T80 ROI It's Not What You Spend … … It's What You Net! Steve Bottger – Bottger Mansion Mary White – BnBFinder.com Lisa Kolb – Acorn Internet Services, Inc.
Defining Return & Investment You Spend $ You Book Rooms You Make More $ BUT – do you analytically track where your guests are finding you? (FYI: You absolutely CANNOT RELY on where a guest TELLS YOU they found you! And we’ll show you WHY!) AND – do you mathematically track how much you spend in any one place to compare the places your guests are finding you to see if your NET is worth the investment?
Reservation Tracking Intell-a-Keeper™ Acorn Internet Services, Inc
ROI Tracking Data: Sample 1 (Part A) Why you CANNOT believe what your guests tell you about where they found you…
ROI Tracking Data: Sample 1 (Part B) Why you CANNOT believe what your guests tell you about where they found you…
ROI Tracking Data: Sample 1 (Part C) Why you CANNOT believe what your guests tell you about where they found you…
ROI Tracking Data: Sample 2 Why qualified traffic can save you $$$ on your bookings…
Data Gathering The Data Provided in this presentation is compiled from… A sample of approximately 4,000 bookings (online reservations, phone and ) recorded in This accounts for an estimated 60-70% of all inn bookings. Each booking may be made up of one to many referring web sites. Each booking is weighted accordingly, based on the number of different ways a guest found your web site. Sample data is from actual customers across the United States using our Intell-a-Keeper product. No specifics are given in any one grouping that would give away any of our customer’s specified marketing plan.
Actual Booking Referrals (Data from 2007 Guest Bookings) Based on approximately 4,000 ACTUAL Inn Bookings recorded in 2007
A Direct Hit Booking is a Reservation that came from a guest that found you by typing in your web address directly from… Rack Cards or Brochures Printed Media in a Newspaper Article or Magazine Article Web Site is Bookmarked on Guest’s PC Domain Name Branding – they Remember your URL. Direct Hit Bookings (30%) (1,200 Bookings out of 4,000)
Organic Search Bookings (23%) (Note: These are FREE Listings – NOT Sponsored | Paid Listings) * There were a total of 37 different “ALL OTHERS” Search Engines recorded where Guests located the Inn’s web site and made a booking. ** Local / Maps included Google Local, Yahoo Local and MapQuest referrals. (920 Bookings out of 4,000)
(PPC) Pay Per Click Bookings (6%) The Pay Per Click (PPC) bookings tracked were for the following companies and their affiliates … (240 Bookings out of 4,000)
B&B Directory Bookings (19%) * There were a total of 46 different National B&B Directories recorded where Guests located the Inn’s web site and made a booking. The top 5 in order from highest to lowest are … ** There were a total of 30 different Alternative B&B Directories recorded where Guests located the Inn’s web site and made a booking. Here are a few sample categories … Biking Birding Pet Friendly Gay Friendly Romance Weddings Western Honeymoon (760 Bookings out of 4,000)
Travel Directories (12%) Note: These are general lodging directories, NOT B&B specific (480 Bookings out of 4,000)
Referrals (8%) (320 Bookings out of 4,000) Bookings resulting from a link to the Inn’s web site from an … Newsletter Campaigns Direct a Friend this Web Site Link Postcards with URL from Web Site
Miscellaneous (2%) (80 Bookings out of 4,000) Blogs and More * MYSPACE BLOGS FACEBOOK Reservation Companies ** Calling Inn Portal Pages ** Customers who have created an additional but separate web site that promotes them in addition to other information.
Steve Hiatt Bottger Mansion of Old Town
"Half my advertising is wasted, I just don't know which half." John Wanamaker,
Print Marketing Not all marketing is via the Internet There is still a place for print marketing Rack cards, brochures, targeted magazine ads. How to track non-internet material? On the internet, naturally!
Tracking Print Media Entry pageVisitsPercentage 36. /index-mansion.htm 20.13%/index-mansion.htm 37. /links-bb.htm 10.07%/links-bb.htm Unique target page Unique URL Urchin Results
Let use the tools!
We need “One File” One file to put the data, One file to use the data, One file to bind the data, One file to rule the data - for awhile. With apologies to JRR Tolkien
The File
Add Revenue…
Organic placements…
The full Monty
Mary White BNBFinder.com
Take Advantage of What You Are Already Paying For
Know That The Customer Is Not Always Right
Take Advantage of What You Are Already Paying For Know That The Customer Is Not Always Right Understand That All Traffic Is Not Equal
Take Advantage of What You Are Already Paying For You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
Take Advantage of What You Are Already Paying For You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Directory listings are an extension of your web presence.
Review your directory listings as you would periodically review a contractor’s work Directory listings are an active, not a passive form of advertising.
Frequently Forgotten Features: Packages and Specials Guest Reviews and Comments Availability Links Keywords
Most Importantly… Review when you renew
The Customer Is Not Always Right
Understand That All Traffic Is Not Equal
How targeted is each click? Understand That All Traffic Is Not Equal
Take Advantage of What You Are Already Paying For Know That The Customer Is Not Always Right Understand That All Traffic Is Not Equal In Summary
Questions? Comments?
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