You will be delighted to hear that, to avoid information overload, each section will be available to each member sequentially i.e. when you join you will have access to all of the materials and videos in section 1 then 7-10 days later section 2 materials will be available to view [you still have access to the previous section].
The videos: all the videos are focused on a single topic and are usually about 5-10 minutes long. We also given an indication of any 'homework' time required so you can plan your time effectively.
Forum: If there is something you don't quite understand please raise the subject in your Forum or if there is something that we have not covered in a section, again raise it in the Forum. We will investigate, respond to your question and if needed, create a bespoke tutorial for you.
Supplier Directory: We are creating a supplier directory for members. It is not just for web related suppliers but all suppliers. So if you have a favourite supplier – ask them to register [Free of Charge], it will give them exposure to other hoteliers and they may get additional business.
The sections : These will be continually updated
Section 1:
Basics – In section 1 we will cover a few basics such as the relationship between web browsers, search engines and display resolutions. It may surprise you that your website could look great in Firefox on a standard monitor but terrible in Chrome on a wide screen monitor – we will work through a few simple checks to make sure that your site is viewable in all browsers and screen resolutions.
Website review – We will look at your website from a search engines perspective – you will discover which pages are being indexed. We also look at backlinks to see what other websites link to your site.
Keywords - you will discover exactly what keywords your website is being found under. We also determine the total range of related keywords that could be included in your site text. From the reviews we have carried out so far most hotel websites are using less than 25% of the available keywords.
Google Analytics – If you have not got Google Analytics set up on your site you need to so that you can see exactly where your traffic is coming from. We show you how to set it up.
Competitor research - having reviewed your own keywords we show you how to do the same research against your top competitors. We also look at their backlinks as well.
Who are your guests? – defining and understanding your 'typical' guest profile will have a significant impact on your advertising, website content and website style.
Section 2:
This is where the fun starts – this section is all about 'On Page' SEO. SEO is all about words both in text and images – because the search engines only read text………. your words and content!
We explore page layout, keywords density, keyword location and internal links. We also provide tutorial guides on HTML, WordPress and Joomla to help you understand your website coding.
Section 3:
Section 3 is about 'Off Page' SEO. In other words what you can do outside your website to give authority to your site and drive more traffic to it. We will be covering local places listing – Google, Yahoo and Bing. We will also develop a backlinks strategy so that other, related, websites point to your hotel site – in the eyes of the search engines this gives your site kudos and authority. Lastly we look at gaining citations through other business and hospitality directories together with a strategy to determine how much business you get from each directory.
Section 4:
One of the ways to maintain a relationship with your past guests is to keep in contact with them. A most effective way to do this is by email and by using an email database package. There are a number of systems on the market, for example Aweber which costs $19.95 per month = £12.87. Our Gold and Platinum members get access to a similar package included in the membership fee. We will show you how to set up an 'opt in ' form on your website to give visitors the option of leaving their contact details.
Section 5:
In section 1 we very briefly covered setting up Google Analytics………. now we go into more detail with both Google and Yahoo
Section 6:
The internet these days is all about social interaction, your guest can express an opinion about your establishment which can either enhance or possibly damage your reputation. We will show you how to set up an 'Alert System' so that you are aware of what is being said about your establishment on the internet.
Guest testimonials can say more about your establishment than you do! We will show you how to use both written and video reviews to enhance your website and your Google ranking.
Section 7:
A number of businesses are using video to great effect………. remember who owns You Tube [Google]. Used correctly it can impact SEO and page ranking. Before you go into a 'cold sweat' testimonial videos don't need to be Hollywood standard. Great video can be achieved with an HD flip camera. In this section we cover You Tube account and channel set up, we will run through how to take a testimonial video and how to upload it to YouTube and your website.
Section 8:
Section 8 explores other ways to generate traffic. Flycatcher or mini sites are a great way to get more traffic and more guests to your main site. Everyone is talking about social media – we work though setting up Facebook, Google + and Twitter accounts and then go through specific strategies showing you how to engage with your guests and how to 'virally' promote your establishment. For our Gold and Platinum members we offer Free website hosting that's worth £120 per year for both mini sites and Facebook fan pages.
Section 9:
You don't need a big budget to experiment with paid for advertising [PPC- Pay Per Click]. If you can define your guest profile then you can use 'paid for advertising' to very specifically target those potential guests by location, gender, age and lifestyle.
Section 10:
Unless you are very lucky there will be some nights when you have empty rooms and there may even be some nights when your hotel is empty. We explore a number of different strategies you could use from auction sites to trade exchanges.
Section 11:
Let's go mobile!!! Google say that , nearly 19% of all hotel related searches are conducted on mobile devices – that's both phones and iPads etc. Also, eMarketer has estimated that nearly 35% of U.S. smartphone users research travel on their devices, and around half them end up booking on via devices. It is projected that, mobile web users will exceed desktop users as soon as 2014.
What does this mean for your hotel? It means that more and more people are searching and booking accommodation via their mobile device. If you haven't got a mobile specific website it literally means your site cannot be viewed properly on a mobile smart phone.
Platinum members get a mobile website set up and hosted for FREE, that is worth £200.00 per year
You can also send adverts direct to a mobile device in a specific geographic area ……… a great tool for filling empty beds tonight!
Section 12:
In section 12 we explore how you could make bonus profit from your website…………. We review affiliate marketing, Google AdSense and add-on products to sell.
Section 13:
In section 13 we review other ways that you can attract more guests through special packages, special events, partnerships and loyalty schemes.
