"If you build it, they will come" may have been a successful call to action in the movies, and in the early ninety's rush to "get wired", but in the sober reality of doing business post 9/11, following that mantra is a one way ticket to failure when it comes to building your web site. In the hospitality sector, if you build it, and you have a mega marketing budget to promote it and advertise it, you may attract visitors to your site once. You may even get them to return again. But unless you understand the key drivers of loyalty and what makes users want to return, the challenge of building a loyal online audience segment will be just that - an ongoing challenge. In this feature I will provide you with some thoughts and insights into what we believe are key loyalty drivers in the online hospitality sector. Our information is gleaned from feedback obtained from over 50,000 visitors to some of the most recognized hospitality related web sites in North America and Europe including those of Six Continents Hotels, Omni Hotels, and The Savoy Group. READ MORE

In the hospitality sector specifically, a web site can be one of the most valuable weapons in your marketing arsenal for listening to, understanding, and responding to the needs and wants of your customers, both online and offline. I said can, because in order to be able to respond to the needs and wants of users, web site owners must first be able to collect and interpret user feedback in order to really hear and understand what their users are saying. Your site could and should encourage feedback from your users. It makes sense to hear what people have to say. The more you listen, the sooner you can create a user experience that really connects. READ MORE

According to Forrester Research, online hotel bookings will double in four years from $6.9 billion this year to $14.7 billion, making travel the number one activity for Internet lookers and bookers. If you want to be part of this picture, you have to sit down and take stock of your web site. Increasing your site's "look-to-book" ratio and converting browsers to buyers begins long before your web design team puts their first ideas down on paper. It really begins with the realization that to be successful your site must foster lifetime loyalty and true value with your web users. READ MORE

Creating a user-friendly web site starts long before you award a development contract or put out an RFP seeking interest from interactive agencies or web design consultants. It begins with your organization developing clear and very defined objectives that spell out what you hope to achieve with your site - and a word to the wise, "build a web site" is not an acceptable objective. A web site in most cases can be a useful, cost-effective tool for achieving your objectives, but it is not an objective in and of itself. READ MORE

Imagine a business traveler who has never stayed at your hotel arrives at 3:00 AM. There is no one to help him with his bags and direct him to the front desk. The night staff cannot find his reservation on their computer. After fifteen minutes spent searching their reservations system, the night staff are finally able to check the guest in. There is very little signage directing him to the elevators and after several attempts to find his room, he has to return to the front desk and ask for directions. When he gets to his room, he finds that it is a smoking room, which of course he did not want. READ MORE