The advent of the internet has improved the chances of enhancing every business. The tourism and hospitality industry is not left out. With the awareness of Internet among the hoteliers, there came a need for every hotelier to have a web presence. With the far reaching importance of the web at heart, they realized that they could create more awareness of their industry, as well as get more bookings online. This spurred the creation of websites for hotels, the reservation booking system online, the multiplying of review sites, as well as other tourism related businesses online. In fact, there is a constant expansion of the internet hotel and hospitality concept every day.
The trends keep improving. The internet marketing revolution, social bookmarking, web 2.0 and all others have all added up to the change in the meaning of the Hospitality industry. The traditional way of booking hotels and resort have been changed by this system, as well as comparison of different Rooms & Rates offered by hoteliers. With the innovation of computer graphics and web photos, hoteliers can now display their pictures in their websites, so that their visitors can take a virtual tour to feel the interiors and exteriors of their hotels.
It has also become very easy to know Rooms and Rates of the hotels, the features and amenities/ they provide, and the online Reservation/ booking facility.
But apart from all these, how important is a hotel website? Can your web presence really decrease your expenses and increase patronage and revenues? Why is the web so important and how can it influence the growth of the industry? Many global statistics have ranked the internet as one of the most popular methods for potential hotel guests to get more information about particular hotels and make their bookings.
The Search Engines and Prospective guests.
Since the web and search engines are practically the best answer to any question and research, every traveler and potential guest uses it to obtain information about the place he/she intends to go. All a hospitality operator need do is to feature well on search engines, so that a potential guest will get to know his products. This is why every organization needs to plan proactively on ways to gain footage on the search engines. The search engines keep changing their set of rules. These must also be adhered to at all times. There is a need for hoteliers to catch up with the progress of tour operators and other intermediaries in search engine optimization.
Increased Revenues and Decreased Expenses
With an effective website, properly positioned for the search engines, a hotel will be very sure of increased hotel bookings, and continual patronage and information to potential guests during their purchase decisions. A web presence also saves the time of the hotel staff. With the website automated processes, activities such as request for proposal forms, basic guest information, conference facility layouts and other information can be gotten on the site saving both time and money. It is also easy with this system to capture guests’s contact details to encourage repeat business through regular -newsletters, promotions, and so on.
Communicating with clients
With a website or a web presence, it becomes extremely easy to speak to potential and repeat clients on a personal basis. The technology has so advanced that an organization can use few clicks to add information to its websites. It has also become quite easy to speak the individual languages of prospective clients very easily. There are currently well enhanced web administration systems which facilitate the uploading and use of multilingual content.
Marketing in the Hospitality Industry
With a web presence, it is now quite easy to use the essential principles of hospitality marketing to tosh up the business. There is no better medium of building a relationship with a client, retaining this client and encouraging repeat visitors than with a efficiently and effectively managed website.
How can you be set to achieve online success in the hospitality industry? Get to know the system and technology involved, as you plan every aspect of e-commerce. It takes lots of efforts to features well on search engines. Getting web facilities like a content management system can help organizations to change its website using user friendly packages like MS Office technology.