| The year 2008 has been a roller coaster ride, with | | | | Make your website search engine friendly: Make your |
| endless ups and downs. It all began with the major | | | | website more visible to web users and travelers! |
| financial crisis that took the United States by surprise, | | | | Optimise your website by providing useful content and |
| causing a massive ripple effect on other major | | | | relevant keywords. This will increase your chances of |
| economies as well. It is the biggest financial crisis that | | | | ranking higher on search engines like Google and |
| took place after the Great Depression and people are | | | | Yahoo, which in turn will increase traffic to your site. |
| still recovering from the shock. | | | | Get a good analytics package: How many people visit |
| Focusing more on the Indian Hospitality Industry, the | | | | your site every day? Which features are most |
| chain of bomb blasts that took place in major cities of | | | | popular? What are visitors doing when they get there? |
| India - New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Hyderabad and | | | | To answer all these questions you need to get your |
| Bangalore, have left the country unsafe and tourists | | | | website a good analytics package. Web analytics help |
| have lost faith in the security measures of the country. | | | | you track your site's statistics, allowing you to see who |
| The Mumbai terrorist attacks, on top of a global | | | | your users are, how many people are looking at which |
| economic recession, have come as a double | | | | page, etc. This information can help you measure |
| whammy for India's tourism and hospitality industry. | | | | traffic and understand your visitors' needs and |
| The massacre that occurred for 3 whole days inside | | | | behavior. Like for example, if your website is |
| the hotels Taj & Trident gave a terrible | | | | generating more traffic from Indian customers then |
| experience to those who wished to visit the country. | | | | you can adjust your rates, schemes and packages to |
| The impact has been dreadful and tourism in India has | | | | target these customers. This tool will also help you |
| badly suffered after the attacks. | | | | calculate your cost and profit and tell you how much |
| A recent survey declared that the tourism growth had | | | | money your hotel campaigns have generated. |
| reduced from 14.54% to 8%, and the hospitality | | | | Adapt Quickly to Market Conditions: There are always |
| industry desperately needs to make an all out effort to | | | | ups and downs in the market and it is important for |
| recover from the dual setback of global crisis and the | | | | you to adapt to the market changes and quickly take |
| terror attacks. | | | | decisions. If you know the market is poor, then you |
| Here are few tips on how you can get past the | | | | need to aggressively promote your hotel and |
| recession: | | | | continually build your presence in the minds of your |
| Offer flexible rates: We all know that there are some | | | | customers, so that they always think of your hotel |
| days of the week or periods of the year when | | | | every time they want to make a reservation. This is |
| business will be slower and less profitable. In such | | | | called 'Top of mind awareness'. Top of mind |
| times it is most advantageous to flex your rates on | | | | awareness is very desirable in target prospects who |
| your online booking engine. You could offer better | | | | are likely to make reservations in your hotel, because it |
| deals on rooms and reduce rates in order to attract | | | | is when they are considering making a booking, you |
| customers to make bookings in your hotel. | | | | really want them to remember you. |
| Keep a tab on your competitors: In order to survive | | | | E-Mail Marketing: One of the most cost effective |
| the crisis you first have to beat the competition. Keep | | | | methods to communicate with your customers is via |
| a close watch on the rates and offers provided by | | | | email. Make sure you have a list of email addresses of |
| your competitors, and strategize accordingly. Don't let | | | | the guests who have visited your hotel or take |
| your competitors win over your prospective guests. | | | | references from them, so that you can send emails to |
| Spruce-up your website: Make your website look neat | | | | them promoting your hotel and intimating them about |
| and attractive. The look of your website is the most | | | | new rates and amenities offered by your hotel. This |
| important feature and works as a shop window to | | | | way you spend less and also actively promote your |
| leisure customers. Concentrate on the layout and | | | | hotel. |
| design of the website. This includes the color | | | | Monitor Online Reviews: Keep a close tab on online |
| combination and the look and feel of your website. | | | | reviews given to your hotel. Travelers are strongly |
| You could also upload images of the rooms, | | | | influenced by the reviews they read about hotels and |
| restaurants and surroundings. Your website should be | | | | make their decisions accordingly. It is important that you |
| completely updated with relevant information of its | | | | continually monitor reviews posted on popular travel |
| features and amenities. | | | | sites like Trip Advisor, MakeMyTrip, etc. Make sure |
| Get a good booking engine: Having a comprehensive, | | | | your hotel gets a positive response from people and if |
| multi-currency and multi-lingual booking engine for your | | | | not, then find out where you need to improve and |
| hotel website can target travelers from around the | | | | quickly make the necessary changes. |
| world. This way there is a lesser possibility of losing out | | | | The year 2009 is a testing time for the hospitality |
| on customers, as they can conveniently make | | | | industry, and it is up to you to boldly take things in your |
| bookings on your website. | | | | stride and overcome the recession. |