Where Will You
Be Found?
For the lodging industry, websites have been a
standard for several years. Business and pleasure
travelers alike have migrated their research and
reservations online, perhaps more than any other
industry..
"I
Found You On Google"
When most business owners ask their customers:
"How did you find us?" the answer is
frequently "I Found You On Google".
But did they?
In the B&B segment, those owners largely
know that this is just part of the story. Digging
deeper - or better yet watching them
repeat the process - and that question reveals
a one or two step journey beyond Google, usually
via intermediate hubs and consolidators. Failing
to understand the implications of this can be
a critical and costly mistake for businesses with
limited budgets.
The Role
of Specialized Hubs
Travelers love reviewing their options side-by-side.
Big sites like Expedia and Travelocity handle
the major brands well, but not generally the smaller
properties. Trying to book a Napa Valley B&B
on Travelocity, we didn't see a boutique option
until #79 on the list, and then it was a 50 mile
drive from downtown Napa.
So specialized hubs have stepped in to fill he
gap. And there are a LOT of them. There were 10
of them on the first page of Google results alone.
I took a quick look at one prominent B&B Hub
and found 31 B&Bs within 10 miles of Napa
- all on page 1. What a difference. So a B&B
should be on that site right? Maybe. Maybe not.
The Half-Life
of Position
As we know from the SEO and SEM worlds, position
is vital to traffic. Large companies spend millions
optimizing sites for "free" SEO position,
and millions more buying keywords and sponsor
position to drive targeted results.
Back to our example - With 31 properties on page
1, the reader quickly fatigues, and traffic generally
drops as we move down the page. In many cases,
we find that positions 1-5 are worth twice the
traffic of 6 - 10, and those are worth twice 11-
20, and so on. We call this the "Half-Life
of Posiition".
But this Hub charges a flat annual rate for a
basic listing. Hmmm...so if you list now, you
pay full rate but get position 32? Your neighboring
B&B swears by this site, but you see them
up at #4. How much is that difference worth? Enough
to withhold the subscription?
Our Foundation
is Built on Metrics
A big part of our value is understanding the
linkages between how your industry operates online
and how that can drive your ROI. Our rprocess
gathers data from you, your website and your broader
industry, and then we blend them together to help
you understand how to mix your budget for better
overall ROI.
When we look at other small business online marketing
solutions we see them touting newsletters, email
marketing, Google AdWords, or SEO Services. Yes,
we provide all of those, but only when they're
part of the right ROI cocktail. Even when we make
a recommendation, we usually provide DIY and other
3rd party alternatives that we've tried and believe
in. We think you'll find our objectivity a refreshing
change, and when combined with our expertise,
a valued part of your overall business.
| 
