and why your visitors interact with your web site will provide you with a wealth of information to increase revenue, enhance your brand image and increase profitability. READ MORE

When it comes to updating your web site, the first and most obvious question your web team must ask themselves is - "did the site meet, surpass or fall short of the objectives that were set out last year?" In order to answer that question, you must have previously established clear, quantifiable objectives. You would be surprised to learn that there are still quite a few relatively sophisticated site development teams out there that fail to quantify their objectives into terms that can be measured and benchmarked. And as the saying goes, you can't manage what you can't measure and when it comes to the web, it is imperative that you are able to quantify your site's performance against objectives and benchmarks. READ MORE

As an industry that combines hands-on services with bricks and mortar "product," hospitality is generally at the trailing edge of the technology adoption curve. Like many industries, hospitality did not anticipate the rapid emergence of the Internet, which created an opportunity for nimble upstarts such as Expedia, Travelocity and Hotels.com to exploit the growth and consumer interest in on-line travel services. Thanks in large part to first-mover advantage, those intermediaries have not only gained remarkable penetration, but - like many Web players - have changed the operating paradigm by disconnecting the supplier from the customer (disintermediation) and driving down room rates by effectively commoditizing the hotel product. Until now the answer has been to attempt to beat these new-breed competitors at their own game. One example is the popular "best rate guarantee" that has been implemented by virtually all major brands. While the basis is sound - encourage travelers to book via the chain's direct channel to ensure that they will get the best price - in reality, it merely reinforces the focus on price as the sole determining factor and serves to push us further down this slippery slope toward commoditization. READ MORE