Top 10 tips for maximising online presence

Make sure you engage in a digital dialogue with tech-savvy consumers, who may post details of their stay on websites while still at your hotel.

The Brand Union Middle East digital director Toby Mills provides 10 top tips for maximising your hotel’s online presence and driving traffic to your website, which ultimately should result in increased bookings and the bolstering of your property’s reputation

The twenty-first century will be remembered as the time when the digital marketplace came of age and people turned in their millions to spend their billions online. Leading the way in this massive expanse of spending has been travel and leisure consumers who are utilising this relatively new open source of information to research their chosen destinations, drawing from a wealth of information provided by friends, families and strangers alike.

Many hoteliers have already realised the benefits that an online presence can bring their brand and either created their own websites or forged partnerships with online travel agents to capture sales.

Increasingly, people are turning to social networking and online advice to guide them in their decision on where to go and where to stay. In this current climate, it is vital for hotel brands to capitalise on all lead generation opportunities using the available online channels.

At The Brand Union, we partner with our clients to grow, direct and protect their brands. The digital world plays a vital role in a brand’s brand world, defined as being more than the sum of a number of touch points; it is the way in which we imprint the force of an idea in the mind of the consumer.

The digital medium presents enormous opportunity for brands to grow their reach to more people, more often and more efficiently to build and maintain strong reputation. Brands are required to redirect the way they have traditionally communicated.

Through proactive use of the digital world, brands have the opportunity to also engage directly with their audiences and in doing so, build a strong relationship that provides clear direction for the brand, now and into the future.

Strong dialogue directly with consumers enables the brand to build loyal advocates who feel connected to it. A well-managed digital dialogue is also a cost effective means by which the brand can respond quickly and efficiently to any attacks and protect its values.

Ultimately people will only choose your hotel if it is represented well, be that online or offline. Protect your brands, monitor their reputation and ensure they are being represented in the best possible light. In the digital world it is easier to track and monitor this, however, you must ensure your reaction is planned and measured to capitalise on the opportunities.

In order to achieve this, we have put together the following 10 key points to help hoteliers to maximise their online brand presence and increase the traffic generated to their website, ultimately leading to increased bookings and growth, development and protection.

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Ensure your website has all the latest, most relevant and accurate information on your hotels and their surrounding areas. Accuracy is key to ensure customers are not misled, otherwise it will have a negative impact on their brand experience, which will then be shared with others. Content will ensure your customers needn’t look elsewhere for information and may even turn your site into a central reference point.

2 United you stand, divided you fall

Look to make partnerships with content providers to bolster your site’s information and stop customers from seeking information elsewhere. The longer they stay on the site, the greater the chance they will book.

Working with well-known companies can bolster your brand value proposition and provide new valuable content for your site.

3 If you can’t beat them, join them

Social networking is not the enemy and if used effectively, it can drive traffic to your site and improve brand awareness. People are more likely to trust other consumers’ recommendations than an advert or corporate communications.

TripAdvisor recently capitalised on social networking by creating a Facebook gadget called “Cities I’ve visited”, allowing people to virtually enter cities around the world that they have been to and add photos, feedback and advice on different hotel brands and destinations, which is then shared.

By embracing the power of social networking, you can increase your brand awareness and drive traffic to your website.