Are You Ready To Make 2022 The BEST Year Ever For Your Hotel or VRM Co.? If so, it is not going to be easy. As we look ahead to the coming year, nothing is certain. Well, actually one thing actually is certain: there will be continued disruption in the lodging industry! One small but important sales habit you can do now to help in your reservations team’s QUEST to be the BEST in 2022 is to update your list of QUESTions that should be asked as part of your sales "flow" criteria. Why do lodging industry reservations sales agents need to update the questioning process? Today’s callers are pre-informed. They already know the rates. They’ve seen multiple images of each option online and perhaps even used 360° or virtual tours. In fact, they can most certainly book it themselves online by using the smartphone they’re calling from. To put it bluntly, those who are calling no longer need us. The lodging industry pundits have been predicting the demise of the voice booking channel for decades now, and yet still they call. What can reservations sales agents do that no website, computer-generated IVR voice, or chatbot do? Through the magic of satellites and transmission towers, we can touch the hearts of strangers. Have you ever had that warm, fuzzy feeling around your heart area after having an especially heartfelt conversation reservations caller? Guess what — they are feeling it, too. By asking the right questions, we can start conversations that enable uniquely human engagements. Chances are that your hotel, call center or vacation rental company already has a list of call standards in place that includes traditional questions. At KTN we call these call standards the "call flow" model. Following are five new and/or updated QUESTions we should be asking as part of our QUEST to be the BEST! Question One: Instead of this: Have you stayed with us before? Ask this:  Have you stayed with us before or did anything online catch your eye?     This question helps you obtain two important details all in one question. When callers have stayed before you can probably look them up in your guest history, and in all likelihood they will want to rebook the same accommodation. If they have not stayed, you will know they need help in selecting a room or vacation rental home. Additionally, by asking if anything online caught their eye, you will determine where they are in their decision making process. Perhaps they have seen something but have a question about it or they just need some reassurance. Perhaps the option they want is sold out and they need alternatives.  Or perhaps they are simply overwhelmed by the number of choices. Question Two: Instead of this: What brings you to the area? Ask this: "Is there anything special I can help you plan during your visit?" The first example listed above is the traditional way we have always determined purpose of travel, which is important for hotels that are holding blocks of rooms for groups and events, but it also helped determine what features to describe and sell. The new version is a better conversation starter that positions yourself as being a helpful travel planner who can do more than some OTA website chatbot or generic call center agent reading a script. Plus, if a special occasion is mentioned, it may prompt you to upsell to a higher-rated accommodation type. Finally, if you work at a resort or a vacation rental company that offers amenities and services for add-on fees, this will help open the door for you to discuss and therefore cross-sell those services. Examples might include transportation, dining options, golf or ski packages, or in-room amenities upon arrival. Question Three: Ask this: "May I ask what website you’re on?" This question will only apply during some conversations, such as when the caller self-reveals that they have been shopping online or when they mention the rate they see online is lower or different. If the rates are the same, you can then cover the benefits of booking directly, the most obvious of which is that you can complete the booking right now and make it easy. Remind them that you can book this directly into your reservations system. You may also want to point out the benefits of booking directly vs. with a third party, which may include less restrictive deposit and cancellation terms. If they are seeing a lower rate, you may want to ask if they are looking at the same accommodation type or if they maybe need to click to the next step where it will show the total with taxes and fees. Question Four: Ask this:  As I’m checking rates, what questions can I answer for you about the location or amenities? There are several advantages to asking this question. First, it establishes a "conversational" as opposed to "transactional" engagement style. It positions you as someone who is knowledgeable about the accommodations, amenities, and local area. Finally it moves the conversation away from price long enough for you to talk about the benefits and therefore establish value before you quote a rate. Question Five: Instead of this: "Do you want to book it?" Ask this: "Let me secure this for you right now while it’s still showing available..." By phrasing your closing technique this way, you leave the "burden of action" with you the seller, versus them the buyer. For example, if you say "Do you want to book it?" they essentially have to make an either/or decision, but if you say "May I secure it for you?" it is easier to just say yes. Also, by adding the new extension to this traditional closing question "… while it’s still showing available …" you are creating urgency for them to book now before the option sells out or the rate changes. While it is always important to create urgency, it is even more so now because most resorts and vacation rental companies are experiencing unusually [...]

With constant change and growing competition, one must stay ahead of the curve by being proactive with their pricing strategy to increase revenue and occupancy. In this webinar with Alline Arguelles, President from Exceptional Stays, Matt Renner, Principal Solution Consultant from TravelNet Solutions and TRACK Software, and Ryan Saylor, Revenue Management from Beyond (formerly Beyond Pricing), we talk about how to leverage technology and insights to manage your portfolio effectively. We discuss: Why Beyond and Track PMS have the best integration in the industry How to manage the health and performance of your entire portfolio How to understand your performance against market data

Although this topic is always relevant, it is especially important right now for most resorts and for virtually all vacation home rental companies where historically high demand is fueling significant rate increases. Across all segments of lodging, increasingly sophisticated pace tracking and demand projection tools are enabling advancement of revenue management. As Revenue Managers (RMs) have more “levers” than ever before to “pull,” it falls upon the reservations and front desk staff who field calls, email inquiry and in-person conversations to explain historically high rates and confusing “stay restrictions” to today’s savvy consumers. This blog will address tactics for use when fielding to both objections and stay restrictions. What To Say When Guests Object To Higher Rates Don’t simply agree with them! Based on what our KTN team hears when we place mystery shop calls and when we score calls recorded in systems like Track Pulse, it’s important to remind your agents to side with the company, not the guest!  When guests make comments such as “Wow, I can’t believe how much the rates went up since last time…” do NOT simply agree with them, even though you too might actually be surprised! Convince yourself that your rates are “worth it” to the callers! Quote all rates with confidence, even if they seem high to you, and trust your RM. Remember that many guests make such comments just to test your reaction. They may be fine with paying the rates quoted, but just making sure they are getting the best deal. Offer to check alternative dates, locations, and/or categories. Mention the approximate price “per family,” “per couple,” or “per bedroom.”  Example: “That would be $3,500 for the week, or about $1,750 for each of the two families.” Or “That runs $398 per night, which is about $200 per couple.” When repeat guests find that “their” option is already booked, express empathy and apologize. This is the time to go against the “textbook” standard of “NEVER allow dead-air.” Simply pause for a moment for them to process the bad news. Apologize, even though it is not your fault. Then ask questions such as: “Have you ever considered a different (location/type of accommodation)?  Those offer a great value.” Or “Are your dates flexible? If you could visit (earlier/later) the rates tend to be lower and the weather is still usually pretty good.” We may ultimately lose some long-term guests. BUT... ...we will also gain new clientele who think our rates represent a really good deal! What To Say When Guests Object To Restrictions How to explain why rates change.  Some callers mention that the rates are significantly higher than they have previously paid for the same (or similar) options.  Your first reaction might be to explain that the current rates “go up” when it’s busy, such as “Summer is the busiest time here, so the rates are higher…”  A better approach is to explain that “high season rates” are actually the “normal” rates. Rather than raising rates when we are busy, we offer lower rates when it is slower.   Example: “Sometimes when our occupancy drops during certain times of the year, we are able to offer lower rates and specials. At this time though our normal (or ‘prevailing’) rates apply.” Explaining why rates go up between their inquiry and their call-back. Example: “When you called previously, we were anticipating it would be slower than usual, so we were temporarily offering a lower rate, but now things are back to normal for this time of year. If they continue to object you might say “Are your dates flexible by chance?  (No!) Well then actually this is a wonderful time to visit because...” Explaining “Mid-Stay Rate Variance.” Some RMs will instruct the reservations sales team to simply quote a flat “per stay” rate and not mention that rates vary for each night, so this tactic is not relevant. However, other RMs want us to also notify guests regarding the specific rate for each night, just in case they later want to shorten their stay. Most agents quote the rates in chronological order, mentioning the lower-rated nights first. Example: “For your first two nights (example: Wednesday and Thursday) the rate is $275, and then the rate goes up to $350 per night on the weekend.” Instead, quote higher-rated nights first, even if they fall later in the stay. Example: “For the last two nights of the rate of $350 applies, but for the first two nights we can offer you a lower rate of $275.” Positioning “Shoulder” and “Low Demand” rates as being a good value.  This works well when you are quoting rates for any dates that are not during peak demand and is called “rate framing.” Example: “The ‘normal’ rate on this one is $350 a night, but for your dates I have can offer you a rate of $275...” Selling remaining inventory when dates are nearly sold-out. When inventory is limited, odds are that what’s left will be at either the top-end or low-end of the “rate” spectrum.  In these situations, avoid saying: “All I have left is...” Instead create urgency, and position what’s left as still being great options: “Fortunately, what I still have at that time is...” Continue on to acknowledge that it might be larger (or smaller) than what they were looking for, or in a different location, or different property type. If you are “downselling,” and the remaining inventory is lower-priced, be sure to point out any “glaring deficiencies” they will immediately notice upon arrival, but also point out what’s “good” about it. Overcoming objections to minimum stays.  First ask: “Are you able to extend your vacation?” If they are not, then say: “The good news is that you could get access to the (immediately upon arrival...” or “You won’t have to worry about an early morning check-out. You can linger longer on your last day of vacation.” To view the full recording, please complete the form below. Webcast Replay: Quoting Higher Rates And Overcoming Rate Restrictions [...]

Conversion is still king, but clicks at every stage of the guest journey are critical to overall direct booking success. Different channels drive clicks that boost overall traffic, but implementing specific digital marketing tactics at each guest journey stage can dramatically improve your booking performance. In this webinar, attendees will learn how to: Deploy a full-funnel digital marketing method that increases direct bookings Increase traffic and conversions using different tools and tactics Effectively measure ROI for decision making at each stage Replicate the improved business results Property Managers and Hoteliers are experiencing To Watch The Full Webinar Fill Out The Form Below

Narrowing margins and rate pressure don't leave much wiggle room to deal with market fluctuations. Fees can be a vital revenue source, but how do you structure them? Should they be applied across the board? Do you bundle them? In this webinar, Matt Renner, Track Solutions Consultant, will uncover the most common and uncommon ways companies are using fees to stay competitive, cover costs, and generate more net operating profit. To Watch The Full Webinar Fill Out The Form Below

Track vacation rental software takes many day-to-day tasks off your plate through powerful automations, opening up more time to grow your business and tackle those back-burner projects like hiring, process improvements, and the occasional day off. If you feel like more of a juggler than a property manager lately, you will want to watch this webinar. Brett Wright, Track Lead Implementations Consultant, will walk you through how to set up the top Track triggers and automations within the following departments: Reservations Guest Communications Housekeeping Accounting To Watch The Full Webinar Fill Out The Form Below

Watch our cosponsored VRMA webinar: "Increase Operational Efficiencies with TRACK Triggers and Automations" with Michelle Marquis, Chief Revenue Officer, and Dawn Yeskulsky, Vice President of TRACK Enterprise Solutions. Property Managers who need to solve any of the following business challenges should watch: Manually entering detailed guest itineraries Dynamic scheduling Manual authorizations or check-ins CRM customization With triggers and automations, TRACK allows you to automate these processes to save time and money. To Watch The Full Webinar Fill Out The Form Below

Track Hospitality Software added lots of great features during Q1 of 2021 including: Owner Portal Communication An Owner Expense Tool Security Deposit Functionality Group Reservations and more! In this webinar, Track Product Manager, Matt Raab will walk you through the value, benefits, and the "how to" of TRACK enhancements and new releases.   To Watch The Full Webinar Fill Out The Form Below

In this month’s blog, I will focus on training tips for helping your reservations sales team convert more leads that come in by way of third-party platforms such as OTA’s (Expedia, Booking.com) and other closed-messaging booking platforms (AirBnB, VRBO). First though, readers may need a new perspective on such leads. Certainly, it is extremely important to do all we can with both “marketing” and “sales” efforts to maximize direct bookings.  However, such bookings are part of a healthy “mix” of booking channels for most hotels and vacation rental companies because there will always be some guests who will only find and book us that way. Before sharing these training tips, let me offer a few reminders. First, many of today’s booking inquiries are disguised as simple questions such as about locations, parking, amenities, services and the area.  Too many staffers simply reply with a direct answer. Next, remind your team that those who send messages are probably also messaging the competition with the same question.  Finally, remind them that even the  messages we get from those who have already booked should also be considering “leads,” especially in today’s era of more flexible cancellation terms due to the pandemic.   A key element of any training program on retargeting OTA leads is to ensure that your staff has a tracking system and process that works.  It is of course ideal if you use the Track Pulse CRM, because it is the only one that offers a “unified in-box,” providing your team a centralized, efficient place to receive and act on all leads they are fielding regardless of channel and if inbound or outbound.  However, if you have not yet convinced your boss to invest, at you can at least get in the game by creating a simple form in Excel, Google Sheets or even WORD. The first column will have the lead name and date received. The second column will have the date of the first response, which will hopefully be the same or next day.  The third column will have the date of the first proactive follow-up, such as in the case of an OTA, the date you initiated a message to the guests who have not yet booked, which should be done 1-2 calendar days from their initial inquiry. When sending that proactive follow-up message in the OTA app, be sure to first check and make sure the sender did not yet book through another channel.   Now, here are some tips for maximizing success at textual selling by way of OTA platforms. When replying, always mention that you are from in-house (or on-site) reservations, and provide your name to demonstrate personalized service they will receive as a guest.  Carefully scan the message, noting any details you can use to personalize the response. Some senders include a lot of details about who they are traveling with and the purpose of the trip.  You can then paraphrase and restate a few details when responding. Example: Example: “Hello Cathy.  This is Doug from in-house reservations.  I’m happy to assist you here with your questions about the  girl’s getaway trip you are planning, and I promise to block you some really nice rooms for you as well!” When the question sent was vague or if more info is needed, respond with questions. Here’s an example: “Regarding parking for your oversized vehicle.  Can you let me know the approximate size? Is it a recreational vehicle or commercial truck?” Personalize all replies to questions and inquiries.  Here is a checklist, with tips for each step to follow.  Use a personalized greeting and introduce yourself as an in-house contact. Comment on what they have shared. Proactively volunteer additional details. Endorse their choice (if applicable.) Express a personal interest in hosting them. Use a personalized greeting and introduce yourself.  Example:  “Greetings Douglas! This is Cathy from in-house reservations at (hotel or company name).” Comment on what they have shared. Example: “How exciting to hear that you are planning your first visit and congratulations on your milestone anniversary!” Proactively volunteer additional details. Example: “Does this offer a crib?” “Yes it does! And you’ll really love the view because when the baby is napping, you can sit out on your balcony and enjoy the picturesque scenery.” Example: “We are traveling with our two teenagers and each is bringing a friend. Wil this accommodate?” “Absolutely! There are double beds in the second bedroom.  By the way, this location is ideal for teens.  There’s lots to do in the area within walking distance, so they can have their freedom and you won’t have to worry.” Example: (Location) “Since everyone is a skier, the location will be ideal as it is so close to the lifts.”   Endorse their choice (if they have inquired about a specific option.) Example: “If you’re looking for the best value, this is an excellent choice. It has all the same amenities and there’s so much to do here you may not be in the room that much anyway.” Example:  “Since it is a special occasion, our deluxe option really is an excellent choice because your wife will love all of the extra amenities.”  Express a personal interest in hosting them. “Let us know what other questions you have or what else we can do on our end. We would love to host your vacation.” Thank you, Doug Kennedy To View Full Webinar Fill Out The Form Below

We have the distinct privilege of working with many of the finest vacation rental, hotel, and resort companies in North America. As independent lodging companies, each of you has a unique story that we think is worth celebrating. And worth sharing with the rest of our readers; there’s always a helpful tip or two in these stories that can help others succeed too. This month we celebrate Blue Beaver Luxury Cabins and their massive revenue growth after implementing the full suite of Track and Atlas solutions. In the 18 months following their Track go-live in June 2019, Blue Beaver grew revenues by 249%. In 2021 with additional Atlas digital marketing services, they’re on pace to grow another 50%! “I can’t give your Marketing team enough kudos – they listen and make great suggestions on how to attack slower periods – it’s been really helpful in growing our business.” Located in beautiful Broken Bow, Oklahoma, this forested, southeastern corner of Oklahoma offers travelers a place to surround themselves with nature, wildlife, outdoor recreation and even a bit of serenity for those looking to get away in a cozy cabin. Named after the deep blue color of Broken Bow Lake and nearby Beavers Bend State Park, Blue Beaver Luxury Cabins manages 80 homes and provides services to another 20 local properties. In the early 2010’s, owners Steve and Tonya saw an opportunity as their destination’s popularity took off. After self-managing a few of their own properties, they began offering property management services to other local owners and Blue Beaver was born. As their business and the day-to-day operational complexities grew, they realized they needed to up their game to continue providing their homeowner partners with exceptional services and to capitalize on the exploding vacation rental demand in their area. The PMS they were using began to show it’s limitations. Their team found it challenging to stay on top of daily workload demands. Support was lackluster – compounding inefficiencies as the team scrambled for workarounds. And most troubling, a data security incident caused their software provider to announce they would soon dissolve the company. To continue growing their business and strengthening their reputation, they needed a state-of-the-art technology partner with certifiable data security and responsive support. They also wanted a software platform with functionality that not only improved team efficiency and service levels, but could grow with them over time so there would be no need for other software systems ever again. We’re really glad they found and chose us. 🙂 In addition to their fantastic revenue gains, Blue Beaver strengthened their reputation enough to be voted the #1 vacation rental company in their area. They credit Track’s many automations with helping them consistently communicate with guests and owners, and the expanded visibility they get from PMS reports to make smarter business decisions. They estimate they’ve saved many hours (and introduced a bit more sanity to their day-to-day!) by automating routine property management tasks that used to take so much time. Serving guests is a 24-7 business that can take its toll on even the most seasoned hospitality pros. At TravelNet Solutions, we’re on a mission to transform how hospitality works, and couldn’t be more proud to hear compliments like this one from Blue Beaver’s leadership team. “The Track support team is great – I’m thankful they’re there to help when we have a problem at any time of day. I know my team is taken care of, so we can take off a random weekend or two even though this is a 7-day-a-week business.” A special thanks to Blue Beaver’s leadership team for allowing us to share their story! We’re proud of their success and are grateful to call them a customer. If you’d like us to feature your business in a future Customer Showcase, please send us an email at marketing@tnsinc.com.

Daily life was becoming more transactional before COVID hit. Fast pay, one click, grab n’ go. Now we can add social distancing and vaccine restrictions to the mix. The mechanisms that extract money from our wallets have gotten scarily efficient. It wasn’t that long ago when a family vacation required weeks of consideration and planning, gathering recommendations and building budgets. Now, you can book a five-figure trip in a few clicks and work out the details later because they, too, are close at hand. But in the business world, if everyone else zigs, maybe you should zag. Maybe single-serving stays that begin with check-in and end with check-out aren’t the way to earn loyalty and great reviews.  Thoughtful consideration of the entire guest journey is what experience marketing is all about, and thinking beyond the stay is the best way to stand out in the crowd. What’s Experience Marketing? To be sure, experience marketing (or brand experience) is loosely defined, but basically, it refers to marketing activities that focus on the end-to-end experience rather than the core value offering. Think of it as the important but unsung padding that underscores the value of the product or service. Before we continue, there’s an important distinction to be made between experience and experiential marketing. Experiential marketing involves the use of branded experiences to seize the attention of, and engage, potential customers. A recent example of this was the Stratos Space Jump, a Red Bull-sponsored streaming event in which Felix Baumgartner jumped to Earth from 128,000 feet. Yeah, we’re not talking about that. Take Apple, for example. Quite some time ago, they decided that the experience of buying an Apple product should echo the qualities of the product itself. From the Apple Store to their website and the elegant, soft-touch packaging, it has all been considered. How many times have you bought something you wanted only to have it be impossible to extract from the packaging? It’s a bummer, right? The same approach can be applied to vacation rentals. First, Articulate Your VR Brand This is an important exercise no matter what, but to market an experience, your brand needs to be clearly defined. Otherwise it can’t quite fill the space around it, so to speak. Add value without adding incremental cost, then spread that value out across the guest journey. Let’s say you have a 20-unit resort in the Northwoods. A big part of your brand is simply what you have to offer — in other words, the stuff in your property listing. You’ve got charming cabins, a sylvan lake, sports equipment, and most of the other amenities people are looking for. But are your amenities your brand? To an extent, sure, but experience marketing demands that you go deeper. You’re aiming for a warm, attentive, family-friendly environment with tons of local flavor. There’s a lot to explore in the area, so you also want to position your resort as the perfect jumping-off point for nearby adventures. While your reviews are generally positive, you wish you had more. Finally, you want to justify bumping up your rates without spending a bundle on upgrades or equipment. Now you’ve got something to work with. Let’s recap: Warm and attentive Local flavor Nearby adventures Thin on reviews Want to justify rate increase Armed with a clearer picture of what you want to project and achieve with your marketing, you can proceed. Next, Map Your Brand To Stages In the Guest Journey In general, the guest journey looks something like this: Research/evaluation Booking Pre-arrival and check-in Stay Check out and departure Follow-up/nurturing At each stage, you want to reinforce your brand. For example, how can you demonstrate your warmth and attentiveness before they even arrive? Maybe your options are limited during the Research phase, but what about booking? Do they get an ordinary email confirmation or one with a personalized note thanking them for the reservation? Before they arrive, could you use time-based triggers (two weeks out, one week, three days, etc.) to suggest local activities, restaurants, or color, with links to useful information? Could you use their booking anniversary as an excuse to reach out and invite another stay, noting any changes you’ve made or offering a small discount? You get the idea. As you connect the dots between your desired brand, the guest journey, and the tools you use to build relationships with your guests, you’ll see lots of opportunities for synergy. The stay itself, the steps before and after, and your brand are in alignment, all of which strengthens your value proposition. The time- and action-based triggers that help you connect these dots may not be possible with your current PMS, so if you don’t use Track, you’ll need third-party tools like Zapier or ITTT to do it.  While you link your brand to the guest journey, also look for areas where your desired brand and your current processes are misaligned. Remember that frustrating packaging example? If you’re selling attentiveness but guests are unclear how to reach someone if there’s a problem, that misalignment feels like a broken promise. Finally, Change Your Mind-the-Store Mindset Business owners tend to focus all their attention on the specific thing of value they offer. After all, that’s literally the moneymaker. And yes, it’s rightly your top priority. But it’s not the only thing. But when you’re focused on one thing at the exclusion of all else, a pattern emerges. We call it “minding the store.” The classic example of minding the store is the small-town auto shop. Great mechanics, fast service, and fair prices can go a very long way, but eventually, the waiting area gets dingy. It smells bad. The floor tiles are cracked. At a certain point, the customer starts to wonder, “Do these guys really know their way around a modern car’s computer systems? If I have to wait, do I really want to wait there?” Compare that to a large dealership. Everything is spotless, even the repair bays. Employees are dressed professionally. […]

“Nothing happens until somebody sells something.”  This old chestnut has been with us for decades. Nobody knows who said it first or in what context, but the point is clear. If you’re in business, then everyone’s job in some way supports a cascading series of events that begin with a sale. If you’ve watched Glengarry Glen Ross or sold anything, be it cups of lemonade or a seven-night luxury vacation, then you already know the sales process. It still takes a lot of no’s to get to a single yes. Fortunately, there are simple and cost-effective ways to segment your audience and target those most likely to buy, making the scattershot approach a thing of the past. Even so, it still helps to understand the process by which someone who’s never heard of you becomes a customer. The various models for this are called the sales funnel. What, exactly, is the sales funnel? So glad you asked. The sales funnel is a model of how people move from not knowing about a product or service to buying it. In other words, it’s a psychological journey. The better we understand that journey, the better our chances of influencing it, or moving people down the funnel toward a purchase. The sales funnel concept was pioneered by E. St. Elmo Lewis, one of the fathers of modern advertising, way back in 1898. To his way of thinking, the sales process looked like this: This now-famous concept is called the AIDA model, and it has informed every sales model that followed. Some funnel models have as many as seven steps, but we’re not going to worry about those right now. Attention is the widest and is called the top of the funnel, sometimes abbreviated by marketing nerds as TOF. This is the “Hey, look at me!” phase of the process where you try and squeeze your message in between the millions of others. Before you drive a prospect to your website, they first need to know that you are you, and that you have a website. That’s hard.  Examples of TOF activities are anything considered lead-generating such as OTA listings, advertising, PPC, and content that asks for nothing in return such as blogs or social media posts. Interest is called mid funnel, or the “You have my attention” stage. Whatever magic trick you pulled off to get them here has worked, and some tiny sliver of the attention you earned (or more likely, bought at considerable expense) is now focused on you. They’ve followed your link or completed your form and got on with their life. Examples of mid-funnel activities are your website, brochures, email inquiries, and phone calls. Desire is where the lower funnel begins. You’ve proven you know them well enough to understand their needs and wants, and the thought occurs to them for the very first time that they want your thing, so to speak. Now they’re willing to invest some actual time. Expressions of desire (in the business sense) include adding a trip to a cart or wish list, signing up for a discount, interacting with a sales agent, or chats. Action is where this has all been headed. It’s the business end, if you will, of the funnel. They found out about you, learned about you, want what you have to offer, and the price is right so they purchase or book. Does the AIDA model apply to hospitality? At its most basic, the AIDA model describes how a pool of potential customers become actual customers. So yes, it still applies. But in our business, the distance between funnel stages may be short or nonexistent. Booking travel might only come after extensive research (high consideration) or on the spur of the moment (low consideration). And, as we mentioned, digital marketing makes it possible to go straight to your best prospects, potentially circumventing part of the process. In hospitality, a more useful way to think of the funnel is from the bottom up. Where does a booking (action) come from? What convinced them to book (desire)? How did they come to consider you specifically (interest)? And finally, how did they find you (attention)? So even if the sales funnel doesn’t always apply, it’s still useful in understanding how a guest gets from not knowing you exist to booking with you. Audit your funnel Before you look at your sales and marketing spend through the lens of the funnel, you need to take a good, hard look at what you currently have in place. Attention The attention phase has become much, much easier for hospitality than it used to be. OTAs have deep pockets, and their ability to reach a global travel audience is what you pay a commission for. You have more access to more potential guests now than ever before. That said, there is some due diligence. Look at your listings and your channel distribution. Are you putting your best foot forward? Have professionals proofread your listing descriptions and taken your property photos? If you’re trying to drive more direct traffic, attention is considerably harder and more expensive to earn. Outside the OTAs, how would a potential guest ever know you exist? Direct business offers a higher margin and merchant-of-record benefits, but you’ll need to decide how much the cost of driving that traffic (traditional ads, PPC, SEO research, etc.) eats into it. As our VP of sales likes to say, the juice may not be worth the squeeze. Interest Whatever expectations you establish in the attention phase, you must pay them off here. Your primary asset at this stage is your website, and it has to be rock solid. If you’re lucky enough to get people there, it has to be fast, secure, appealing, work well on mobile, communicate your brand, and booking must be dead simple. If any of these things are dicey, then you will have spent a lot of time and money driving traffic that will bounce out if they don’t find what they […]

In Track, a reservation and a folio are two sides of the same coin. The reservation specifies their rate for each night plus all fees, while the folio represents what they actually pay and what you count as revenue. In many cases, folios are processed automatically. But let’s say something changes during the stay or that the property changes hands. You can now add a folio exception, which is just a little checkbox that will prevent the folio from being processed automatically with the rest. At the end of the month, you can then review folios marked for exception and deal with them separately. Track has tripled its investment in software development so our team can be more responsive to feature requests from our customers. If there’s a feature you’d like to see added or modified, let us know at the Track Ideas page.

An email list that you own and control is one of your most valuable marketing assets. But chances are, you have one master list and send your regularly scheduled or promo emails to everyone at the same time. That’s not inherently bad, but if you’re not segmenting, you’re not using one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal. Segmenting is exactly what it sounds like: Chunking out your list based on certain criteria. Check out Neil Patel’s excellent list of 10 such criteria to see what we mean. Just at a glance, you can see how some of these segmenting strategies can be of use. Segmenting your list makes it a) easier to tailor particular messages to your audience, and b) makes it easier for those audiences to see the messages’ relevance to them.  More relevance means better engagement and email performance. It’s that simple. But that only covers the why. The how is much less involved than you might think. Basically, any data point that you can correlate with an email address in your list can be used to segment, either automatically or with a bit of manual input. Campaign Monitor has a terrific guide on why and how that goes into more detail on this. Guest data you already collect can be used to group guests into traits they share. For example, if a property was extensively remodeled, you identify guests who stayed there on more than one occasion and send them photos of the renovations. Or, if you’re in Florida and there’s a cold snap in New England, you could segment by location and reach out to past guests in that region, perhaps with a discount offer. Look through a typical guest record and think about how that information could be used in a highly targeted (and therefore highly relevant) campaign.  To do this, just filter by your desired criteria in Track to create your segment list. If your email platform isn’t integrated with your PMS or CRM, you’ll have to export the matching records and upload them into your email platform as a new segment. In either case, the software should match, de-dupe, or add as necessary based on your subscriber database, then you can get to designing. (NOTE: Make sure you send your targeted email ONLY to that segment and not your whole subscriber list.) If you can only segment one way, especially if you’re new to the practice, do it based on engagement. Any email marketing platform will have this ability. For example, if you want to extend a special offer or survey invitation only to people on your list who open your emails at least half the time, you can do that and have a “superfans” segment. If they used to open them but haven’t in a long time, you can filter them into a “lapsed” segment.  There are more sophisticated means of segmentation, but you get the gist. In the process, you might spot hundreds or even thousands of recipients who never open your emails. Target them in a re-engagement campaign or purge them and potentially drop down to a cheaper subscription tier. Bottom line: If you’re not segmenting, you’re choosing a scattershot approach to a laser. And to paraphrase Austin Powers, who doesn’t want to use the friggin’ laser?

There are many reasons to block dates for a property, such as for maintenance or if owners are using it for a stretch. For record-keeping purposes, the reason for the block is sometimes important, such as when you drop your rate for a couple days on either side of the block, or between blocks. But what if the actual block dates or reasons change? Before, you’d either have to change the dates retroactively or delete the block. In either case, the reason would have to be noted manually. Let’s say you blocked out two weeks because the property was getting a new roof. The project was completed in 10 days but the next booking wasn’t for another four days, so you lowered your rate by 40% and booked three nights. At the end of the year, you notice your ADR for the month is lower than usual, but you can’t sleuth out the reason because neither the block nor the reason were stored. We have now added archival capabilities to blocks so it’s easier to explain fluctuations in occupancy, revenue, etc. after the fact. You can easily go back in the rental history to find blocks and reasons, making discrepancies easier to spot and explain. Our crackerjack Track team is always listening to customers and making improvements that save time and hassle. If there’s a feature you’d like to see added or modified, let us know at the Track Ideas page.

Remarketing, sometimes called retargeting, is one of the cheapest paths to a conversion you can possibly employ. Put simply, it is a way to use lead data to create touchpoints that improve the chances of a booking. We are all besieged by marketing messages, and most get lost in the noise. But quite a few businesses, especially in hospitality, don’t send enough messages to improve their chances. It’s like the difference between buying one raffle ticket or five. If you’re not remarketing, you’re missing out on a proven method to drive more conversions. Here are three no-brainer remarketing tactics you can automate right now. Cart abandonment If you shop regularly online, you’re already familiar with cart abandonment  Remarketing is a powerful tool, but it can be tricky to do it right. The Atlas Digital Marketing Services team can show you all the actionable data you already have and how to get more, then use that data to drive more bookings than ever!remarketing. You put an item in your cart, forget about it or intend to come back later, and after a few days, you get an email reminding you to complete your purchase, maybe even sweetening the pot with an offer of free shipping or a small coupon code. The same tactic may be possible with your booking engine, but only if you capture the guest’s email. This is why setting up an account is nearly always the first step in a checkout process, whether you’re talking retail or hospitality. You don’t have to go that far, but try to capture that email as early as possible in the booking process. Cart abandonment is high in the travel industry. With OTAs, it’s as high as 89% (!). That’s because most guests will want to see the final tally, inclusive of taxes and fees, before they book. But as long as you capture that email, you can reach out to guests a day or two later with a gentle nudge to complete their booking or some other enticement. Past, or lapsed guests This tactic overlaps with regular drip campaigns, which target stages in the booking journey and are time- or trigger-based. Time-based automations such as a booking anniversary, for example, are a form of remarketing. If business is slow, reaching out in targeted ways to past guests who haven’t interacted with you recently helps remind them you exist and can call attention to changes that may have occurred since their last stay. For example, the renovation of a pool or a new direct flight added to your area. The more time that has elapsed since their stay, the more risks you can (and should) take with the messaging, subject lines in particular, e.g., “Was it something we said?” Google Ad and Meta Search Remarketing Remarketing is deeply integrated into the Google Ad framework. Since Google tags can track clicks through to conversions, you can use that data to deliver different ads to guests as they move through the decision-making process. In this case, Google is handling the automation. This type of remarketing delivers highly targeted remarketing ads to potential or past guests based on how they interact with your PPC campaigns and your website. You can even use the specifics of those interactions to group, or segment those visitors into lists or use customer data you already have to reach them across other Google products (if they have Google accounts). Meta search remarketing is similar to Google Ads, but collects the data from meta searches or aggregators such as Trivago or Kayak.

Property managers and hoteliers alike strive to achieve that homey, mi-casa-es-su-casa feeling that nurtures your relationship with guests and keeps them coming back. But how can the warm and welcoming atmosphere you work to create during the stay follow them out the door? When it comes to digital marketing, there’s no better (or cost-effective) way to build loyalty and trust in your hospitality brand than through “drip” campaigns. What’s a drip campaign? A drip campaign is an intentional, thoughtful series of emails that roll out over a period of time. They can be time- or trigger-based, but usually they’re a combination of the two. In a sense, time-based emails are also trigger-based, as the “trigger” is the detection of a particular date and time or an interval between dates, e.g. one week prior to arrival or three days after check-out. Time-based emails are informed by the guest journey. They can be released in advance of a stay and afterward on intervals that make sense for the guest while not being annoying or obtrusive.  For our purposes, we’ll define “trigger-based” as being triggered by a guest action. Virtually any digital interaction with your brand can trigger one or more automated actions, such as opening an email, checking in via an app, or posting a review. If you don’t have smooth integrations, you can still do this with third-party tools — more on that below. Drip campaigns are a time-tested way to create TOMA, or top-of-mind awareness, and of course, loyalty. More importantly, they make the guest feel seen and appreciated. Combined with personalized messaging, a well-executed drip campaign can do a lot of heavy lifting. Time-based emails The aim of time-based emails is to anticipate what a guest is thinking or wondering about, when they’re thinking about it, and to deliver that information in a way that feels almost prescient. This comes from a deep understanding of the guest journey in general, and your guests’ journey in particular. Pre- and immediately post-arrival What is on a guest’s mind between the time they book and the time they arrive? What are they worried about? Thinking through these questions helps structure the flow of your time-based emails. Here are just a few questions a good campaign can help answer or clarify: Is my reservation 100% confirmed? What is there to do in the area? Are there good restaurants nearby? Is there any kind of shuttle service? What were those amenities again? Don’t assume the guest will remember this information from your listing or website. Often at booking, they just want to know they’ll have a place to crash and will work out the details later. A pre-arrival drip campaign can save them the trouble. 1–2 weeks out At this point, the trip is probably in the deep background of the guest’s mind. They’re still dealing with life and anticipating the upcoming journey (but not necessarily looking forward to it, which we’ll cover in a moment). This is a great time to remind them of the concrete details of their trip and high-level considerations such as: Confirmed booking dates Check in/check out times Upcoming events Road closures, construction, etc. Anticipation of their visit 2–3 days out This is a good time to provide information that will enrich their visit, such as: Nearby restaurants and attractions Parking information (be very specific) Check-in information (times, procedure, late departure, etc.) Relevant amenities related to arrival (e.g. bell service, concierge, valet) Suggested routes, road closure updates As before, keep it short and practical. The important thing is to know what’s on their mind as they prepare to leave and address some typical concerns right then. Post-departure This is really where the nurturing happens. So much modern life is transactional in nature, but hospitality shouldn’t feel like that. Well-timed messages of appreciation and hospitality are a no-brainer way to surprise and delight your guests. If you’re a Track customer, you also have the ability to send a quick thank-you text message shortly after check-out, possibly with a link to a short survey, e.g. “Did you enjoy your stay? yes/no.” The following day Consider an email the day after check-out once the guest has had time to travel and decompress. Thank them once again for their business, express a sincere hope that they enjoyed their stay, and invite them to complete a survey or otherwise provide feedback directly to you. We generally don’t recommend asking for a third-party review in the same email because two calls to action in one email dilutes the conversion rate. 2–3 days after check-out This is where you should ask for a rating or review using the platform of your choice. Often, this will be the platform they used to book, but the OTAs will usually send their own drip emails asking for the same thing. That’s why we recommend pointing them to a platform like TripAdvisor or Google.  The Atlas team can help you understand which review sites drive the most business so you can encourage more reviews there. TOMA emails TOMA emails remind guests that you exist and that you’re thinking of them. For example, if you happen to collect their date of birth, you can send a Happy Birthday email automatically, perhaps with an enticement as a gift, e.g. 10% off or a special package. Another great trigger is a stay anniversary. For example, if the guest was there in early July last year and you tend to fill up by May, consider sending an email in mid April encouraging them to book soon, perhaps even tied to the availability of the room type or property they booked last time. Trigger-based emails These are emails triggered by a specific guest action. For example, OTAs automatically send confirmation emails to go out the moment the guest books. The more integrations your PMS offers, the easier it is to set up these triggers. Some of the most useful triggers are check-in and check-out actions, especially where a mobile phone is involved. For example, […]

Company: Xplorie Name: Matthew Loney Position: President & CEO

Let’s start your Tuesday out right and talk travel insurance. As you know, insurance coverage is pinned to reservation value. Currently, when the rate changes after the opt-out window, the amount billed by the insurance vendor doesn’t change accordingly. So, if you had $50K of coverage attached to a reservation and the value changed (e.g. reduced rate) after opt-out, it would adjust in Track but not on the vendor side, resulting in a billing discrepancy that you had to manually account for. We’ve now added the option to increase, but never decrease coverage after the opt-out window closes so it can only work in your favor. This should help preserve margin while saving time and hassle on the accounting side. We’re always making Track better. If there’s a feature you’d like to see added or changed, visit our Track Ideas page. We might already be working on it!

Vacation rentals have climbed the charts recently with OTAs, in many cases being listed side by side with hotels. If you’re in VR, this is a sea change. The pandemic was good for VR in many ways, largely because of their relative isolation and environmental controls.  Even so, there are many travelers whose default setting is hotel. Much of that is brand-driven, whether through loyalty programs or the colossal marketing budgets of flag hotels. You can’t beat them at that game, but there are still ways to help convince and convert hotel stalwarts. 1. Don’t appear small We are drawn to big brands for many reasons. They’re everywhere, they’re usually consistent, and they spend a lot to earn our trust and loyalty. But digital marketing has leveled the playing field. Being small doesn’t require appearing small, and it’s never been easier to do. Take a close look at your branding. Does your logo appear small time or big time? Do you use your colors and typefaces consistently across all your media and channels? Ask a few acquaintances to check out your website and judge the scale of your operation based on what they see. The tighter your branding, the more trust you’ll inspire. 2. Make booking dead simple In general, hotels make it easy to book through their website, often with a “choose your dates” header right at the top of the home page. Ensure your call to action (CTA) is prominently displayed and that the actual booking page is clean and professional. In general, the distance between your potential guest and “Book Now” should be as short as possible. 3. Communicate well and often Big hotels are awesome at communication, but you can be, too. Clunky email designs, spelling or grammatical errors, and generic messaging can make the difference between an ordinary stay and a memorable, impressive experience. Also, err on the side of overcommunication. The 1.2 million-plus automations available in Track offer a set-it-and-forget-it way to ensure relevant and personalized touchpoints all along the guest journey. Nurturing campaigns after the stay help build loyalty and comfort in advance of the future stay you hope they make. Savvy digital marketing and a modern, flexible PMS make it possible for any size VR operation to look big but deliver the warm, personalized guest experience that sets VR apart from hotels. If you’re ready to convince and convert more hotel guests than ever, visit tnsinc.com. We’ll help you play with the big boys.

Track offers dozens of reporting options for PMS, Accounting, Call Center, Housekeeping, and much more. In a future Track Tip Tuesday, we hope to cover some of the most commonly used reports, but today, we wanted to let you know about a new one that may get your back office very excited. Okay, here goes: Track reporting now includes a custom balance sheet. Now your accounting staff can generate balance sheets on demand for internal or external reporting. The balance sheet is as old as assets and liabilities, and certain stakeholders will appreciate having that information presented in such a time-honored format. To borrow a phrase from Dave Matthews, Track’s got more reporting than a beach got sand. Whether you want the fifty-thousand foot view or a long walk through the weeds, we’ve got you covered.

Whether you’re talking about website content or PPC campaigns, choosing keywords can seem like some sort of alchemy in which you guess what a potential customer is looking for then throw a bunch of money at your guess. And yeah, it is kinda like that in some ways.  But if you’re running PPC campaigns designed to woo potential owners, intuition and logic may lead you astray and deliver rotten ROI. Let’s say your company is based in Vero Beach, FL. Logic would suggest that a potential owner might search for “Vero Beach property managers” or “Southeast Florida property management companies.” So, you base a few ads on those keywords and see what happens. Chances are, the volume will be low and you won’t get many clicks. What happened? What are potential owners searching for if not these kinds of terms? Your logic was sound, but let’s take a closer look: Specifying a city or region is great. That helps with locally relevant traffic. “Property management” cuts a wide swath that includes residential, commercial, and even land. The broader your terms, the more expensive your PPC campaigns will be and the higher the potential for irrelevant traffic. If you’re paying $15 per click, you want relevant traffic. Owners are more likely to search for the big players in vacation rentals, as evidenced by search results. In other words, we recommend using some of the same keywords as somebody looking for a rental. So, “Vero Beach vacation rentals” or “home rentals in Vero Beach.” This is why your paid search placements are so critical. Owners aren’t necessarily looking to find a company to work with — they want to see whose game is on point. Out of the gate, that means a general search followed by calls or emails to the top outfits. Thus, your PPC keyword strategy should be to make that search engine results page (SERP), and not so much the property management one. There’s a second rationale here, which is a retention play. Sometimes, current owners need to be reassured that you’re still the best game in town. Seeing you as one of the top VR companies in the area (as measured by SERPs) helps show they should stick with you. The team at Atlas knows as much about PPC and keywords for the hospitality industry as anyone, and has the industry-specific results to prove it. Get your digital marketing house in order and build a great roster of owners!

  So a guest has scheduled a reservation and you want to send them a list in one of the reservation documents. Maybe tell them what to pack, provide a list of nearby attractions, or a list of amenities featured in their home. We can help make that document look nice!  Bulleted and numbered lists are built right into HTML code. The tag <ul> creates an unordered list (bullets) and <ol> an ordered list (numbers). Using them will automatically indent from the left margin and create a “hanging” indent for line wraps. This doesn’t happen if you just use hyphens, though some programs will assume you’re creating a list and format automatically. Place this code snippet into a blank reservation document. Remember to paste it in the source code area.  If you have a lengthy list of information, don’t worry! You can add more rows by copying and pasting from <li> to </li>. <li> stands for list item, so each block of text between <li> and </li> adds an item to your list and a line break.  NOTE: If your preview email shows the tags somewhere, like <p> or <li>, it means you either pasted the snippet into the editor window itself or didn’t close a tag somewhere. Every tag such as <p> needs a closing tag formatted like </p> so they make a pair. Your text must go in between two paired tags.  <p>Here is a list on what to bring on your trip:</p> <ul> <li>Sunscreen</li> <li>A toothbrush</li> <li>A positive attitude</li> <li>An urge for adventure</li> </ul> <p>Here are steps to enter your rental:</p> <ol> <li>Drive to property</li> <li>Walk up to front door</li> <li>Unlock door with key code</li> <li>Enter</li> </ol> If you are interested in learning more about Track, we would love to chat! You can send us an email at learnmore@tnsinc.com or fill out this form. 

As you know, Google Travel has integrated vacation rentals into the Hotel Search functionality. Now both show up in both Google maps and search results alongside hotels.  If you are looking to grow your business, you ensure a) Google knows to index it in general (learn how), and b) that your properties get included in Google Travel searches (it’s not automatic, but our Atlas platform and channel management partners like Lexicon can do this and much more for you). In this Marketing Monday, we are going to review a few benefits of being listed.  Online Visibility: Google comprises 90% of the search engine market in the United States, so to have any shot at being discovered through search, you need to make sure they crawl your site (it doesn’t just happen). It’s worth building some basic SEO knowledge so you can optimize your site. It’s well worth your time to know the broad strokes of SEO. Fortunately, there are plugins (e.g. WordPress) and platform-specific (e.g. Wix, Squarespace) wizards that will lead you by the hand. Direct Bookings: We all know direct bookings are the most profitable for your business. Google currently doesn’t charge for listing your vacation rental website on their site nor do they collect any commission from bookings redirected to your website. HUGE WIN. Put the power of the world’s largest search engine to work for you! Level Playing Field: Since Google doesn’t have any skin in the game (yet), your VR operation can occupy the same screen real estate as flag hotels. Now is the perfect time to get listed and take advantage of the fact that VR is considered a “core accommodation” now. If you are looking to expand onto Google we would love to chat! ATLAS Commerce and Digital Marketing has helped over 350 vacation rental companies, hotels, and resorts with their digital marketing needs and expansion of their business. 

Hospitality professionals generally enjoy creating, and being around the experience of a stay.  You and your guests are a team in this regard because you share the same goal: optimize the end-to-end experience. For the guest, that means planning ahead, coordinating schedules, and the like. But what does it mean for you, exactly? Certainly, it means making sure your properties are in perfect order, but something else is both within your control AND is at least as critical to the overall guest experience. It’s called communication, and doing it well has never been easier. Experiential Marketing and Hospitality Experiential marketing seeks ways to increase the value of an overall experience without adding incremental cost. The more value you build in, the better the customer will feel, and the more enthusiastic they’ll be about your brand. The classic example of experiential marketing done well is Disney. Every aspect of shopping for, booking, and experiencing a Disney vacation is carefully considered and tied to the brand. They know you’re going to spend a lot of money with them, and that you need to receive value at every turn. Among other things, that means making sure that every guest feels special and taken care of — kids and parents alike. You might be thinking, “Okay, but I’m not competing with Disney here.” But in a way, you are. Technology has democratized travel such that your experience is judged against all others, including the very best. You don’t get a pass because you’re small. But modern tools place a thoughtful and orchestrated experience well within reach. Hospitality lends itself perfectly to the Disney mindset. You’re not just renting a room, condo, or home — you’re taking that guest by the hand and leading them down an intentional prepared path that begins the moment they find your properties online and continues beyond their stay. We’ll talk more about experiential marketing in a future article, but for now, let’s focus on the most critical aspect of an overall travel experience: timely, accurate, and on-brand communication. Timeliness: Looking Beyond the What and How  What are the elements of communication? Broadly speaking: The message is the “what” and “why” of your communication. What are you saying and why is it relevant? What action do you want the recipient to take? Tone and voice are the “how” and “who” of your message. How do you want to deliver the message? Who should it sound like? Style is the look and feel of the message, such as grammar, punctuation, and organization. Timeliness is the “when.” When does the recipient need to receive the message? When will they be most receptive to it? All these elements are important, but the hardest to do well is timeliness. Consider an “out of office” email automatic reply. It gets triggered instantly to inform the sender of an email that the recipient isn’t there, but what if it wasn’t? What if it came four hours later or not at all? Suddenly the “what” and “how” don’t really matter. An out-of-office reply is a simple example of a triggered, or automated communication. As long as it’s set up in advance, it will do its thing once or thousands of times, delivering important information exactly when it’s needed without you lifting a finger. Many automations are already built into the travel experience. The email confirmation sent after a confirmed booking, for example. But now that we all have devices that can talk to each other while we sleep, there are an infinite number of possibilities for delivering timely and relevant communications to guests, owners, and staff alike, adding tremendous value to their experiences. With a careful look at your experience and a bit of planning, you can dazzle all your stakeholders and add value without adding cost. Let’s learn how. Automated Communications Done Right Property managers have three main audiences: guests, owners, and staff. Each has their own reasons for wanting (and often needing) timely communication from you. But there are only so many hours in a day, so to ensure timeliness, you need to connect your messaging to the clock or other triggers. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of automating. For someone in the service business, handing over control to a machine can feel like a big leap of faith. But done right, it can both elevate the experience and make you look awesome. When you use Track to automate, all information is logged and appended to the guest record, making it easy to see where and when all the various touches occurred. That data can be invaluable when evaluating successes and failures. In general, it’s better to over-communicate. A lack of information is usually filled with misinformation or assumptions, neither of which benefit your business. Think through all the current and potential touch points between you and your audiences. How long after X happens should communication Y go out? When do you need information and when does your guest? Make a list and check it twice, then see what you can automate. Examples of automated communication follow: Guests Obviously, this is your most critical audience. Booking a trip can be an exciting, but stressful task. There’s a lot of money involved and, when it comes to time off and such, a lot of planning. Timely and useful communication can reduce that stress and keep guests in a positive frame of mind about their trip. Remember, you’re not limited to just email. Texts are a great way to reach guests on the fly as well. Examples: Booking confirmations (especially booking direct) Waivers Deposit details Contract signatures Collecting other crucial pre-stay information Check-in instructions (door/gate codes, walkthrough checklist, etc.) Surveys Review requests Special offers, event notices, etc. Want more examples? Check out our free eBook, “Automations and Triggers to Create Profitability and Efficiency.” Owners Owner communication is an often overlooked aspect of the business, but you can’t let things slip through the cracks. Being proactive is critical, especially if you’re focused on growth. Property [...]

Today’s Marketing Monday includes a few tips for attracting new owners and growing your vacation rental business. SEO Focused Website: Your website is the front door to your business. It is the first impression your potential owners see. The easier it is for owners to find you, the more likely they will step through your door. You need to make sure your website at least checks the big boxes for SEO (search engine optimization). Fortunately, there is a wealth of information out there, including this handy guide. The SEO rabbit hole is deep, but at a minimum, make certain your site is on Google Search Console, has SSL enabled (https), uses the right tags and keywords in headings, and includes localized contact information. Another tip is to have a property management-specific page with owner-focused keywords to help Google display your site when potential owners search. This helps owners find you and not just guests! Quality Content: Owners have different goals, needs, motivations, and levels of interest. A simple web page with a list of features, an info sheet, or a phone number might have been enough to capture a new owner in the past, but not anymore. Competition is fierce, so you need to develop content that is high quality, consistent, and showcases why you are the best choice for property management companies in your area. Testimonials from current owners are one of many ways to showcase your relationships. Blog posts or landing pages that answer specific queries owners might help bring eyes to your page. This helps with SEO and establishes your business as an authority, which helps generate leads in the long run. Weekly or monthly newsletters help drive traffic to your content. Expand your network: Another way to attract owners is to expand your network, both online and offline. There are plenty of property management groups, associations, forums, and networks online. Not only will they help you keep up with industry news, but you can also contribute to conversations to showcase your industry knowledge. If you are looking to grow your business, we would love to chat! ATLAS Commerce and Digital Marketing has helped over 350 vacation rental companies, hotels, and resorts with their digital marketing needs and expansion of their business. 

As is the lodging industry in general, resorts and vacation rental companies are well aware that direct bookings not only help hold down the “costs of acquisition,” but also increase our guest loyalty to our brands and not to a distribution channel partner. Therefore, it is certainly important to train your team to sell via the voice channel. However, it is also essential to ensure that your team is properly trained on best habits for textual selling via online and digital channels. For one, there is often an interplay of the voice and online bookings. Secondly, many guests first reach out by way of the written word, which still distinctly shows intent. Here are some of the many textual selling opportunities: Turning “I just have a quick question” inquiries that come in by direct email such as reservations@yourbrand.com or info@yourbrand.com into confirmed bookings. Going beyond answering questions on OTA platforms (Expedia, AirBnB, VRBO, and Booking.com); instead, convincing senders to pick your property off the long list they see online. Replying to questions and inquiries that come in by chat. Using personalized email as a proactive retargeting tool for voice inquiries. Some readers may be asking, “Is it really worth the effort to focus on textual inquiries?” If so, you may want to first consider the hidden costs of getting prospective guests to initiate a textual inquiry. If the email or chat message arrives directly, odds are that the sender found you by way of an Internet search and website visit. Therefore, costs of getting written inquiries may include SEO (organic & paid); website development, maintenance and hosting costs; and email campaign fees. If the inquiry is coming in via an OTA, then senders clearly have a list of other options, so personalized responses can help “sell” the sender of the message. I highly recommend that marketing and operations leaders take time to review a random selection of the messages that are coming in by way of the various methods listed above. Certainly, one will see numerous sales inquiries that are directly stated as such, “I’m looking to reserve… What is the next step?” Yet if you look even closer, it is easy to recognize that many leads are disguised as: “I just have a quick question about...” Check-in times. Pandemic era questions (What’s open? Cleaning?) Pets. Parking. Bedding. Consider this: why would prospective guests be asking these questions if they did not have intent to buy? If you take time to also look at the messages your staff is sending back in response to these types of questions, you will probably find that too many only send back a brief reply that simply answers what was asked. Similarly, if you look at the responses being sent to directly-stated reservations sales inquiries, you will probably find that your team simply replies with a template, and often not even the one from your list of templates that best-fits the nature of the inquiry. If this month’s blog topic is hitting home so far, here are some training tips from our new KTN sales training program called Maximizing Sales Through Textual Communications: When senders simply type over a quick question in a chat, email, or in-app message, after answering the question, be sure to always add remarks such as: “Let us know what other questions you have or what else we can do on our end to host you…” When replying to direct reservations inquiry emails, first take a moment to introduce yourself as a “real person,” not an anonymous sender. If you are on-site or in-house, be sure to mention that. Include headshots, direct phone lines, and direct email addresses in auto-signatures. It is fine to use email templates, but provide your team with a selection so they can select the one that best fits the inquiry. (Family vacations, reunions, romance getaways, girlfriends getaways.) Start emails by paraphrasing, restating, and commenting on whatever you have learned from the sender’s written inquiry. Many senders self-reveal quite a few details in the “comments/remarks” boxes, so use this to your advantage. The rest of the responsive message can be a template. For inquiries relating to booking larger groups, longer stays, and/or higher rated accommodations, offer to set a time to talk by phone or Zoom. Include a link to an online scheduling app such as Calendly, making it easy for the sender to set a time to talk. For inquiries that represent significant enough potential revenue, such as long stays, multiple accommodations, and top-tier inventory, include a short, personalized video email message in which you speak directly to the sender. Again, for higher-revenue leads, leave the next step on your to-do list by saying “I will be following up with you in a few days to see what questions you have.” For OTA’s and group booking platforms that restrict replies to being in-app by not revealing the sender’s email, create a trace system to help salespeople track leads for follow-up within the platform. (If you have Track Pulse, be sure to utilize its unique “Unified Inbox” to the fullest extent.) End with a personalized welcoming phrase such as “Let us know what else we can do on our end to secure the opportunity to welcome you…” Regarding the voice channel… when callers are interested, but not quite ready to book, always offer to send a follow-up email with your direct contact information. Put it on your to-do list to follow up at least two additional times. When chat senders have a quick question, it is fine to simply answer via chat. However, when they start to ask for recommendations or ask questions that indicate they are interested in booking, offer to call them right now to assist. You will be surprised how many say “Sure!” Thank you, Doug Kennedy To View Full Webinar Fill Out The Form Below

Airbnb is an important distribution channel for professionally managed, short-term vacation rentals. Recent improvements in Track PMS’ API connection with Airbnb expands a property manager’s revenue-making opportunity and improves guest communications. First, we’ve increased the Length of Stay limits. Now property managers can list and enable booking for longer-term rentals. Several configuration options allow you to control which audiences are able to instantly book these types of stays. This recent release also enhances communications with guests on Airbnb.. We call our unique direct connection with them “secure messaging” for a couple of reasons: Messaging Reliability- Unlike email, communications via our API connection are traceable and easier to ensure receipt for both guests and property managers. Our Airbnb integration records which agents respond to each message including each response in situations where multiple agents work on the same lead. This gives property managers better visibility into guest service successes and training opportunities. TRACK supports multiple Airbnb accounts. This gives the property managers the ability to sync more than 1 account into TRACK vs having to login to multiple accounts or have multiple versions of a PMS to sync accounts. Ease of Communication – Track PMS’ unified inbox helps reservation agents work more effectively and efficiently in a single inbox with all messages documented without the need to login to multiple airbnb accounts. Improved Response Times & Auto-Responders – Responding to inquiries no longer requires logging into Airbnb’s platform directly, minimizing the chances of delayed responses. We give agents more control and simplify how they handle each inquiry, ultimately improving their ability to deliver exceptional guest experiences. TRACK also provides pre-created and configurable Auto-responses and quick responses to speed up communications. If you’re interested in learning more about how Track can help your company make more money and better serve guests via Airbnb,  we’d love to chat and learn how we might help.

Ad campaigns are getting more and more complex which leaves Property Managers having to analyze more data to determine the value of each click. This Marketing Monday walks you through how to assess the value of a click.  We talk to many property managers on a daily basis. Some of the most common questions our digital marketing team gets asked are, “How do I know when to shut off an ad?”.  We wish we could say it was as easy as yes or no, but it isn’t. The value of a click determines where the guest is in their booking journey. Just because a guest doesn’t click on your ad right away doesn’t mean you should shut it off. The ad is still bringing traffic to your website, which is crucial for ramping up direct bookings.   First, determine if the click is a top, middle, or bottom-funnel click. Once you determine where the guest is in their buyer’s journey, you can then assess your Google Analytics account to determine its value.  If you are turning off your ads due to low click rates, those clicks are going somewhere else. Most likely they are landing on an OTA. We know that direct bookings are most profitable for your business, so any chance you have to have your guests book with you is critical. We have helped more than 350 Vacation Rentals, Hotels, and Resorts with their critical digital marketing needs, and would love to give you a free assessment and see how you can improve your campaigns moving forward! 

Cancellations are still happening, even though the vacation rental industry is soaring. TRACK has the feature to add and configure a cancellation reason at the time of the cancellation. The biggest benefit of this, these cancellations will also be synced to your distribution channels as well. Specifically, HomeAway will receive if the cancellation was initiated by the guest or the owner. If the reservation is for Airbnb, they have factory-created reasons and TRACK has pre-mapped reasons that align.  If you are not using TRACK but would like to learn more, we would love to chat.  

At this very moment, pasty, hollow-eyed hermits around the country are emerging like cicadas, ready to slather on some SPF 50 and breathe the sweet air of freedom.  The hospitality industry has never been through anything quite like this. We’ve dealt with explosive demand and high occupancy before, but never after an entire year of uncertainty, extreme cleaning measures, and everything else that went along with the pandemic. All we know for sure is that a tidal wave of guests is headed our way. In this environment, doing more with less takes on a new meaning. Guests don’t care about your staffing shortages, frustrated owners, and cash-flow challenges. But how do you deliver a superior guest experience when you’re spread so thin? By minding the details, especially as it relates to accounting and billing. The More-With-Less Fallacy Pick any business anywhere, and people will tell you they’re doing more with less. Less budget, fewer personnel, less direction, etc. Technology has made it possible for small teams to be insanely productive, and in many ways, that’s a good thing. But in every workflow, there’s a breaking point. As our attention is divided, and divided again, little things start to slip through the cracks. Suddenly, “doing more with less” becomes doing less with less. For decades, we’ve heard that time management is the key to productivity. But a recent article in the New York Times suggested that attention management is where it’s at, defining it as, “the art of focusing on getting things done for the right reasons, in the right places and at the right moments.” Obviously, if your attention is already divided, then making sure the small things get done for the right reasons and at the right time becomes nearly impossible. Sure, you could hire someone to take care of time-sensitive background tasks, but there may be a better way. Automations to the Rescue In 2021 and beyond, the key to making sure routine tasks are done accurately and on time is through automation. Basically, automations use triggers to set one or more actions into motion, sometimes called “if this, then that.” Both OTAs and direct bookings hook into your PMS, so virtually anything that happens in your PMS could be a trigger that instantly generates an email, a work order, a calendar item, and so forth. Taken together, these individual steps form an automated workflow. Many common triggers are related to email marketing, such as a sequence of emails that go out once a user completes a form. But more sophisticated workflows that depend on data from your PMS can be tricky, and often require yet another third-party tool like Zapier or ITTT to work. The idea is to slowly unroll a virtual red carpet for your guest from the moment they book. Let’s take a look at a typical guest journey and how automated workflows can help you stay on top of business-critical activities. Pre Arrival After a guest books, a number of things already happen automatically, such as an e-mail confirmation or “things to do” emails from the OTAs. But there are other opportunities for you to add value and service, such as: Assign specific charges or fees based on reservation type or unit Alert accounting if travel insurance was added or removed Surveys or special requests Security deposit/balance reminders Pre-arrival checklist Guest portal invitations Unit-tailored work orders (e.g. hot tub or grill cleaning) Early check-in upsell opportunities Though it’s never a good idea to inundate your guests with messages, it’s always better to err on the side of overcommunication. Anything that makes your guest feel welcome, informed, and special is going to score you brownie points before they even arrive, setting the stage for a rave-worthy experience. Check In/Post Arrival Once your guest is on-premise, email communications become less useful and immediate. This is why the best post-arrival workflows use texting and other mobile-friendly methods to communicate in real time — all while your focus is elsewhere. Examples of post-arrival automations: “How is everything?” messages with easy response options (which can trigger other automations) and contact info Links to area services, activities, menus, etc. Occupancy notification to housekeeping Updating rates and calendars for early departures or extensions  The key here is to be welcoming, straightforward, and timely. Once they get settled, they don’t want to hear from you for a while — but they may need to reach you, so make it easy for them. Post Departure If you set expectations properly, delivered great value, and communicated well, your guests will be riding a wave of positivity out the door. This is a great time to reach back out and put the final brush-stroke on your guest-service masterpiece: Thank you text or email, perhaps with a final receipt Post-departure survey An invitation to post a review to your best-converting platform Notifications to housekeeping that the property is ready for cleaning The Bottom Line In general, the more automated your accounting and billing system, the better your chances of capturing maximum revenue. Typically, automated workflows won’t be adding or subtracting fees on their own without a living, breathing person involved, so it’s more about timely communication between you, your guests, and your back office. But timely communication is hard when you’re already wondering how you’ll get through the coming busy season — likely one of the busiest in recent memory. It’s hard to overstate the impact that software and automations can have on your efficiency and sanity. Maybe the workflows you could automate don’t seem that time-consuming, but little time savings can really add up, especially if you have dozens or hundreds of properties. Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s for every guest, every time would be a monumental task for even the most organized person.  Automations like the 1.2 million combinations available through Track help ensure the right boxes are being checked even while you sleep, helping you focus on all the things you wish you had more time for.  

In Triggers and Automations with the object of survey response, there are now conditions for segmenting the surveys based on location, brand, or campaign. If the survey was generated from a reservation the survey response email can be conditioned by unit, unit node, unit role, or campaign. If the survey was generated from a sale the survey response email can be conditioned by sales link, brand, or campaign. Use of this would be when a survey is completed, depending on the location or campaign, then you may want to direct the guest to share that survey in a different location. Learn about the enhancement below! Do you want to see if TRACK is the right fit for your Vacation Rental? Schedule your meeting with a Solutions Consultant here.

Social media has changed the way Vacation Rentals do business. Those who stay on top of the trends can use social networks as a powerful marketing tool, while those who don’t are getting left behind. In this Marketing Monday, we are going to review three ways that social media can influence direct bookings.  Number 1 – Brand Awareness  Social media is a fantastic way to strengthen and promote your brand and build relationships with both past and potential guests. Travelers use social media to find inspiration. Just look at all of the Pinterest boards and Instagram posts regarding travel. If you want to increase your direct bookings, you need to be on the social platforms where travelers are looking. Number 2 – Reviews  93% of consumers say online reviews influence their purchase decisions. Ask previous guests to take a survey or leave a review of their past stay. How was their experience? What activities did they participate in? Not only will this help your online credibility, but you can also gather valuable information about past guests for future marketing use Number 3 – Customer Service  Guests are turning to social media as another form of outreach. Gone are the days where guests have the patience — or desire — to wait on the phone. Having an active social media presence and handling your customer service through this additional channel, shows your guests you care. If they are able to get their questions answered right away they will be more likely to book with you, than search other properties.  Having a well-thought-out social media strategy can directly impact your direct bookings. If you are looking to take your social media strategy to the next level, we would love to chat! ATLAS Commerce has helped over 350 vacation rental companies, hotels, and resorts with their digital marketing needs. 

Expertise in Google Ads Extends Value of Atlas Digital Marketing Services Cottage Grove, May 18, 2021 — For property managers and hoteliers, effective digital marketing campaigns demand expertise across platforms. The breadth and quality of the services offered by TravelNet Solutions (TNS) has earned it Google Partner status. Companies that qualify for the Google Partner program must have demonstrated “skill and expertise, met Google ad spend requirements, delivered company agency and client revenue growth, and sustained and grown its client base.” Google Partners have proven they can keep up with the platform’s constantly evolving ad tools, and that they have used those tools effectively in their own business. In other words, they practice what they preach. Jay White, Director of Atlas Professional Services, hopes this new designation will put a spotlight on the extensive digital marketing services they offer clients. “Hotels and VR property managers can’t be expected to keep up with the ever-changing world of digital marketing. Hospitality is a very human industry, so our Atlas Digital Marketing Agency aims to bridge the gap between the personal and technical aspects of running a successful hospitality company.” During non-peak times, more profitable direct bookings can make the difference between getting by and thriving. Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns can be an effective way for hospitality companies to reach guests, but showing ROI can be a challenge. Google Partner status opens up new avenues for reporting and analysis, ensuring that PPC campaigns through Google Ads don’t turn into money pits. TravelNet’s Atlas digital marketing division marries two critical functions: The latest digital marketing strategies to attract and convert more business; and a booking engine to seal the deal. For more information, visit tnsinc.com/product/atlascommerce/. About TravelNet Solutions Celebrating its 21st year serving the hospitality industry, TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center Software as well as a full suite of digital marketing services, booking engine, and high-converting websites. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com.  

According to an Expedia study, 69% of travelers turn to a search engine when starting to think about a trip. In this Marketing Monday, we are going to go over three ways that you can turn these lookers into direct bookers.  Avoid paying OTA commissions by investing in your website. Along with your booking engine, your web storefront should be your top priority to showcase properties and drive direct bookings. Bookings made through your booking engine are likely channel commission-free. Speaking of booking engines, use a commission-free one that’s also mobile-friendly. If you do not have a mobile-optimized booking engine, you run the risk of a bad user experience which can turn website visitors away. And to maximize conversion, make sure the booking process is limited to two or three steps. Also, include a rate checker so consumers can compare prices right from your website. These tactics help turn lookers into direct bookers. If you are looking to improve your website, we would love to chat! Our ATLAS Website and Booking engine has helped over 350 Vacation Rentals, Hotels, and Resorts with their critical marketing and website needs.

Company: Rented Name: Talia Lockard Position: Director of Business Development

Your website is the most important marketing tool that your Vacation Rental has in its pocket. By keeping your website optimized, this will lead to higher traffic. In today’s Marketing Monday, we are going to discuss page speed and the importance to your Vacation Rental business. In your experience, have you ever found yourself on a website that takes thirty seconds to load? Probably not.  When your guests land upon your website, you have a few seconds to spike their interest or they will move on to the next property site. Another risk you run is that your bounce rate will sky rocket. You will want to make sure that your pages are as technically optimized as possible, including image file sizes, page structure and the functionality of third-party plugins. The faster your site loads, the better. If you are looking to improve your website, we would love to chat! Our ATLAS Website and Booking engine has helped over 350 Vacation Rentals, Hotels, and Resorts with their critical marketing and website needs.   

Industry Veterans Still Dazzled By ‘Software of the Future’ Cottage Grove, MN May 11, 2021 —Back in 2019, TravelNet Solutions’ TRACK software earned a prestigious Keystone Award from the Vacation Rental Marketing Blog (VRMB), a resource dedicated to helping property managers choose the best software for their evolving needs. Just two years later, they’ve done it again, earning top marks for mid to large companies with 50+ properties. VRMB’s award program, run by vacation-rental industry veterans Terry Whyte and Matt Landau, is dedicated to the notion that software is “empowering owners and managers of all shapes and sizes to move more efficiently, profitably, precisely than ever before.” In their recap of the award, Whyte noted that TRACK is the only product he’s seen that can launch a campaign and follow a customer through their entire journey without ever leaving the platform, drastically reducing the need for clunky integrations to make everything work. Audio from their commentary follows: “We’re deeply honored to receive our second Keystone Award from VRMB,” said Ryan Bailey, CEO of TravelNet Solutions. “Terry and Matt call TRACK the ‘Software of the Future’ and we couldn’t agree more. Our mission has always been to transform how hospitality works. This award proves we’re walking the talk.” Landau stated there is a “parade” of customers flocking to TRACK, but the accompanying write-up also correctly notes the company is being deliberate about its growth. “TRACK has been onboarding new members at record pace, but we also like how they've limited the speed of their growth in order to maintain full quality control (something any VRM can admire).” TRACK combines all essential aspects of running a vacation-rental company into one deeply integrated platform. To learn more about what makes it the “Software of the Future,” visit trackhs.com. About TravelNet Solutions Celebrating its 21st year serving the hospitality industry, TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center Software as well as a full suite of digital marketing services, booking engine, and high-converting websites. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com.

Consistency is key to providing a five-star experience to guests, and maintenance/housekeeping is at the heart of being able to deliver this promise. TRACK is providing multiple ways to ensure that your maintenance and housekeeping program never misses an opportunity to wow your guests and owners. We offer automation to generate work orders based on reservation events occurring. Numerous conditions can be applied to fine-tune work orders for very specific properties based on events occurring. Additionally, Track offers the ability to create recurring maintenance work orders, repeating based on a schedule. Or to create bulk work orders on the fly.  To find the work order trigger, it is as simple in your TRACK PMS platform to go from your configuration screen, company setup, business rules, then lastly click on triggers. It is not limited to maintenance, housekeeping orders can be created with this automation tool as well. Taking it back a step, the simplest way to understand a work order trigger is to realize that when X event occurs it immediately creates a work order. An example would be the event of the guest checking out immediately creates the work order to housekeeping to change the bedding and clean the home. If you are a current TRACK client, please visit our client support resource article here to learn more. If you are not a current TRACK client, we’d love to chat. Please send us an email at learnmore@tnsinc.com.

A common question we get from our Property Managers is “Do I really need blogs in my marketing strategy?” This Marketing Monday, we are going to go over two of the most important reasons why you should be blogging regularly. Let’s start out with #1. It helps your SEO, which leads to more traffic to your website. (Who doesn’t want more of this)  #2. Blogs not only build brand awareness, but they lead to direct bookings by building trust with potential guests. By regularly sharing relative content about your property, attractions, local festivals, restaurants, day trip ideas, parks, etc. you will generate interest and demand for your property. According to Hubspot, 56% of individuals who looked at a blog post from a company purchased a product or service from them. Are you looking to spruce up your blog strategy and content? ATLAS Commerce has helped over 350 Vacation Rentals, Hotels, and Resorts with their critical marketing needs. If you are interested in learning how to take blogging to the next level, let’s connect you with a Digital Marketing Expert.

High occupancy demands quick turnovers and clockwork communications with housekeeping. But with automations, you’ll never miss a beat. Well, the explosive demand we all knew was coming is upon us. High occupancy and consistent revenue has us breathing a sigh of relief. But that upswing creates its own set of challenges, like ensuring that housekeeping turns properties over as quickly as possible. The more complex the logistics, the more room for error. No wonder cleanliness is usually the top guest complaint, and with increased demand for contactless communications, that’s not likely to change. Housekeeping plays a huge role in the guest experience. But when you’re trying to capitalize on a resurgent travel market, real-time communication between you and your staff, housekeeping, guests, owners, and platforms has never been more critical. You can’t get rid of complexity, but you can manage it through automations. Are automations and integrations the same? An automation is a set of instructions that occur in response to a trigger, sort of like a ripple effect. Some call it a “conditional workflow.” They occur in the background and can be as simple as an email auto-reply or as sophisticated as you can imagine. Integrations, by contrast, are a way for two disparate systems to “talk.” In the bad old days of software implementation, everything was proprietary and almost nothing worked together. Many of us still have nightmares about that, and rightly so. Integrations have made implementation much simpler. Consider your current system. It’s quirky, but it works, and the people you rely on for day-to-day operations know their way around it, right? But every manual operation or clunky integration introduces complexity that can lead to errors and oversights that cost real money. You already use automations in some form. For example, a direct booking triggers an email confirmation to the guest, and another email goes out three days before check-in with gate codes, etc. If you’re really fancy, you might integrate with a system that sends texts to your guests or owners either by date or in response to other actions. Automations are a powerful way to link your operations to platforms and devices in real time.  Automations for housekeeping The same automations that send emails and texts or collect data can enable real-time communication between you, your staff/company, your CRM, and your PMS. They also empower your housekeeping team to be better. A new booking hits your PMS. Instantly and automatically, housekeeping is scheduled. As soon as the guest checks out, the property’s status switches to dirty. Housekeeping adds pictures of damage to the record, triggering a notification to you. On their way out, they tap their phone and the property switches to clean. If a guest is checking in that day, they get a message that it’s ready. Meanwhile, you never lifted a finger. If this, then that. Triggers upon triggers, all happening in the background, with little opportunity for human error. If you’re still using a shared spreadsheet and some system of fill colors and borders to show bookings and track cleanings, this might seem like voodoo magic, but it’s real. Automations take critical, but repetitive tasks off your plate and makes them easy to reproduce across properties. And at scale; the more inventory, the greater value! A recent UC-Irvine study showed how expensive interruptions are, sometimes costing 2.5 hours per day of productivity. No wonder it’s so easy to get mired in the day-to-day. Imagine how much time you could open up just by “delegating” notifications and status changes to automations! In Summary As we inch toward high season, the question you should be asking is, “Is my current system an asset or a liability in terms of the guest experience?” When occupancy isn’t an issue, turning over properties becomes an even bigger challenge than it already is. But that means staying on top of manual processes, and if you’re like most PMs, you already run around with your hair on fire. To help you visualize what could be automated, try this exercise: Write down everything that happens once a guest books. All communications between all parties, from the moment of booking through to fully turning the property over. Cutting, pasting, phone calls, texts, everything.  If it involves devices, applications, or platforms, it can probably be automated. Now write down all the different platforms involved, from your booking engine to how you send emails. We’re betting you’ll wind up with a long list of processes and platforms that cost you a lot of time and money, and depend heavily on your team’s organization skills. It doesn’t have to be so hard. TRACK Vacation Rental Property Management Software can automate repetitive tasks through one unified platform and dashboard. Faster and better usually wins. Get your house(s) in order through automations and finally move some of those back-burner projects to the front. Your guests, owners, staff, and housekeepers will thank you.

Direct booking campaigns have been part of marketing strategies for the Vacation Rental Industry for quite some time. The “Book Direct” push for guests stems from reducing OTA commissions and also really focuses on the customer experience. Today in this Marketing Monday, we are going to go over one way you can adjust your website to gain more direct bookings, while increasing your profitability! Compel website visitors to book direct with pop-ups or calls-to-action. As guests research places to stay, they’ll likely visit your vacation rental website to view photos and other amenities. You must grab their attention fast using CTAs or pop-ups to alert guests to cheaper rates on other competitor sites. Make sure they use eye catching imagery, bold text, and showcase urgency. Educating travelers about cheaper direct bookings and influencing the way they search online for vacation rentals won’t be easy or quick, but it’s an opportunity to attract new guests and make them lifelong customers. TNS has helped over 350 Vacation Rentals with their critical digital marketing needs. Our experts use proven data and strategies to keep you in front of your guests! Get your free marketing assessment today!

There are thousands of Vacation Rentals to choose from nowadays–so how are you marketing your property to stand out? Travelers use listing sites to find properties, so making sure your listing is optimized with the most beneficial features is critical. In this Marketing Monday, we will list a few ways you can make your property stand out. Post clear, well-lit photos. You don’t need an award-winning photographer to shoot your property. Good photos can be taken with a basic digital camera or even a smartphone. The key is to make sure you shoot everything that is potentially of interest to a guest. Showcase your décor, the family room, bathrooms, etc.! People want to get a feel for what their experience will be like before they book. Create a page on your website, booking platforms, and property promotion pages that provides the distance in miles and travel time from your property to all major attractions. Include shopping centers, restaurants, and convenience stores. This allows your guests to pre plan activities that they want to do and are more likely to book if the attractions spike their interest! Showcase your property with video. Creating buzz around your vacation rental property generates interest, which can boost your bookings and overall profit. One way to do this is by sharing your story. How did your company get started? Why should your guests stay with you? You can keep it short and sweet, but it will help gain attention. We hope you learned a few tips today on ways to make your property stand out. Don’t forget to tune in next week! If you want to learn more about our Digital Marketing Services, you can view them here.

As the peak summer vacation season fast approaches, the majority of resorts and vacation rental companies are experiencing a record-setting booking pace, with the inventory of top-tier accommodations selling out first.  Yet calls continue to come in, often from callers who are desperately searching online yet finding limited or no availability.  While some leaders see their team’s job as simply to process this huge wave of calls, others will recognize the unique opportunities this disruption has created. Here are highlights from the live webcast that KTN President Doug Kennedy presented today for Track Hospitality Software and TravelNet Solutions.  Indeed, summer of 2021 may in fact be “in the bag,” but the way your agents treat callers and guests now will impact – for better or for worse, in 2022 and beyond.  Long after your inventory is sold-out, questions like these will be continuing to come in by voice, chat, and “in-app messaging”:  “I see online that you are sold-out, but…” “Are you saying you don’t have anything left?” “I know that hotels always put some rooms aside…” “But we always book this house every year. Can’t you just move the other guest?” “What do you mean you don’t have a wait list?” In short, it’s gonna be busy!  You may be working overtime, and callers may be holding online for longer periods, but regardless of the frustration the number one rule is to be patient and be kind. Remember that you are the first impression makers and that the conversations you are having personify your “brand.” Leaders, encourage your team to think about how much it costs to make that phone ring. It may be interesting to quantify the total digital marketing budget, and then divide that by the number of calls.  How much does your resort or company spends on:  Paid Adwords Organic SEO Email campaigns    Social media campaigns Digital marketing in general. (Website design, video, photography, copywriting.)  When all that work causes a web-surfer to call, let’s make sure we don’t blow the opportunity to great goodwill for the brand, and along the way, also get an email address! So, when callers express any of the otherwise “annoying” questions listed above, pause briefly to share their disappointment and to give them a moment to accept it, then say:   “I know. I’m so sorry to have to deliver this news. We would love to host you as our guest during another visit though.  While I have you on the line, let me grab your email address so we can notify you of special promotions and welcome you again another time.”  Note: be sure NOT to ask “Do you want to be on our email list?” because that will surely be an automatic “no.” Now, let’s take a look at some training tips to sell out the remaining inventory for high-demand dates. Check for Gap Dates: If the dates they are calling about are showing sold out for their entire stay, is it possible to find inventory for some of those dates? Would it help if they did a mid-stay move to a different room or rental house?  With summer options getting to be slim everywhere, you just might find that guests are more flexible than they normally would be.  Upsell To Over-Sized Options:  Sometimes you might be dealing with a couple looking for just a room or a one-bedroom option, but all you have left are two- or three-bedroom accommodations.  In this case, first acknowledge that the space is more than what they need, but then point the advantages. Example:  “I know it’s just the two of you, and this is a two bedroom, but the good thing is that you would enjoy…” Downselling To “Last Sell” Inventory:  At other times, the caller may be requesting a larger or more premium location, view or room-type, but what you have is smaller or in a lower-rated category.  In this case, be sure to never say “All we have left is…”  Instead, use this transition to position what’s left in the best possible way, while also creating urgency: “Fortunately, what we still have open is…”   Be sure to point out any “glaring deficiencies” they will immediately notice, and then continue on to say what’s good about it.  Example:  “Fortunately, what I still have at that time is our standard (non-view) option. Now this one is a little smaller and does not offer the balcony. However, it still offers all of the same amenities and services.  Besides, there’s so much to do here during your vacation that you may not be in the room that much anyway.” Now, let’s take a look at four questions that you will surely be hearing so that we can be prepared. “Why are the rates so much higher this time?” (Or higher on weekends.)  Do not say: “The rates go up when it’s our busy season.” Instead say: “When occupancy (or demand) is lower, we are able to offer some terrific specials, but for your dates our ‘normal’ (or prevailing) rates apply.” “Why is there a minimum stay requirement?” Callers often continue-on to express why they, in particular, cannot stay that long.  When this happens, try selling the benefits of the extra night(s). Example:  “The good news is that you will be able to stay as long as you want on your last day, instead of having to worry about check-out time.” or   “The good news is that because you are paying for the night prior to arrival, you can go right into your accommodation when you get here.” “WHY is there a charge for (parking, extra persons, booking fee, resort fee)? I have traveled all around the world, and I’ve NEVER paid that before.” The truth: They might act surprised, however, chances are they are actually not. Empathize first, then hold the line on price. Example:  “I understand your concern, however like others in our area, we do have that as a mandatory fee for all guests to cover the extensive services and [...]

Don’t slow down this mud season. The vacation rental industry is soaring and now is the time to engage your guests who still want to travel! Today’s Marketing Monday, we are going to examine what you can do during this time so guests choose you! Booking windows are getting shorter, as more people are willing to travel. According to Expedia, the average booking window has reduced drastically to just 29 days out. So what does this mean for your vacation rental business?  “We’re getting a ton of last minute bookings. And obviously our season has extended way beyond what we would consider even shoulder season.”- Betsy Needham, Owner, Black Canyon Inn   Pricing is everything You need to make sure to get your pricing level right. You don’t want to cut prices for weekends if you already have plenty of interest, but a price too high could deter guests from even browsing. Showcase a promotion Right now, guests want two things. They want flexibility and a bargain. A way to attract these guests is by using a pop up on your website with the current promotions you have going on. An example of this could be “Buy 3 nights, get the 4th free”. This promotion allows the guests the best of both worlds. They are getting a deal–but also if they can only take a weekend off of work, they have the flexibility of leaving Sunday or Monday. If you are looking for ways to optimize your occupancy rates this mud season, we would love to provide you a free assessment and show you how other TNS clients have had success with our Digital Marketing services. 

  Traditionally, marketing and distribution leaders view the role of reservation agents as being to field inquiry calls, answer questions, and to attempt to close the sale on the first inquiry call. Surely, we should always have the “winner’s mindset” when we answer. Yet sometimes callers are just not ready to book regardless of what we say. This is especially true at resorts and at vacation home rental companies. Here are a few reasons: Longer stays. Larger parties and therefore… More people involved in deciding. Restrictive deposit and cancellations. They are overwhelmed by the number of options viewed online. Perhaps the biggest reason of all is that leisure callers are far more emotionally vested in the outcome of their buying decision than business travelers because few things are more important these days than one’s annual vacation plans.  Therefore, it is important to shift from a “sales fishing” to a “sales hunting mindset. Marketing leaders have become increasingly obsessed with the “sales fishing” paradigm, which is to wait for the digital “bait,” such as the website, SEO optimization, and OTA presence to lure-in the digital bookings. Those with a “sales hunting” mentality will view every call, every email inquiry, and every inbound chat or OTA IM as a potential sales lead to follow-up on. These days, inbound reservations leads are disguised. Rather than asking “Hi, I need info on booking…” today’s callers often start with “I just have a quick question about…”: Check-in times. Pandemic era questions. (What’s open? Cleaning protocols? Any pandemic specials?) Pet policy. Parking. Bedding. Smart agents will turn those inquiries into leads by asking a key transitional question:  “Now that I’ve answered your questions, may I ask what dates/homes/rooms you are looking at so I can assist you here in our on-site reservations office?” To succeed as a sales hunter, your team will of course need a system such as TrackPulse that makes it easy to: See pop-up text box with details when the call-back. Trace the lead on a “lead stream.” Read a summary of previous correspondence in order to personalize the messaging.    Here are some additional tips. Asking the right questions to narrow down the options, vs. listing what is available. When callers say: “Can you tell me what you have available for these dates?” respond with “Sure, I can assist. Let me ask you a few questions so I can help you find the best options.” As the conversation progresses, investigate further with questions such as: “Which is more important, location or view?” and “Are you looking for something more upscale or economical?” When, after you have just presented three or more options, callers continue to ask “What else do you have?” avoid falling into the trap of listing more and more options which in the end only confuses them further. Instead ask questions such as: “How do those sound so far?  “Is there something you’re looking for that I’ve not yet mentioned?”  “Can you tell me more about what you have in mind?” What To Say To Get The Caller To Provide A Phone And Email For Follow-up Of course, to be able to “hunt” after the call, you will need to get an email and phone number. Here are some tips. Do not ask “Would you like me to email those to you?” or  “Did want to give me your email?” Instead say: “Okay. Let me get your email address so I can send you these links along with my direct contact information.” Getting the email is the most important task, but try also to get their phone number and implied permission to call to follow-up. Do NOT say: “Would you like me to call you to follow-up?”  Instead say: “Super. I’ll shoot you over an email with my direct contact information.  I’ll also check back with you to see what questions you have and what else we can do. May I have the best phone number…” How To Follow-up: Be Persistent But Not Pushy Start all follow-up calls and emails by restating something specific you learned about “the story” behind their plans… “It was wonderful to hear about the plans for your (insert special reason for travel…)” End all emails and calls by expressing interest and offering personal assistance. “Again, my name is Doug with in-house reservations. Let us know what else we can do to assist you with planning this important trip.” You should generally follow-up at least two additional times: One to three calendar days after the initial inquiry, depending on their “story.” Three more days after that, unless they state a longer decision-making timeframe.  Make at least one phone call. When calling: Start by introducing yourself, your company to refresh their memory.  Do not say: “Hi, is this Mr. Johnson?” Instead say: “Hello Mr. Johnson, this is Cindy from Brand X Resort, I had spoken with you a few days back about your (insert reason for travel)…” One final reminder:  Never throw guilt!  Do not say: “Since I didn’t hear back from you…”  Instead say: “Just wanted to see what else I can do on our end to secure your booking.”

Company 30A Escapes Name Jeramie Bates Position Director of Revenue Management

Did you know that Google crawls websites and searches for relevant keywords, accurate information, and unique content? While they are crawling these websites, they are applying the results into their search engine algorithm which determines how high your Vacation Rental Management Company ranks on Google Search Results. Understanding and implementing strategies and tools around SEO is important due to the rapidly growing industry of vacation rentals and the number of websites you are competing with. Most travelers visit 21 or more websites before they determine to book, making sure that your website is on the first page of Google (Meaning within the top 10 unpaid search results) is critical to your direct booking success. One tip to help increase your relevant content on your website is writing articles for your blog gallery that include facts, data, and demographics about the city and location your vacation rental home are located in. When Google crawls your website and captures an article such as “Top 5 Amusement Parks in Minneapolis” it will help increase your search results when Vacation Rentals in Minneapolis is searched.  This is one small piece of advice for a much larger tool kit for SEO strategies. TravelNet Solutions offers vacation rental marketing and expert SEO strategies to over 300+ VRMCs. If you’d like to learn if your website is performing similar to other management companies like you, schedule your meeting here.

WHAT IS NEXT? NEXT is our annual customer get-together. It’s an energizing forum for growth-oriented hospitality leaders to learn, collaborate, and push boundaries by sharing best practices with one another. And this year, we’ll all have the added bonus of finally being able to reconnect with our industry friends face-to-face. This year’s theme is Optimize and we’re excited to bring together industry experts – including power users of our products – to share their best ways for driving business results. Join us and hundreds of other vacation rental and hotel professionals in Minneapolis on September 26-28, 2021 as we discuss optimizing operations, guest and staff experiences, and growth. We can’t wait to see you! WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Hospitality professionals in the various functional roles who use our products and services will find great content at NEXT. These roles include:  Vacation Rental Owners & General Managers Hotel and Vacation Rental Marketing Teams Revenue Management Teams Reservation Agents and Managers Housekeeping & Maintenance Managers Accounting & Finance Leaders EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM Register by March 31, 2021 and receive a double incentive: early bird pricing ($799/person) and our 4th Free promotion. That means for every 4 teammates you register, you’ll save more than $1,000!

Your headline title on your properties is one of the most important elements on your website. Your headline should intrigue travelers with interest and create an emotional response wanting them to view further down the page. Headlines that convert will embody these characteristics:  Specific Clear & Concise 1 Biggest Selling Point Well Written Grammatically Correct These headlines should not include fluff descriptions such as number of bedrooms, available nights, or special rates. These items will already be filtered through the booking engine at the beginning of the search allowing you to provide an additional layer of selling details to gain the travelers attention. This item should be unique and set you apart from your competitors. Here is an example:  If you are in a location that does not typically allow pets but your home does, providing those details will grab the attention of a traveler who enjoys going on trips with their pet golden retriever and entice them to click into your listing.  If you are looking for help updating your website, reach out to our TNS team for a free assessment!

TravelNet Solutions, a leading provider of integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including TRACK, ResortsAndLodges.com, ATLAS, and Digital Marketing Services, is proud to announce the hiring of hospitality industry leaders, Michelle Marquis and Jeff Robertson.   Michelle will serve as Chief Revenue Officer to help grow and strengthen all solution areas for TravelNet Solutions and serve on the firm’s Executive Team. Jeff will serve as Vice President of Marketing and be accountable for developing the Marketing function to drive revenue across the company’s product and service lines.  Both Michelle’s and Jeff’s experience in scaling hospitality technology companies has earned them reputations as trusted and highly effective leaders. “Michelle is somebody I have watched closely over the years. Her extensive background and superior leadership skills give her the ability to understand how to best meet client needs, enabling our leading technology platforms to drive more client profit,” said Ryan Bailey, CEO, TravelNet Solutions. “TravelNet has experienced significant growth over the last few years and I am thrilled to have her help scaling us to new heights. Her extensive background gives her the ability to understand how TravelNet’s technology can help our clients and potential clients be more profitable.”  “The opportunity with TravelNet is like no other I have been presented with. As a former hospitality operator, I have first-hand insight into the challenges facing TravelNet’s clients. Combined with my years of building successful sales & marketing organizations, this position is simply perfect for me,” said Michelle Marquis. “I have enviously witnessed TravelNet’s ascension from a single product company, many years ago, to a market-leading technology company that offers a complete solution from creating consumer demand to managing a property’s operations. I’m excited to offer hospitality operators just what they need to be as successful as possible.” Michelle added, “When I was considering the role with TNS, I knew I wanted to build the best team possible. The first person I thought of was Jeff Robertson. His skills, experience and background will help the marketing function really contribute to our growth goals and take things to a whole new level.” Jeff has more than 25 years of experience leading SaaS Marketing and Sales teams, the last 10 of which he’s served the hospitality industry. TravelNet Solutions is most excited about Jeff’s proven track record developing marketing organizations, his infectious energy and his unique ability to rally teams to greater success. Jeff shared, ”I’m really excited to be working with Michelle, Ryan and the TNS team again, and look forward to helping take this rocket ship to the next level.” About TravelNet  TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center as well as a full suite of digital marketing tools and services. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company can compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com.

When selling your vacation rental homes to guests one of the top priorities should be exceptionally great website photos. The quality of your photos will allow travelers to determine if your property management company is committed to high quality experiences and set the expectations for a guest when they book. The quality of photos is the first factor, the quantity is the second. A study shown by FlipKey states that 83% of travelers are more likely to inquire about a property that showcases over 20 photos. Not only will more photos increase your occupancy, it will also save you on resources by spending less time answering the same questions to multiple guests about your homes.  Lastly, providing a virtual tour will help your chances to win the guest over. Utilizing a partner such as TruPlace will add value to enhanced photos and a virtual floor plan.  If you’re looking for a website refresh, schedule time to meet with your experts at TravelNet Solutions here.

Company PointCentral Name Stevan Henning Position Account Executive

Having a vaccine released during a global pandemic has allowed the hospitality industry to see a huge uptick in the itch and want to travel. With that great news, your Vacation Rental Management Company is going to want to leverage updated strategies and messaging to gain new travelers to your properties. According to a study done by HomeToGo, it states that 77% of travelers will plan to travel to their destination by car. With that being said, here are two tips to segment your marketing and messaging to your drive to markets.  Personalized Landing Pages When utilizing remarketing tactics on Linkedin and Facebook, make sure when you are hitting your drive to audience, you are sending those call to actions to a designated landing page that speaks to them differently. These travelers are itching to travel, but within a short distance due to safety and being cautious. Provide landing pages that promote socially distanced activities you provide and highlight the ability to work remote from your property.  Segmented Email Lists The travelers in your drive to market are able to book in a shorter booking period due to length of drive time and spontaneity. Email your market that is 5 hours or less with shorter term booking offers. An example would be sending your drive to market audience an email on Thursday that they can have 20% off for that next Saturday and Sunday if they book within the next 12 hours. This provides urgency and allows you to fill vacant rooms on short notice. If you are interested in learning more about your email marketing strategy, we would love to chat!

This is a common question we get from our Vacation Rental Property Managers. The answer isn’t yes or no. To answer, it takes more of an evaluation process of your location and your target markets. This Marketing Monday, we want to give you some advice on if you are sending too many emails. The industry average of unsubscribes is 1%. If you are sending out weekly emails, and all of a sudden you see a high number of unsubscribes it is time to take a look at what may be going on. Is it the content you are providing? Is it the right messaging? Your email campaigns & blasts should be set up to send to the right people, with the right messaging, at the right time. For example, you wouldn’t send an email about golf specials to a list of guests who visited your spa page on your website. Your messaging should be clear and concise and segmented appropriately, so that your unsubscribe rates stay low and your direct bookings stay high! If you are looking for help with your email marketing, don’t hesitate to reach out. We would be happy to schedule a meeting with you and evaluate your current strategy.

The travel and hospitality industry continues to evolve, consolidate, and change on a daily basis. The same can be said of travel demographics, especially during COVID-19. According to TravelPulse, Millennials were shown to be 13 percent more likely than Gen-Xers and 80 percent more likely than Baby Boomers to feel comfortable traveling by the spring of this year.  What makes this generation unique is that they’ve grown up during the age of the internet explosion, part a which plays a major role in how they digest information. Social media, constant connectivity and on-demand entertainment and communication are innovations millennials adapted to as they came of age. So why should your VRMC focus on Millennials? This question really has two answers: Millennials have different travel preferences than the generations that preceded them. Millennials are entering their prime earning years and are increasingly likely to travel. Millennial Travel Preferences Let’s break each of these answers down a bit further, starting with travel preferences. Millennials use mobile, but more importantly they trust mobile. Almost two thirds of millennial travelers feel comfortable booking an entire trip on a smartphone. In addition to mobile friendly users, millennials also prefer a more personalized experience, and it’s not just a preference — it’s an expectation. Part of creating a whole customer view is understanding the social aspects of these travelers. As I mentioned earlier, millennials grew up alongside social media platforms, and as such, many use the platforms to a great degree. Millennials Increasing Earnings/Likelihood to Travel “To fully capitalize on this generation’s $200 billion spending power, companies need to adapt the information to their new buying trends.” When millennials travel, they want an experience. With increasing wages, they also have more money to spend on travel. 55% of millennials want to increase their volume of trips in the coming years. Almost 75% of millennials surveyed said they’d prefer to stop buying physical products to increase their travel spending, again pointing to the trend of experiences over physical goods.  3 Things You Can Incorporate Into Your VRMC For Millennials There are a number of things you can do to connect with more millennials, but here are four concrete items you can try to incorporate into your VRMC this year in order to drive more engagement with this growing younger generation. Optimize Your Social Media Presence – It’s important to be where your travelers are, and that’s becoming especially true on social media. Your MySpace page from the Y2K ages probably isn’t helping your brand anymore, but that doesn’t mean you need to create a profile for your business on every channel possible either. To start, I’d stick with these three social media channels: Facebook – Millennial users are spending roughly 2 hours and 38 minutes per day on Facebook.  You’d be hard pressed to find a better outlet for sharing guest stories, images, and video in many different formats. Facebook profiles are very comprehensive allowing you to give travelers as much, or as little, information about your property as you’d like. Instagram – A picture is worth a thousand words, and by that logic Instagram lets you tell an amazing story about your property. Some new developments for IG users include Instagram stories and reels that you can use to engage your travelers at your property or get them interested in booking with you. Pinterest – Depending on the statistics you’re looking at, women account for 70-80% of decision making in travel. Knowing that, it’s important to be visible on a social media platform dominated by females. Look no further than Pinterest, which is roughly made up of 70% females. Pinterest is a great spot to give inspiration to your travelers, and with a little practice and a few boards, you can attract quite a following. Communicate and Market through their Preferred Channels – As I discussed previously, smartphones are millennials preferred mode of communication. That’s not to say that they’re using these smartphones to call properties — quite the opposite in fact. They’re using various applications to check email multiple times a day and connect via social media. However, to optimize your communication with this generation, here are two main channels you should be implementing into your VRMC operations: Webchat – The old way of reaching a property directly was picking up a phone and dialing. Millennials have found that they can get quicker responses by going online to accomplish the same task, and this typically is done through live chat. Live chat was initially used as a support mechanism in the hospitality industry, answering questions someone may have about their stay. Now you can actually have reservation agents help a prospect complete a booking through platforms like TRACK Chat. SMS Text Messaging – Because of their reliance on smartphones, millennials are very open to not only receiving email communication through these devices, but text messages as well. And SMS messaging can be used for a variety of reasons, from sending reservation details, stay information, and room codes to in-stay promotions and post-stay surveys. One disclaimer in using text messaging (and it’s a similar concern in social media): Don’t focus on selling. The biggest impact you can have with this channel is using it to improve the guest experience and build customer loyalty. Create a Cohesive Brand Experience – When companies make a big push towards innovation, one thing that occasionally falls by the wayside is consistency. It’s important to ensure that your brand experience is the same across your website, social media channels, and even a brand app (should you choose to really push the innovation envelope). If a millennial is not seeing similar messaging across all of these channels, or feels that the experience is detached in some way, they are less likely to book their stay with your property. Pushing the envelope is important, but do so with an eye on consistency. If you want to learn more about TNS Digital Marketing Solutions or ATLAS Commerce, schedule your meeting today!

70% of travelers are researching and booking vacation rentals from their smartphones and tablets. It is imperative your website adapts to every screen size and shape.  Put yourself in your traveler’s shoes. When you visit a website, would you want to see cut off images or not be able to see where you can check availability? No. You would move on to the next website immediately. Your website needs to be professional and showcase all the great features your property has to offer.  You can use this Google tool to tell if your website is mobile friendly! Alongside vacation rental industry leading companies, Meredith Lodging, Premier Island Management Group, and CaymanVacation.com, we have designed over 300 hospitality Websites, support over 39,000+ units on our Booking Engine platform, and manage over 400 hospitality companies with their digital marketing solutions. If you would like help or discuss how to improve your current website, schedule a meeting today!

Company Lynx Name Resha Shroff & Dipen Gala Position CEO & Co - Founders

Health, safety and financial concerns are key considerations for today’s traveler and property manager. While you do your part to enforce cleaning protocols and make sure your rentals are as safe as possible, and as your guests continue to look for ways to get away from home without compromising safety, we at Generali Global Assistance would like to share how travel insurance can help during these times. Specifically, we want to make you aware of the ways you can rely on travel insurance in the eventuality of a guest getting sick with the virus, either before or during a trip. What Travel Insurance Can Do Trip Cost Coverage Sickness is one of the most common reasons for purchasing and utilizing travel insurance. This was the case prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and remains so today. Although COVID-19 is a known event and has been for some time, travel insurance continues to provide coverage for COVID-19 sickness. This choice is one that Generali and other major travel insurance providers decided to make when confronted with the COVID-19 crisis. If a guest, family member, or travel companion has to cancel or interrupt their reservation because they are sick with COVID-19, travel insurance provides reimbursement for the prepaid trip costs. Other guest expenses are also covered, such as out-of-pocket costs for overnight lodging, meals, and local transportation during a trip delay and additional transportation costs for guests to return home or rejoin the trip earlier or later than scheduled. Telemedicine and Referral Services Getting sick while away from home is stressful under normal circumstances. Today, the worry of contracting COVID-19 while traveling is universal. While travel insurance can’t keep guests from getting sick, it can help if they find themselves in a scary and difficult situation. During their trip, insured guests receive access to telemedicine services so they can consult a certified physician virtually. 24/7 Travel Assistance is also included, for help anytime. Coverage for Medical Expenses When some guests travel away from home, they aren’t only traveling away from family doctors and local clinics, they’re also traveling out of their primary insurance network. In addition to being scary and uncomfortable, getting sick and needing to seek treatment out of network can be expensive. Travel insurance can help if this happens. While telemedicine and medical referral services connect guests with the treatment they need, travel insurance Medical and Dental coverage reimburses the costs. Coverage is provided for amounts that the guest’s primary insurance doesn’t cover, including copays, deductibles, prescriptions, and other expenses. This coverage for resulting expenses is available for up to a year after the guest gets sick on their trip, even after they return home. What Travel Insurance Can’t Do In addition to effecting travel restrictions and business closures, COVID-19 has instilled fear and a heightened sense of caution in the travel community. Adhering to restrictions is a responsible choice and feeling afraid to travel or not wanting to travel are relatable feelings. Unfortunately, travel restrictions, shelter in place orders, fear of travel, and not wanting to travel because of COVID-19 are not covered reasons for cancellation under most travel insurance plans. Plans include defined lists of covered reasons that qualify travelers for refunds, such as unforeseen sickness. Although many travel insurance plans cannot cover pandemics and other known events, coverage for COVID-19 sickness remains available. Other reasons related to COVID-19, however, will most likely not be covered. How Claims Work If an insured guest has to cancel because of COVID-19 sickness or another covered reason, they can start their claim online at Generali’s eClaims portal. The portal walks the guest through a few prompts and asks them to provide supporting documents, such as a signed physician’s statement from the treating doctor. Once the claim is started, it is assigned to a representative, who will reach out to your guest directly. Generali travel insurance products are seamlessly integrated with TRACK Software. Helping your guests get coverage for their reservations can improve your overall guest experience and you earn revenue while offloading the risk of cancellation. To learn more about travel insurance, call 866-999-4018 or visit Generali online. About Generali Global Assistance When you partner with Generali, you’re working with an industry leader backed by one of the world’s largest insurers. Offering travel insurance plans with region-specific coverages and protection against accidental damage to your rentals, our vacation rental insurance programs easily integrate with top software platforms and have helped property management companies earn more revenue and improve guest satisfaction for 30 years. Our success is built on our reputation for assisting travelers in the most difficult of circumstances and delivering vacation rental protection solutions designed to meet your needs. Travel Protection Plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as CSA Travel Protection and Insurance Services and Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services. Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions. Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply. Travel Retailers may not be licensed to sell insurance in all states, and are not authorized to answer technical questions about the benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance and cannot evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. This Plan provides insurance coverage for your trip that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this Plan with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. The purchase of this Plan is not required in order to purchase any other travel product or service offered to you by your travel retailers. Travel retailers receive payment from CSA related to the offer of travel insurance. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker. This notice provides general […]

When it comes to the highly-competitive world of Google Ads, finding ways to lower the Cost Per Click (CPC) for the keywords of your campaign is a key step in succeeding your goals. This Monday, we are going to go over an exclusive tip that we use as Digital Marketing Experts to keep costs low and clicks high. There are several benefits to using PPC to advertise your vacation rental website. Google Ads are relatively easy to turn on or off and can be adjusted within minutes. They also instantly start driving targeted traffic to your website. When you start your ad, your keywords are the most important. If you have a property in Destin, Florida, then going against others on very high search volume and expensive keywords like “destin fl vacation rental” is difficult and costly. Instead, you may want to find low competition keywords to target with your campaign. Our Exclusive Tip You must take the time to manage and update your ads. This lets you drive the right traffic at the right price. You need to go in and set up your conversion tracking immediately. This way you can track contact forms, questions about property leads, property management leads, email newsletter signups, completed checkouts and any other special leads forms too. Once you have this set up, it is time to analyze. Don’t be afraid of change–we have learned that staying stagnant doesn’t help decrease your CPC. Add in different keywords that are not performing well or switch out your negative keywords.  If you are looking for help with your Spend Management, we would be happy to set up a meeting and discuss how we can help!           

Ascent Payment Solutions focuses exclusively on providing the best, most secure payment processing services available to the property management, vacation rental, and lodging industries. Offering seamless, easy-to-integrate payment solutions has been our mission for the last 20-plus years, and it’s why our vacation rentals and lodging partners turn to us time and again. TRACK by Travelnet Solutions offers a complete enterprise software solution for today’s ever evolving short-term rental industry. This integrated solution provides professional management companies cutting-edge reservation technology coupled with the strongest payment processing solution and support available in the industry. Ascent and TRACK have already been partnering together for the advancement of our mutual clients, and now we are excited to introduce our new gateway integration within TRACK software. Our SLIM CD gateway solution provides our mutual customers with the seamless payment solutions needed to successfully grow your business. We provide the Application Programming Interface (API) directly through TRACK* (Currently in Beta release). Using an API, the payment gateway manages all the tasks necessary to complete the transaction, allowing you to accept a wide range of payment types. This integration within TRACK ensures travelers stay within your brand while receiving a high-quality checkout experience. For our clients, it means deposits made within the normal 48 to 72 hours, not waiting for up to 30 days. Along with superior gateway functionality, our customers receive assistance from our team of experts that will help through the entire integration process. We believe good partners offer the highest level of security. That’s why we provide these benefits: Tokenization: Sensitive cardholder data is not stored by your software during any point of the transaction process. Tokens can be used to post additional payments to a guest’s card. Secure Sessions: Our solutions ensure your software never touches the guest’s credit card information. Automatic Authorization Reversals: Our gateway processing handles automatic authorization reversals. Card Load Feature: This allows the software to capture the cardholder information without performing an authorization. We help our clients easily, quickly, and safely accept payments while also remaining PCI compliant. One of our PCI experts can help you get compliant and stay compliant to protect your business, your guests’ data, and your reputation. Our gateway is certified on all types of industry in the United States, including lodging, retail, restaurant, mail order/telephone order, and e-commerce, and on most major payment processing networks providing this functionality: Can securely process credit card and ACH/e-check transactions in multiple scenarios, including card/check present and not present. Provides access to payment reporting on any Apple, Android, or Windows-supported device. Our SLIM CD gateway solution allows us to provide our clients with the seamless payment processing solutions they need to succeed, and our team of experts has the tools, experience, and resources needed to assist clients through the entire integration process. All reporting for your account is available through the SLIM CD backend administration. We provide you with the robust report information you need to derive from your merchant account, including: End-of-day reports Batch Settlement reports Open-Auth and Clerk Reports Daily Volume summaries Reports by Card Type / Payment Type As an independently owned provider, we consistently deliver payment processing solutions that rise above the competition. Ascent has the expertise and experience to protect clients while making sure you receive your money in days, not weeks. Ascent holds itself to a higher standard. A standard that includes trust, transparency, and accessibility. At Ascent our clients and partners come first, and we always strive to provide the best customer service, support, and education. At Ascent we never let our clients become account numbers and we always look at them as people first. With extensive experience in not only payment processing, but also years of lodging management experience, our team provides you with the best possible solutions suited to your business model. Let us work with you and show you the Ascent difference. At Ascent it is more than just offering better rates. We provide expertise, innovation, and the highest level of security. We are your destination for payment solutions. For more information, complete the form on this page or contact info@ascentpaymentsolutions.com. **Slim CD is in Beta testing with TRACK Hospitality Company Currently. Please reach out to info@tnsinc.com to become a part of our Beta testing**

Consistency is key to providing a five-star experience to guests, and maintenance/housekeeping is at the heart of being able to deliver this promise.  TRACK is providing multiple ways to ensure that your maintenance and housekeeping program never misses an opportunity to wow your guests and owners. We offer automation to generate work orders based on reservation events occurring. Numerous conditions can be applied to fine-tune work orders for very specific properties based on events occurring. Additionally, Track offers the ability to create recurring maintenance work orders, repeating based on a schedule. Or to create bulk work orders on the fly. Work Order Triggers   Location   Work order configurations are located in the configuration section, path: Configuration >  Company Setup > Business Rules > Triggers Overview   Both maintenance and housekeeping work orders can be created with this automation tool. Work orders created by triggers get created immediately when the object and event occurs. The simplest way to understand this is when x event (such as checkout) occurs and immediately creates a work order. Interested in learning more what TRACK Property Management Software can do for you? Schedule your meeting here.

Today we are going to talk about a hot topic in the Marketing world; Retargeting vs Remarketing and the best practices to use to increase your direct bookings. The terms “remarketing” and “retargeting” are often used interchangeably, but they are not quite the same. Retargeting: The term “retargeting” is often used when you are showing your guests your ads on other sites in an ad network after they leave your site. Retargeting usually involves “cookies”. The most common is Facebook retargeting. Remarketing: The term “remarketing” is often used when you collect guest information from prospects in order to deliver email campaigns to them. Now that we know the difference, let’s discuss how retargeting works and the most effective way to implement a strategy.  When a traveler visits your property’s website, a cookie is automatically installed on their browser, so your property’s ads keep appearing when they leave your site. We use this and other retargeting techniques to help bring that same site visitor/traveler back to your property’s website to complete a booking or purchase.  Retargeting Best Practice Different products warrant different retargeting time windows. For example, people shopping for travel should be retargeted immediately; people shopping for luxury goods should be retargeted later. You want to make sure if a guest visits your website, they see your ad and keep your property top of mind, not a competitor down the road. TNS has shown a 288 unit VRMC client success by providing over 17,000+ impressions and 248 website visits over a 30 day period. The most effective retargeting ads promote a special offer or promotion specifically to your target market’s interest. We hope this helps you know the difference between the two. If you want to learn more, TNS would love to  help you drive more site traffic and get those travelers back to book directly with our Retargeting strategies. Schedule your meeting today!  

Welcome to January of 2021, the perfect time to analyze your digital marketing strategies and tactics. There might have been a few curve balls handed out in 2020, but four things that continue to stay the same are the biggest challenges in hospitality digital marketing. Warning, this article might open up your mind to statistics and challenges you didn’t even know existed in your vacation rental management companies marketing department. So buckle up as we dive deep in the complexities of digital marketing, the cost of human resources, guest acquisition costs, and the domination of OTA’s in the vacation rental industry.  More Complex Than Ever Think back to 2000, or even as recent as 2010 and what marketing tactics sufficed as above average and return on investment generators. It was as simple as banner advertisements on a local website, basic search engine optimization (SEO), and a manually sent email blast once a month. Your phones also were ringing consistently with inbound phone reservations and you did not rely heavily on website bookings. Isn’t it crazy to think your website didn’t need to be mobile optimized, let alone mobile friendly?!  Utilizing marketing campaigns and website structure on mobile devices is one of the hundreds of marketing strategies your vacation rental management company should be utilizing and that is just the beginning. Moving past 2010 to most currently, 2021, there are hundreds of hospitality marketing tools created for a variety of goals such as brand awareness, direct bookings,  guest retention, employee experience, increased revenue, and more. A few examples include conversion optimization, automated email marketing, advanced SEO, cart abandonment, retargeting, paid social media, organic social media, and paid search.. Your vacation rental management company might be wondering where to begin? That is where hospitality digital marketing services come into play. Your marketing department does not need to know the Cost Per Click (CPC) on the Google Advertisements or the top keyword in your region. What your marketing team, revenue team, and management needs to know is that your website is getting increased traffic, reduced guest acquisition costs, and increased revenue. (We don’t mean to scare you here, we just want you to be aware of the real life scenarios.)  Did you know that the industry average of a traveler putting their email into a pop up on your website is between 1 to 3 percent? If you didn’t know that or know what your conversion optimization rate on your website pop up is, that is okay. Different metrics matter to different companies, some vacation rental management companies would find more value in a statistic in the last 30 days their website pop up captured 637 guest emails. The benefit of a website pop up capturing guest data means it is putting the guests email into the CRM where your vacation rental management company will be able to stay top of mind with brand awareness and discount offers straight to the guests email to entice them to book.  Here is the last example we want your property management company to think about, how are you re-engaging travelers who research your company, are looking for a vacation, but decide to abandon your website and not book? Did you even know that was an option to track? This marketing tool is called cart abandonment. Before deciding where to book, the average traveler will view 21 websites before making a decision. If they got all the way to the last step of putting their information into your website to book but did not pull the trigger, these are the lowest hanging fruit for your marketing campaigns next to repeat guests. In a year over year case study conducted on a TravelNet Solutions client, TNS Cart Abandonment was able to recover 579 bookings for a 168 unit resort located in Hill Country Texas. This client committed a $900 investment to see a 36:1 Return on Investment with $362,000 in direct bookings. Take it from the experts at TNS, we really hope you are using cart abandonment strategies in your current marketing plan.  Cost of Human Resources Today it is crucial to have a strong and strategic digital marketing strategy. Hiring a marketing team for a VRMC can be time consuming and expensive without even mentioning training and employee turnover. The average employee turnover for the hospitality industry is 73.8 %. This means that roughly 6% of employees leave their job each month.   How does this affect your VRMC?  It means that you are spending a ton of time and resources training new employees on multiple systems like your PMS, CRM, and Digital Marketing tools but they are not sticking around long term. One of the most important investments you can make is in new people. The cost of hiring and training an employee is arguably one of the most expensive parts of running a business (roughly $4,000), so you’ve got to make sure that you get the best people for the job, everytime. If it isn’t practical to hire in-house where should you go? Let’s discuss a couple reasons why you should consider hiring a Digital Marketing agency for your properties digital marketing strategy. Human Resources are Hard to Find and Costs are Increasing If you hire cheap you may have someone with little digital marketing or industry experience, but if you hire expensive you may not have a large enough return on investment to justify the costs. Sure, large companies can easily carry the costs of a marketing team while having positive ROI, but what about smaller or independent properties? To have a successful in-house, specialized marketing team at your property, it is necessary to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on wages. This isn’t practical for independent properties and as you can see, the costs quickly add up: $66,000 – Marketing Manager $60,000 –  Web Developer $51,000 – Social Media Manager $46,000 – SEO Specialist $46,000 – Content Writer $45,000 – Marketing Coordinator (Here is a breakdown of what the costs are […]

In 2020 Marketing Managers and Vacation Rental Property Managers had to deal with and adapt to the unexpected. We had to pivot from our original strategies to deal with a global pandemic. We can’t predict what will happen this year, but we can use what we have learned in the past 10 months to improve our marketing strategies for 2021. In this Marketing Monday, we are going to go over 5 key strategies to focus on this year. Let’s call it your 2021 Marketing hitlist. SEO Optimize your SEO by including voice search in your overall strategy. Over half of online searches come from voice search.  You will want to consider your key words and which to focus on since Google puts more emphasis on this than regular search.  Identify the longer phrases that people use in everyday life like “Find a mountain vacation rental for this weekend.” Website “60% of searches are done via mobile device.” Moving into 2021, mobile friendly websites will become the most influential factor in Google search rankings as they are rolling out mobile-first indexing for the entire web. So what does this mean for your website? Google will now base its indexes and also your search ranking on the mobile version of your website, not your desktop version. Email Marketing Hubspot found that email marketers are sending 27% more emails than pre-coronavirus. This doesn’t mean just blanket emails are being sent out, VRMC’s need to focus on personalization and connecting with their guests. Contactless connections are key in 2021. Paid Search PPC managers are turning to automation and automation tools and machine learning in order to improve performance, increase efficiency, and save time. Some key strategies for 2021 include – automated bidding strategies, responsive search ads, and the optimize ad rotation in Google Ads. Managing these automation’s can be tiresome, to reduce internal ad management, utilizing a hospitality digital marketing agency such as TravelNet Solutions can help decrease your cost per clicks.  Social Media Marketing There is no question that once the global pandemic hit people ran to social media to fill up their free time. According to Statista there was a 21% uptick in March 2020. What does this mean for 2021? As new users are added daily, you will need to make sure you have a solid social media strategy moving forward. Quality over quantity will be #1 and also value will beat production quality. We hope this helps you get ready for the year ahead. If you have any questions regarding your marketing strategy or on this marketing hit list, we would love to schedule a meeting with you to learn more about your VRMC and how TNS can help you in the New Year.

In owner preferences there are two new configurations. Display revenue can now be set to "none" as well as work order status. Display revenue set to none will hide owner revenue in the owner portal. Work order status set to "none" will hide the work order tab. Interested in learning more what TRACK Property Management Software can do for you? Schedule your meeting here.

Your property detail pages on your website can make or break your direct bookings. When potential guests are searching for properties, you want to WOW them. We are going to go over 3 key elements that you need to include on your PDP to keep your guests on your site and turn these lookers into bookers. Quick Availability Search Don’t be the site that says “Please call our office to reserve these specific dates”. You will automatically turn your guests away to competitors or OTA’s. Your booking calendar should be up to date, have clear filters, and show instant availability and pricing.  Give your Properties a Name On your PDP, you want to showcase your properties in the best way possible. You don’t want to just use an address for your property–this is the time to build a brand for the property and get your guests excited about booking. Another reason to give your property a name is it sets expectations for your guests. They can use the name as a reference to the type of trip they are wanting to book. Property Descriptions GET CREATIVE. This is where you can tell the story of the property to your potential guests. How does your property differ from others? What is the most exciting aspect of your property? Don’t just list out amenities, explain them. Using these 3 key elements on your PDF will help seal the deal with your guests. To learn more how TNS can help support you with your property listings you can schedule a meeting with our experts!  

As of 2020, more than 3.8 billion people use social media worldwide and every 6.4 seconds a new user is added. The majority of Vacation Rental Managers are taking advantage of marketing across social media networks. Are you? As a vacation rental management company you have a lot to gain from being present online for your business. We are going to give you the 4 top reasons why you need to be on social media. Connects With Your Guests  If people don’t know about your properties, they can’t become a guest. Social media boosts your visibility among potential guests letting you reach a wide audience by using minimal amount of time and effort.  It’s free to create a business profile on all the major social networks, so you have nothing to lose. Promotes The Experience Here’s a fact: social media content gets attention. You have the ability to use your brand and promote your properties and company culture in many ways on social media. This also helps build trust from your potential guests. If they can picture what their stay will be like, they are more likely to book. Some examples as a VRMC are to promote the services you offer, highlight reviews, showcase your cleaning or reservation policies as a seamless experience.  Communicates Authority The hospitality industry lives and breathes by reputation. Before booking, guests do their research thoroughly. What do your social media channels look like? Are they optimized? Do they have professional photos? Do you have reviews? Being able to have a solid online presence shows that you are trustworthy, knowledgeable, and approachable. Social Media Drives Traffic To Your VRMC Website You can use your social media channels to drive direct bookings to your website. How you may ask? By posting engaging content for your guests like polls, videos, and asking questions. Another way is using Facebook advertising. You can promote special packages or events and gain direct traffic to your website. Social media is reshaping the way guests book travel in ways both big and small. We hope these 4 quick tips helped you learn the importance of building your online presence. If you want to learn more about TNS Digital Marketing Services, we would love to schedule a meeting to talk!  

The thought of looking for a new property management software for your vacation rental management company might be scary for you. Pulling the trigger to research and considering to switch softwares can be an even more daunting thought. We are here to help calm your nerves. After deep diving into VRMB’s annual Keystone Awards Algorithm and analyzing their results from over 1,000 property managers, this article will cover the importance of automation, owner portal, and API connectivity within your PMS.  Automation Automation simply means removing the manual operational labor from a task and still getting the same end result. Sounds easy, right? Triggers and automations can save your VRMC time, money, resources, and errors all by automating systems to work together and achieve mutual goals. These tasks can be automated and triggered based on an event taking place all while creating ease throughout multiple departments at once. Let’s discuss a few examples of automations you might not have known you were missing out on.  Automation Example 1 A guest checks out of their unit and it automatically sends a work order to the housekeeper assigned to that unit. But that is not all, an hour after they check out, a post stay survey is also sent to the guests email to gain feedback on their stay. This example showcases the single action of a guest checking out and automating two tasks to remove the manual assignment of a housekeeper and the manual email entry for a survey.   Automation Example 2 A reservation is made by an owner through the owner portal. Immediately, following that reservation a work order for a deep cleaning the evening before as well as an additional inspection is created to ensure the property is exceptionally clean for the owner to stay in their unit. This example saves the time of manual entry as well as room for error. The chance an owner reservation falls through the cracks is eliminated with automation.  Automation Example 3 In a time where contactless experiences are top of mind, avoiding the hassle of checking in at a front desk is key. 3 hours before check in, a guest can receive a text message notification with their access code for their keyless entry of their unit.  As showcased in the examples above, automations can reduce risk of error and save time. “Automations have saved us 1000’s of hours of manual and repetitive processes.” says TRACK PMS client, Aaron Linfoot, COO of Meredith Lodging.  Owner Portal One of the main objectives of your vacation rental management company is to acquire new owners and increase owner retention rates. Providing a robust but user-friendly owner portal can help achieve that goal. All owners have different priorities and goals, making a configurable portal beneficial to customize owner portals specifically to each owner’s preferences. It is important to include options such as reporting, reservations, availability, documents, units, work orders, and messaging. This provides transparency and open communication to increase trust and owner retention. Availability: Allowing your owners to see their availability calendar is a must. This gives them transparency into your marketing tactics and how successful they are at any given time.    Reservations:  Verifying your PMS connects appropriately to all channels and your automated PMS  setup is done correctly, you will be able to filter guests according to the reservation. An example of when this is beneficial is it  allows you to keep condo style units on the market longer before placing them as a confirmed reservation. Another huge advantage of the Owner Portal is creating owner reservations. This is where the owner can go into their dashboard, without the additional hassle of contacting your reservation team, to book their own stay. This automatically creates the owner as the folio and reservation owner creating streamlined contact to the appropriate owner. For tracking purposes, this allows your management companies reports to accurately represent the amount of personal usage on reservations from owners.  If you’d like to see how to use this feature in TRACK Property Management Software, please view this help desk article here. Reports: Allowing your PMS to automatically disperse owner statements and reports to your owners will save you hours of manual emails configured to each owner’s wants and needs. Also, increase accuracy by automating required statements and reports to reduce any falling through the cracks. Owner reports that are beneficial are:  Owner Account Balance Owner Documents Owner Ledger Owner Payment List Owner Reservations Owner Statement Approval Owner Statement Comments Owner Statement Summary Owner Target Amount Owner Transactions Owner Trial Balance Owners Login Unit Availability Unit Owner History  Units by Owner List Documents Having a consistent place to store owner documents allows your vacation rental management company to stay organized internally along with transparency to your owners. Finding a PMS that provides a secure document storage is a must where you can keep public and private owner documentation. Examples of documentation that could be stored here would be owner contracts, lease agreements, owner biography, and images.  Lastly, let’s talk about the importance of an open API.  Open API What is an API? An API is an application programming interface. This means there is a one or two way connection between 2 platforms that simplifies your workload by removing manual data entry into multiple systems. The process that happens behind the scenes is creating seamless operations with little error while increasing your team’s efficiency and productivity. Having an open API within your PMS allows you to continue to use multiple vendors that connect to your PMS. Examples that TRACK have direct connections with include payment processors, smart home technology, direct distribution, channel management, revenue management, and housekeeping platforms. This allows you to keep your current relationships while still scaling your business operations within your Property Management Software. Below are a list of examples that open API’s can help your vacation rental management company.  Revenue Management Regardless, if you have a revenue management team or not, dynamic pricing and management is not a simple feat. Connecting […]

2021 has just arrived and what is your vacation rental management company planning for a successful year? Now is the perfect time to set SMART goals. These goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. In this article we are going to discuss three actionable items your VRMC can implement to increase operational efficiency and guest retention. Consolidate Your Technology Footprint  Many disconnected systems make it hard to communicate effectively and efficiently internally and with guests. Finding ways to consolidate your property management software, CRM, revenue management, housekeeping, maintenance, and accounting software is key. This can eliminate manual entry through multiple systems and decrease room for error. A prime example is having your housekeeping platform directly inside TRACK hospitality software or through a third party partner such as Breezeway or VRScheduler. With the ease of work order automation and triggers, units can be cleaned immediately after check out. A work order for regular cleaning will be scheduled and sent to the right cleaner at the right time in one single system. While the cleaner is in that unit, they can use one platform to finalize their cleaning checklist, upload before and after photos, as well as submit for inspection. While consolidating your technology footprint, you are setting your operations up for success by moving many platforms under one success manager and support center. Instead of having 8 monthly reviews with account managers, have 1 to 2, high quality meetings while building a stronger relationship with a singular vendor who really understands your company.  Grow Your Direct Bookings When was the last time you did a deep dive into your marketing strategy and analyzed where your bookings come from? Setting up your vacation rental management company for increased occupancy in 2021 should be a high priority. We aren’t saying you should get rid of your OTA’s, but we are going to give you actionable items to help rely on them less.  First, making sure to implement a website pop up to capture visitor data is critical. This pop up could include a discount code for a future stay while obtaining the visitors email address to be top of mind with them by sending them branded emails. The website visitor is on your website because they are in the research process of booking a trip, make sure they don’t forget about you while they shop!  Second, optimizing your website’s responsiveness to fit Google’s algorithm for search engines is important. You want your website to appear on page one of Google under many high volume keywords. If you’re looking to learn more about what Google is looking for in 2021, check out our article with Google’s 2021 Search Engine Launches.  Increase Repeat Guests Did you know that it cost your company less to keep repeat guests than acquire a new one? So why not entice guest’s to return to your property? Here are 3 ways in 2021 you can help increase guest retention. First, implement guest surveys. According to a study Florida Atlantic University did stated that 13/16 guests won’t complain about a problem they had during their stay unless they are asked. Sending guests post stay surveys allows you to enhance the experience of the future guest as well as make the problem right and create a loyal guest. In that same study, 80% of upset guests stated they would become a loyal guest if their compliant is fixed and fixed quickly. In a year such as 2020, providing contactless experiences is the second way to increase guest retention. A simple technology enhancement that was appreciated in the past is now a requirement. Providing smart technology such as keyless entry to bypass the front desk and voice activated thermostats can be a small gesture that entices a guest to visit again.  Lastly, implementing multiple communication channels will help increase repeat guests. Everyone has different preferred methods of communication such as voice, text, chat, and more. Making sure you are in the right place for the right guest is important. Guest’s who are attempting to relax on vacation, may not be checking their email so asking if they want room service through an email is not the ideal method. While someone who is staying at your property on a business trip, might be more responsive to their emails and request to have email communications sent. It is all about creating the most efficient communication methods for each guest. If you’re looking to increase guest retention and consolidate your technology footprint. Schedule a meeting here with Travelnet Solutions to learn about our digital marketing agency, CRM, and property management software.

In Triggers and Automations with the object of a survey response there are now conditions for segmenting the surveys based on location, brand, or campaign. If the survey was generated from a reservation the survey response email can be conditioned by unit, unit node, unit role or campaign. If the survey was generated from a sale the survey response email can be conditioned by sales link, brand or campaign. A use of this would be when a survey is completed, depending on the location or campaign, the PM may want to direct the guest to share that survey in a different location. If you'd like to see if TRACK is the right fit for you, please submit a request here to speak with a solutions consultant.

If you have been in your Google Analytics recently, you can see that there are hundreds of ways you can track your website data. But how do you know which to track when it comes to a successful conversion?  First let’s define the guest conversion we are learning about in this article. The conversion rate we are referring to is defined as the percentage of how many bookings you received compared to the number of sessions to your properties  website and is a key metric often used to measure marketing efficiency. Now we know the definition, let’s dive into 3 metrics you should be tracking and why. Traffic Sources Where do visitors find your site? The three most common searches to keep an eye on are Direct, Search, and Referral. Based on where your guests are coming from, you can use your analytics to see what types of searches are converting guests higher. Once you know this, you can choose where you want to spend your marketing efforts on. If you have more searches coming from search (google), you could increase your ad spend. If you notice that referral (social) searches are higher, you can market more on those types of platforms. New Guest Conversion Rate How are new guests engaging with your site? If they convert the first time, you are grabbing their attention and can continue to maintain this strategy. If not, you should focus on why. Is your main website page up to date? Are their recent offers? Repeat Guest Conversion Rate For repeat guests, you should ask yourself 2 questions. Why did they return to your site? Did they convert the first time? And if not how can you make them convert this round. Knowing this data, you can change your approach. You could offer these repeat guests a coupon for a % off, or 2 days for the price of one to get them to convert. The more you analyze and dig deep into your conversion rate, the more you continue to keep heads in beds. TNS provides ATLAS Commerce, a high converting booking engine, that has been proven to work side by side with our website design to give your guests the full experience to convert. If you would like to learn more, you can meet with our team!  

Moving into 2021, Google is changing their algorithm to be based on the user page experience. This will be an influential factor in Google Search rankings moving forward. Even though this was announced about a year ago, most websites will not be set up for success going into 2021. We want to help you change that! So what does this mean for your SEO and your VRMC website? In Google’s own words, here is what it means… The page experience signal measures aspects of how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page. Optimizing for these factors makes the web more delightful for users across all web browsers and surfaces, and helps sites evolve towards user expectations on mobile. We believe this will contribute to business success on the web as users grow more engaged and can transact with less friction. This means that they are looking for how usable your website is. In this blog we are going to educate you on the enhancements needed to maximize Google’s results and how a high converting website will help you maximize your conversions. First let’s discuss the elements that will feed into your website experience in 2021: Core Web Vitals: A combination of three key performance metrics – Largest Contentful Paint, ( An ideal LCP measurement is 2.5 seconds or faster) , First Input Delay ( An ideal measurement is less than 100 ms.) and Cumulative Layout Shift (An ideal measurement is less than 0.1.) – that measure the visual loading, interactivity, and visual stability of a page as it loads for users. You can use Google’s free tool to test out your page speed insights.  Mobile-Friendliness: Looks at how easy websites are to use and navigate on mobile devices, including the readability of content and whether links and on-page elements are clickable and accessible. You will want your website to be optimized for mobile, as most users are visiting via mobile devices. This is an example of a TNS premier client who uses ATLAS Commerce. When looking at mobile friendliness for your vacation rental property management website, having the most valuable links available in your drop down menu is important. A mobile menu will have fewer links than a desktop version so understanding the goals of your website as well as analyzing page traffic through Google Analytics can help you determine which links to include in your menu. Here is an example, if your website’s goal is to convert owners onto your rental program, you will want to have your Property Management page relevant on the menu. This page can house all the other necessary links to convert an owner such as the Get A Quote link or a downloadable Owners Brochure.  Safe Browsing: Assesses whether a site has issues such as malware, phishing and hacked content, to ensure that users can browse safely. As online threats continue to grow and evolve, it’s important to ensure you’re providing a safe browsing experience for your website visitors to build trust and avoid being filtered out by Google’s advanced tool. HTTPS: Focuses on whether the connection of a website is secure and if the site is being served over HTTPS as recommended, or not. Pro Tip: HTTPS is no longer something that is nice to have, it’s something every website must have, and factors into where your website appears in the SERPs. HTTPS was introduced as an added security measure, to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. While it takes steps to receive HTTPS certificates, it’s worthwhile for every website to attain in order to improve security measures and the overall customer experience. Non-Intrusive Interstitials: Ensures that crucial on-page content is not obstructed for users as they are browsing. Types of interactive content you may want to consider adding to your site include infographics, assessments, polls, surveys, and interactive videos. Google’s existing user experience metrics will still be applicable ranking factors. High Converting Website If you are not meeting the previously mentioned criteria for good page experiences, it is already hindering your website conversions and your property revenue. For example, at a speed of 2.4 seconds the average conversion rate is 1.9%. At a speed of 4.2% your conversion rate is less than 1%. Implementing a high converting website can impact your VRMC by creating a more powerful experience leading to higher conversions. ATLAS Commerce is an experienced hospitality solution to drive more direct bookings using a conversion-focused e-commerce website and booking engine. The two paired together will help consolidate your property’s technology footprint. The secure booking engine has a responsible web design that also integrates with most PMS systems, like TRACK. Our high converting websites will lead your guests to conversion with our easy layout and designs. When they enter your website, they will have clarity of where to find available units to book, amenities, and other relevant information about your property. Trust Our Expert Designers to Deliver an Amazing Website That Converts Since 2013, our designers and developers have built and delivered over 350, high performing vacation rental management websites. Built on top of the WordPress enterprise CMS platform, we are able to deliver cost-effective, yet robust websites that rank highly in search, perform well on mobile and are optimized for conversion. Keeping up with website evolution can be a daunting task, but not when you have TNS in your corner.  To learn more about Google’s algorithm change in 2021, or to meet with our team you can visit our website to schedule a meeting.         

Track now supports virtual cards. Virtual cards are used by OTAs to pay for reservations when they are merchant of record. They will issue a card that is able to be used for a single reservation. It will be limited by an amount and an effective date. Any attempts to charge prior to effective date or above the limit will result in a card rejection. In track if Virtual is selected when adding a card to a reservation a date and amount can be set. If the card is attempted to be used outside of either of those there will be a warning message. If a virtual card is used on a booking through the channel API the reservation will be changed to a credit card deposit so the reservation can be confirmed without charging the credit card. In Track the effective date and limit are optional values. In the API the effectiveDate is required and the amount is optional. If you'd like to see if TRACK is the right fit for you, please submit a request here to speak with a solutions consultant.

Conversion Optimization is an excellent revenue management tool for your Vacation Rental Management Company. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, here’s the best way of phrasing it: Traffic generation is what you get. Conversion optimization is what you do with it. The most popular type of conversion optimization is a form popup on your website, so this Marketing Monday, we are going to go over 3 tips to enhance your form to bring your conversion rate above industry average.  Color Choose colors that speak to your guests. Did you know that dark blue and teal are for the sensible shoppers who maintain strict budgets while  orange and red attract people who want to purchase now. (Hello, free spirits) Messaging Cut to the chase. If you can say it in a 100 words, don’t take 200 words … Split Testing The industry average for conversions is 2%. If your rate was below this, don’t worry. You can use split testing to enhance it and try something new. A few common ways are to change your call to action, add a relative promotion, or switch out the image to attract more attention. If you want to learn more about how your vacation rental property can use conversion optimization, we would love to schedule a meeting.  

We have added configurable reasons for moving a reservation from one unit to another. There are 5 pre-configured reasons and others can be added by the users. As a new unit is selected for a reservation a drop down will appear with a select-able reason. the reason will then become part of the Audit Log record and is report-able in the Folio Audit Log Report. This option must be enabled in Reservation > Preferences. If you'd like to see if TRACK is the right fit for you, please submit a request here to speak with a solutions consultant.

Building relationships with guests doesn’t look the same as it did 9 months ago. The global pandemic has changed how we are interacting with guests. From contactless check-ins to social distancing there is limited face to face contact and owners must find other ways to build relationships and provide the same experience as they would during normal operations.  In this blog we’ll discuss how vacation rental owners can own the guest experience by implementing personalization tactics throughout their email marketing strategy.  We will give tips on segmenting lists for each stage of the guest journey after you’ve implemented a CRM.  A CRM That Adds Value To Your Email Marketing Campaigns A customer relationship management (CRM) platform is a very important tool to gather, store, and utilize important guest data. Your CRM enables you to select and manage the most valuable guest relationships.  It helps to grow a relationship with the guest from the first introduction and throughout the entire guest lifecycle. There are many ways that you can utilize your CRM to engage the guest with timely email messaging throughout the guest life cycle. The first step is reviewing your guest data. The 3 Functions of Data Connecting with your guests needs to be memorable, making data an extremely valuable component of a successful property. The three main phases of data collection include data in, data storage, and data out. When looking at your properties main objectives to drive profit, increase guest satisfaction, and earn guest loyalty, identifying your most valuable guests allows you to connect during their stay, entices them to come back, as well as finds others similar to them. Vacation Rental Management Companies need to collect their guest data for continuous flow of: Data In – Guest data flows in from multiple channels such as PMS, CRS and POS Data Storage – Stored in a central rich guest profile within the CRM platform Data Out – Operations and Marketing uses data to target audiences and deliver tailored communications “Capturing guest data and creating a single source of truth via a rich guest profile, allows the opportunity for the Vacation Rental Management Company to truly understand their guests needs and desires and to provide seamless customer experiences throughout the lifecycle and stay cycle of a customer. This is no longer a nice to have, it’s a must have in the eyes of most Vacation Rental Owners” says Matt Renner, Principal Sales Consultant TravelNet Solutions.” Once you have an idea of your guest data, the next step is use that data to personalize email messaging and automate it. Personalization You want to understand each guest’s buying behavior, characteristics, needs and expectations, so that you can tailor your email messaging to what they find most relevant during the guest journey. Personalization can include using their name in communications, referring to amenities they enjoy such as spa or golf, or referring to accommodations they requested prior to stay. These are tokens added into the communication that make the guest feel as they are creating a valuable relationship and not just another room filled. Email Automation  Vacation Rental Management Companies are busy running the day to day operations of their properties, by automating emails within your CRM you are able to engage with high value content and experiences for your guests, while saving both time and money. You can set up your emails based on the guest journey, and even at specific times. For example, if you wanted to target a pre stay guest, a way to do this would be 24-48 hours before their stay, send them a free room upgrade! The more you can both personalize and automate your emails, the better overall guest experience you will bring them.  Now that you understand the why, the next step is the “Who”. We are going to break down the 4 audiences that you should focus on based on the data collected in your CRM, and examples of ideas for messaging. Prospect: At the beginning of their search, potential guests are focused on the inspiration and the feeling that they want out of their stay at your property. A great way to grab a prospect’s attention is sending a follow up email after they have called and spoke to a reservation agent. If they expressed they are looking for a vacation located near a golf course focus on grabbing their attention with high quality images of your properties located near golf courses.  You could also send out a golf offer for first time visitors.  Another example could include the traveler who inquired about a family vacation and a follow up email with properties including a pool, game room, and other kid friendly amenities.  Pre Stay: During this phase, a great idea would be to send an email with a personalized countdown to their stay! It shows the guest that you are excited for their stay and to top it off, you could even send a packing list! Some other ideas could be early check in, nearby grocery delivery services, or tickets to attractions. Another example of a pre-stay email would include the directions to the home the guest is staying in, as well as providing the door code to unlock the unit. In a world where contactless experiences are ideal, avoiding checking in at the front desk is key. Stay Cycle: During this phase, guests are busy enjoying the property, so a good way to engage and give them a top of the line experience is sending out an email about local restaurants and activities nearby. If you have a partnership with local attractions, provide a specialized discount code that can make their stay even more memorable. Post Stay: After a guest leaves your property, one of the main things you will want to do is send a personalized thank you and a post follow up survey! You want to capture any feedback for potential guests and see how they enjoyed their stay. To take it a step further in your […]

When you are looking for the highest ROI for your vacation rental, SEO, should be your top priority. Effective SEO will help you get a regular supply of affluent travelers who may have never heard of you before but are interested in staying at places like yours. SEO is one of the most complex marketing strategies, so to avoid any mystery, we are going to give you 3 tips to focus on for your Vacation Rental SEO strategy. Tip 1: Utilize Tools to Track the Success of Your Goals Setting goals for your property should already be a given, but to make these goals successful, you will need to implement tools to help you make it to your finish line. An example goal to track via SEO would be to boost your direct bookings. Check out how Google Analytics, an effective CRM, and Conversion tools can help you track success for direct bookings. Google Analytics (FREE!) Properly setting up your Google Analytics account will assist in tracking eCommerce conversions on your site. If you are utilizing a third party booking platform, you’ll have to work with them on this as well. Conversion Tracking Getting people to your website is one thing, keeping them there is another. Using Google Analytics you are able to understand how people land on your site, where they explore your site, and when they convert. An Effective CRM When you implement an effective CRM you are able to keep phone call data and record on guest calls that come from your website. Creating relationships with your guests and utilizing lead management of a CRM, will help close more bookings, adding on to your goal. These measurements are part of Google’s algorithm in search engine placement. Keeping someone interactive on your site and converting helps your placement score. Tip 2: Setup Your Page For Visitors to Interact When visitors arrive at your website, you want it to be equivalent to inviting guests into your house. A nice welcome greeting, easy navigation, and a good host. One of Google’s and other search engines top priorities is to provide the best answers with relevant content to the asked question. When Google is successful, people will continue to use their search engine. Keep in mind you want it to be easy to navigate regardless of how the visitor enters, they can find exactly what they need to find and quickly. This means making your pages very specific and focused. If your goal is to drive direct bookings here are some page ideas you want: Accommodation or room pages Vacation Rental Unit Pages Pages of Specials and Packages Tip 3: Site Speed is Impactful It may seem like common sense that a faster loading site is more user-friendly, attractive to the visitor, and less frustrating, but the results that are affected by the site speed is astronomical. According to Amazon, a page that loads just one second slower had lost sales of $1.6 Billion. One second can mean that much? It can! The best practice to focus on is staying under that 2 second mark, and being quicker than the competitor. You’re not only competing with the competitor across the street when it comes to SEO, you need to keep in mind that OTA’s are the king of SEO. Heck, it’s their job to get the most traffic to their sites, so if you can beat them in SEO, you’ve got it mastered. If you’re questioning your site speed, let me give you access to this free tool of Google Page Speed Test.   That’s a Wrap on SEO After reading this you should be able to define your property goals and understand that SEO inevitably will play a large factor in successfully achieving those goals. Learn about Google’s Ranking Algorithm and implement best practices for your website to perform. If you need: Help reviewing your Google Analytics Account A Lead Management Software Help navigating your OTA’s vs Direct Bookings Questions on building a quality Website Be sure to set up a time to meet with our Digital Marketing Experts!

In the Vacation Rental Industry, a property lives and dies by their reputation.  72% of people surveyed said they would not book a rental with no reviews. (TripAdvisor) In order to boost guest loyalty, get more referrals, and continue growing your business year after year, you have to spend time proactively managing your reputation. Thanks to the popularity and transparency of online review tools found on Yelp, Trip Advisor, Google, and Facebook, your ability to monitor and influence the opinions of your guests has never been more important. We are going to list out a few ways you can be proactive about talking to guests and managing reviews to keep them happy and coming back: Check in with guests at least once during their stay to ensure that they have everything they need. With COVID-19, you can use push notifications instead of face to face contact. Send a follow-up email a few days after your guests leave asking them to fill out a short survey about their experience staying with you. Always encourage guests to contact you about any concerns they have while staying at your property. You could either give them your personal email, direct them to an online form, or have them talk to a designated individual on your leadership or management team. The feedback you get will allow you to give praise to your employees, and address any concerns that could evolve into bigger problems if they continue to go unchecked. Regardless of what kind of reputation you currently have among past guests and interested travelers, more work can and should be done in order to ensure the future success of your business. If you are looking for more information on reputation management, we would be happy to meet with you! 

Flexcations are the newest travel trend and vacation rentals are coming in at the top of the list for travelers to book. What is a flexcation you might ask? As described by Forbes, families who are booking vacation rental trips later in August, September and October, consider staying longer to mix work and play, and often get better value in high-demand locales. According to data collected by VRBO, 50% of those surveyed agreed that flexible school schedules provide more flexibility in vacationing, while 48% said they can work from anywhere. In this article, we are going to discuss the top 3 updates to make to your unit description for OTA channels and your website to entice travelers to book at your owners homes.  Must Have Amenities  With the mindset that the new trends in the flexcation era involve families who are working remotely and children doing distance learning, making sure the amenities on your website and channels are updated to fit the needs of these travelers. The key amenity these travelers will look for is high-speed wifi. Here is a list of other nice amenities to add that create an attractive work environment:  Coffee maker Streaming services Surround Sound Systems Electrical outlets and additional chargers Office Desk Stocked breakfast  Once you have updated your amenities on your OTA’s and your website, next go through and get updated, professional pictures.  Update Your Pictures Having updated pictures on your unit descriptions can make or break securing a booking against your competitors. Make sure that your unit is portraying appropriate cleanliness standards and following a pre-photo checklist which includes items such as hiding cords, arranging throw pillows, cleanly folded towels, and more. This will set your unit up for success.  Going the extra mile, utilize a company such as TruPlace who can help create interactive floor plans for an enhanced guest experience before they even book. TruPlace can also create more attractive photos by adding color where needed, whether it be a bluer pool or a brighter fire, the photos on your listings can make all the difference.   If you want to learn more about updating your images on your unit in TRACK Property Management Software, please visit our help desk article here. Enhance The Listing Verbiage Prior to Flexcations, your vacation rental management company should have a criteria to fulfill all the requirements by each listing channel to improve your listing quality. OTA’s such as Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, and more all have rules in which they rate the quality of your listing which determines the placement of your listing on their sites. Now with Flexcations being a big trend, you will want to update your criteria to add hot words such as high-speed internet, kid-friendly desk, furnished office space, and more. This will increase your chances of securing a booking of a traveler looking to work remotely at one of your vacation rentals. If you want to learn more about Airbnb’s algorithm for listing performance, view their help desk article here.

For any channels where rent is imported as a lump sum for all nights, this can now be expressed nightly. In accounting settings, if Allocate Rent Based on Rates is enabled, channel reservations will use nightly rates with an allocation adjustment to ensure totals match. If you'd like to see if TRACK is the right fit for you, please submit a request here to speak with a solutions consultant.

The Hospitality Industry is transforming into an industry defined by personalization, relevant content and the social experience travelers influence everyday. As this trend continues to unfold, it is becoming increasingly difficult to build brand loyalty. How do you win a customer over and keep them coming back time and time again, when the travel process starts earlier than it ever has, and is not over, even after booking and stay? This is a dilemma that has been creeping up the alley of online hospitality marketers everywhere. Finding the right combination of social interaction, email marketing, promotional activities, etc. can be a fine line to walk. At the core of any successful property is a loyal customer base. Customers are the primary factor in shaping the success of your hospitality property. The question now becomes; how do you build a customer base that is loyal, and remains that way for an amount of time that will prove to be profitable for your business? In this blog we will go over 5 ways how to build customer loyalty. Ensure a Quality Experience It is important to recognize that guest’s attitudes are shifting. What was once a market dominated by the best value, or lowest price, is (and really, already has) shifted to a market in which buyers are looking for an experience that will set one property apart from another. When you are attempting to lay the foundation for a loyal guest base, keep in mind that travelers are looking for that once in a lifetime experience, that little something that makes their stay different from anywhere else. Providing brochures in your lobby which exhibit nearby attractions help the guest know there are many opportunities around for everyone to enjoy their trip. This could even be the trick to bringing them back if they can’t see all the places on their bucket list. You can also provide experiences onsite to help with guest retention. A guest takes a vacation with the mindset to relax might be brought back time and time again for the onsite spa or peaceful jacuzzi. Showcasing experiences throughout your property will improve guest experience and bring them back for more. Here is an example of a current guest on how they are promoting their unique experience on their website. Personalization According to data from Google, 83% of leisure travelers, and another 76% of business travelers now plan their travel online. The planning process includes anything from reviews, to price points, social media to video and visual assets. Because the road to selection is so clouted with variables, personalization becomes extremely important. The key to personalization is ensuring that the process begins in the earliest phases (research) and continues through the travel journey, concluding with personalized follow up, post trip. Send personalized birthday emails. Hey, why not include a discount code to make them come back! When sending reservation confirmation text messages add the [First Name] Personalization Token along with a genuine welcome message.  In the post-stay survey include questions regarding the agent who checked them in or the housekeeper who cleaned their unit. This is personalized to their stay and allows their feedback to feel valuable and increases their likelihood of returning. Transform the Experience  Personalization can be thought of as points similar to what is explained above. However it can also be thought of as transforming an online experience to make the message more personal to the traveler, and enhancing the likelihood of purchasing. For example, a common message on several property sites is a “no availability” pop up of sorts, oftentimes on the event calendar or booking engine. A simple way to improve this message, and make it a positive for the traveler is to add in something like “Don’t worry! We still have other available dates that you may find helpful,” or something equating to a message of that nature in an attempt to squash any discouragement. Leverage Social Media According to independent research, one out of every four travelers uses social media to research and plan their vacation. So what does this mean for your social media efforts? Use social listening to your advantage. Billions of users scroll the pages of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more, everyday. It is important to have an understanding of your guest base and reach out to them in ways that connect to them on a personal level. Are you marketing to families? Beach goers? Newlyweds? Once you can nail down your market, you can choose the appropriate content that will engage them and in return they feel valued and loyal to your brand. Technology Loyalty is built from the time they first find your property until the time they leave. Technology can be used to help build guest loyalty throughout their stay. Some ways you can provide this is contact less check ins, smart features within the rooms, or even personalized text messages throughout their stay. So now that you know customer or brand loyalty is key to your properties success, it is time to focus on what you do best, provide the ultimate guest experience. If you need help with your Digital Marketing strategy, TNS is here to help. Schedule your meeting today with an expert!

Email marketing is still one of the most effective marketing mediums. It delivers a consistently high return on investment at a low cost. If you’re not doing Email Marketing, you should really start. Most properties have some sort of email marketing strategy, usually a bi-weekly or monthly e-blast that goes out to their database. However, there is a different type of email marketing that can be an effective tool to battle OTA’s for mindshare with new customers. Drip Email Marketing is the process of capturing an email subscriber and sending them sequenced emails over a period of time. We started experimenting with this strategy for our customers back in 2016. It quickly became a highly effective means to build an email database and drive direct bookings of new people that were not quite ready to book on the website on the first visit. We call this practice Conversion Optimization, but really, it is drip email marketing. The first thing you want to do when setting up a drip campaign is to implement a way to capture email subscribers on your website. We recommend using a tool like Opt-in monster. Once you have set up your pop-up to capture email subscribers, you will want to connect it to an email service provider. It has to be a service provider that allows you to sequence emails. We typically create 5 emails and send them over a 30 period of time for our customers. We like to change up the messaging to be relevant to seasonal changes, changes in strategy at the property level and via other outside factors. Here is an example of one of our 5 email sequences that proved very effective for one of our customers (notice the content is not all deal related) We deleted some information for obvious reasons, but you can see here, the first email has a 55% open rate with a 25%+ click-through rate. 20 days after the first email, we delivered the 5th email in the sequence and generated a 27% open rate with a 5.25% click-through rate. You can also see unsubscribes are very low. It is a good practice to change emails and messaging throughout the year so that you are staying relevant for the new email subscribers. Once that email sequence is complete, you can add the new subscribers to your primary email database. Drip email marketing is low cost and drives a really good ROI. Here is a screenshot below of the results of a drip email campaign for one of our clients. Results from November 1- November 30th 2020 We hope you find these strategies useful and helpful! As hospitality marketers, it’s important that we pick the right strategies, it’s not always the best idea to try and do everything or to jump on every flashy new trend. There are certain things that are tried and true and generate bookings consistently, year in and year out, and then there are new channels that come along and make an immediate impact, then fizzle out. Our recommendation is to test things, dip your toe in the water, see what works for you, then maximize that channel for all its worth, or until you hit a diminishing return. Most of the time, it comes down to execution, who do you have to execute your marketing strategies? Do you have the right in-house team or the right agency partner? Do you have the right technology helping convert the travelers once they get to your website? Do you have a reservation team that is really good at converting calls and doing outbound follow up and lead management? If so, then market away and watch the revenue roll in. But if you don’t have your technology, website, sales and revenue management in order, our recommendation is to start there. No sense in wasting good marketing dollars if they don’t turn into heads in beds. Need help keeping up with current marketing strategies? Don’t worry, we specialize in Digital Marketing for the Hospitality Industry. Schedule your demo today.

In a time when everything is unknown, inconsistent, and unprecedented, one thing your vacation rental management company can stay confident in is a solid pricing strategy. Having a team of revenue managers, the appropriate tools implemented, and a strategy to follow is the key to optimizing your pricing according to your demand. In this article we will talk about just that, the strategy behind your pricing, who manages that, and the tools needed to execute.  Dynamic Pricing in Vacation Rentals There are many pricing strategies out there, but dynamic pricing is the one that is taking the vacation rental industry market by storm. According to our friends at Rentals United, dynamic pricing is a response to dynamic demand. Using dynamic pricing software to adjust your rates can significantly boost your revenue. Leading dynamic pricing providers claim that their data-driven solutions can increase revenue by as much as 40%. This may sound foreign to you, what they are saying is pricing your units accordingly, you can get in front of the right person in the right place, at the right time, with the right price. We can take it a step further, let’s talk about different ways dynamic pricing strategies work.  Slowest Week Day Analyzing your days one by one is important for your vacation rental revenue management. Look at your numbers and determine which week day has the average lowest occupancy rate. Once you have determined that, this is an opportunity to lower your price, verify industry averages on that same night, and compare your current pricing. This could be the golden ticket to filling a few more units or maybe even all of them!  Pricing for Extended Stays If your properties are located in “snowbird” territory where extended stays are more often, or if your business strategy targets more extended stays you can promote this by pricing accordingly. Looking at 15+ stays, you can grow those while increasing your revenue by providing a 10-15% discount. This allows you to capture additional extended stays because the guest feels valued and compelled to take advantage of this offer. With the offer being smaller, one additional guest easily makes up and adds more revenue than you previously had.  Minimum Night Stays A problem we would all love to have is 100% occupancy. If you are in that boat, there is still room to increase your revenue and setting minimum night stays might be the answer to that. You might be wondering what a minimum night stay means? A minimum night stay is the lowest amount of nights a reservation can be made for requiring a longer stay cycle for your guests. If you currently have a one night minimum stay, you are running the risk of doubling or tripling your cleans in a week than they need to be, costing your vacation rental management company time, money, and resources. You can avoid this by simply adding a 2 or more minimum night stay.  Now that you have seen that dynamic pricing and many factors play a part in increasing your revenue and pricing according to demand is important and involves a lot of data, but who manages all that? We will discuss this in the next section. Vacation Rental Revenue Management Experts Depending on the size of your operation, there is a chance you have an inhouse revenue management team. This could include an executive in the position with others who analyze industry trends, understand the market you are in, and price accordingly. Having an inhouse revenue management team allows you to market that value to gain new owners and help retain current owners by providing internal support and showing valuable experience in the industry. Another option is having a partner in the revenue management industry such as BeyondPricing, PerfectPrice, PriceLabs, or WheelHouse. These industry professionals are all integrated with TRACK Hospitality Software. If you would like to learn more about each of them, please read this article here.  Revenue Management Tools in Your Vacation Rental PMS Now that you know your strategy and the team to help make this happen. Let’s discuss ways that your vacation rental property management software can provide you with tools to enhance your operations when it comes to pricing.  Pricing Flexibility Giving you the flexibility to price your units on multiple levels due to different conditions will allow you to configure your rates quickly and accurately. The ability to price your units within minutes gives your revenue management team the ability to make decisions on the fly according to factors such as amenities, room counts, location, and more. Making sure your vacation rental revenue management team is well versed and skilled in your property management software will be critical for efficiency.  Breaking it down even further, you can look into daily rates vs seasonal rate. Daily rates are when your pricing strategy allows for you to change your pricing structure on a daily basis. Depending on your strategy, you also might utilize seasonal pricing. This is pricing that is utilized for 2 or more weeks at a time with no fluctuation involved during that time period. If you would like to learn the differences between daily and seasonal pricing, please read this article that TRACK has provided on the blog for you.

Website trends are constantly changing, but one thing that has always been a high priority for hospitality property websites is making sure they provide a mobile-friendly experience. “60% of searches are done via mobile device.” Moving into 2021, mobile friendly websites will become the most influential factor in Google search rankings as they are rolling out mobile-first indexing for the entire web. So what does this mean for your website? Google will now base its indexes and also your search ranking on the mobile version of your website, not your desktop version. If you have had a website refresh on your to do list, now is the perfect time to start. You don’t want to miss out on lost bookings if your website performs poorly on mobile devices. In this blog post, we are going to lay out 5 steps to conduct a mobile audit of your website and get you prepared for the coming year. Step 1: Examine Your Website’s Mobile Design There are a few factors you will want to look for when you examine the mobile design of your website. You will want to make sure your design helps users focus on the content that they desire and make sure that it is accessible in a clear format. Another factor you will want to look at is if your website adjusts to different devices. You can check your mobile web design using Google’s free tool.  Step 2: Analyze Content Quality content is the most valuable asset you have on your website. It helps you retain existing users and attract new ones. While conducting an audit, you must check your content and improve it if necessary. Here is a quick check list of content that you will want to analyze. Images Pages Statistics Blog Posts Videos Landing Pages You will want to audit this for SEO, spelling errors, relevance, and engagement. Lastly, make sure content that is available on desktop version is also optimized for mobile. Step 3: Optimize Your Keywords For Mobile One of the ways to reexamine your mobile SEO strategy is to conduct mobile keyword research and optimize your pages accordingly. Short and sweet is the key as we move into this technological and mobile era. Keep your pages optimized for not more than 2-3 words. Step 4: Analyze Speed With competition all around, you do not want your visitors to have to wait for your site to load. Pages with a longer load time will have a higher bounce rate and will lower the average time your visitors spend on your page. Longer load times have also been shown to negatively affect booking conversions. According to Neil Patel, if your site takes more than three seconds to load, you lose 75% of your potential readers. You can check your site’s loading speed using the Google Page Speed tool.   Step 5: User Experience Improving user experience is crucial to achieving success in the optimization and promotion of your website. When a guest goes to your website, what is their first impression? Do you have an easy navigation that will bring them through the direct booking process? A good way to audit this is by checking your Google Analytics account and seeing where users start on your website, and where they are leaving. Your website will continue to be a work in progress, but moving into 2021, we hope we have provided you with key takeaways to keep your traffic high and searches up.  If you need help with optimizing your website, we would be happy to get you in touch with our Digital Marketing Experts for a free consultation.         

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest shopping days in the U.S. To most of us, these days are about snagging deeply-discounted apparel and electronics. However, the travel industry can also benefit from the frenzy of shopping activity during the holidays. It also marks the beginning of the Holiday season, where many hospitality properties race to reach their annual objectives. We are going to list out a few ways your property can take advantage of this, and not just by lowering your rates. #1 Segment your website and email campaigns Segmentation is the jack of all trades, at least when it comes to email marketing. It not only allows you to create email offers that are relevant and resonate with your recipients, but segmentation also helps with email deliverability. By segmenting your subscribers demographically and behaviorally and personalizing your message, your recipients will be more likely to engage with your emails, allowing your sender reputation to remain good and ensuring that your emails don’t go to spam. #2 Reward loyal customers  Show your best customers how thankful you are by offering them early access to your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. By making it clear that they’re receiving the offer as a loyalty reward, you will make them feel valued and special. And, with early access to the deal, you can get a jump on the competition and ensure their budget is spent with you. #3 Think mobile Most people will be scrolling their phones to check out Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. You will want to make sure your booking engine and website are optimized to work well on small screens. Make sure your specials are easily scrollable, there is a clear call to action, and the campaigns are short and sweet. #4 Make sure to include a countdown With special dates, time is of the essence! Nobody wants to miss out on a magical night at their dream vacation spot. Give guests an extra nudge by creating exclusive deals with a clear time limit and use a countdown clock to make sure they know when the sale ends. Taking inspiration from these examples will help you get personal with your guests and increase your bookings going into the New Year. Need help with your email marketing? Schedule a consultation with a Digital Marketing Expert.

Deciding where you should be placing your advertising spend is a big decision. A huge advertising opportunity that many people are missing is Facebook Retargeting. Retargeting works by adding a cookie to the browser of anyone who visits your website, then Facebook is able to show them your targeted ads in their newsfeed. How It Works? A traveler will visit your site, view photos, amenities and start looking into rates. Although they may be interested, most travelers won’t book on their first visit to your site. Over the next several days they will visit Facebook and see your ad keeping you on top of their mind. Eventually they will click your ad, go to your website and book direct. With the goal of getting travelers back to your website there are many ways that you can optimize your campaigns. Here are 3 things that you should consider when spending your advertising dollars on Facebook Display & Retargeting Ads: Why You Should be Advertising on Facebook Who to Target What Type of Ads to Run Why You Should be Advertising on Facebook? Facebook is the biggest social network worldwide by far with 2.7 billion monthly users. 169 Million of those users are from the United States which is over half the population. The potential audience for Facebook is huge! Today data is key and Facebook provides the most comprehensive tools to reach out to your target audience. With so many users, an advantage of Facebook is the vast amount of data it collects. Users provide info such as age, gender, relationship status, interests, etc. This means you can get specific about who you want to target when creating your campaigns. With such a large audience and great tools to help you succeed, Facebook is the ideal platform for Hospitality Advertisement. So with Facebooks comprehensive data then who should you target? Who to Target? Retargeting Ads target travelers who have already visited your website. We know these travelers are actively searching for a vacation and there was something that compelled them to be interested in your property! Whether they initially found you through search, social media or another channel they will most likely forget about you if you don’t work to stay on top of their mind. If they didn’t convert by subscribing to your blog or booking direct then they may never find you again. That’s where Retargeting can keep your property on top of the mind for these interested travelers until they are ready to book. For example, if you are marketing a golf resort you can send golfing offers to travelers who have visited your site that are interested in golfing. If you’re marketing a romantic getaway you may want to change your messaging depending on their relationship status or anniversary date. With more targeted campaigns you can show what makes your property great for individual travelers. What Type of Ads Should You Be Running? Now that you know who to market your ads to it’s time to create them. Facebook offers great tools to help you create your ads. You must sure the content of your ads matches the audience that you are trying to target. When creating some ads there are some general guidelines that Facebook recommends here. People scroll through social media quickly so your text should be short and compelling. Your photos should also have minimal text. If you have a beautiful destination make sure you are showcasing it in pictures! Facebook has a carousel format so you can add multiple images for travelers to scroll through to really show off your destination. If photos don’t cut it for you video can be a great option. A well produced video can cost a little more money but can really show travelers what your property is all about. Also video offers additional engagement tracking. You are able see average view time as opposed to just likes and clicks to track engagement. Finally a great call to action should compel travelers to go back to your site. Facebook offers multiple Call to Action options that you can chose from! If you need help with your Facebook Retargeting Strategy, you can review more information here!  

  Hospitality blogging will separate your property from the rest. Do you want to spike interest and give your guests a preview of what it’s like to book a stay with you? Let’s discuss a few reasons why you should invest in regular blog posts! #1 It makes your property stand out #2 Keeps your new and previous guests informed about the area #3 It increases traffic to your website # 4 Attracts new audiences with key words When your blog succeeds at bringing value to potential guests, you will see a dramatic increase in visits to your website and direct bookings. Stay tuned for next week to hear another #MarketingMonday tip from #TNS. Need help getting that blog off the ground? Schedule a consultation with a Digital Marketing Expert.

In the era of internet browsing and curiosity, we’ve become a culture of virtual window shoppers, especially when it comes to online travel. The travel industry has seen a notoriously high rate of cart abandonment – that is, online shoppers who start a shopping experience without ever confirming it. On average the industry has an 81% abandonment rate. Cart abandonment is an often overlooked, but incredibly crucial aspect to travel ecommerce. In this blog we are going to go over 4 ways you can conquer cart abandonment and maximize your conversions. #1 Make sure your pricing is transparent No one wants to be fooled. When guests see all the add-ons and taxes included, they tend to bolt. This is especially an issue for hotels that show their rates as per person sharing or per room per night for longer stay offers. Your total stay rate should be shown up front on mobile to increase conversions and reduce mobile cart abandonment. You’ll lose a few users up front, but in the end more will book, and there won’t be any confusion or lack of trust over price issues. #2 User Friendly Registration Forms All forms need to be as simple and straightforward as possible. Get rid of unnecessary elements to help guests focus on the task at hand. Reducing unnecessary distractions reduces mobile cart abandonment. #3 Quick Loading Times Mobile users want to browse quickly and buy quickly. If a mobile site is too slow to load, it’s going to push away a substantial base of your customers and cause mobile cart abandonment issues. Every second really counts on mobile.  #4 Remarketing Travelers don’t usually book on the first site visit. They are searching, planning, price shopping so being able to remarket is key to maximizing conversions. You can remarket by using Conversion Optimization popups, email retargeting, and paid marketing.  In conclusion, cart abandonment is a crucial piece of your marketing strategy. You can use this to recover lost booking opportunities and increase revenue for your property. TNS was able to capture 98 bookings from 1,136 abandoned carts for $146,221.95 in the first 60 days. Need help with a Cart Abandonment strategy? Schedule a free consultation with a Digital Marketing Expert today.

Holiday season is right around the corner! It may look different this year, but the good news is folks are still opting for Staycations. We want to give you a few ideas on how to promote your property this year to drive bookings! #1 Showcase Your Holiday Cheer Deck the halls and commons areas and give your guests a warm welcome. #2 Promote Special Pricing and Enticing Offers With consumers being able to work from anywhere, you could run a mid week special with lower rates. #3 Up your Amenities Free WIFI? Complimentary Breakfast? You could even set a delivery service to make the guest experience special.  #4 Share COVID-19 Policies Keep your guests informed before, during, and after on your protocols for keeping a safe environment. Most importantly, keep your website updated with relative policies. #5 Promote Local Events Is Santa coming to town? Do you have a local Christmas lights show? Is there a restaurant near that you can partner with? These would be good ways to differentiate your property and build excitement for your guests. Don’t forget to stay tuned for next week’s #MarketingMonday with #TNS! Have questions about your Digital Marketing? Schedule a free consultation with a Digital Marketing Expert.

Your website is the storefront of your business and gives travelers an idea of what to expect in real life. Your website design can make or break your business. A good website boosts your reputation while a bad one will scare away potential guests. Travelers come to your website to learn more about your property, amenities, and occupancy. So how long do visitors stay on your properties website? The average is roughly 15 seconds. This means that your website needs to engage your visitors nearly immediately to keep them engaged and on your site. Before we go into why visitors might be leaving your website lets take a look at where to find your bounce rate in Google Analytics. How To Find Your Bounce Rate  Google Analytics account and open up the dashboard. On the left-hand toolbar, you will see an option that says “Audience Overview”. You will click this and be able to see a display of your overall web analytics. If you want to see specific page bounce rates you can check by going to the behaviors section of the dashboard. A healthy bounce rate is between 41%-55% Now that we know how to locate the bounce rate let’s discuss 5 reasons why visitors might be leaving your website. Cluttered Homepage Having a lot of information on your homepage can confuse visitors. You will want it to be clean and precise with enough open room to not distract your visitors.  You will also want easy navigation. Your homepage should link to the main sections of your website. The navigation bar should be visible and links appropriately placed on the homepage content. Slow Load Times Travelers do not have time to wait for a slow website to finish loading, especially if they want to book right away. If your website takes long to load, they will exit the browser window and move on to the next site. The average speed is 4.7 seconds on desktop and 11.4 seconds on mobile. Google’s best practice is to have a speed index under 3 seconds. Where does your site fall? No CTA Where do your current CTA’s fall? Consumers have a quick attention span, so the most beneficial place to put a call to action is above the fold. If you have a long form, or have to have a CTA below the fold, you will want to use directional cues to lead your visitors to take action.  Irrelevant Content Visitors get to your website by searching for relative keywords or searches. If they get to your website, and it is unrelated to what they are looking for they will leave. This is where Google Analytics comes into play. You will want to keep tabs on the keywords you are using in your content and what people are searching for.  First Impressions What are you trying to tell your audience? Is your brand coming off how you want it to? Your website is the first impression of your property. Are you family friendly? Do you have special amenities or a special experience you want travelers to feel? You want to design your website to showcase this and give visitors the WOW factor.  Now that you know the main reasons why travelers are leaving your site, you can review your current web pages and analytics and see where you can improve.  To stay informed about hospitality trends, follow along our weekly blog! Schedule your free consultation with a TNS Digital Marketing Expert.  

Those with Admin access to the Housekeeping Portal will be able to view the Payouts tab.  This is not something that a lower-level cleaner will see in their portal.  The Payouts screen allows a user to view how much they have been paid for their previous invoices.  When the property management company pays the vendor, a PDF copy of the bill is available to view on this page. It is very important that you are ensuring portal users, regardless of their level of permissions in the platform, are assigned to a vendor.  If a a Housekeeping Portal Admin or User is not assigned to a vendor, Track assumes they belong to every vendor.  This means that cleaners from Vendor A could see what Vendor B and Vendor C are getting paid as well. If you'd like to see if TRACK is the right fit for you, please submit a request here to speak with a solutions consultant.

  Because the digital marketing landscape shifts so rapidly, it’s important that your hotel is using the best marketing ideas to drive new business. Marketing through content, social media, and email automation could have a big influence on your hotel business this coming year. To help you take your marketing to the next level, we’ve broken the ideas up into a few different types. Content Marketing: Create a podcast, travel guide, or blog about a hot topic Social Media: Post videos of your hotel with Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, or LinkedIn Live Email Marketing: Launch a weekly newsletter that features what is new in your area or any updates on travel restrictions Using all 3 as part of your strategy will help attract guests and maintain top of mind awareness to your hotel and resort. More interest equals more capacity for you. Stay tuned for next week to hear another #MarketingMonday tip from #TNS.  If you want to learn more about TNS Digital Marketing Solutions, you can request your free consultation.    

Learning how to optimize your website for SEO and conversions is crucial for your property’s success. It’ll ensure your website is working exactly as hard as it should. If you have good SEO, you can attract more traffic and get more opportunities to convert potential guests. In this blog we will go over 10 tips to increase your SEO and conversions on your website. Make your website useful for your specific audience  Know your buyer’s journey and optimize it to be as user friendly towards them. Publish relevant content and make sure it is updated frequently  Search engines need to crawl through your content to determine the quality of your website. This doesn’t mean that quantity will overpower quality. Make sure what you’re publishing on your site, whether it’s text, audio or video content, is high quality and serves a purpose on your website. Have a link-worthy site Manage your internal and backlinks but also make sure they are reputable as this will impact your SEO. Keyword Research  When it comes to keywords, less is more. While it may seem like a good idea to load your web pages with keywords (keyword stuffing), it is actually better to stick to a few keywords per page. Boost your website’s speed  The faster your website loads, the better it is for the overall experience of your visitors. Sluggish load times are likely to rank lower than faster ones. Plus, a slower web page leads to a higher bounce rate. Use header tags These help with SEO by telling search engines and your readers what the article or blog will be about. Use images and videos Images are a big part of how we experience a web page. That matters for SEO because Google’s algorithm pays attention to behavior metrics that reflect user experience, like bounce rates and the amount of time visitors spend on a web page. Improve your web design and layout A user friendly layout leads to more traffic and less buyer confusion. Optimize for mobile 85% of travelers use mobile devices to book travel activities. Having a mobile friendly website is key to direct bookings.  Install social sharing button The number of times your content is shared on social media sites can affect your SEO ranking. SEO can feel like an overwhelming and constantly changing to do list, but you are not alone. Start with these 10 tips and you will be on the right path to achieving top SEO rankings. If you need help with your SEO Strategy, we would be happy to schedule a free consultation with a Digital Marketing Expert!

Social Media is one of the most influential tools your hotel, resort, or lodge can use to reach thousands of potential guests at the click of a button. By using a good hashtag, it can redefine your online brand identity, provide you with new ways to interact with your customers and help you promote hotel services, products, and news to new audience segments. We are going to give you a quick overview of types of hashtags you can use that are relevant to your industry. Emotive. Categorical. Lifestyle Emotive shows off the feeling of your resort, categorical shows off your location, and lifestyle will help position your hotel to your target market.  Here are some examples: #wanderlust #neverstopexploring #poolside #floridatravel #travelgram #luxuryhotel #bedandbreakfast #resorts Now that you have a brief overview of different types of hashtags, you can come up with your own combination that are relevant to your hotel and target market. Stay tuned for next week to hear another #MarketingMonday tip from #TNS.  Connect with a Digital Marketing Expert today and schedule your free consultation.

We are coming up to the last couple months of 2020, and for most of the hospitality industry it has been anything but normal. Hoteliers have had to reevaluate their financial and marketing plans, and adapt to new market trends and technologies. The good news is that it isn’t all doom and gloom. Now is the time to start focusing on accessing your current digital marketing plan and evolving it to maximize your revenue and bookings for 2021. Before you can take any steps to change what you are already doing, you must know how you got to where you are. In this article we will take a look at 5 questions to ask yourself to evaluate if your digital marketing strategy is working.  How much traffic did my website get?  Your website is the # 1  tool when it comes to your digital marketing strategy. It is the first impression, and the place to attract, educate, and convert travelers. How effective is your website now? Is it consumer friendly so that the traveler can get to the next step in the sales funnel?  Is it optimized for mobile? How does your traffic compare to last year? These are all important questions to ask yourself in regards to your website performance. What website pages got the most views? Page views are one of the most commonly tracked metrics in digital marketing. They can help you determine what your travelers are interested in, how well your web pages are optimized for keyword search and what your travelers behavioral trends are. When you can identify the website pages with the most views, you can determine other ways to market to these travelers to get them to convert at a higher rate. Which channels drove the most leads, sales, and revenue? Sources. Mediums. Channels. Most hoteliers review their keyword rankings, however there are also other sources driving your site traffic. Have you identified these? Which are performing better? Knowing which channels are driving the most conversions will help you identify where you should focus your efforts on to maximize revenue and bookings. Was the demographics of traffic inline with my target audience? It is one thing to get site visits, it is another to have the right people visiting your site. Identifying your target audience is the foundation of your marketing strategy. This entails understanding who your ideal prospects and customers are, who are your competitors as well as the core pain points that your product or service solves. Going into 2021, think about what demographic is visiting your site or content and make adjustments as needed. What was your overall conversion rate? Conversion is a key element in digital marketing strategy; after all, if you’re not actually turning lookers into buyers at a high rate, what are you advertising for? “It is often quoted in the industry that the average website conversion rate for hotels is 2% or thereabouts.” – Hotel Tech Report What is your conversion rate now? And what is your goal for 2021.  If you are not hitting your goal it is time to take a look at optimizing your website and content to get travelers to pull the trigger.  The Truth Digital Marketing isn’t a one size fit all situation.  Unlike posting a billboard on the side of the road or sending snail mail, you’re able to constantly refine your digital marketing strategies as trends and preferences change. Thinking about going into 2021, decide what is working well and what isn’t. Set your goals and KPI’s, but most importantly be open to testing out new ideas. If you have been looking to review your current Digital Marketing Strategy, schedule a meeting with a Digital Marketing Expert today!

Before we dig into different promotional ideas your hotel, resort, or lodge can use to increase bookings let’s talk about why it is important. Using promotions will make you stand out from the competition, attract more guests, and will increase your overall revenue. Your hotel may be using some of these, but the market has changed and guest expectations continue to shift. You need to keep your strategies fresh and continue to evolve how you advertise your property. In this blog we will discuss how you can press play on 5 new promotional offers to increase your hotel revenue and bookings. Take advantage of seasons During peak season, your hotel has adequate bookings, yet you should consider trying effective pricing strategies to get more bookings. Also you can offer attractive packages during this time. An example of this could be promoting Holiday Light Tours or Visits with Santa Clause during the Holidays.  During the slow season, your hotel might have to try a bit harder to keep occupancy rates high. Running flash sales or extended stay promotions is a great way to encourage travelers to book with you. Incentives for interest Some people may not feel comfortable enough yet to travel, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t showing interest. Design a package for guests to book their trip NOW and SAVE. This will keep your cash flow positive and also allow you to forecast what the coming months will look like for your hotel, resort, or lodge. Offer Guests to book direct Increase your bookings by enticing your website visitors to book with your property directly. This tactic will not only bring you more business, it’ll also save you money because it’ll help you eliminate OTA commission fees.  Leverage partnerships Build relationships with other businesses in your area. Right now, travelers are trying to maximize their travel experience, while on a budget. Including tickets to theme parks, restaurants, cinemas, museums, sporting arenas, adventure and tour guides as part of their stay will attract travelers to choose your hotel. Work from anywhere Gone are the days of having to go to an office to work. Most companies are working remote, or are allowing flexible scheduling for parents. This is the perfect time for your hotel to target this market. Workcations are becoming more and more popular so creating a package that includes the whole family can keep your occupancy high. Free wifi, a stunning view, and family activities at night could all be included.  Now that you have some ideas, you can start implementing these promotions to increase revenue and sell out rooms.  To stay informed about hospitality trends, follow along our weekly blog!

Owning and running a hotel or resort is no easy task. However, this can become much easier when you have a solid hotel marketing strategy in place. Gone are the days of static content and old school marketing tactics. With constant changes in the industry and technological advances, hoteliers are finding the best ways to get ahead of the game. We have worked with hundreds of hospitality lodging companies on their marketing strategies, and in this blog, we are going to teach you how to press play on 10 digital marketing strategies to increase your online bookings. Take your website seriously Many visitors jump on Hotels.com or one of the many other Online Travel Agents (OTA’s) to find the best value deals. However, you will also know that many online users will then search for the hotel website for either more information or an even better price for the night. With this in mind, you absolutely need an attractive website for the best results. When travelers come to your website, make sure it is up to date, engaging, and user friendly. Below you will find a example of a conversion focused, web design. Content is Key Create content that is going to build trust and helps build the guest experience. Don’t think of just pushing products or services onto the guest, but how the guest will feel by planning a vacation and booking with your hotel or resort. Blogging really does work Not only does blogging engage your guests but it also helps with your organic rank on Google. Your blogs should be aimed at educating your guests about any local events, company news, or travel tips. Keep it relative and consistent. Meta Search on the rise Travelers price shop, so being able to be on a level playing field with larger companies and OTA’s is key to driving more direct bookings to your site. Below you will see an example of meta search. Retargeting to reach new and repeat travelers When you stay in front of travelers after they leave your website, you are keeping your brand top of mind with more frequency, then when the traveler is ready to book, they are able to recall your brand and convert directly with higher probability. SEO mix To improve the traffic to your website, leading to more revenue for your business, you must ensure that you are properly set up to be visible on search engine results pages. Using a good mix of keywords will help produce positive results. “Sites listed on the first Google search results page generate 92% of all traffic from an average search. When moving from page one to two, the traffic dropped by 95%, and by 78% and 58% for the subsequent pages.”- Search Engine Watch  Email marketing to nurture Automated lead nurturing affords you the opportunity to not only maintain the relationship between your business and the lead but It also helps you to increase this relationship. Thereby leading to a potential increase in the likelihood of converting your prospect into a customer. Below is an example of an email marketing campaign. Online reputation matters Whether positive or negative, the feedback matters. The hospitality industry is as competitive as ever  and reviews will help you keep an edge and improve your services.  Use the power of Social Media If you aren’t visible, how will your guests find you? Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram are all powerful platforms to showcase your guest experience. While showcasing your services and products on social media, don’t forget to show experiences and local attractions. Providing educational pieces of content on social media will also make a traveler more likely to follow you. Below is an example of how you can create an engaging post to gain attention to your post.  Social Listening helps be proactive What are your competitors saying about you? Your guests? What are you travelers saying about the industry? Keeping in touch with the latest trends can help you drive results. As you can see, the sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing digital marketing activities, so it is key to educate yourself on what is best for your business and future goals. While some methods require financial investment, much of this process comes down to experience. Having a solid marketing plan will ensure your hotel is improving at every turn and moving in the right direction. To learn more about ATLAS Commerce and our TNS Digital Marketing Services you can visit our website or to stay informed about hospitality trends, follow along our weekly blog!

  (COTTAGE GROVE, Mn.) October 6, 2020 — TravelNet Solutions, a leading provider of integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced the acquisition of Gueststream and its hospitality website and booking engine technology. These new pieces to TravelNet’s software mix will launch ATLAS Commerce, a new product line devoted to the simple launching of user-friendly websites and modern booking experiences for enterprise hospitality companies. ATLAS Commerce furthers the company’s mission to help vacation rentals, hotels and resorts consolidate their technology footprint. Founded in 2007 and based in Colorado, Gueststream is led by Joe Pawlak, a 20-year veteran in the hospitality industry. The company has become a leader in creating web presences for hospitality lodging companies looking to easily and dynamically integrate property data from all major property management systems into a traveler-optimized website in 75% less time. Gueststream’s conversion-focused website designs and PCI compliant eCommerce platform will complement TravelNet’s three main product lines including TRACK Hospitality Software, TNS Digital Marketing Services and the ResortsandLodges.com marketplace.  “The acquisition of Gueststream by TravelNet Solutions will offer our customers a wider range of services and support to help them grow their business,” said Pawlak. “With TravelNet’s rich history of evolving technology and focus on customer success, we felt the Gueststream platform would flourish and grow in their Atlas Commerce product line.” “With the Gueststream platform we’re closing the loop on a true end-to-end operation software and marketing platform for hospitality management companies,” said Ryan Bailey, CEO of TravelNet Solutions. “We see a large opportunity for innovation in the eCommerce and website space for hospitality and as we did with TRACK, we plan to build on the Gueststream technology and turn ATLAS Commerce into an industry evolving technology. This is an exciting step for us and we look forward to welcoming the Gueststream customer base into the TNS team.”  About TravelNet Solutions TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center as well as a full suite of digital marketing services. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com.

COVID-19 has unquestionably accelerated the infusion of new technologies and applications into hotel operations. Safety of travelers is the number one priority that hospitality companies are facing right now. In order to keep your occupancy high, you must press play on adapting new technologies to keep your travelers coming in. Hotels, resorts, and lodges are trying to keep up with the latest CDC Guidelines and continue to alter guest demands to ensure 100% safety.  In a survey by Allianz Travel, they found that 54 percent of Americans will jump on a plane for their next trip. How are you going to keep your occupancy high while maintaining a competitive advantage.  The answer is through technology. In this blog post, we will be discussing 3 ways hoteliers are using the latest hospitality technology to ensure a safe environment and keep high occupancy rates. Gone are the days where you need to go to the front desk and check-in. Especially during a pandemic. Hoteliers are now transitioning to using contactless check ins. This helps ease guests minds and allow staff to focus on what is the most important–providing a safe and secure customer experience.  How this works: Guests are able to check in remotely through their smartphone, significantly saving time for the concierge and limiting interaction. This technology also alerts the staff when guests are about to arrive. The guests can also self-check-out at the end of their stay, all from the same app or website.  We have smartphones, why not have smart hotels? As guest demands change, so should your overall hotel experience. Adding smart features to your hotel will not only make traveling easier, it gives you a competitive edge.  How this works: Smart Hotels are not just about having smart TV or a smart home theatre system in the room; it has gone above a notch higher. From electrical appliances like TV, Fridge, Air Conditioner to Coffee machine, calls to Guest Services, or opening your door, everything is interconnected. Smart hotel automation technology enables every smart device to communicate with each other and gives a world-class in-room experience to guests without even touching or moving your finger. Chatbots are changing the game when it comes to interacting with hotel staff. There is no need to call down to the main desk to get more towels or schedule a room cleaning, you can do it right from your smartphone. Communicating through a chatbot is a contactless option your guests will have if they are trying to limit face to face interaction. How this works: A chatbot is a service that allows you to interact with an AI via a chat interface. This trend takes advantage of the popularity of messaging apps to improve the customer experience. So how can you use these new solutions to your advantage? The answer is Marketing.  Showcasing your newly improved guest experience can easily be done by updating your website, sharing on Social Media, or emailing your customer base. In sum, keeping a high occupancy rate depends on how your hotel is implementing technological trends and keeping safety of guests at the top of your properties mind. From contactless check-ins, smart hotel features, and chatbots will enhance  your guest experience and encourage travelers to book with you rather than your competitors.  To stay informed about hospitality trends, follow along our weekly blog!

As a marketer, executive, or business owner, you know how important analytics can be to your business, but you probably also know how daunting a task it can be as a beginner! It’s tough to make sense of all the information and use it to help you make important business decisions and essentially play yield management with your online marketing. These basic tips, from sites like SearchEngineWatch.com, TopRankBlog.com, and the Google Analytics blog, can serve as guidelines for things to watch out for. Things to pay attention to: –         Unique visitors: The number of new visitors to your site. If this number is low, it could mean your site is having issues with search engines, or you need more content on your site to make it relevant. –         Traffic Sources: The sites that are bringing visitors to your Website. Analyzing these trends can help you make decisions when promoting your site in the future. For example, say you’re getting a lot of traffic from Twitter but nothing notable from Facebook. You may want to re-think your social media strategy for Facebook. –         Referring Keywords: The phrases that a user puts into a search engine and was taken to your site via those search results. It’s extremely important to pay attention to what keywords people are using and make sure those words are optimized on your website. A great tool you can use to do this is Google’s Keyword Planner tool. Note: You will need to have a Google Ads account to utilize this tool. –         Top Pages: Pay attention to the pages on your website that do best. If you focus on what works, it will help build out the pages on your website and improve the current pages. Give some thought to the keywords and the CTAs (calls to action) you are using. –         Locations: Where your site visitors are coming from. It’s important to know where your visitors are coming from as you can tailor your site’s content to their tastes, keeping them engaged in your business (and on your website) longer. –         Campaign Tracking: Tracking the actual CONVERSIONS or GOALS you have for visitors – if they follow a CTA (example: signing up for a newsletter), that would probably mean the campaign you used to drive them to that page worked. Setting up goals on your site is extremely important as it tells you how well things are working. If you don’t have goals set up within your analytics currently, think what you want visitors to do on your site – for example, as a vacation rental owner, you want them to call and book. Make sure you have analytics set up on those pages with your phone number.  –         Time: The time visitors spend on your site, sometimes referred to as “stickiness” and essentially the “bounce rate.” By looking at your referring traffic sites’ “bounce rates”, you see what sources are keeping visitors on your website longer. If you have specific traffic sources coming from marketing initiatives, paying attention to these analytics can help you evaluate their effectiveness. A note on Hits, Visits, Conversions: Some people use the terms “hits” and “visits” or even “conversions” interchangeably – however, these words have different meanings and are therefore, not interchangeable. Take a look below to understand each of these terms and why they are important in their own way. Hits:  “Hits” refers to the number of times a server request is made to display specific items on a specific Webpage. As your page loads, it is “hitting” the server for the information on your site, i.e. your logo, photos, your page design. Visits: You can see that this is very different from a “visitor” as one visitor could count as multiple “hits” as their browser has to download all of the information on the page. A “visit” is a user that lands on a page on your website and navigates to other pages and then leaves your site (refer above to “unique visits” and returning visitors to further differentiate). Conversions: “Conversions” are the goals completed by visitors on your website. A goal can be anything from booking a room on your online reservation system, purchasing a spa package or calling in to book. “Conversions” are very different from “hits” or “visitors”, as they are specific goals you have set up on your website and will most definitely be far fewer than “hits” and “visits.” Website analytics can be very intimidating. Blogs and discussion boards are available to help make the process easier. If you use Google Analytics, the “Google Analytics” channel on YouTube can be extremely helpful or even the Google Analytics blog. In the end, remember this cycle in marketing: planning, execution, and evaluation. Having good analytics set up on your website within your marketing initiatives can bring your business a clear view on what works and what doesn’t.

If you remember from our last email guide post, we said that email is essential for guest relationship nurturing. You need this in order to build a sustainable and profitable business in the travel & hospitality industry today.. Now, we’re letting you know the 3 additional tips we’ve found useful from our email marketing experiences.     Tip #4: Always Focus on Providing Value   Your goal when sending email campaigns is obviously to ultimately persuade leads to convert, but in order to be effective, your leads need to feel like you’re more interested in providing value to them. Your leads need to trust you before they buy from you, so you need to be someone who can answer all their questions and work to eliminate any obstacles preventing them from booking their reservation with you. There are a number of ways you can build trust and position yourself as a resource to your leads. Here are a few ideas: Create original blog content. Figure out who your audience is, what they care about, and the information they are looking for when trying to decide whether or not they want to book a reservation at your property, then create blog content that presents them with the information they’re looking for. Need help getting started? Read through this post. Infuse your emails with travel tips. In between your prospecting emails, send emails that offer relevant travel tips to people who are interested in staying with you. Nurture the relationship by providing them with information they need in order to have a better traveling experience. Create videos. Provide value by creating videos that you can share with prospective guests. Show them your resort, talk to other guests or employees, provide original travel tips, show them local attractions, and use video to illustrate why they should stay at your property over anywhere else. Send them links and resources about the surrounding area. If you know they are interested in the area, send them links to your favorite restaurants or attractions. Don’t make all your emails about you and your property. Instead, make them about the experiences your leads could have if they were to travel to the area. Develop a genuine, helpful relationship with the people you are trying to convert. Send them FAQ content that relates to your property specifically. If you get the same questions from prospective guests over and over again, create a blog post or guide that you can include in one of your emails. Make it easy for them to get answers to their biggest questions. Ask them what questions they have. Take the opportunity to ask your leads what questions they have, whether they relate specifically to your property or not. Remember: your goal is to be a helpful resource to them, so let them know you’re here to help. Going above and beyond in this way will help you develop stronger, more meaningful relationships with the people you’re trying to convince to stay with you. It goes back to helping people recognize that they’re talking to an actual human being who cares about them. Tip #5: Measure & Adjust   To be effective with email, you need to set goals, measure performance, and adjust accordingly. If you’re not using an email provider or CRM that allows you to track engagement metrics like open rates, reply rates, click through rates, bounce rates, and conversions, you’re missing out on the chance to learn and improve on your efforts. When sending email campaigns, you should make an effort to test the following: Subject lines Body length Time of day / day of week Number of links or call-to-action statements (CTA’s) included Placement of links or CTA’s Designed or templates emails vs. plain-text emails When you’re aggressive about testing and measuring in this way, you’re able to build a more effective email marketing strategy for your entire reservation agent team. Tip #6: Don’t Give Up   Finally, don’t give up on email marketing. If something isn’t working or driving the results you expected, pause it and allocate your resources to another idea or test you’d like to try. Your goal should be to learn from every email you send out to leads—the ones that succeed and the ones that fall flat. Poor email performance can be discouraging, but don’t let it get to you. Use it as motivation to uncover the language, tactics, and processes that make the biggest impact for your specific audience. What works well for another business may not work at all for yours. It all depends on the people you’re sending your emails to. Know your audience, test often, and once you find out what works, build out an email strategy that allows you to easily scale your efforts. Over to You   How else are you using email to nurture relationships with past and future guests? Tell me in the comments below.  

If you remember from our last email guide post, we said that email is essential for guest relationship nurturing. You need this in order to build a sustainable and profitable business in the travel & hospitality industry today.. Now, we’re letting you know the 3 additional tips we’ve found useful from our email marketing experiences.     Tip #4: Always Focus on Providing Value   Your goal when sending email campaigns is obviously to ultimately persuade leads to convert, but in order to be effective, your leads need to feel like you’re more interested in providing value to them. Your leads need to trust you before they buy from you, so you need to be someone who can answer all their questions and work to eliminate any obstacles preventing them from booking their reservation with you. There are a number of ways you can build trust and position yourself as a resource to your leads. Here are a few ideas: Create original blog content. Figure out who your audience is, what they care about, and the information they are looking for when trying to decide whether or not they want to book a reservation at your property, then create blog content that presents them with the information they’re looking for. Need help getting started? Read through this post. Infuse your emails with travel tips. In between your prospecting emails, send emails that offer relevant travel tips to people who are interested in staying with you. Nurture the relationship by providing them with information they need in order to have a better traveling experience. Create videos. Provide value by creating videos that you can share with prospective guests. Show them your resort, talk to other guests or employees, provide original travel tips, show them local attractions, and use video to illustrate why they should stay at your property over anywhere else. Send them links and resources about the surrounding area. If you know they are interested in the area, send them links to your favorite restaurants or attractions. Don’t make all your emails about you and your property. Instead, make them about the experiences your leads could have if they were to travel to the area. Develop a genuine, helpful relationship with the people you are trying to convert. Send them FAQ content that relates to your property specifically. If you get the same questions from prospective guests over and over again, create a blog post or guide that you can include in one of your emails. Make it easy for them to get answers to their biggest questions. Ask them what questions they have. Take the opportunity to ask your leads what questions they have, whether they relate specifically to your property or not. Remember: your goal is to be a helpful resource to them, so let them know you’re here to help. Going above and beyond in this way will help you develop stronger, more meaningful relationships with the people you’re trying to convince to stay with you. It goes back to helping people recognize that they’re talking to an actual human being who cares about them. Tip #5: Measure & Adjust   To be effective with email, you need to set goals, measure performance, and adjust accordingly. If you’re not using an email provider or CRM that allows you to track engagement metrics like open rates, reply rates, click through rates, bounce rates, and conversions, you’re missing out on the chance to learn and improve on your efforts. When sending email campaigns, you should make an effort to test the following: Subject lines Body length Time of day / day of week Number of links or call-to-action statements (CTA’s) included Placement of links or CTA’s Designed or templates emails vs. plain-text emails When you’re aggressive about testing and measuring in this way, you’re able to build a more effective email marketing strategy for your entire reservation agent team. Tip #6: Don’t Give Up   Finally, don’t give up on email marketing. If something isn’t working or driving the results you expected, pause it and allocate your resources to another idea or test you’d like to try. Your goal should be to learn from every email you send out to leads—the ones that succeed and the ones that fall flat. Poor email performance can be discouraging, but don’t let it get to you. Use it as motivation to uncover the language, tactics, and processes that make the biggest impact for your specific audience. What works well for another business may not work at all for yours. It all depends on the people you’re sending your emails to. Know your audience, test often, and once you find out what works, build out an email strategy that allows you to easily scale your efforts. Over to You   How else are you using email to nurture relationships with past and future guests? Tell me in the comments below.

To build a sustainable and profitable business in the travel & hospitality industry today, you need to be using email to nurture relationships with past and future guests. Spending time engaging with your guests and followers on social media is beneficial, making phone calls is crucial, but email is an absolute must. It’s one of the best ways to reach, nurture, and segment your audience. Consider the facts: You are 6x more likely to get a click-through from an email campaign than you are from a tweet. 61% of consumers prefer to be contacted by brands through email. For every $1 you spend on emails marketing, you can expect an average return of $42. 90% of email gets delivered to the intended recipient’s inbox, whereas only 2% of your Facebook fans see your posts in their News Feed. There are 3.9 billion daily email users. This number is expected to climb to 4.3 billion by 2023. As a property manager, it’s your job to take advantage of the opportunities that email marketing presents for your business and reservations team. To put yourself on the right path toward developing and executing on an email marketing strategy that helps you drive more reservations and more profit for your property this year, follow these 6 tips when sending emails to leads. In this article, you’ll find the first 3. Stay tuned for the following 3 in Part 2.: Tip #1: Make the Right First Impression   When it comes to sending cold or even warm emails, first impressions mean everything. It’s important to remember that the average person is getting inundated with emails from all types of businesses and brands on a daily basis. The last thing they want is another sales email from someone on your team. To increase the effectiveness and response-rates of the emails your team is sending, help your agents understand how to make the right first impression, and why it matters so much. Here are a few recommendations that can help when you’re ready to train your team: Recommendation #1: Personalize every email as much as possible. You have to build automation into your email marketing efforts, but if you don’t take the time to personalize, it won’t do you much good in the end. When you email a lead for the first time, use as much personal and specific information as possible (name, location, any other information you collected when your lead filled out a form) to grab attention and drive a response. Recommendation #2: Focus on asking questions and being helpful. When you first reach out to a lead, your goal should be to come across as helpful to them. To position yourself in that way, start by asking questions (ex. What are you looking for exactly? What have you looked at already? What type of trip are you going on? What experiences are you hoping to have while you’re on your trip, etc). Recommendation #3: Avoid using sales-speak and being overly promotional. Don’t be too pushy in your initial email to a lead. Start a conversation, engage authentically, and build trust with the people you want to ultimately convert. There’s a time and place for making the sale or pitch, and it’s definitely not in the first exchange you have with a contact. The first email you send sets the tone for the entire relationship you’ll have with a lead. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to impress, stand out, and position yourself as someone worth talking to. Tip #2: Understand Who Your Leads Are   In order to get any sort of return from your email outreach efforts, you need to be constantly be trying to figure out who your leads are, and where they are in the buyer’s journey. Initially, you might discover information about your leads from the answers they provide in your website forms, but through follow-up conversations on the phone and through your outreach efforts, you can slowly start building a more complete profile of every lead you’re trying to nurture. You can use a tool like TRACK to store every piece of information about your lead—information that you want to recall and use throughout the sales process. By gaining a better understanding of who your lead is, you can categorize leads based on priority or likelihood that they will convert, and also decide the best way to interact with and sell to them. Here are some examples of information you should know about your leads in order to build a stronger relationship with them over time: Basic information (name, age, birthday, address, phone, job title, etc.) Interests relating to travel (what they like to do when they travel, what they hate, types of attractions or trips they like, etc.) General hobbies and interests (information that you can use to personalize messages and make stronger connections in future email campaigns to them) Amenities that they care most about Any obstacles keeping them from booking a reservation (time of year, cost, etc.) Once you have information like this in hand, building and nurturing relationships with potential guests becomes a lot easier. It also becomes easier to segment leads into different groups as mentioned above (priority, follow-up in 6 months, needs to see special pricing or a package, etc). This will help ensure that you spend time nurturing the right relationships with the right people at the right point in time. Tip #3: Write Like a Human   To be effective with email, you need to write like a human. It might sound like a simple tip, but it’s something that a lot of people struggle with. We don’t always write in the same way that we speak. As a result, written messages can sometimes come across as cold, robotic, forceful, impersonal, or too stuffy. The emails you or your team sends on behalf of your organization should look and sound professional, but they also need to feel like they are coming from an actual human being. So how do you […]

When it comes to guests choosing to stay at your property, it’s important to know what’s driving them to come and capitalize on it. Gone are the days of being able to have the standard room where a guest is going to sleep. Today, guests are looking for experiences to soak up the city they’re in, without feeling like a tourist. It’s your job to give this to them. The Evolution   As Millennials and Gen Z has joined the workforce and begun traveling for business and pleasure, the hospitality industry has seen a shift from guests looking for a “traditional” stay to a more personalized, “feels like home” experience. This isn’t the first time the industry has been focused on creating unique experiences.  However, Millennials have been a catalyst for industry leaders to see how crucial it is to subtly brand their experiences while continuously building a relationship with travelers through loyalty programs and a great web presence. By adopting this way of thinking, brands have a better chance to become the first choice for travelers when they looking for a place to stay. Not Just Tourists   Hearing the word tourist turns many travelers off, and although we are talking about experiences, it should be clear that travelers aren’t looking to get sucked into being a tourist. In fact, when surveyed respondents said they felt overwhelmed with crowds while traveling and found a crowded vacation/getaway to be as stressful as doing their taxes. More surprisingly, only 26% of travelers felt their last vacation exceeded their expectations. Knowing that travelers put a lot of time and money into research, planning and going on vacation, your business should do everything it can to provide the best experience possible for every guest. MARKETING TIP: Use your Facebook page to share local entertainment that helps involve them in part of the community. These experiences don’t have to be over-the-top and expensive, but can range from connecting with a local bar or restaurant to set up a special for guests (local beer tasting, anyone?) to experiencing one of the best kept secrets in your town. Give Them What They’re Asking For   In the words of one of  Airbnb’s campaigns, guests are looking to “live there” and it’s your job to provide the experiences so many are yearning for from the first time a traveler lands on your website. Once the traveler has booked, it’s important to provide those experiences that will make your business their “go-to destination” when they’re in your area. Brand With Your Website   Using a resource you already have is a great way to help market the experiences that you are offering, as well as what are being offered locally. Millenials and GenZ are the two generations that have taken to the blogging world the most, so help convert those lookers into bookers by selling your property on your blog. Use attention grabbing feature images Do not put sales blogs up, use this spot as educational Write to the readers wants and needs     Looking to showcase your branded experiences? Contact TNS for digital marketing and branding experiences!

Competition with OTAs is something most properties have grown accustomed to, but with drastically different marketing budgets in most cases, it’s important to understand the value behind marketing directly to your guests. Expedia and other OTAs have large marketing and advertising budgets, which help them to develop flashy commercials and find their way to the top of search ranks. Your budget probably doesn’t quite stack up in sheer numbers, but with the right tactics you can compete with the major players at a local level. This article will give your hotel, resort, vacation rental, or inn the steps to help your marketing team internally or the insight if you choose to go with a hospitality digital marketing agency such as TravelNet Solutions Collecting Guest Information   Make sure there are processes in place to collect guest data whether it takes place when they’re already at your property or inquiring on the phone or via email.  You can even capture guest information from travelers who have booked through OTAs, as many of these guests will call the property to confirm the reservation/ask any questions they may have.  With services like TRACK Pulse, a cloud contact center software, this becomes second nature. Collecting this information from guests that have already booked is simple using front desk employees to facilitate a conversation. Whether it’s checking in or checking out, your reservationists should take advantage of this time to have your guests sign up for special offers that come direct from your hotel. During this conversation, reservationists can also inform guests that they’ll receive the best rate and best information when booking direct with your business as OTAs do not deliver a direct relationship as you do with your guests. Content Encourages Engagement   Provide exclusive content that requires an email address to view. An OTA is probably not going to market only your property as they do not receive more revenue for filling your rooms than others. You are the best person/team to market your own business! Whether this is producing a tourist guide, showcasing user-generated photos, or keeping an up-to-date blog of things going on at your property, think of content pieces that will not only help to increase your search rank, but keep guests interested. This increases their likelihood of subscribing to your emails and spending time on your website as opposed to OTAs.   Conversion Optimization   Conversion optimization is a marketing tactic that will capture the guest data in the form of an extremely configurable pop up, hello bar, or a sidebar. Utilizing captivating content and a strong call to action will help entice the site visitor to input their contact data.  An example would be a visitor is on your blog for 30 seconds and a pop up appears asking them to subscribe to your newsletter. This will grow your database for other marketing purposes than just the newsletter!    Our Take   At the end of the day, OTAs will attempt to market directly to your customers, and it is important for you to be doing the exact same. Don’t be afraid of their massive advertising budgets. You have the ability to create personalized content that your guests want to see and collect emails of guests that are staying or inquiring about your property.   These may seem like small steps along the way, but they will allow you to tailor a more effective marketing campaign and convert more direct bookings. Letting guests know that booking direct is the best choice for their stay should be at the forefront of your marketing campaigns, as keeping your revenue and building guest lists leads to a stronger, more profitable business.

Last week we discussed how to repair a damaged reputation. But what if you already have a good reputation?  If your reputation is good you don’t want to get complacent. Regardless of what kind of reputation you currently have among past guests and interested travelers, more work can and should be done in order to ensure the future success of your business. Even during times when business is good, it’s still important that you work proactively to continue maintaining and improving your reputation.    Tip # 1: Talk with Guests   As a property manager, you should always be making time to talk with guests, even when everything seems to be going great. It only takes one bad experience and one bad review to damage your reputation and the perception that people have of your business and team. To be proactive about talking to guests, you could: Use automated Text Messaging to check in with guests at least once during their stay to ensure that they have everything they need. Check in with guests at checkout to learn more about their experience at your property. Send a follow-up email a few days after your guests leave asking them to fill out a short survey about their experience staying with you. Always encourage guests to contact you about any concerns they have while staying at your property. You could either give them your personal email, direct them to an online form, or have them talk to a designated individual on your leadership or management team. The feedback you get will allow you to give praise to your employees, and address any concerns that could evolve into bigger problems if they continue to go unchecked.   Tip # 2: Collect and Leverage Testimonials   If your guests are happy with the experience and customer service you’re providing to them, make sure to use it to your advantage! Ask guests to leave testimonials at the front desk before they check out, or invite them to leave a review on your website, Facebook page, or online listing directory page. You can use the kind words you get from happy guests to build trust with new leads by including it in blog posts, Facebook ads, email marketing campaigns, website landing pages, videos, and anywhere else you think it could make an impact.   Tip # 3: Standardize Training and Processes   When things are going well, you want to make sure to take the time to standardize training and processes for your team. As your business scales and ages, employees will come and go. As a property manager, it’s your job to ensure that new employees understand how to keep the machine running and your reputation intact. That means working with your current employees to document expectations, job duties, and guest interaction best practices. Standardizing training in this way will allow you to onboard new employees much faster, and will help prevent any reputation degradation from happening as a result of inexperience on your team.   Tip # 4: Don’t Get Too Comfortable   When business is good, it’s crucial that you don’t let yourself or your employees get too comfortable. Remember: your reputation can be damaged overnight. When you’re too comfortable, you let things slide that you didn’t use to, and you don’t pay as close attention to the details. To ensure that you’re proactively thinking about your reputation, keep your expectations high, set audacious goals for your team to work toward, and be obsessed with the idea that there is always room for improvement.   Tip # 5: Take Time to Appreciate Your Team   If you’re lucky enough to have a good reputation among your guests and followers, it likely means you have a strong, supportive, and passionate team behind you. To keep your reputation intact going forward, you have to keep your employees motivated and happy. Take time to appreciate them and give them praise for their hard work. Here are a few ways you can show your employees that you care: Cater in lunch for the team once a month. Plan a fun off-site outing to strengthen the bond that exists between your team members. Offer annual bonuses to show your appreciation for a year’s worth of hard work. Occasionally write and hand-deliver personalized thank you cards for each of your employees that explain why you’re grateful to have them on the team. Simple acts of kindness like the examples outlined above can go a long way when you’re trying to show your team that you care. As I mentioned earlier, when your employees are happy and feel appreciated by you, they are more loyal, more productive, and more committed to helping you make your business a success.   Tip # 6: Serve and Delight Your Guests   Finally, make sure to always focus on serving and delighting your customers. If you and your employees are constantly going out of your way to wow your guests and create amazing experiences for them, you’ll never have to worry about having to fix a damaged reputation.   See TravelNet Solutions Digital Marketing in Action   Want to see what TNS Digital Marketing can do for you? Schedule a demo today to see how we can help manage your online presence.

In the hospitality and travel industry, a property lives and dies by their reputation. In order to boost guest loyalty, get more referrals, and continue growing your business year after year, you have to spend time proactively managing your reputation. For some property managers, reputation management might involve working to fix a damaged reputation, and for others, it might simply mean doing what you can to improve the already-good reputation that you’ve worked hard to establish and maintain as a business over the years. If you have a good reputation that’s great! Next week’s blog post will focus on how to maintain and improve a good reputation. But, no matter how much work you put into your business, a bad reputation can creep up slowly over a number of years, or it can happen overnight. If for whatever reasons, you’ve been struggling with reputation issues lately at your property, put yourself, your team, and your business on the road to recovery by following these 6 tips: Tip # 1: Identify the Problem The first step you need to take when working to repair a bad reputation is to identify the problem. You’ve already accepted the fact that you’ve damaged the perception and trust that travelers have of your property. In order to start making improvements, you have to dig deeper and try to find the root of the problem. To identify what’s causing reputation issues for your property, ask yourself some of the following questions: Is this a recent problem, or have I heard this feedback from people before? Is there a specific event or series of events that took place that has impacted our reputation? What do I think is the real root of the problem? Is it the way our employees communicate with guests? Does it have to do with our accommodations? The food we serve? Are we making any sort of false promises to the people who book reservations with us? Have I taken the time to read through online reviews about our property in order to identify similarities in the feedback that is being provided? Have guests talked to me or my employees about specific issues, and if so, were they resolved? Thinking more intentionally about these questions and trying to come up with answers will help you develop a plan for addressing the issues that are ultimately affecting your reputation. Tip # 2: Commit to Transparency In order to repair your reputation, you need to commit to being transparent with your team, your guests, and your social media followers. People are already going online to talk about their experiences staying at your property and interacting with your employees, so as a property manager, the best thing you can do when you’re trying to fix the issues and make amends with people is to engage and participate in the discussion. As long as there are no potential legal ramifications or confidentiality concerns associated with the issue you’re trying to address, be honest with people about it. Respond to negative reviews and tell reviewers that you’ve identified some problem areas, you’re working on fixing them, and you appreciate any support they can give. Continue giving progress updates to your followers as you work to fix the problems that negatively impacted your reputation. The more transparent you can be with people, the more likely they will be to forgive you and give you a second chance. Tip # 3: Meet with Your Team The third step in the process is to meet with your team and formulate a repair plan. Who you bring into the discussion will ultimately depend on what you think the issues affecting your reputation are. If it’s one employee who has been providing bad customer service to guests, for example, it’s best to keep the conversation confidential and between you and that employee. If it’s a larger issue however, it might be beneficial to meet with your entire team and talk about how to address and repair the issues affecting your ability to convert travelers into guests. Your goal during this meeting is to come up with a specific, realistic, and time-sensitive game plan for fixing the issues that are affecting your business. By the end of the meeting, you should have clear takeaways, tasks, and deadlines for all stakeholders involved. Tip # 4: Execute Your Plan When you’ve got all the pieces in place, your next step is to execute the plan you designed with your team members. Remember that in order to be successful in ultimately repairing your reputation, you need to be transparent with everyone involved—your leadership team, your employees, your past and current guests, and possibly even your social media followers. To effectively execute your plan and start making progress, you need buy-in from your team, and you need to re-establish the trust you once had with your audience. Tip # 5: Get Feedback As you work to execute your plan, make sure to get feedback along the way to ensure that you’re actually taking the right steps. A great way to get guest feedback is through surveys. Surveys can help you learn what you are doing good and bad and receive feedback that’s not public. Once you implement surveys you will have a better idea of how guests feel about their experience, then you can start making improvements. For example, if you had a bad reputation because of your food, hire new chefs, introduce new menus, and see what your guests think. Offer incentives and discounts to get people to come back to your property and see what’s changed. Or, if it becomes apparent that some of your employees lack skills in the areas of communication and customer service, spend time training them, then ask your guests for feedback about specific employees. You could also invite people you know to come to stay at your property as “mystery guests” in order to see whether improvements are actually being made. This feedback will help you understand what’s working and […]

More guests staying at your property means you’re making money.  That seems like pretty straight forward logic, but digging deeper you need to ask yourself “How are these guests actually finding and booking their trip?” With OTAs flooding the market, many properties are overwhelmed with seemingly can’t-miss opportunities to generate bookings. Taking more bookings means additional revenue for your property, right? It may seem that way, but many of these online travel agencies charge commissions up to 25%.  Wouldn’t it make more sense to drive travelers directly to your website where you can avoid these additional fees?  By following these simple tips, you’ll be taking steps in the right direction to drive more bookings directly to your website. Content   Content is king and should be at the heart of your marketing strategy. It’s important that your brand is publishing quality content online regularly. Not only does this content help your online exposure, it will help convert visitors on your website. When it comes to creating this content, there is plenty of freedom. Whether you’re publishing a blog, writing on social media, or utilizing a feed for user generated content, it’s critical that you’re pushing out quality content on a regular basis.  Whether you’re publishing daily, weekly, or monthly, just make sure you’re giving travelers something fresh. Visit this blog, What you should be posting on your Properties Facebook Page, for 12 techniques to post on social media. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you (or your staff) needs to come up with all of the content on your own. Share relevant content written by others. Partner with other businesses in your town and cross-promote one another. This is extremely helpful when it comes to event promotion in your area. SEO   As one of the key elements in driving organic traffic to your property website, your SEO strategy is extremely important when it comes to driving direct bookings.  Consistency is key when it comes to your SEO strategy and it absolutely needs to be keyword driven. SEO may seem like a large task, and it can be if you’re unfamiliar with the practice. Luckily, there are hospitality digital marketing agencies that are available at your fingertips to help you with transparent reporting, industry trends, and to help with strategy. If you’re interested in learning more about TravelNet Solutions Digital Marketing Agency, request your demo here.  Social Media   Communication and interaction with potential travelers on social media can be a driving force for converting guests. Surveys have found that 83% of travelers are inspired to take a trip after seeing something on social media, meaning a strong presence can directly lead to bookings. With so many social media outlets in existence, it’s important to keep in mind that you do not have to spread yourself across all of them. Do some research, see what platforms your target demographic(s) are interacting on and make your presence known. When interacting on these platforms, make sure your profile links directly back to your website, as your influence may lead to a quick booking. Website   As the storefront to your property, your website needs to be visually appealing and convey the experience travelers will have when they stay with you. Images will sell experiences, and when they’re accompanied by great content, guests will be ready to click the “book now” button.   Keep in mind that during a guest’s time spent on your website, you should be selling experiences to them with every click they make, driving them down the sales funnel and ultimately converting to a booking. Does this sound like your website? If not, reach out to our Web Services team to get your storefront in shape. Mobile Friendly   If you’re like the rest of the population, your phone is most likely on you, or within a three-foot radius of where you are right now. In fact, you may be reading this blog from your phone! What we’re getting at is the fact that our phones have become an extension of our bodies. Opportunities are endless when our phones are in hand, and it’s important that your website is mobile-friendly as 82% of smartphone users are searching travel ideas from their phones. The benefits don’t just end there. If your website is not mobile-friendly, be ready to get penalized by Google and move down in search engine ranks.  Avoid this fall from grace and become mobile-friendly. Make sure your mobile site has quick loading times, resizing photos, and ensure all software will work on mobile devices. Deals & Packages   Driving direct bookings can be simplified by offering your guests deals & packages that OTAs aren’t offering. Whether this is a best rate guarantee, seasonal specials or a targeted offer, potential travelers will convert for a deal over going to an OTA. There’s an added bonus if you’re advertising on ResortsandLodges.com. You can list your deals & packages right on your landing page, leading guests to your website! By using these tips, you’ll be able to drive more bookings while keeping your revenue instead of handing it to an OTA in the form of commission. Questions or comments? Contact us today!

In the hospitality industry, it is essential to have a website. But, just having a website isn’t going to be enough to get visitors to book at your property over your competitors. If you want to play to win, you must have a website that’s built to convert. There are more websites and property listings on the internet today than ever before, and more listings are being published every day. As a property manager, it’s your job to bring potential guests to your website and to convince them to convert before they leave, lose interest, book through another channel—or worse, book a stay at another resort. So how do you do it? Here are 6 key tips for turning passive website visitors into confirmed bookings for your resort:   Tip #1: Make Information Easy to Find   The first step in driving people to convert after landing on your website is to make essential information easy to find. Consumers don’t want to waste time trying to find the information they need in order to make a decision about your resort. You have to make it incredibly accessible for them, otherwise, you risk losing them to a competing resort or mainstream booking channel. To make it easy for website visitors, feature the following information prominently on your homepage: Phone Number: Despite the necessity and growing use of resort websites, many travelers still prefer talking to an actual human being when booking a reservation at a resort. If your visitors can’t easily find your phone number, but they still care enough to try to find it, they’ll probably leave and go searching for it elsewhere—like on your Facebook page or on your Google Business listing. The problem is, the internet is a distracting place. The chances that they’ll ‘get lost’ along the way is high. To prevent this from happening, place your phone number in easy-to-find locations on your website, like in the navigation menu or the footer. Book Now/Availability CTAs: Some travelers don’t need all the extra information you have to offer about your resort. Some are ready to book right away and they simply want to be able to check availability in a matter of seconds after landing on your website. To accommodate these types of guests, feature your booking or reservations CTAs in the top right corner of your homepage, or right below your feature photo (make sure it still loads above the fold). Use a contrasting color like yellow to make these buttons stand out from the rest of your page content. Room/Lodge Photos: Most travelers want to have a pretty good idea of what a room looks like before they enter their payment information to reserve it. To accommodate visitors who are not yet familiar with your resort and rooms, feature photos or links to photo galleries of your rooms, right on your homepage. Don’t hide your room photos in a general photo gallery of your resort. Make it easy for visitors to find the photos and decide within a few minutes that your accommodations meet their expectations. Cleaning Policies: Especially In the age of COVID most travelers will want to know what your cleaning policy is. For the ease of mind of your guests make sure that your cleaning policies are predominately displayed on your website. You should have a page dedicated to your cleaning policies as well as use blog posts, pop-ups, and header bars to make your policies clear to guests. This article provides some best practices and examples of how to make your policies clear to potential guests.   Tip #2: Make Booking Simple & Clear   To encourage website visitors to book their reservations using your website, you need to make it simple and clear for them. That means keeping the following recommendations in mind when building or updating your website: Make Your Website Responsive More people than ever are searching for resorts, checking availability, and making reservations on their smartphones. As a property manager, it’s your job to make sure that your website displays quickly, correctly, and functionally on all devices—for Android and iOS. Make Checking Availability Simple As mentioned in the first tip, you need to make sure that your website visitors can easily find and utilize the availability-check feature built into your property management and CRM tool. Again, it’s also important that your availability tools work correctly on mobile devices. Make Visitors Feel Secure To help visitors complete the reservation process, do what you can to make them feel like the information they are submitting is safe and secure. You can do this in a few ways. First, make sure that the platform you are using to accept payment uses an SSL certificate. SSL certificates ensure that any sensitive information passed by the user is kept protected after they submit it. Second, add trust badges to your booking pages to remind guests that their information is kept safe and secure at all times. Finally, reassure guests by including trust statements throughout the pages they will ultimately see during the booking process. Use phrases like, “your information is secure,” “we never share data with third-parties,” and “risk-free.”   Tip# 3: Make Your Resort Seem Irresistible   Buttons and links that send people to your actual reservation pages are important, but so are the words and images you use to sell people on your resort. If your website visitors can’t get a good grasp of what it would be like to stay at your resort—if they can’t understand what they are missing—the likelihood that they will click on any booking buttons or links remains relatively low. To make your resort seem irresistible, feature high-quality photos and videos on your resort homepage and throughout your website. Help your guests virtually navigate around and through your resort and pair this rich media with compelling headlines and supporting text. Need photo/video ideas for your property website? Here’s a quick checklist you can go through: Room photos Restaurant photos Resort photos (ground-view) Resort photos […]

  1. Curated Articles   In addition to sharing your own content, you can also take the opportunity to share curated articles and resources on your Facebook page. Curated content is content that you find on third-party websites. Some good examples of curated content that you could share with travelers on your Facebook page include: Traveling tips Tips or vacation ideas that relate to your specific geographic location News about your surrounding area Content from other local businesses in the area Photo galleries or videos of the surrounding area Other funny or entertaining traveling or vacation-themed content Sharing curated content on your page is important because you don’t want to come across as too promotional or salesy to your followers. Your goal should always be to leverage yourself as a resource that your followers can leverage when they need help or have questions.   2. Stories/Reviews/Testimonials from Guests   Occasionally, you can also share kind words on your Facebook page that you’ve received from happy guests. Again, the key here is to not overdo it. If your page is full of testimonials, it’s not going to result in any sort of ROI for you. It’s great to share this type of content with your followers because it helps build trust, but you really need to be careful. To avoid coming across as too promotional, the best thing you can do is try to collect and share more stories from guests on your page. If a happy guest sends you some kind words over email, see if you can set up some time to ask them a few questions about their stay. Your goal is to create a compelling, real story that other people who interact with you on Facebook will be captivated by. Try to promote the experiences you help people create, not the great services you provide. Make it about your guests, not about you. 3. Questions   If you’re experiencing a lack of engagement or activity on your Facebook page, try asking a question to get your followers talking. Don’t make your questions about you or your property. Instead, focus on the problems and questions you know all of your guests have when it comes to traveling or planning a trip. Here are a few example questions you could use: What one item do you always make sure to pack with you no matter where you’re traveling to? What is your best traveling hack that you can share with another less experienced traveler? What is the best trip you’ve ever taken and what did you love about it? What is the #1 thing our guests need to see or experience while they’re staying with us?   It might take a few attempts of posting questions on your page over time before your followers start to respond and engage with you. Don’t give up if you don’t hear from anyone after you post a question on your page in this way for the first time. To jumpstart engagement, have your friends or staff members chime in and answer the question you posted. 4. Relevant Travel Tips & Hacks   Despite the popularity and effectiveness of visual content, text-only posts can also still perform well on your page. To get more people engaging with your Facebook page and spreading the word about you, offer simple 1-2 sentence travel tips and hacks to your followers. Think about the frequently asked questions that you always get from guests, and the experience you have in the industry, and come up with a few dozen tips to share on your page. 5. Content Promoting Other Local Businesses   To widen your audience and following, you can also share relevant content that other local businesses and organizations in your area are producing and sharing with their followers. Doing so will help you develop better relationships with the business owners in your area, and will provide additional value to travelers who are interested in staying at your property. 6. Specials & Packages Finally, share specials and packages with your Facebook followers, but do so sparingly. These types of updates should only represent 5% or less of the content you’re publishing on your Facebook page. If your followers want to know more about the deals they offer, they will navigate to your website—but don’t be afraid to direct them to a time-sensitive offer every so often. As long as you are publishing a good amount of non-promotional content on your page in addition to these types of promotion-heavy offers, you have nothing to worry about. If you would like to learn more how TNS provides Social Media marketing to over 400+ resorts, hotels, vacation rental management companies, inns, and more please click here and schedule a demo!

This is part one of two on Things You Should Share on Your Facebook created for Hotels, Resorts, Inns, Lodges, and Vacation Rentals. Check back next Tuesday for Part 2. In order to boost loyalty, word of mouth, and repeat visits, you have to make an effort to engage with your guests during times when they aren’t physically at your property. It’s the only way to develop and nurture ongoing relationships that bring people and their friends through your door year-after-year. To effectively keep in touch with your guests, you need to be willing to invest in things like email marketing, direct mail, blogging, phone call follow-ups, and social media marketing. For the average property manager, all of that can be a lot of work! If you’re strapped on time and resources, the best thing to do is to pick just one channel to invest your time and energy into, see how it performs, and start scaling when you have more help. If you’re looking for a place to start, kick things off with Facebook. Don’t spread yourself too thin by trying to engage on 5 different social media platforms (Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.)—just pick one to begin with. When you try to do too much at once, you risk burning yourself out before you’ve even had a chance to see any results from your efforts. So why spend time promoting your property and interacting with guests on Facebook over other  social platforms? Consider the facts: Facebook has 2.41 billion monthly active users.  71% of American Adults use Facebook. 90 million small businesses use Facebook  An average Facebook user clicks on 11 ads per month. Needless to say, it’s a popular place for people to go to engage with friends, coworkers, and brands, and it’s not going away anytime soon. It’s up to you to use it as a tool to grow your business. [Insert Statistics images of Facebook Audience] Not sure what you should be posting on your Facebook page to engage with followers, expand your reach, and drive more reservations? Here are 6 ideas: 1. Videos   Video is one of the most popular and effective content formats being shared on Facebook right now.  To connect with your guests, share videos that: Feature members of your staff Highlight the best parts about your property Share stories from guests Make your property seem irresistible to travelers Show interested travelers what the surrounding area is like Sharing original videos on your Facebook page will help you spark engagement on your page, and show your followers what it is that really makes your property and the experience you offer different from anywhere else. 2. Photos from Guests   Another great way to drive engagement on Facebook and get people talking about your property is by sharing photos of your guests. Interested travelers know that they can go to your website to see professionally-produced photos of your property, so use Facebook differently when it comes to sharing photos. Spark conversation and excitement among your Facebook followers by sharing real, genuine, and imperfect photos on your page from guests who have or are currently staying with you. You can get photos from guests in two ways: Hire a staff photographer to take photos of guests staying with you, and get permission to use the photos on social media or in other marketing material. Ask your guests to email you photos from their trip that you can use. Incentivize by launching a photo contest (ex. “send us your best photo for a chance to win a free night during your next stay!”) When you share real photos from real people, you’re much more likely to get people engaging on your page and talking about your property. 3. Day Trip Idea Graphics   Facebook should never be used to solely promote your own property. If you’re spending all your time posting links to different pages on your website and promoting different specials you offer, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to build relationships with potential guests. Instead of being 100% self-promotional on your property Facebook page, you should instead strive to provide value to interested travelers who come across your page. For example, it’s pretty safe to assume that the people who stay at your property will, at one point or another, venture away to experience the surrounding area. Why not help them plan a few fun day trips ahead of time? It’s a great way to leverage yourself and your property as a trusted resource to interested travelers who are working hard to plan the perfect trip. Because visual content wins on Facebook, consider sharing day trip ideas in the form of a fun or interesting graphic. For example, plan a sightseeing tour for your guests by placing pinpoints on a map. Include descriptions of each pinpoint in the text portion of your page post. Share the map visual and the accompanying descriptions on your page and spark engagement by asking specific questions that your followers can answer (ex. Did anyone make it to these places while they were here? Is anyone planning on stopping at these destinations during their stay?). This type of fun, creative visual content is much more likely to be seen and commented on by your followers. 4. Contests   On Facebook, contests can help you build awareness and reach travelers who otherwise might have never found your property. Social media users love participating in contests for one reason: free prizes and rewards. The most popular type of contest on Facebook is the giveaway. It’s popular because it’s simple—all users have to do is complete actions in order to be entered for a chance to win your prize. When you use a tool like Gleam to build and manage your Facebook contest, every action you ask users to perform can count as an extra entry into the giveaway. Actions include things like providing an email address, answering a question, visiting a website, uploading a photo, and referring […]

To build a sustainable and profitable business in the travel & hospitality industry today, you need to be using email to nurture relationships with past and future guests. Spending time engaging with your guests and followers on social media is beneficial, making phone calls is crucial, but email is an absolute must. It’s one of the best ways to reach, nurture, and segment your audience. Consider the facts: 78% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the last 12 months. 73% of millennials prefer communications from businesses to come via email. Marketers who use segmented campaigns note as much as a 760% increase in revenue 99% of consumers check their email every day As a property manager, it’s your job to take advantage of the opportunities that email marketing presents for your business and reservations team. To put yourself on the right path toward developing and executing on an email marketing strategy that helps you drive more reservations and more profit for your property this year, follow these 6 tips when sending emails to leads: Tip #1: Make the Right First Impression   When it comes to sending cold or even warm emails, first impressions mean everything. It’s important to remember that the average person is getting inundated with emails from all types of businesses and brands on a daily basis. The last thing they want is another sales email from someone on your team. To increase the effectiveness and response-rates of the emails your team is sending, help your marketing team understand how to make the right first impression, and why it matters so much. Here are a few recommendations that can help when you’re ready to train your team: Recommendation #1: Personalize every email as much as possible. You have to build automation into your email marketing efforts, but if you don’t take the time to personalize, it won’t do you much good in the end. When you email a lead for the first time, use as much personal and specific information as possible (name, location, any other information you collected when your lead filled out a form) to grab attention and drive a response. Recommendation #2: Focus on asking questions and being helpful. When you first reach out to a lead, your goal should be to come across as helpful to them. To position yourself in that way, start by asking questions (ex. What are you looking for exactly? What have you looked at already? What type of trip are you going on? What experiences are you hoping to have while you’re on your trip, etc). Recommendation #3: Avoid using sales-speak and being overly promotional. Don’t be too pushy in your initial email to a lead. Start a conversation, engage authentically, and build trust with the people you want to ultimately convert. There’s a time and place for making the sale or pitch, and it’s definitely not in the first exchange you have with a contact. The first email you send sets the tone for the entire relationship you’ll have with a lead. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to impress, stand out, and position yourself as someone worth talking to. Tip #2: Understand Who Your Leads Are   In order to get any sort of return from your email outreach efforts, you need to constantly be trying to figure out who your leads are, and where they are in the buyer’s journey. Initially, you might discover information about your leads from the answers they provide in your website forms, but through follow-up conversations on the phone and through your outreach efforts, you can slowly start building a more complete profile of every lead you’re trying to nurture. You can use a tool like TRACK to store every piece of information about your lead—information that you want to recall and use throughout the sales process. By gaining a better understanding of who your lead is, you can categorize leads based on priority or likelihood that they will convert, and also decide the best way to interact with and sell to them. Here are some examples of information you should know about your leads in order to build a stronger relationship with them over time: Basic information (name, age, birthday, address, phone, job title, etc.) Interests relating to travel (what they like to do when they travel, what they hate, types of attractions or trips they like, etc.) General hobbies and interests (information that you can use to personalize messages and make stronger connections in future email campaigns to them) Amenities that they care most about Any obstacles keeping them from booking a reservation (time of year, cost, etc.) Once you have information like this in hand, building and nurturing relationships with potential guests becomes a lot easier. It also becomes easier to segment leads into different groups as mentioned above (priority, follow-up in 6 months, needs to see special pricing or a package, etc). This will help ensure that you spend time nurturing the right relationships with the right people at the right point in time. Tip #3: Write Like a Human   To be effective with email, you need to write like a human. It might sound like a simple tip, but it’s something that a lot of people struggle with. We don’t always write in the same way that we speak. As a result, written messages can sometimes come across as cold, robotic, forceful, impersonal, or too stuffy. The emails you or your team sends on behalf of your organization should look and sound professional, but they also need to feel like they are coming from an actual human being. So how do you do it? Here are a few recommendations you can follow to sound more like an authentic, caring human being in your emails to leads: Read what you write out loud before hitting send. This is something that so few people take the time to do, but it really can make a big difference. Spend a few minutes […]

To drive more online reservations this year, you can’t just launch a great website. To be successful, you also have to effectively and proactively compete against other properties and hotels in your area. So how do you do it? It really comes down to a few things at the end of the day: Goal #1: Help your website visitors understand what makes your resort different and better than others. Goal #2: Persuade your website visitors to book with you instead of the other guy. Goal #3: Make conversion incredibly easy for anyone who lands on your website. Here’s the problem: it’s not always easy to know what you should be specifically focusing on in order to march toward those three goals mentioned above. There are a lot of paths you can take to achieve success. If you’re like a lot of other property managers and not sure exactly where to start, don’t be discouraged—just keep reading. In this post, you’ll discover 5 simple and actionable recommendations that can help you differentiate from local competitors and drive more online reservations in the months ahead.   1. Be Present   When it comes to differentiating from other resorts in your area, the most important thing you can do is show online users that you are present, willing to participate in conversations, and eager to interact with would-be guests. Your ultimate goal is making the people who find your resort on Google, Facebook, Twitter, or any other channel feel like they can reach out and talk to an actual human being on your side if desired. Being present online is more than just showing people that you’re available to interact with them though. Being present online means that you are proactive about engaging with past and future guests—that you seek out opportunities to build and nurture relationships with people who could support your business. To be more present online, keep these best practices in mind: Don’t use social media to shout. Use social media apps and websites for what they were intended for—to communicate with other people. Don’t set up Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for your resort and spend all your time sharing update after update about yourself. Instead, look for ways to use social media sites to engage with guests, answer questions from would-be guests, etc. Help people understand that you are willing to be part of the conversation. Don’t make it hard for people to contact a real person at your resort. Some people can’t get enough information from looking through your website alone. Some visitors want more information and they want to be able to talk to an actual human being at your property to get it. To show that you’re more present, make it incredibly easy for people to find your contact information, or the contact information of one of your reservation agents, no matter where they are—your website, your Facebook page, your Twitter account, or any other channel that people are using to learn more about your resort. Don’t let your website age—keep it fresh with new content. To help website visitors feel like you’re still present and active in the industry, take time to develop original content for your blog. Publish blog posts that share stories, give website visitors updates about your resort, and help them understand why you think they will love traveling to your resort this year, not last year or two years ago.   2. Be Consistent   I’ve written about the importance of consistency a few times on this blog before, and it’s because I truly believe it plays an essential role in being able to differentiate from other properties and convince more people to come to your resort. Online consumers are incredibly observant. Because of the nature of ecommerce and online bookings, they are naturally cautious. If a traveler isn’t convinced that your resort is what you say it is, or they feel at all like you’re not painting the full picture for them, they will not book a reservation with you. A consistent presentation of your resort across multiple channels (website, emails, social media ads, listing services) allows you to show potential guests a few things: You are professional You can be trusted You are familiar Quality matters to you What they see and read is what they will actually get Being consistent online isn’t difficult. All you have to do is take the time to make sure that you’re using the same or similar language, photos, and videos on your website that you show in emails and other types of marketing campaigns.   3. Be Human   One of the most important and effective ways to differentiate from others in your area is to simply come across as human when potential guests engage with your resort online. Again, trust is an issue when you’re dealing with online consumers and online travelers. It’s up to you to help website visitors overcome their objections and feel confident that they’re not just picking a good resort to stay at, but that they are also doing business with good people. So how do you come across as human on your website? To start, don’t simply be an advertisement to people who land on your website. Your ultimate goal is obviously to get people to book reservations at your resort, but it should never be the only thing you focus on when building or updating your website. To come across as human and convince people that you’re more interested in helping them create amazing memories, follow these recommendations: Tell real stories about real people on your website. I write about this a lot, because it works. Take the time to capture and write compelling stories about your resort, your employees, and your guests, and share them on your website and in your marketing campaigns. Be reachable. I already hit on this earlier in the post, but it’s worth mentioning again: make sure it’s easy for potential guests to get a hold of you. […]

  To drive more reservations for your resort, you need to be able to effectively connect with and nurture travelers who discover your resort online. Your website can be a fantastic tool for reaching and attracting new travelers to your resort. It can, however, also create challenges. The biggest one most resort owners and managers experience is trying to determine how to best build trust and rapport with potential guests without ever talking to them on the phone or meeting with them face-to-face. It’s not an easy obstacle to overcome, especially if you’re relatively new to the industry, or if you’re not well-versed in using digital media as a way to get the word out about your resort. So where do you start? How do you differentiate from other resorts in your area (or anywhere, really) and convince travelers to book reservations with you? It all comes down to your ability to humanize your online presence. Humanizing your online presence is all about helping the people who find you online understand: Who you are and what makes your resort different or special What it would look like and feel like to stay at your resort Who typically stays at your resort and what their experiences are like What you do to create amazing experiences and memories for guests If you’re looking for more ways to humanize your website, social media channels, and property listings, consider these 4 tips: Tip #1: Use Real Photos with Real People   The fastest way to connect with online visitors who come across your resort is to present them with compelling visuals. It’s important to include enough photos of your resort to give potential guests an idea of what to expect were they to visit, but make sure not to come across as too sterile or perfect with the photos you ultimately present. There’s long been a tradition of including photos of different scenes and locations on your resort with no people, perhaps to create the perception of perfection and cleanliness. But without including actual human beings in your photos, it can be hard for people to imagine themselves at your resort. Make sure your photos paint a clear picture of your resort. To humanize your resort and the personality needed to pique the interest of potential guests, (with permission of course) use photos of: Guests interacting with staff at check-in Guests relaxing or having fun around your resort Guests eating meals Guests exploring the area and attractions near your resort Your goal is to make people feel like they would be comfortable during their stay. Use photos to set expectations from the minute they come across your resort when searching for a place to stay online. If you don’t want to take photos of guests or ask guests to participate, get your staff to stage photos as if they were guests. It’s still a better option than including stock photos, or photos without people in them at all. Tip #2: Feature Quotes and Stories from Guests   In addition to photos, you should also be incorporating real quotes and stories from guests into your online channels. Featuring authentic reviews and testimonials from happy guests is one of the fastest ways to build trust with anyone who isn’t yet familiar with your resort and the experience you offer. You can feature this type of content in a few ways. For example, you can: Incorporate a quote into a subheading Feature words from guest as a pull-quote or in sidebar Create an entire section of top reviews from guests Use stories and reviews in promotional videos and photo slideshows Your goal is to let your past happy guests do the selling for you. Instead of writing lengthy paragraphs about how great you think your resort is, find reviews that highlight the best features of your resort, tell the best stories, and paint the best picture of the experience you have to offer. Tip #3: Put Your Staff on Video   In addition to wanting to see examples of guests staying at your resort, online visitors also want to see examples of the kind of people who work at and run your resort. The most effective way to show potential guests who your staff is and how their work contributes to the uniqueness of your resort is to feature your team members in videos. Like photography, videography is an incredibly powerful medium that you could be leveraging to build and nurture relationships with the people who are thinking about booking reservations at your resorts. Most resorts have at one time or another created a virtual tour video or a video slideshow, but few take the time to use video as an opportunity to share stories. To differentiate from other resorts and to show your online visitors that there are actually real, relatable human beings working at your resort, create one or a few videos that introduce or feature your employees. For example, you can create videos that introduce guests to: The concierge or front desk employee who knows everything about the local area The cooks and servers that they’ll interact with during meals The groundskeepers and gardeners who keep your property looking pristine The owners/founders of the resort who work every day to create an unforgettable experience for guests Your potential guests want to feel comfortable. Use video to connect with them on a more personal, human level. Tip #4: Personalize Based on Season   To show online visitors that you’re available and actively interested in engaging with potential guests, take the time to update and personalize your website, emails, and social media pages based on the seasons. Personalizing based on seasons doesn’t have to be complicated. You can do it by: Updating photos to show what your resort looks like during different times of the year Updating body copy in a way that relates to the seasons and connects with visitors Changing headlines to align with different seasons in an effort to grab the attention […]

  COTTAGE GROVE, MN — JUNE 20, 2020 —- Announced today, TravelNet Solutions (TNS), a leading provider of integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry, has taken the measure to postpone TNS NEXT 2020, originally scheduled for September 20th. After much discussion with key stakeholders, clients, and partners, the tough decision was determined for the safety of clients, partners, employees, and the travel industry as a whole.  “The health and welfare of the travel industry, as well as our communities, are our highest priority.” Says TNS CEO Ryan Bailey, “We also want to think of the bandwidth and financial stability of the industry as a whole. It is important to us that our clients and partners have a bright future and prosperous rebound. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right one.”   TNS has been watching travel industry conference trends and monitoring COVID-19 closely. After many communications with customers and industry partners, the choice to postpone became clear. TNS NEXT has been rescheduled for September 26-28, 2021 at the Hilton Downtown Minneapolis.  Our task at hand is to prioritize the well-being of the travel industry, clients, and partners on all levels. We thank you for your patience and support during these unprecedented times. More information regarding TNS NEXT 2021 will be released in the next few months. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Jenna Fuhrman at jfuhrman@tnsinc.com.

Content marketing remains one of the most effective ways to reach and connect with travelers, drive website traffic, build trust, and increase online reservations through your property website. As people spend more time online than ever before researching properties, learning about cities, and talking to their friends about past experiences before making future travel plans, business owners in the travel and hospitality industry are forced to work harder to position themselves and their businesses as trusted resources that travelers can turn to when they need help. Creating and publishing content is an easy and proven way to start building more authority, influence, and trust with your target audience. Without a clear strategy in place however, you can waste a lot of time writing and publishing blog posts that won’t do anything to help your business grow. This how-to resource will provide you with the tips, processes, resources, and best practices needed to develop an ROI-driven content marketing strategy for your property. 1. Know Your Audience   To build an effective content strategy for your property, you need to start by making sure you have a firm grasp on who it is that you’re ultimately trying to reach. Being able to create great blog content will be crucial to your success, but it’s not nearly as important as knowing how to create great blog content for the right people. As a property manager, it’s your job to have a crystal clear understanding of who your audience is, what their pain points are, what questions they’re asking, what they care about, and where or how they’re spending the majority their time online. There are two steps you can take to ensure that you know the audience you’re trying to reach and write for. First, spend time answering the following questions about your ideal guests: Who is your ideal guest? What are the main demographics of your target audience? What motivations do they have for booking a stay at your property? What activities or experiences are they most interested in? What questions do they ask you? What objections do they have? What makes them come back to stay with you again? What pain points do they have in their lives that you help solve? What are their hobbies and interests? What other brands and businesses do they support? Where do they spend their time online (you can answer this question by digging into your own social analytics. Here are some tools that you can use. What other blogs are they reading or what other websites are they visiting regularly? Second, spend time developing 2-3 marketing personas that represent people in your target audience. Personas are, “fictional, generalized characters that encompass the various needs, goals, and observed behavior patterns among your real and potential customers” (Hubspot). To learn more about what marketing personas are and why they are important for your business, dig into this blog post from Hubspot. After you have a better understanding about personas, use the free template referenced in the blog post to create personas that represent 2-3 different versions of your ideal guest. Knowing who you’re trying to attract and target will ultimately help you develop stronger blog post ideas and better-performing blog posts over time. 2. Understand Your Why   The next step in building an ROI-driven content strategy is taking the time to understand why you’re investing in content in the first place. In other words, what are you hoping to achieve? If you’re like most property owners, you’re choosing to invest in content for one or more of the following reasons: Reason #1: You want to boost awareness. You want to use content as a way to connect and engage with more ideal guests. You want to use content to expand your reach and start nurturing relationships with people that have never heard about your property before. Reason #2: You want to boost website traffic. Website traffic has fallen flat, and you’re looking for new ways to bring it back to life. You know that blogging can work, but you’ve never really taken it seriously or developed a clear strategy that can be implemented by your team. Reason #3: You want people to trust you. You want to position yourself as a trusted resource in your area. When people go to search more about lodging and things to do in your area, you want them to land on blog posts that were written by you and your team. You want to build trust with your content so that when they’re ready to book their vacation, they won’t hesitate to choose you and your property. Reason #4: You want to capture more leads. You’re getting website traffic, but you’re not capturing email addresses or other contact information. You’re looking for a more enticing and compelling way to get people to give you their email address. At the same time, you also want to provide them with value and start helping them through the decision-making process. Reason #5: You want to qualify leads and nurture relationships. You want to use content as a way to qualify leads and nurture relationships with interested travelers who keep returning to your site looking for answers to their questions. Reason #6: You want to drive more online reservations. You want what every property manager wants: to be able to use your website as an effective tool for driving more reservations each month. The biggest mistake you can make when it comes to content marketing is to simply blog for the sake of blogging. If you don’t know why you’re spending the time creating new content each week, or you don’t know what you’re working toward, you’re wasting your time. Knowing your why can keep you focused, motivated, and accountable to your goals. 3. Set Clear Milestones & Goals   Once you have a clear idea about why you want to invest more time and energy into content marketing, the next step you need to take is to set a handful of specific and measurable milestones and […]

  Do you currently leverage email to communicate to future guests, guests, and past guests? If you are not, you are missing out on a huge opportunity. As Online Travel Agents (OTA), Google Travel, and social media begin to get saturated and more competitive than ever, property managers like you need to step up your personalization through the form of email marketing.  Here’s why: In 2019, the number of global e-mail users amounted to 3.9 billion and is set to grow to 4.48 billion users in 2024. (statista) The average email subscriber receives 13 commercial emails a day. (OptinMonster) 99% of people open their email every single day (OptinMonster) Adobe found that millennials check and use their emails more than any other age group. (Hubspot) More than 50 percent of U.S. respondents check their personal email account more than 10 times a day, and it is by far their preferred way to receive updates from brands. (Hubspot) Marketers who use segmented campaigns note as much as a 760% increase in revenue. (Hubspot) Email can be an incredibly useful and worthwhile tool to leverage if you’re at all interested in boosting property awareness, establishing and nurturing relationships with leads, and driving more people to take action and book reservations at your property in the months ahead. The question is, where do you focus in order to get the most ROI from your efforts? Here are 8 conversion-driven email campaigns you should consider sending to leads this year: 1. The Personalized Welcome Email   When it comes to email marketing, the welcome email is one of the most important campaigns you will ever send to your subscribers and leads. Why is it so important? Because in many cases, it’s the first opportunity you have to interact 1-on-1 with the person you’re ultimately trying to establish and nurture a relationship with. Welcome emails set the stage—and the mood—for all future interactions that you’ll have with your recipients. A poorly written and poorly executed welcome email can leave a sour taste in the mouths of the people that you’re ultimately hoping to convert into future guests. A well-written welcome email, on the other hand, can help you create the right first impression, set expectations, and start building immediate trust and loyalty with people from day one. So, what makes a welcome email great? There are a number of factors to consider and test along the way, but one of the most important ones you need to know about now in order to be effective from the get-go is personalization. Effective email campaigns all leverage personalization—a tactic that makes recipients believe that the emails they are receiving from you have been customized for them specifically. Actionable Takeaway: When sending welcome emails to blog subscribers or people who have requested more information from one of your reservation agents, personalize subject lines, salutations, and body copy with first names. It’s the least you can do to show people that you actually care about them as individuals. Most email automation providers make it fairly easy to add and auto-populate personal information (like first name) from contacts into the welcome campaign you ultimately want to build and turn on for all new subscribers or leads who get added to your list. 2. The Follow Up Email   The follow-up is another important email you should be baking into the email marketing strategy you build for your property and for your reservation/sales agents. Here’s why it’s important: Every week, the average online consumer is getting flooded with marketing emails from the brands and businesses they’ve supported in the past or want to know more about. Their inboxes are a lot noisier today than they were 5 or 10 years ago. As a result, a lot of the messages from businesses that make it into their inboxes are ignored and never opened. As a property manager, it’s your job to recognize and help your team of reservation agents recognize that some travelers are going to need to receive more than one email before they decide to respond or take the action you want them to take. Actionable Takeaway: Don’t give up on a lead just because they haven’t responded to the first few emails you’ve sent their way. Make an effort to follow-up at least once or twice before moving a lead into your inactive bucket. There really is no easy equation for writing effective follow-up emails—it’s something you need to test internally to find out what kind of messaging, timing, length, and other elements work best for your particular audience. That being said, there are a few best practices you can follow when writing and sending follow-up emails to people on your list. Here are 3 worth remembering: Keep your follow-up email short and sweet. Make it easy for recipients to understand what you want them to do (ex. reply, click a link, unsubscribe, schedule a phone call, etc.). Focus on them, not you. Don’t come across as desperate for a sale. Be desperate to help your recipients plan the perfect trip and create unforgettable experiences. Want to learn more about how to write and send effective follow-up emails? Check out this helpful guide from Close.io. 3. The Open-Ended Question Email   Another way to get your leads to engage with you is by simply sending them emails with an open-ended question that they can respond to and answer in just a few seconds. Here are some examples of open-ended questions that you can send to leads that you haven’t been able to successfully reach or engage with: What questions do you still have about our property? What kind of trip are you interested in planning? What is most important to you when staying at a resort or hotel? What’s keeping you from booking a reservation with us? Did you find all the information you were looking for? What else can I do to help you? When/how is the best time to try to reach you? Did you find […]

  This excerpt is from our recently published guide, Power On – Marketing for What’s Next. The complete guide offers actionable digital marketing strategies to prepare you for what’s next for hotels, resorts, & vacation rentals. You can check in daily for the next section or you can download the full version here. We understand. There just aren’t a lot of people at the booking stage of the funnel and it’s hurting your business. This eBook blog post series wasn’t written to fill this portion of the funnel tomorrow. People aren’t ready to book yet, but they will be and industry experts are predicting that it will happen quickly. Many of our clients are talking to us right now about having the strategy and tech in place to capitalize on the upward momentum to come. So, while you might think spending time here isn’t worth it right now, we urge you to take a look at a few aspects of your website and marketing. Traveler Behaviors at the Booking Phase: Analyzing final costs of their vacation Making a decision and booking a vacation Typical Marketing Activities Compelling Offers Rate Management Decrease Wasted Ad Spend Recover Lost Leads / Bookings Cart Abandonment Cart abandonment technology allows you the opportunity to try to recover abandoned bookings when shoppers abandon their shopping cart. There may never be a better time to make sure you have this technology implemented.  Let’s walk through an example. Jenna (loves fishing) is planning a trip with three friends to a resort for a weekend of fishing. All three friends are looking for potential destinations and lodging. Jenna lands on a site, falls in love with the resort and proceeds with a booking. Before pressing “Confirm” Jenna receives a text from a friend who also has an option so Jenna backs out of her booking.  Let’s not let Jenna get away! With Cart Abandonment technology, you’ve captured Jenna’s email address so you have the opportunity to send her an email drip campaign encouraging her to come back and complete her booking. You know what Jenna was excited about your property so go ahead and sweeten the deal for her so she can show her friends the great deal she got on her first choice of destination. This coupled with the remarketing ads we talked about previously is a powerful combination that should be in place now to make sure interested visitors come back to your site. Now is not the time to risk losing people at the Booking stage of the funnel!     Revenue Management and Packages Traditional revenue management practices based on customer segmentation can be put on hold right now. Instead, revenue managers should focus on Feeder Market Revenue Management. Identify your short-haul and drive in markets, develop property packages and promotions focused on these markets (family, weekend, staycation, gas reimbursement, F&B, etc.), and then geo-target these markets with digital marketing campaigns. For instance, using tiered promotions throughout the week to fill vacancies or using gift cards for rebates if guests book in 2020. It’s time to get creative with the data and tools at your disposal. These don’t need to be rolled out right now but it’s important that they’re ready for when you see traffic coming back via your analytics.  This was an excerpt from our section in our new eBook around the Booking Phase that searchers will go through as they get ready to book a vacation. Download the PowerOn eBook to see more tips and tricks that you can start implementing now.

  This excerpt is from our recently published guide, Power On – Marketing for What’s Next. The complete guide offers actionable digital marketing strategies to prepare you for what’s next for hotels, resorts, & vacation rentals. You can check in daily for the next section or you can download the full version here. Display Remarketing You’ve done a good job of getting potential guests to your site in the Awareness phase – now stay in front of them. A low-cost, brand-building campaign to implement right now would be a simple display remarketing campaign aimed at anyone that hits your website. Assuring you have Facebook and Google PPC pixels properly implemented on your site either directly in the <header> of your website or through Google Tag Manager, will allow you to tag a visitor’s browser and serve them ads using Google Display and Facebook Ads.     We typically are able to buy traffic for $0.20 – $0.60 a click in remarketing campaigns. $1,000 can buy anywhere from 1,500 to 5,000 visitors back to our clients’ websites. We’re seeing CPCs lower than that right now so it’s a great time to remarket. Major OTAs aren’t investing right now in driving that traffic. You have an opportunity to get these visitors back at a low cost per click. This is also a good time to practice A/B testing – or testing different ad copy or imagery to see what works in bringing guests back to your site. It may not be the time for ad copy suggesting the visitor come back and book, but it could be a good time to suggest they come back and sign up for your newsletter to stay updated on upcoming packages and promotions.  Brand Protection We’ve talked in this guide a couple times about the low cost-per-clicks industry-wide right now. Previous to the downturn, brand clicks have always been some of the cheapest. What do we mean by “brand clicks”? It’s bidding on your property name or similar in Google PPC to assure that you’re top of the search engine results page (SERP) when someone searches for your property directly. These visitors are already aware of your property and are going to Google with the intent of finding your site and clicking through to it. Now is not the time to allow a competitor to bid on your brand name and take that top spot. Google is smart – if you’re bidding you’ll be the top spot. Make sure this campaign is active. This was an excerpt from our section in our new eBook around the Rate Shopping and Reviews Phase that searchers will go through as they get more series. Download the PowerOn eBook to see more tips and tricks that you can start implementing now.

This excerpt is from our recently published guide, Power On – Marketing for What’s Next. The complete guide offers actionable digital marketing strategies to prepare you for what’s next for hotels, resorts, & vacation rentals. You can check in daily for the next section or you can download the full version here. Social Media This is a great time to get creative with your social presence and find new ways to bring the personality of your property(s) to your followers. Here are just a few ideas we’ve seen from our clients to spark your own creativity: Ask past guests to share photos of a past stay and trip to your destination by using a dedicated hashtag, so people can share their travel memories. Many people are cooking at home and there’s no better way to shake things up than by cooking a recipe from the chef at your property’s restaurant. Get creative and share a complimentary cocktail recipe or wine recommendation that is perfectly paired with the dish. Help people escape and indulge with at-home spa tips from your on-site spa. If your property offers group activities or fitness classes, share workout or instructional videos guests can use to stay active at home. If your property has a large family segment, create printable cards for iconic landmarks in your destination, which parents can print, cut out, and hide to create a scavenger hunt. You can post the printable cards in a scavenger hunt blog post and share on social media and email. Share a coloring page of the destination that people can print for their children to color. You can post the coloring pages in a blog post and share on social media and email. As mentioned previously about image use right now, make sure you’re posting pictures of your property that reflect open spaces, tranquility, privacy and cleanliness. The crowded pool scene or large group events are going to turn guests off right now.     Email Marketing You’ve launched search and remarketing ads, updated your website, have a creative approach to social media engagement, and have conversion optimization in place to build your email list. Now, bring it all together with an email engagement strategy. Email is still near the top of all marketing and engagement strategies. Communicating via email with previous guests and those that have opted-in for updates will go a long way in staying top of mind with travelers when they’re ready to start booking. If you were doing a monthly email newsletter, we’re recommending upping the frequency to bi-weekly or weekly right now. Here are some ideas of what to highlight in your newsletter New blog posts and “virtual” vacation Concreative you’ve put on the website Any creative social engagements you’re doing should be highlighted Videos and photography of your properties that bring the guest virtually back. A simple screenshot of a video in a newsletter is a great way to capture attention and get clicks back to your site to watch. Highlighting of local destinations and events Deals and promotions you’re planning for the upcoming season Status updates on your properties Updates on cleaning and sanitation throughout your property Get Creative! Don’t forget to create a separate email marketing list for those guests that needed to cancel! Stay in contact with them and let them know about promotions and offers to rebook.

This excerpt is from our recently published guide, Power On – Marketing for What’s Next. The complete guide offers actionable digital marketing strategies to prepare you for what’s next for hotels, resorts, & vacation rentals. You can check in daily for the next section or you can download the full version here. To support your upcoming advertising strategies, this is also a good time to work on your website and prepare to build your email list. Sprucing up property pictures, making sure amenities are up to date and updating any property or site descriptions. Are you promoting nearby recreational activities or landmarks? Now is a good time to get those on the site. When travelers are ready to get back on the road, you can assure your site is ready to capture their attention.  Here are the strategies we’re working on with our clients right now. General Website Maintenance and Enhancements Imagery: Now is the time to be showing open spaces, privacy and peaceful surroundings. We’re recommending clients remove pictures of crowded pool/beach scenes or images of large groups.  Property Photography: With less people at your properties or rentals right now, use the opportunity to get updated photography of the inside of your homes, resorts, lodges, etc. as well as the outdoors and surrounding areas. Cleaning and Sanitation Checklist: Update and prominently display your cleaning and sanitation checklists and processes. This is information we anticipate being sought out regularly by interested travelers. FAQ Page: Consider creating an FAQ page to increase visibility in Google Quick Answers. Content can center around the top questions regarding your property during COVID-19, such as measures taken on property to comply with the CDC, property reopening dates if it has been closed, cancellation properties and other top concerns. SEO: With less money being spent on paid search right now, it’s a great time to make sure you’re ranking organically for key terms related to your property or destination. Blogging: If you don’t have a blog, now is the time to start. It’s a fantastic way to bring the experience of your property or destination to life and give potential guests an inside look. Highlighting local destinations, events, and activities can help connect your property locally. Plus, blogging is a great way to boost your SEO Get Creative: We’ve seen our clients get very creative in terms of creating virtual activity centers and resources on their site. Below are a few examples.   This resort put together a whole resource center of activities for the quarantined family. These activities also tie back nicely to their property’s personality. This Northern Minnesota resort knows its guests love the feel of the North Woods so they’ve created this gallery of options for fans to soak in the atmosphere from afar. Who doesn’t recall a favorite meal from a destination they’ve been? This resort is betting you’ll savor the opportunity to sample their cuisine at home until you can make a return. This is a great example of bringing the personality of your destination to life for prospective guests while offering potential quarantine activities to enjoy nature.   Conversion Optimization If you don’t have this set up already, now is the time. Conversion optimization is an easy way to capture more travelers as they visit your site. Simple pop-up ads triggered by screen activity by the visitor can go a long way in building your email lists and give you more opportunities to continue marketing to potential leads. On average we see a conversion rate of 3-4% of unique visitors that opt into mailing lists from conversion optimization campaigns. Example: A visitor has found you via Google Search and is browsing through your website looking at your property. They have decided they’ve seen what they came to see and move towards the Back button on their browser. Their “exit-intent” screen activity triggers a pop-up ad that encourages them to join your mailing list to get updates on upcoming summer promotions and events. If they liked what they saw on your site, they’ll likely sign-up to stay in the loop on summer deals. With these updates in the works you now can look at creative and unique ways to drive traffic to your site via social media and email. That will be the focus of our next installment of Power On – Marketing for What’s Next.

  This excerpt is from our recently published guide, Power On – Marketing for What’s Next. The complete guide offers actionable digital marketing strategies to prepare you for what’s next for hotels, resorts, & vacation rentals. You can check in daily for the next section or you can download the full version here. Paid Search Paid search is more than likely an item you were spending a high percentage of your marketing budget on and have thus suspended to preserve your cash flow. That’s understandable. But, there are smart and affordable ways to use your data and maintain a presence with paid ads on Google or Bing. While typically our average Pay-Per-Click (PPC) for TNS clients is <$1, we’re seeing costs much lower than that right now. With fewer companies advertising you can get higher search value. We’ve heard from some customers that Airbnb and others have stopped spending on PPC in their markets right now which means you can maintain the top spot on the page at a fraction of the typical cost. Take advantage! But, be smart about your approach. Use your data to truly target those guests right now that are most likely to book when travel comes back.  Geo-targeting Remember some of the data examples from earlier posts in this series? Now is the time to hone in on marketing to locations that provide your highest bookings. For many of us, that’s the drive-to market. But, check your data and confirm just which of those destinations is your most profitable. Then, launch a very targeted PPC brand campaign that keeps your property at the top of search engines for local searches. As an example, for a resort in Brainerd, Minnesota (popular lakes and resorts destination 2 ½ hours north of the Twin Cities), a great geography for targeting is the Minneapolis / St. Paul area. Here’s an example of the locations interface in Google Adwords.   Low bids on targeted, long-tail keywords such as “brainerd minnesota resorts” or “brainerd minnesota summer resorts” can keep you in front of people searching now in your drive-to markets at a low cost. Couple this with prepping (but not releasing yet) your ad campaigns for those near future, last minute travelers with ads around deals and packages. Display Campaign Did you know you can upload the email addresses of previous guests in your drive-to market into Google and create an audience for use in a campaign? Then, create a look-alike-audience of people with similar geographical or demographic characteristics? This is a great way to highly target the people whose screen you’re wanting to stay on. Display campaign ad clicks are an affordable way to stay top of mind with your most profitable audiences. Here’s the audience creation interface from Google PPC that walks you through email upload audience creation. While paid search can be a sizable budget item, now is the time to capitalize on lower PPC costs with very targeted campaigns backed by your valuable customer data. In our next posts in this series we’ll focus on some website refresh ideas that can be working on now to engage current shoppers and get ready for the uptick in travel coming soon.

  Wow, what a wild two months that resort reservations sales agents have endured. Agents were the first to feel the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, as suddenly a tsunami of cancellation calls and emails flooded the phone lines and inboxes. How painful it must have been to watch hard-fought bookings cancel and to see the flow of revenue change direction. Even more so, this team endured difficult conversations about the fine print of cancellation terms and travel insurance. Next, it was surely hard to watch as co-workers from operations were furloughed or laid off. Now, here in late April, most resort reservations teams have seen call volume slow to a trickle and have entered the next phase of this crisis: an eerie period of quiet time.  So, what comes next? The most important time in voice reservations history! As the economy reopens and travel starts to rebound, reservations sales agents have a huge opportunity to become the superheroes of their hotel or company.  Experts are predicting that leisure travel will rebound first, especially to resort destinations that by nature allow for more social distancing. I predict that the voice reservations channel will return with a vengeance, as potential guests will have questions and concerns that can only be addressed by human interactions.  Here are my own predictions for three emerging trends.     Trend One: Vacation Day Dreamers While about 20% of the workforce have seen their jobs displaced, many of those have received stimulus checks or unemployment benefits as a bridge to rehire. The remaining 80% have been working as hard or harder than ever.  Those providing essential services might be receiving overtime or hazard pay, while those who switched to doing their work remotely have been overseeing their kids’ homeschooling efforts. As a result, people are beginning to daydream about a badly needed vacation and soon will start doing some planning.    Trend Two: Displaced Vacation Traditions When people to start traveling, it makes obvious sense that most will plan travel to destinations that are closer to home and most likely within driving distance, resulting in a major displacement of longstanding travel traditions. For example, those who visited Europe every summer or went on a cruise may decide to vacation at a nearby beach. Those who usually take a long trip to meet family at the beach may decide to stay local and visit a mountain or lake destination. As a result, reservations agents are going to be selling to more “first-timers” who are craving local insider tips and recommendations.     Trend Three: Deal-Seekers The third and final trend I see coming is going to be the most challenging for our resort reservations agents. Therefore, now is the time during this quiet phase to get ready for the coming wave of deal-seeking callers. The general public is aware that the travel industry is now a “buyer’s market,” and that there are deals to be had. Also, with actual availability showing online at everyone’s websites, guests will be in no major hurry to commit unless we nudge them along. Here are training tips for this third and final trend: 1. Mention higher-rates to position current rates as being a good value. Before quoting whatever rates are displaying in your system, always refer to a higher “normal” rate first to make the offer sound “already discounted.”    If you know the actual high-demand rates, then specifically reference them. For example: “The normal rate is $X, but right now for your dates I can offer you a special rate of $Y.”   If you do not know the actual high demand rates, just express surprise at the rates you are showing such as by saying: “Wow! Right now, I’m actually showing a really terrific rate of $X.”   2. Create an urgency to commit. Some callers may offer remarks such as: “I see online that you have plenty of space…” Use urgency statements that fit into the conversations.  Examples: “All of a sudden we’re getting a lot more calls these days…” or “Yes, but things sure have seemed to pick-up lately.” Offer to “lock-in” their choices: “I definitely recommend that we lock-in this rate (or option) for you now while it is still open.” Remove the barriers to commitment: “This way, if things change, you can always cancel up until…”   3. Follow-up proactively. Times like these require us to be “sales hunters” like never before! Rather than asking if they want you to send a follow-up email, ask in a way that assumes they do. For example: “Do you want me to send you a follow-up email?” vs. “Let me get your email address so I send you a follow-up on our conversation.”    After the conversation, enter any details you have discovered into your TrackPULSE history so you can later use it to personalize follow-up messaging. Examples: Who they are traveling with; specifics on why they are traveling, such as a special occasion; Is it their first time visiting? 3rd Time? 7th Time? It’s perfectly fine to use an email template, but start the first sentence of the email by recapping what you learned from the conversation.  Example: “Hello Douglas. How excited to hear about your plans to surprise your wife with this vacation, now that your kids are all off to college!” Then use the template from there on!

  This excerpt is from our recently published guide, Power On – Marketing for What’s Next. The complete guide offers actionable digital marketing strategies to prepare you for what’s next for hotels, resorts, & vacation rentals. You can check in daily for the next section or you can download the full version here. Before we dive into some hands-on strategies to help you guide your short-term marketing efforts, let’s take a look at the marketing funnel. We feel there are sections of this funnel to focus on over others as you think about engaging your prospective travelers in the near future. Let’s review what we know about traveler behavior in normal times: Buyers don’t book on the first click 94% use multiple devices 80+ day planning cycle Visit 21+ different websites during the research phase. Those were the stats before home quarantines were enacted. Times have changed quickly. You’re now looking at a couple new traveler profiles until we return to a more normal cycle for travel planning. You have a traveler that is using this time to daydream about their next destination. They’re using time at home to research more options and uncover more bucket list places of interest. This traveler isn’t booking right now, but they are narrowing their options for when they’re able. The drop in your organic and/or paid traffic is largely due to another traveler profile. While getting away is on their mind, they’re not researching or planning – they have other things on their mind right now. They’re not to a point yet where it’s an option. But those able among this group, and when the time becomes right, will have a very short window of research. They’ll find a destination and go with less shopping. Regardless of traveler type we know they’ll go through some form of the typical traveler marketing funnel and they’ll do it across many devices. As we put ourselves in the minds of people thinking about upcoming travel and how they’ll approach their search, there are areas of this funnel we feel deserve more time and small amounts of budget right now.  In our next post in this series we’re going to start laying out some actionable marketing strategies you can implement now to dominate the Search and Awareness phase. We feel this phase needs more of your time right now.

  This excerpt is from our recently published guide, Power On – Marketing for What’s Next. The complete guide offers actionable digital marketing strategies to prepare you for what’s next for hotels, resorts, & vacation rentals. You can check in daily for the next section or you can download the full version here. We know this is a challenging time to be in the hospitality lodging industry and change is happening daily – if not hourly. Your world has been turned upside down in the short-term and uncertainty can certainly loom in the long-term. As a technology and digital marketing partner in this space, we’re also getting creative on how to get through this crisis while making sure we’re ready for the other side.  We’re talking daily with clients in short-term rentals, resorts and lodges, and hotels that rely on us for their technology and digital marketing strategies. We’re implementing strategies for them that allow them to stay engaged with their audiences, yet focus their attention on the segments of their customer base that are likely to be the first to start planning travel again and get back to their properties for the long-awaited getaway. This series is meant to give you some creative, cost-effective ideas and strategies to keep the marketing engine prepared for travel’s return and preserve budget while honing in on a market segment. In this series, we’re going to focus on the “drive-to” segment of your customer database and offer tips on how to use your data to market to them in a cost-effective manner. Our goal is to help you focus on the sections of the marketing funnel that make the most sense for your time and investment right now. As you know, drive-to destinations are more popular than fly-to destinations in times of uncertainty. Travel is resilient and has a history of coming back in a strong way from a downturn. But, as with any industry, certain portions will come back first and faster and in this case, the “drive-to” segment is where we’re advising our clients to focus their efforts and available budget. There is no way to predict when large gatherings, long-haul flights, and international travel experiences will once again become commonplace. But, the general feeling among hospitality travel experts such as Ali is that those will be the last segments to return. In the meantime, there are millions of Americans who saw their getaways this Spring postponed due to quarantines and “stay-at-home” orders. Once these orders are lifted and life starts to find its new normal, prospective travelers will be ready to get out of their homes and plan an experience.  Destination Analysts published their Travel Sentiment Index Report for the week of April 13th that included this question about what place people will visit first post-pandemic. As you can see, road trip destinations top the list   We feel now is the time to make sure you’re preparing yourself for what comes next – the fast and swift return of travel. Now is the time to start shifting your mindset around a more data-driven, targeted approach to finding your most profitable guests. Using Your Data A continuing theme throughout this series will be a data-driven approach to targeting the customers that are most likely to be the first to book. Not only was this a good approach two months ago, but  it’s even more important right now as it will help you keep marketing with a small budget. As an example, your Google Analytics account is a treasure trove of data that will help you understand not only where your traffic is coming from but, if set up correctly, where your conversions and bookings are coming from as well.  You can very clearly see in this example that this company, located in southern Louisiana, knows geographically from where their highest traffic and bookings are coming. They should instantly focus their ad budgets on these drive-to areas and not try to blanket states right now that don’t typically drive the most bookings. Are you currently doing Google PPC? How about researching destinations where you’re getting your highest click-through rates paired with your lowest CPC. This example is from a property in Texas who is migrating their entire spend right now to only Texas.   Lastly, your CRM should be another go-to place to understand your data. The screenshot below, from our TRACK CRM demo account, is an example of how a CRM should help isolate your top targets. Within your CRM is valuable customer data that can also be exported to fuel marketing campaigns across Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn. But, more on that in an upcoming post. If you look closely at the Sales columns you can see that Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina would be viable target regions for this customer based on revenue and bookings the first few weeks of March. In the next installment of this Power On series, we’ll dive into the marketing funnel and how your typical traveler personas have changed in the short term.

With the large bulk of bookings at your hotel coming from the world wide web, implementing a strategy around your hotel email marketing is critical.  Gone are the days of agents making inbound phone reservations. With phone reservations, it allows the agent to build a relationship using voice interaction and personality. Generating less phone reservations in 2020, automated and personalized communication is the key via email blasts.  You do not want your reservation agents and marketing team to send low-quality, unsegmented emails. Your hotel needs a marketing email strategy that targets the right audience, at the right time in the form of a drip campaign. But what is a drip campaign you may ask? A drip campaign is a series of emails that are automated based on the activity of the guest on either the website, over the phone, or in person.  Being able to track the footsteps of the traveler through your CRM during their entire life cycle will allow you to create drip email campaigns catered to their preferences, needs, and wants. If you are utilizing a Hotel CRM such as the one offered by TRACK Hospitality Software, your hotel marketing team will have access to an email marketing suite that is easy to use. With a CRM combined with your hotel email marketing, it allows you to keep segmented lists with no manual entry and ensures you can personalize your guest communications. With these features, you can create drip email campaigns revolving around booking confirmation, upsell, lost lead emails, pre-stay emails, booking anniversary and more. Keep reading to learn about the most effective campaigns in the hotel email marketing world.  Website Subscriber There are quite a few ways you can capture the traveler’s email through your hotel website. A traveler can enter the site and a conversion optimization pop up can appear, you can have a hello bar across the top offering additional content, you can set up an exit-intent form to appear when the traveler is deciding to leave your website, or you can have forms implemented on demonstration pages or gated PDF pages where the travelers enter the page with the intent to input their contact data. Your digital marketing team or a hospitality digital marketing agency such as TravelNet Solutions should take advantage of all these routes to grow your database for your hotel email marketing.  It is proven, utilizing conversion optimization you can increase your subscribers from 4 to 8 times more than the average website. Once you have captured the visitor’s email, you can nurture them with campaigns that align with your company’s goals and objectives.  Reservation Confirmation As soon as the looker becomes a booker your hotel CRM has access to traveler information that can be used in email marketing. Think of this as an example, it is the cold, winter months in Minnesota during January and a family just booked their spring break for March in Florida. The first email can send the reservation confirmation email, the next email 14 days later can send a promotion for the all-inclusive pool pass promotion going on, then 14 days later you can send them a gentle reminder of the promotion they have available on their account. With this example, your hotel has personalized the email communication to base it on a pain point of the client, the cold winter they live in, and enjoying their trip a little more with the promotion.  Post Stay Survey Automation Did you know it will cost your hotel less to retain a current guest than to market to a new one? What better way than an email drip campaign to follow up with the guest after they leave a five-star raving review. You already know this guest was happy with their stay, so now focus on keeping your brand top of mind by reminding them of the great stay they had. Did they mention in their survey that they absolutely loved the sauna in the pool area? Send them an email with brand awareness of additional amenities such as the spa, then the next email can be a coupon towards the spa, followed with a friendly reminder! This is allowing your brand to stay in front of the guest even after they have checked out. Special Dates Adding a personal touch to your guest’s experience might be the reason they choose to book again. Automated emails can be set up in a campaign to fire off an email on important dates such as their booking anniversary, wedding anniversary, or birthday.  If you want to add a second layer to entice them to return to your property, add on a promotional code to the email.  Cart Abandonment – The Story of the Lost Lead Do you have cart abandonment on your website currently? Cart abandonment is when the traveler is close to booking, they put in the dates of their stay, pick the room they want, add it to their cart, go to checkout and then decide to hold off. The thoughts that might go through their head could range from the prices will go down, they might not be certain of the trip, or they might choose to look at other options. Regardless of why the traveler leaves an unbooked room in their cart, it is now your time to swoop in and stay top of their mind before they book elsewhere. With cart abandonment, you are able to capture that guest’s data and implement an email campaign and retarget them with the hopes they decide to secure the booking in the near future. If you are looking to learn more about hotel email marketing, please email us at learnmore@tnsinc.com. 

  The travel and hospitality industries have seen a shakeup over the past month with regard to Coronavirus (COVID19). Many of you have likely been affected, whether this is in the form of event cancellations or travelers looking to cancel/re-book their stays. While no one can be sure of the ultimate impact on individual businesses, it’s important to understand the strategies that will help reduce the overall impact on your business. We’ve compiled a digital marketing checklist to ensure you have a list of items to review with regard to COVID19.   Over Communicate With Guests/Travelers – Give updates on your website as to the steps you are taking to mitigate the risk of COVID19 exposure. Reminding people that you are still taking reservations, and creating offers for travelers within driving distance of your property are good messaging options for any pop-up messaging you currently have on the website. If you are updating your policies (cancellation or otherwise) make sure you are emailing confirmed guests to notify them. Make sure your guests know that their safety is top of mind for your business.   Keep Google My Business Up To Date – In a world of no-click results and Google offering all the answers within their own search platform, it’s imperative you have your Google My Business profile in order. If you are closing for any duration, make sure this is reflected in your open hours on the listing.   Adjust Your Targeting – Many of our current partners are seeing increases in traffic from drive-to markets, with people opting out of vacation destinations to which they need to fly. If you are currently targeting the US or Canada with your advertising dollars, it’s time to limit that scope. We recommend keeping it to your state, or neighboring states (250-300 mile radius if utilizing radius targeting).   PPC Smart Campaigns – Smart campaigns, similar to traditional search campaigns, allow your ads to show in Google Search. They also allow your ads to be displayed on Google Maps. As people are looking for road trip options, being top of mind (and in high visibility) on Google Maps will be important to maximizing exposure.   Maintain Your Presence – When revenue is not coming in at the steady stream to which you are accustomed, it is difficult to be steadfast and hold true to your annual budget planning. You may not be in a position to maintain your current advertising budget, but we recommend maintaining a presence. This is not the time to completely turn off your advertising channels. Instead, look for ways to better utilize your ad spend (see Targeting updates and Smart Campaigns above).   Revenue Management – Traditional revenue management practices based on customer segmentation should be put on hold in a crisis situation we are experiencing right now. Instead, revenue managers should focus on Feeder Market Revenue Management. Identify your short-haul and drive in markets, develop hotel packages and promotions focused on these markets (family, weekend, staycation, gas reimbursement, F&B, etc.), and then geo-target these markets with digital marketing campaigns.   Website – Apart from advertising strategies, this is also a good time to spend working on your website. Sprucing up property pictures, making sure amenities are up to date and and updating any property or site descriptions. Are you promoting nearby recreational activities or landmarks? Now is a good time to get those on the site. When travelers are ready to get back on the road, you can assure your site is ready to capture their attention.   Newsletter – If you’re not already, a newsletter is a great way to keep your former guests and future visitors up to speed on your property now and into the future. Offering promotions and deals via a newsletter is a great touchpoint for interested visitors. Capturing their email address when they hit your site using exit-intent technology helps build that list of interested prospects.   If you are a current TravelNet Solutions customer and have questions regarding your current services, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team at support@tnsinc.com.  

At TravelNet Solutions, we realize the seriousness of the current Coronavirus pandemic for the travel industry. There are practical ways you can prepare your business for what’s happening right now and in the near future. Here are five ways to be prepared and have a plan of action. Have a Plan and Clearly Define Your Cancellation Policies Have an Internal Plan of Action / HR Plan and Communicate with Staff Proactively Communicate with Your Customers/Guests Drive Your Marketing Efforts in Locations That Are Still Converting Don’t Stop Advertising Have a Plan and Clearly Define Your Cancellation Policies With a lot of uncertainty, it’s vital that you clearly define your cancelation policies. A significant barrier as to why someone might not book with you is that they’re worried that they’ll lose out on money if they cancel. By having a clear cancellation policy, you can give confidence to potential guests and increase your bookings. You may need to change your cancellation policies for the time being to ease concerns.  One of the first hard-hit industries during the pandemic was the cruise industry. With this example, you can clearly see they advertise their policy, and there is little room left for confusion. In this case, they don’t offer a refund but do offer a credit. The policy is clear and upfront to the traveler and gives the customer some much-needed flexibility. Have an Internal Plan of Action and Communicate with Staff By now, you more-than-likely have received numerous questions from your current staff members. They must know every detail of your plan of action and changes to the policy. Your staff are the ones on the front line and are the individuals communicating with customers directly. It’s also essential that you have an internal plan if someone on your staff does become sick. You should define the changes being made to the policy, how to prevent employees from getting sick, and what to do if they do get sick. Make sure your plan of action is clear to the staff members and allow them to ask questions. Proactively Communicate with Customers and Guests Make sure you proactively communicate with each of your guests when it’s necessary as much-needed updates will keep questions answered. Not only will this save you time over the long run, but there will be fewer questions to respond to overall. Many of you have received emails from businesses or sent out emails to your database. Make sure travelers know your policies and give them some clarity on your plan of action and policies. Using your websites to communicate with guests is strongly advised. Here’s an example from the cruise industry on how to minimize your risk. You should always be using your website as a resource for your guests. Here’s another example from Hilton on how to get the word out by using a pop-up. Doug Kennedy recently published an article on how your front desk and reservation agents can respond to guest comments and questions. Luckily for you, if you’re using TRACK Pulse you can document these comments and questions when the travelers call. Read Doug Kennedy’s article here. Drive Your Marketing Efforts in Locations That Are Still Converting As you are aware, there have been a lot of cancelations and reduced bookings with the current uncertainty, along with many people feeling inclined to travel shorter distances. With our clients, we look at where the conversions and bookings are still happening. A lot of the markets that our clients are in are drive-to markets. With fewer people flying, we’re focusing on our campaigns to the nearby areas.  If you’re in that situation, and you have TRACK Pulse or Google Analytics, you can run a geo-marketing report and see where bookings are coming from. With that information, you can adjust your marketing to the areas that convert. This will allow you to feel comfortable slowing down your spending in other areas that may not require specific attention at this time. Don’t Stop Advertising To date, there’s a variety of data showing companies that advertise during a slowdown typically are better off when the downturn stops than those that don’t. This article from Forbes gives specific reasons why you should continue to advertise. Here’s a few takeaways from the article: Fewer companies are advertising, and you can get higher search value You can project the image of stability during a time of uncertainty  The cost of advertising drops which will save you money overall You don’t lose share of mind during the slowdown Overall, make sure you don’t completely stop advertising and make sure you do it thoughtfully. You’ll want to use data to make the most out of your advertising dollars, which will save you money in the end. Lastly, don’t panic, and make sure that you have a clear plan of action going forward.

  With Coronavirus all over the news, there is definitely worry over how it’s affecting the travel industry. In this webinar, Matt Renner presents why you shouldn’t panic and how to make a plan. He reviews why you should: Have a plan and clearly define your cancellation policies Have an internal plan of action / HR plan and communicate with staff Proactively communicate with customers/guests Leverage data to drive marketing spend in markets that are still converting Don’t stop advertising Watch the news at your own risk Download Slide Deck Disclaimer: This webinar contains educational information on Coronavirus from credible sources such as the World Health Organization. The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Getting travelers to your website is just the first step to increasing occupancy. Even though website traffic is important travelers aren’t necessarily booking on their first visit. With an average of an 80 day buying cycle for travel, it is important to not let these travelers who visit your website once fall through the cracks. With that being said here are 3 ways to get travelers back to your website and book direct. Ask for Email Sign Ups Keep in Touch with Email Subscribers Use Ads on Social Media Ask for Email Sign Ups One of the best ways to encourage travelers to return to your website is with conversion optimization (Con-Op). Con-Op consists of a pop-up on your website asking for an email address. There are many reasons why someone might give you their email address. You can advertise a specific offer for providing their email address or simply say “subscribe to get all the latest news and offers from us.” You should include a high-quality photo with a clear call to action. Make them want to learn more from you like in the example below from TravelNet Solutions client Alaska’s Gold Creek Lodge. Although Con-Op can be highly effective it is only as good as the website that it’s on. If your website is of high quality with good content and high-quality photos, Con-Op will be more effective. Travelers will want to learn more about your property(s) to see whether it’s a great deal or to learn more about the surrounding area through your blog. You need to make them want to come back! You’d be surprised how many travelers will give you their email address and want to learn more about your company. They’re looking to travel and you’re giving them a valuable tool for them to continue their research. In this case study, a luxury resort and hotel captured 6000 new email subscribers. So now the question is what do you do with those subscribers? Keep in Touch with Email Subscribers Capturing emails is just the first step in getting travelers to return to your website. Now you have to keep in touch with those who subscribed to your email list with compelling content. Once a traveler subscribes to your email list you should enroll them in a drip-email campaign. If you use our TravelNet Solutions conversion optimization services we enroll travelers into a 4 email drip campaign. Avoid making common email mistakes by being concise, having high-quality content and having a clear call to action. So what kind of results can you expect with your email campaigns? The same luxury hotel resort that received 6000 new email subscribers had 4,139 sessions and $77,000 in revenue from their email campaign to new subscribers. Once they are a subscriber there are many other ways as well that you can reach out to them with your email marketing. Overall email marketing can drive a lot of conversions from those in your email list. Use Ads on Social Media Not everyone who visits your website will turn in to email subscribers. This doesn’t mean that you can’t stay in front of them. One great way to get travelers who don’t turn in to subscribers is through display & retargeting on social media. You can install a pixel on your site for each social media platform you wish to market on. This pixel will add a cookie to any traveler that visits your website. Once they view your website, the ads you created will start showing up within their timeline. By staying in front of them you make it easy for them to find your website again and hopefully book direct! To optimize your ads you want to use compelling photos and calls to action. Here is a great opportunity to showcase your property with stunning photos. As for your text, it should be short and concise as people tend to scroll through their social feeds fairly quickly. You can even base your ads on what pages they visited, their interests or their relationship status. This is where you can get specific in your targeting and try new strategies. Conclusion In the end, these strategies to get travelers back to your website can help you increase direct bookings. These travelers found you and had enough interest to visit your website so it’s your job to make it as easy as possible for them to find you again. If you don’t have these strategies to get travelers to book direct then they will probably end up booking you through an OTA or worse, a competitor.

When marketing your lodging company the first question you have to ask yourself is how are travelers finding your property? Are you showing up on Google searches, in OTAs or are people finding you by word of mouth? Hospitality marketing can seem complicated at times with so many options but there are a few best practices you can use. Here are some hospitality marketing best practices to be found by more travelers online. Search Engine Optimization PPC Optimization Marketplace Listings Search Engine Optimization Any time you can get traffic for free is a good day! With the increased monetization of search engines and competition with OTAs and metasearch sites, this can be difficult to do. That’s not saying you can’t get a good portion of travelers finding your website from organic search.  To start out, every page on your website should be optimized for search. You want to make it as easy for Google to read and rank your content. Google’s algorithms are increasingly tailored to getting the best results for web surfers. This means if you optimize to make the user experience great you should be included on more search pages. One of the more powerful strategies to be found by travelers is blog posts. A well thought out blog can help your business get out in front of travelers organically in places that you normally wouldn’t be found.Here are some hospitality marketing best practices to optimize for search. H1 Tags: 1 per page H2, H3 subheaders Keyword optimization Alt Tags on Images No duplicate content PPC Optimization Search Engine Optimization is necessary to be found organically but it’s getting tougher with Google’s move to more of an ads based platform. There are more instances where you need to pay to play. It is very important to show up early in search results. With many travelers never making it past the ads it’s essential to show up. So with that being said here are some key ways you can optimize your paid search campaigns. Have the right bidding strategy Optimize for the right keywords Target based on geography Optimize landing pages Marketplace Listings The importance of marketplace listings can not be denied. It’s important to keep your property in front of as many travelers as possible. Whether it’s an OTA, a Metasearch site or an advertising site like Resortsandlodges.com travelers prefer a marketplace to compare and contrast amenities and pricing. Although we always prefer direct bookings, hotel websites just don’t have the reach that these marketplaces have. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) OTAs are what every property manager loves to hate. They charge commissions up to 20% and control the entire booking process. They can make reservation agents and travelers lives difficult by having to go through them to change a reservation. In the end, they do this so that they own the customer and you can’t get around them. OTAs can make life difficult but there is no denying their effectiveness. They spend billions in marketing each year and in many cases give travelers a great interface to book their stay. This is why so many properties and travelers use OTAs. If you’re not on the right OTAs you’re probably losing out on revenue. With that being said, here are some best practices to being found on OTAs. Compelling Images Clear description of amenities Competitive Pricing Keep data current With the high commissions be sure you’re optimized to gather customer data during their stay so that the next time they book, they book direct.  Metasearch Sites Metasearch is on the rise especially with the added importance of Google Hotel Ads. It’s important to be found on these sites as they can be a great tool for travelers. Metasearch aggregates listings from multiple sites into one. If your property is listed on an OTA it’s most likely found on a metasearch site. This example in Google Hotel Ads shows that multiple listings can show up for one property. With that being said the cost per click on metasearch sites is way less than any commission to an OTA. That is why it is so important to show up with the option to book direct. Not only that but once they do book direct you can own the customer experience. Overall metasearch can be a great value compared to OTAs. Here are some hospitality marketing best practices to keeping your metasearch listings up to date: Competitive pricing so travelers book direct over OTAs Updated My Business Profile Compelling Photos ResortsandLodges.com Another option is to get listed on ResorsandLodges.com which is our marketplace here at TravelNet Solutions. What sets ResortsandLodges.com apart is that it isn’t a traditional OTA. Properties pay a monthly rate and the listing page redirect directly to your website so that travelers can book direct. You own all of the guest data and the user experience. ResortsandLodges.com ranks for thousands of keywords and has on average 7 million visitors a year. You can get listed here. Conclusion Overall travelers should be able to find your property in as many places as possible. It’s preferred to be found organically but in today’s travel landscape, that won’t always be the case. That’s why it’s essential to be found in paid search and on marketplace sites. With your hospitality marketing you should make it as easy as possible for travelers to book direct but even if they don’t, you now have the opportunity to get them to book direct at your property the next time.

The reservations teams at most lodging companies are typically focused on responding to inbound inquiries coming in via phone, email, chat, and responding to messages in apps such as AirBnB, VRBO, and Booking.com. In essence, they have an administrative, “order-taking” role.   However, smart leaders recognize the revenue-generating opportunities presented when guests reach out directly. They have already provided sales training to help agents evolve into being “order-makers.”  Watch the webinar or continue reading the article below.   In previous blogs and webcasts for TrackPulse, we have covered highlights from KTN training workshops that can help “order-makers” close more bookings from today’s pre-informed callers who have already shopped online. We’ve covered the concepts of investigative questioning to discover “the story behind the call”; in other words, to find out what it is the caller has not yet seen online that caused them to call vs. completing their reservation there. We’ve also covered evolving from feature listing and “painting the picture” of the experience to “narrating the pictures” they have already seen.  As we enter the new decade of the 2020s, it’s once again time to evolve the role of reservations agents into being “sales hunters,” who go and track down new business rather than just reacting to inbound inquiries.  First, let’s acknowledge that the primary objective when fielding any direct inquiry should always be to secure the sale on the first call. If callers resist, it’s always a good idea to create urgency (“Availability is limited” or “That rate could sell out”) and/or to remove barriers to booking now (“You can always cancel up until…”).   However, the fact is that there are always going to be those callers who are simply not yet ready to commit. This is especially true at resorts and vacation rental companies where guests are: Traveling with large parties and thus coordinating plans and sharing the costs. Needing to book airfare first. Waiting until vacation time is approved or the kids’ school and activity schedules are checked. Emotionally engaged in their decision and simply hesitant to commit on the spot. At most lodging companies, the sales process ends here with a fond farewell statement to end the call, but that’s where the new role of “sales hunters” begins!  Now, I kindly ask readers who are already customers of TRACKPulse to bear with me, as I explain briefly the system required for turning inbound calls into leads. Their system automatically generates a pop-up window when calls come in, allowing agents to fill out lead forms for new inquiries and to redisplay details for repeat callers and previous guests, and then to trace the lead on their task list for follow-up.  If you’re not yet a TrackPulse client, you can schedule a demo by visiting www.trackhs.com.  Otherwise, as a starting place, you can have your team test out the potential ROI (and later get funding approved for TrackPulse) by creating a manual tracking system in Excel, Google Sheets or a log-book. After entering the caller’s name and email, make note of what you’ve learned about the caller’s plans such as if it is a special occasion and other preferences.  As soon as possible after the call is complete, send your first pro-active, personalized follow-up message. It is perfectly fine to use an email template, but in the first few sentences of the email, recap what you learned from the conversation. Here’s an example: “Hello Douglas.  It was wonderful meeting you by phone today!  How excited to hear about your plans to surprise your wife with this vacation, now that your kids are all off to college!  From here on, it’s fine to use the template, but this one or two sentence start humanizes the correspondence.  If appropriate, also add a few short remarks to recommend, suggest and/or endorse:  Your destination as a good vacation experience.  The amenities, services, activities, and outlets. The accommodations offered. To really stand out, include in a few “local insider’s tips” in your follow-up email, such as links to unique area services, attractions and/or events that are relevant to their travel plans. After sending the first follow-up email as soon as possible after the first call, use TrackPulse (or your manual tracking system) to remind you to follow-up on the lead. Here are a few best practices: A good best practice is to follow-up at least three times total, approximately every three days unless they say otherwise such as “I’ll be seeing my family at the end of this month.”  Follow-up more frequently than the three times if they are responding positively.  Use an alternating combination of phone calls and emails. When making phone calls, you will often only get voicemail, but do not hang up! This is a terrific opportunity to leave a “30 second commercial.” Use your call notes to reference something personal about their plans and therefore encouraging a call-back.  If you get a live person, immediately introduce yourself, state your company name and remind them of the previous inquiry as people often might need prompting.  Do not start by asking “Is this Mr. Kennedy?”, as people can be very suspicious of fraudulent calls these days, and to not start with small talk until you have introduced yourself as stated above. For your third, and typically final follow-up (again, unless they are responding), forward the original note, adding a very brief additional sentence or two at the start of the new email.  Never, ever throw guilt at your prospects! Do not say: “Since you didn’t reply…” or “Since you didn’t call me back…” Instead say, “Just following up on my previous correspondence below…”  Written by Doug Kennedy

  Cottage Grove, Minn.- As part of its ongoing commitment to education and training, TravelNet Solutions is pleased to announce their next sponsored webinar with Doug Kennedy, the lodging industry’s most experienced sales and guest service trainer. The webinar titled  “Turn Your Inbound Reservations Team Into Sales Hunters!” will take place at 11:00 am CT on February 21st, 2020. To register click here. In this webcast, Doug will present ideas for transitioning reservation agents from their “farmer” role into a new role as “sales hunters!” Presented are: Sample dialogue for turning inbound calls that cannot be closed into leads. Suggested mediums for proactive follow-up. A recommended cadence for follow-up reach-outs. Using a “tech for touch” approach to personalize follow-up messaging. “The reservations teams at most lodging companies are typically exclusively focused on responding to inbound inquiries coming in via phone, email and direct messages received on apps such as OTA’s,” said Doug Kennedy.  “Smart leaders have already taken the first step, which is sales training to help agents evolve from order takers to be order makers. Now it’s time to push onward to the next era.”  In this webcast, Doug will present ideas for transitioning reservations agents from their “farmer” role into a new role as “sales hunters.” KTN President Doug Kennedy is the lodging industry’s leading expert in reservation sales, having conducted training for top tier companies across all market segments for over two decades. His hotel clients have ranged from five-star hotels as large as The Venetian Las Vegas (7,000+ rooms) to small luxury inns such as the Castle Hill Inn Newport, RI (35 rooms). He has extensive experience in training non-traditional segments such as all-inclusive resorts, historic inns, ski lodges, and vacation rental companies.  Over the years he has conducted corporate sponsored training for most of the major hotel brands. “We know how important agent optimization is for both inbound and outbound calls,” said Ryan Bailey, TravelNet Solutions CEO. “ Whether or not you are using TRACK Pulse, Doug’s first webinar of 2020 will offer great guidance on how to train reservation agents on closing outbound revenue.” To register for the webinar click here. About TravelNet Solutions: Celebrating its 20th year serving the hospitality industry, TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center as well as a full suite of digital marketing services. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com. About Kennedy Training Network: The Kennedy Training Network (KTN), launched in 1996, is a leading provider of hotel telephone mystery shopping, offering reservations mystery shopping, hotels sales mystery shopping and telephone hospitality assessments. KTN is also the lodging industry’s best source for hotel training programs and services in topic areas of hotel reservations sales, hospitality and guest service excellence, front desk profit optimization, upselling, and group or conference sales optimization. KTN’s President, Doug Kennedy, has been creating and delivering customized hotel sales, hospitality and reservations sales training for the lodging industry since 1989. For more information email us at info@kennedytrainingnetwork.com or call us at 866-922-4662.

(COTTAGE GROVE, Mn.) February 10th, 2020 — TravelNet Solutions, a leading provider of software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced the rollout of an integrated technology partnership with the Northwest Vacation Rental Professionals association aimed at helping members scale and grow their businesses. The partnership was developed to help NWVRP member companies get started with TravelNet’s TRACK property management software and their suite of hospitality focused digital marketing services. With these technology and marketing packages, NWVRP members will gain access to TRACK for evolving their operations and customer experiences and access to TravelNet’s digital marketing services which include SEO, pay-per-click advertising, email marketing, website development, blogging and more.  “The NWVRP is an association built on community, collaboration, and moving forward together,” said Dan Eby, President of NWVRP. “The relationship with TravelNet will help our whole association evolve utilizing top technology for vacation rental managers and implementation of best practices in digital marketing.” “Partnerships like the one we’ve developed with NWVRP are core to our mission as a company,” said TravelNet CEO, Ryan Bailey. “Helping the hospitality industry reach new levels and helping vacation rental management companies grow is our passion and we’re thrilled to be aligned with an association like NWVRP.” Are you a member of NWVRP? Click here for more information and demo requests. About TravelNet Solutions Celebrating its 20th year serving the hospitality industry, TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center as well as a full suite of digital marketing services. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com. About Northwest Vacation Rental Professionals Celebrating 10 years representing professional managers in both Washington state and now the entire Pacific Northwest, California and Hawaii. Northwest Vacation Rental Professionals (NWVRP) provides property managers the opportunity to network, collaborate and promote each other’s brands. We work together to educate the travelers of the importance of booking direct as well as encouraging them to choose the NWVRP marketplaces as their preferred destination for choosing places to stay. See northweststays.com, calistays.com, and greathawaiistays.com.  The NWVRP sets the standard for professionally managed vacation rentals and our annual conferences are positioned to give the independent property manager all the tools and knowledge to be successful in the vacation rental industry. To learn more about the NWVARP, please visit nwvrp.org or contact us at info@nwvrp.org

TravelNet Solutions to host first TNS NEXT Conference for industry leading hotels, vacation rental management professionals, and resorts taking place September 20-22, 2020, in Minneapolis at The Hilton Downtown.   COTTAGE GROVE, Minnesota, February 10, 2020 — TravelNet Solutions, a leading provider of integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced the details of TNS NEXT, an all-new conference for hospitality leaders with the goal to inspire learning, networking, and business growth for attendees. NEXT is about an industry and how we move it forward together. It’s about learning, collaborating, pushing boundaries, and preparing for what’s NEXT for our businesses and customers. It’s about writing the NEXT chapters of who we are and where we’re going while creating the storylines that evolve us as a whole. Attendees can expect to hear from industry professionals and experts such as Matt Landau, Doug Kennedy, Dawn Yeskulsky, and hospitality owners themselves about how to leverage the latest innovative technology and hospitality trends to create guest-centric experiences that increase revenue and profit.  “NEXT was born out of the idea that our industry and our client’s businesses are pushing towards the next evolution of their growth,” said TNS CEO, Ryan Bailey. “They’re experiencing new challenges and opportunities and NEXT is built around the convergence of solutions and how to capitalize on the next chapter.” Join 30 industry sponsors and over 400 attendees beginning on the evening of September 20th with a welcoming cocktail hour in the exhibit hall followed by delicious carving stations and buzzing conversations. Start day two off with TNS CEO Ryan Bailey and President and Chief of Storytelling Officer at Steller Collective and author of Stories that Stick, Kindra Hall for an inspirational keynote. Registration is now open: tnsinc.com/next If you’re interested in sponsoring at TNS. Please submit your sponsorship here.  About Travelnet Solutions Celebrating its 20th year serving the hospitality industry, TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center as well as a full suite of digital marketing services. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com.

Whether you’re at a Hotel, Resort, Vacation Rental Management Company or a B&B, getting to full occupancy doesn’t happen overnight. There are thousands of businesses vying for travelers so your business needs to stand out from the rest. With changes to Google, OTA competition, Airbnb, and buyer behavior it can be a challenge to know how to market your property. In today’s travel landscape it’s essential to have a full funnel marketing strategy and be seen from traveler’s first Google search to creating a reservation at your property. This overview of how to get more bookings with a full funnel marketing Strategy will go over: Top of Funnel: Awareness Middle of Funnel: Engagement Bottom of Funnel: Conversion Top of Funnel Top of funnel marketing involves getting your property found by travelers that are just starting their search. They may be going to Google and searching general keywords such as Wisconsin dells resorts or NY hotels. Others may start their search on an OTA or Metasearch site. These travelers are just starting their search, so how do you stand out from all of the travel businesses and be seen? Here are a few strategies on how to get more bookings by bringing in travelers at the top of the funnel: Travel Blog Paid Search: Top of funnel keywords Marketplace Listings Travel Blog If you want to be found by travelers online content is king. The website pages you create should be created with organic search in mind. A great way to be found by organic searches is to try and rank for organic keywords within a travel blog. These keywords can be very high level and not necessarily associated with lodging. Some examples could be North Myrtle Beach Bike Rentals, Ontario Dog Sledding or even Valentine’s Day Restaurant Ideas. Whether someone is looking to travel to your area or don’t have any idea that they are traveling yet, the main goal is to get them to your website over 1.4 billion people travel each year so there’s a wide audience to capture. Once travelers make it to your website you have so many tools to keep your property at the top of their mind. More on that later. Paid Search With Google continuing to change its search engine it’s essential to have a paid search campaign. Looking at their search engine results pages today you can see that most of the time organic results are below the fold. More and more travelers are clicking on ads instead of organic results. This is where bidding on top of the funnel keywords can get more travelers to your website. Although bidding on the right keywords is important don’t forget about Search Engine Optimization for your paid campaigns. Google is still trying to get travelers relevant information even on their ads. In the end, it’s still very important to have a quality website that is optimized for search whether it’s paid or unpaid. Marketplace Listings It’s important for your property to be found in as many places as possible. This can be OTAs such as Expedia and Airbnb, directly on Google Hotel Ads (Metasearch) or an advertising site such as ResortsandLodges.com. Although we always prefer direct bookings, being listed on OTAs is essential. OTAs cast a wide net and any lodging search travelers do they will see the likes of Expedia and Airbnb in the top results. Also, many travelers prefer marketplace sites to compare and contrast amenities and prices. It’s not really ideal to pay the hefty commissions but sometimes it’s necessary. Consider it a marketing cost for a first-time guest. Once they have stayed at your property once, you should be able to get them to stay again and book direct with the right marketing strategy. When a guest never hears from you again or they continue booking your property through an OTA that’s when the commission fees really hurt. It’s important to stay in front of travelers and get them to come back, this time booking direct. Middle of Funnel Congratulations! A traveler found your property online. Whether you’re marketing to a traveler who has merely seen your property online or who has booked through you previously they are now in the middle of your marketing funnel. With an average buying cycle of 80 days for travel, it is paramount to stay in front of them. Don’t let them forget about you! Here are some strategies on how to get more bookings by staying in front of travelers for the full buying cycle: Email capture and email marketing Social Media Retargeting Ads Paid Search: Brand Protection Conversion Optimization What better way to get someone to stay in front of travelers than having them request to be sent more information? Conversion optimization consists of a pop-up that allows travelers to enter their email to receive more info and offers. Once they sign up they are enrolled in an email drip campaign to try and get them back to your website. This allows you to continue to stay in front of them until they’re ready to buy.  So now that they subscribed to your email list what should you send them? If you had an offer in the pop-up that should be your first email. Make sure your emails are relevant. If they aren’t what travelers expect then you’ll get the dreaded unsubscribe. Overall your emails should be: concise segmented have a strong call to action high quality mobile-friendly Social Media Display Retargeting Not everyone that visits your website will give you their information. With display ads, you can stay in front of travelers just by having them visit your website. Once a traveler visits your website they receive a cookie showing they visited your site. They will then start seeing ads for your property pop up on their social media sites. Once they are ready to book they will come back to you! These ads should not only remind people about your property but compel them to act. Show what’s best […]

  Over the past few years, it’s easy to notice that Google has been changing how it shows its search results. These changes can be seen especially prevalent in the hospitality industry. Gone are the days of solely relying on Search Engine Optimization for your website. With Google showing more and more ads and metasearch results at the top of the page your organic results continue to fall lower. Google has hyper-monetized its Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) and hotels, resorts and vacation rental companies need to adapt. In this blog post, we will discuss travel industry trends including: The Evolution of Offerings Changes to Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) Rise of Metasearch New Features with Google Trips The Fallout for Top Partners The Evolution of Offerings   Google’s move to its current strategy for hospitality really begins in 2010. In 2010 Google purchased the travel data company ITA for $700 Million ITA software aggregate rates from 3rd party booking engines for airlines. This effectively launched Google flights. This is Google’s first real metasearch platform. With Google purchasing ITA one of their conditions was having a level playing field and not being able to license its software at a higher price to competitors. Also in 2011 Google released its hotel finder beta program displaying hotel rates in their maps. This was their initial Metasearch aggregation for the Hotel Industry. Google’s next major changes in regard to hospitality came in 2014. Google announced a licensing agreement with startup Room 77 to allow travelers to compare and book rooms within the Google platform. These new features allowed Google to create a captive demand platform undermining OTAs.  It’s easy to see how these major evolutions of Google’s hospitality offerings from 2011 to 2014 are what lays the groundwork for the changes we’ve seen from Google over the last 10 years. Google continues to innovate within the Travel industry and it is essential to keep up with these changes. Changes to Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)   One area where you can clearly see these changes are on Google’s search engine results pages. If you looked at Google’s results pages 10 years ago you would see nothing but organic rankings. When people were doing SEO at this point they were writing not necessary for travelers but for the Google algorithms. If you had put enough keywords in your content you could probably rank on the first page of Google. This was a time your SEO was especially critical. The algorithms have clearly changed over time with them attempting to find results that are most relevant for travelers and not just show the results that were optimized for keywords. By looking at today’s Google results pages you can see that ads rule. Organic results are at times showing well below the fold. This means that SEO alone is not enough and you need a comprehensive Ads and Metasearch strategy. With OTAs and other travel companies spending billions on Google to be above the fold you don’t want to be lost in the shuffle. Although Google Ads and Metasearch are necessary with current travel industry trends, don’t think that your SEO isn’t important. A large number of travelers still make it to the organic search results. Not only that but how well your website is optimized still has a major effect on how and where your property shows up in ads and metasearch. So in the end, don’t forget about the quality of your website and optimizing it for search. It will not only affect your organic results but paid campaigns as well. Rise of Metasearch   One of the biggest travel industry trends that is continuing in 2020 is Metasearch. Metasearch really affects the bottom of the funnel searches. These are travelers that are searching for your brand name. Once they know where they’re going to stay it’s all about prices and dates. Google’s metasearch platform provides travelers with prices from different vendors and amenities. It’s extremely convenient for travelers to compare rates on Google’s metasearch platform especially with it showing up at the top of the page. For example, you can see how Prince Waikiki who’s a TNS customer appears in Metasearch. Appearing at the top is their brand which travelers can click on to book direct. Below are the OTAs that your business would have to pay commission on for the bookings. In Metasearch it is critical that your business has competitive rates for the dates that are showing so that travelers click on your brand to book direct. Basically Google has realized how important metasearch is and created its own platform. With the convenience for travelers, in 2020 being on Google’s metasearch platform is non-negotiable.  New Features with Google Trips and Travel Planner   Google isn’t done innovating in the Travel Industry. Along with Google’s metasearch platform for lodging, Google Trips allows users to schedule their trips from start to finish. To start, based on previous searches they will give recommendations for your destination. Then it will allow you to complete your vacation plan through Google including flights, lodging, all the way to attractions within the same interface.  This means not only that you need to be present in metasearch but your Google My Business profile needs to be up to date. This has an impact on your organic results as well as your results within the Google Travel Planner interface. It’s critical to keep your profile up to date with as much info as possible. The Fallout for Top Partners   The changes that have come with Google over time have not come without pain from some of their top travel partners. Here are just a few quotes from key players who pay billions of dollars on Google Ads and now have to compete with other offerings within Google.  “Loss of revenue in our SEO channel in hotel has been negatively affecting our bottom line, and we will prudently reduce and re-allocate expenses in certain parts of our business to […]

Hotel marketing has changed and is more complex than ever before. There are more channels to pay attention to, constant changes in major search engines and increased competition from sites like Airbnb who promote unique alternative accommodations. For hoteliers, it is no longer enough to simply put your website online and count on search engine optimization, you must have an integrated marketing strategy to ensure you can compete for bookings. We at TravelNet Solutions have been marketing hotels, vacation rentals and everything in between for the last 20 years or so, and as much as things change, some things stay the same. Here are 5 strategies you can implement in 2020 that are guaranteed to increase traffic to your website and bookings to your hotel. 1. Google and Bing Pay Per Click   Google Pay-Per-Click is still the gold standard for direct hotel marketing, and it may be more important than ever before. Bing doesn’t have as much search volume as Google, however, in some cases, it has an even higher return on investment and can be less competitive than Google. Last year, at the HSMAI digital marketing conference, Google reported that 50% of all hotel search is now done on mobile. This is huge because, on mobile devices, a higher amount of clicks by % are happening in paid search results vs clicks in paid search by % on desktop. Unlike in the past, there isn’t as much free organic traffic as there used to be. Hotel pay-per-click marketing is now even surpassing organic search in traffic for many hotels in our portfolio. Here is a look at the click ratio on ads in mobile paid search vs desktop for one of our clients. You can see the impressions, clicks, and the cost is heavily skewed towards mobile devices. This makes it incredibly important to have a fast, mobile-optimized website with an incredibly good mobile booking engine. Without these two complementary strategies in place, it almost doesn’t even make sense to buy search traffic, it likely won’t convert. Both Google and Bing have the ability to drive bookings for your hotel. Here is a screenshot of one of our customers and the direct bookings they were able to generate as a result of paid search strategies implemented by our dedicated hotel paid search specialists. As you can see – of all traffic to this clients website, paid search from Google and Bing make-up about 48% of total traffic and 30% of bookings. Those numbers do not include attributable bookings further down the path. If you are going to be doing Pay-Per-Click marketing, however, you need to make sure you are watching how it is being managed. Here are just a few of the issues we see that lead to wasted spend and less than optimal performance by other agencies. Too much focus on branded keywords: This means you will not reach enough new visitors to generate growth. This is a common strategy by agencies that want to hide the true results of their campaigns, they can show big ROI by bidding on the brand and not disclosing it to the hotel. Of course, conversion rates and ROI are going to be high when someone is searching for your brand! Not enough attention to bid management: We see many hotels come to us that have $2, $3, $4 or higher cost per click. This is ok if you are in a market where it’s the going rate, however, there are many markets where with proper bid management, you can still buy traffic for less than $1. Across our Millions of dollars in PPC management, we average $0.87 per click and in many markets, we were well below this. If you are at $2 per click, simply reducing your avg. CPC to $1 could double your traffic with the exact same budget. Too many campaigns and keywords: Many agencies create unique campaigns for every facet of the hotel, then they bid on the exact same keywords in each campaign, only switching up the ads. This is a problem because Google will not be able to understand which campaigns to optimize if you are doing duplicate keyword bidding. This will make your ads less effective. You really only want to have 10-15 keywords per ad-group for maximum performance. All Ads point to your homepage: We see this a lot when we take over for other agencies. We go into their ad groups and see that all of their ads were pointing to the home page. This is a problem because it creates a less cohesive experience for the consumer. Let’s say you’re a hotel and you do weddings. If you have a wedding campaign in Google, the ads should be linking directly to a corresponding wedding page on your website. This will increase the user’s experience, improve the quality of the landing page and thus improve the quality of the ad experience, driving up your CTR (click through rate), Average ranking and decrease your cost per click. A well run Google and Bing Pay-Per-Click strategy should be core to your overall marketing in 2020. We recommend budgeting between .5% to 1.5% of your gross bookings to this channel or roughly 15% – 20% of your total direct marketing budget. If you do this, you’ll see big increases in traffic to your website and, provided you have the rest of your technology in place, a solid website and booking engine, good reviews and a good revenue management strategy, direct bookings should follow. 2. Metasearch   Metasearch has officially arrived and is a must-have for all serious hotel marketers now and in the future. Google Hotel Ads (formerly hotel finder) has emerged as the #1 channel for metasearch. You can read more about metasearch here. Metasearch is simply a tool that allows a consumer to see prices for a property from around the web. It the primary business model for sites like TripAdvisor and Trivago, Kayak and Skyscanner to a lesser extent. Metasearch drives high ROI […]

(Minneapolis, Minn.) January 15, 2020 — TravelNet Solutions (TNS), a leading provider of integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced the addition of industry veteran Dawn Yeskulsky to its Executive team as Sr. Vice President of Global Corporate Strategy. Yeskulsky’s addition to the TNS team further solidifies the company’s vision to transform how hospitality works. With 23 years of experience in the lodging, technology, and payments industries, Dawn will play a pivotal role in the company’s next stage of growth and its growing impact on the industry. “I’m very excited to bring my experience and passion for the hospitality and vacation rental industries to TNS,” said Yeskulsky. “The company’s mission, impressive enterprise platform and growth they’re experiencing are a perfect fit for me. In my next role I wanted a company and platform that I could wholeheartedly advocate for and I found that in TNS. I truly believe they are, and will continue to be, a leader in integrated software and marketing solutions. I look forward to helping TNS in their mission to transform the hospitality industry.” Yeskulsky joins TNS with an extensive technical background in the short-term rental and hospitality industry. With skills in corporate development, product development, analytics, strategic partnerships, and complex sales strategies, she’ll have an instant impact on the company.  “We are excited to have Dawn join our team with her reputation and experience in the industry. Her passion and drive to grow the hospitality industry is in perfect alignment with our commitment as a company focused on evolving an industry and providing an unparalleled experience for our customers,” said Ryan Bailey, CEO of Travelnet Solutions. About TRAVELNET SOLUTIONS Celebrating its 20th year serving the hospitality industry, TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center as well as a full suite of digital marketing services. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com.

(COTTAGE GROVE, Mn.) January 9, 2020 — TravelNet Solutions, a leading provider of integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced that VTrips has selected TRACK as their all-in-one Property Management, CRM and Contact Center property management software solution to manage their 1800 vacation rental properties across the United States. Founded in 2006 with 15 properties by industry veteran, Steve Milo, Florida-based VTrips has grown to 1800 vacation properties in 18 markets with 150 employees across the United States. With vacation rental units in Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, New Mexico, and Hawaii and aggressive plans for growth, VTrips needed a property management software solution that was able to handle an enterprise-level vacation rental business. “After a long process of evaluating multiple property management software solutions we’ve decided to go with TRACK,” said Milo. “TRACK is best of breed and best in class in our industry for managing growing and increasingly complex vacation rental businesses. We also felt their impressive management team would provide us top-tier support as we aim to take VTrips to the next level. ” With TRACK, VTrips has the opportunity to address top priorities in property management software identified by the recent Vacation Software Advisory Group (VSAG) report initiated by Milo and VTrips. As presented at the recent VRMA International conference in New Orleans, top priorities include an open and highly responsive API, comprehensive list of API integrations, better rate and yield management tools, dynamic rates to channels, and deep functionality built for larger vacation rental companies. “The opportunity to bring VTrips onto the TRACK platform is a testament to our plan to build a  next-generation platform that can offer businesses like VTrips the advanced tools they need to address their biggest challenges and scale their vacation rental business,” said TravelNet CEO, Ryan Bailey. “We’re extremely excited to partner with Steve and the VTrips team and offer them the trust, innovation, and support they need today and well into the future. About TravelNet Solutions Celebrating its 20th year serving the hospitality industry, TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center as well as a full suite of digital marketing services. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com. About VTrips VTrips is one of the fastest growing vacation rental management companies in North America with 1800 properties under exclusive management in predominantly traditional sun-belt locations across the United States. VTrips bridges the gap between online rental marketplaces and traditional management companies by combining the value added services of traditional management companies with a technology-enabled platform that allows consumers to browse properties and book rental homes. As a result of the Company’s integration platform and marketing expertise, the company is successfully expanding through both acquisition and organic growth into its new markets and currently operates 8 sub brands within 18 markets. For further information visit http://www.vtrips.com.  

(COTTAGE GROVE, Mn.) January 3rd, 2020 — TravelNet Solutions, a leading provider of integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced that Village Realty, and Retreatia / Great Western Lodging, have selected TRACK as their all-in-one enterprise software solution to manage their, combined, 1500+ vacation rental properties in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the Colorado Rockies, respectively. Since 1993, Village Realty has been providing premium vacation rental management services in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. A landmark in the local Community, Village has led the market in value and service to owners and guests, and has grown to over 1200 properties, while maintaining consistently superior levels of service and personal attention to their loyal customer base. “Having built our business on customer satisfaction, consistency, and reliability, we have steadily grown our business over the years, adding new value-added services, new experiences for our guests, and genuine partnership for our owners. As we grow, we need a technology partner that is able to grow with us, and TRACK is that partner,” said William Brennan, CEO of Village Realty Holdings. “With our ethos of local, hands-on service to customers, we felt TRACK was best suited to provide us that same level of partnership.” Serving the mountain regions of Steamboat Springs and Breckenridge, CO, Retreatia Holdings, parent of Great Western Lodging, has grown into an enterprising organization focused on providing unparalleled guest and property management services. Under the Retreatia Holdings umbrella, there are currently two companies; Retreatia, founded in 2005, serving the Steamboat Springs market, and Great Western Lodging, founded in 1997, in Breckenridge. “Our differentiators in the mountain region of Colorado are the experienced team we’ve built and our focus on providing a first-class guest and owner experience. As we grow to over 350 units we wanted to pair the right technology partner with our people to continue to take that customer experience to new levels. With TRACK’s continual innovation and advancement of their all-in-one solution, we felt it was the perfect match for our strategic direction,” said Josh Marquis, President of Retreatia Holdings. “Both Village Realty and Retreatia differentiate themselves by evolving the services and support they offer to guests and owners. Enterprise-sized organizations like these who focus on the customer experience are exactly the partners we feel TRACK is best suited for,” said Ryan Bailey, CEO of TravelNet Solutions. “We’re very excited to bring our innovation and support to Village Realty and Retreatia as they take their organizations to the next level. About TravelNet Solutions Celebrating its 20th year serving the hospitality industry, TravelNet Solutions, Inc. (TNS) provides integrated software and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry including the TRACK Property Management System, CRM, and Call Center as well as a full suite of digital marketing services. TNS is on a mission to transform how hospitality works and our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. To learn more about how TNS can help you, please visit www.tnsinc.com.

Part of your strategy for driving direct traffic and bookings to your website may include adding deals and packages to enhance a traveler’s experience, and to entice them to return. However, you don’t have to limit yourself to adding your deals to your website; you can upload them directly to your ResortsandLodges.com listing so that our travelers can see them as well! Here’s a quick guide to uploading your offers to the Deals & Packages directory on ResortsandLodges right through your Client Center: Adding Deals and Packages From Your Client Center The Deals & Packages directories on ResortsandLodges.com are some of the most highly viewed pages on the website.  Our travelers are always looking for the best deals, and they know where to find them. Our Deals & Packages are also featured in our Top 20 Deals Newsletters and our Exclusive E-mail Newsletters.  If a deal is not uploaded for a property, you won’t have an opportunity to be featured in these great drivers of additional traffic. Here is a Step-By-Step Guide to help you get your Deals uploaded to your ResortsandLodges.com business listing today! From the Dashboard Page, Click on the Business Listings Tab located in the Left-Hand Menu: Under the Business Listing Tab, click on the “Deals & Packages” tab shown below: That should bring you to the following screen: From the screen above, you can click on the blue “Create New +” Button to add your new deal (Make sure to select “Deals & Packages in the Type Dropdown Menu next to the Create New button). You’ll know you’ve begun the process to create your new Deals & Package listing when you see this following screen: Key Information: Run Dates (Start/End) – The date you’d like this deal to be live on ResortsandLodges.com. Landing URL – This is the URL on your website where we’ll be directing traffic. Category – All of the applicable categories/keywords for your deal. Headline – Name of Deal Description – Description of Deal Retail Price – Rate you’d like to display on ResortsandLodges.com Savings – Percentage Discount for Deal (All Deals Require Discount OR Retail Price) Travel Dates – Dates when travelers can use this package (NOT ALWAYS IDENTICAL TO RUN DATES) Terms and Conditions – Any important information related to this deal. Promo Code – If Applicable If you have any questions while uploading your offers, please feel free to contact our Support Team at support@resortsandlodges.com.

  Most of us would agree that interpersonal communications is never easy, especially those of us who have marriage partners, significant others, or who have survived the parenting of teenagers.  In the lodging industry, communications can be especially difficult due to language barriers, or if we speak the same language, dialects and cultural differences. Another unique challenge is that guests are buying an intangible “product” that they are usually very emotionally engaged with, such as the perfect room, condo or vacation home for hosting their idealized vacation dreams. This is why it’s especially important for those who work in jobs related to reservations sales to be especially conscientious of the words we use so that they convey the spirit of hospitality.  Here are some examples of commonly heard phrases along with better alternatives.  Examples Related To Hospitality In General: I’ll have to check on that for you… vs. Allow me to check on that for you.  You’ll have to… vs. May I suggest that you… I don’t think so… or I’m pretty sure… vs. I’ll find out for sure and let you know! Sure, no problem vs. You’re most welcome. It was my pleasure to assist. This (problem) happens all the time. vs. I apologize that you had this happen to you. Examples relating to explaining policies and procedures.  It’s against our (company or hotel) policy. vs. For guest (safety or security) purposes that is restricted.  I checked, but my manager still said no. vs. I did check further for you, but we do need to uphold this requirement. I’m not showing that request. Who did you speak with? vs. Let me see what we can work out for you… Let me see what we can work out for you… vs. Let me see what we can work out for you… Here are examples relating to rates, restrictions and availability.  That discount only applies to rack rates. vs. Allow me to explain those restrictions. You can’t get that rate for your dates. vs. Are your plans flexible? May I check other dates? Are your plans flexible? May I check other dates? vs. Are your plans flexible? May I check other dates? All we have left is… vs. All we have left is… The rates go up due to high occupancy. vs. During this time of year (when it’s busy) our normal rates apply. For the first night the rate is $100, then it goes up to $175. vs. For the first night normal rate of $175 applies, but for the first night I can extend a value rate of $100. That rate is not available. vs. That rate is sold out.

  Stating that your company’s website and online listings would be greatly improved with better quality photos might seem like a no-brainer. This seems like something you learn about in Marketing 101, however, for a variety of reasons, pictures on a company’s listings or website might fall to the wayside. With that being said let’s discuss the use of hotel photography on your company’s listing or website. If you’re worried that the photos you currently use to market your business are out of date or lacking in quality, you are probably right. Take a look at the photos you are currently using. Do they promote your company? More specifically, do the pictures showcase your business in an accurate light? Quality photos should be able to tell a small story about what your company is selling. Images As A Form of Clarity for Travelers As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth 1000 words.” Photographs are a way to establish clarity with the text on your website. Your company’s website might talk about how it is a rustic lakeside cabin, however, a photo can take the text a step further. Make the words pop with a picture of a canoe on the beach with an orange glowing sun setting beyond the trees. Getting that message across to a visitor on your website or listing is a challenge, there is no question. When done properly, quality photos will lead more eyes to your company and ultimately result in increased click-through rates and bookings. Photos do a great job of forming a link between customers and companies. This ultimately leads to users to be more inclined to choose your company over others that do not use quality photos. Websites with high-quality images lead to a view increase of 94% over similar text-only sites. Images as a form of Clarity for Search Engines Images can help you rank in search as well. Google crawls your site looking for relevant images. It’s not enough to just have the images on your site though. Google isn’t able to read your images without the proper text. Make sure your photos are relevant to the pages that they are on and include proper descriptions. This will give google more information in addition to the text on your website to include you in the search results. Not only does this help Google crawl your website but it also makes your website more accessible. Alt text allows screen readers to read the content on your website giving a more comprehensive experience to those with disabilities.  Conclusion The travel industry is competitive. If you want your website or listings to pop, you need to take the time to consider your hotel photography. It just might be the difference between travelers booking at your hotel or somewhere else.

  As a property manager, you know how important it is to be creating fresh content for your audience to consume and enjoy. What you might struggle with, however, is coming up with new ideas to keep your audience engaged week after week. If you’re looking for new content ideas for your property blog, consider leveraging this blog post—it includes 85 great blog post ideas that you can use to boost awareness about your property, differentiate from competitors, leverage yourself as a resource, and connect with more people within your target audience: 20 Property-Focused Blog Post Ideas These are ideas that you can use to help readers learn more about your property: Idea #1: Share the history and origin story of your property. Help people understand why your property exists, and what makes it special. Idea #2: Share photos or stories of your property being built. You could also show progress being made on current renovations or updates being made to your property. Idea #3: Share spotlight stories of the employees who work for you. Make it easy for people to feel like they already know the people they will see once they stay at your resort. Idea #4: Share interesting or unique stories about the history and evolution of your property. If your resort is new, feature stories about your favorite guests. Idea #5: Share a list of the most popular reasons why guests decide to stay at your resort over other options in the area. Idea #6: Share a bucket list of things that guests need to do or experience while they are staying at your resort. Idea #7: Share regular stories or updates from the owners of the property. Be transparent and open with current and future guests. Idea #8: Share recaps about events or conferences that were hosted at your property. Include photos, videos, and slideshows. Idea #9: Share information about your rooms and your buildings. Help people understand what makes your property unique. Idea #10: Share the embedded versions of previously recorded Facebook Live sessions with your readers. These Facebook Live sessions could feature Q&A’s with you, your team, other business owners in the area, your guests, travel blogger influencers, etc. Idea #11: Share stories about the vendors who help keep your property stocked and ready for guests. Again, focus on the power and value of transparency and storytelling. Idea #12: Share photos, videos, and stories of your guests and employees celebrating major holidays while at your property, such as Christmas, New Year’s, the 4th of July, etc. Idea #13: Share a list of common FAQs that you get from people who are preparing for a stay with you. Idea #14: Share information about any nonprofits or causes your business supports with the help of funds from guests. Idea #15: Share specific information and photos about the type of food guests can eat both on the property and off the property. Idea #16: Share ‘blog takeover’ sessions from travel bloggers and influencers that get invited to stay at your property. Idea #17: Share a calendar or list of upcoming events that will be happening at your property each month. Idea #18: Share throwback photos of your resort throughout the years. Focus on a different theme every month, such as: guest fashion, popular attractions, what meals looked like, room decor, etc. Idea #19: Share guest posts written by your employees that focus on topics related to their roles (ex. What goes into keeping up with the landscape every week, how the kitchen is managed, etc.). Idea #20: Share photo and video tours of your resorts in every different type of season. 20 Local-Focused Blog Post Ideas These are ideas that you can use to help readers learn more about your local area: Idea #21: Share a post about the best food that travelers can get in the area. Segment the list based on food type, cost, distance from the property, etc. Idea #22: Share stories about other local business owners in the area. Help travelers get excited to meet and see the locals. Idea #23: Share a calendar of upcoming local events and festivals that your guests can experience during their stay. Idea #24: Share interesting facts about the area, both historical and current. Idea #25: Share recommendations on “non-touristy” restaurants, bars, shops, and entire areas of the city that travels can enjoy during their stay. Idea #26: Share a post that explains what your local area is known best for (types of food, quirky attractions, causes, historical markers, natural wonders, local business, etc.). Idea #27: Share travel lists that attempt to attract people to your area (ex. 22 Best Things to Experience When to Travel to ______). Idea #28: Share a blog post that outlines what the perfect vacation to your area might look like for different types of people. For example, what is everything a young family should do when they visit? What about newlyweds? A retired couple? Idea #29: Share guest posts from other people who have recently visited your area or stayed with you. Ask them to share photos and stories of their experience, detailing what they liked, offering tips for future travelers, etc. Idea #30: Share a post about the best local gifts to buy while you’re in town. Feature different local retail shops and items that are unique to your area. Idea #31: Share a blog series that offers readers ideas of different types of day trips they could take while staying at your property. Idea #32: Share a blog series that features photos you take of interesting places around the area. Idea #33: Share a blog post that details how your city differs from other popular cities nearby. Help your readers make the right decision about which city to ultimately visit and explore. Idea #34: Share tips and tricks for traveling to your local city. It could include driving recommendations, parking recommendations, or other tips that will help travelers have an easier time creating experiences in your area. […]

With 2020 upon us it’s a good time to evaluate your website performance and determine what changes you want to make to optimize your hotel website design. In our industry, a website can make or break a business. In order to convince the people who land on your website to learn more about your property and ultimately convert, you have to know what will actually compel them to stick around and take action. If you haven’t been experiencing the level of traffic or conversions from your website that you’ve been hoping for, it’s time to start thinking about making some changes. Here are 7 things travelers want to see on hotel websites in 2020: 1. Real Photos When it comes to successfully converting online consumers, first impressions are everything. In a lot of cases, interested travelers won’t find your property by searching its name directly in Google and clicking through to your website. Instead, travelers are searching for resorts and lodging in the particular area that they want to travel to, and then comparing the various options that show up on the first page of their search results. That’s why making the right first impression with your hotel website design is so important: competition is fierce. To convince website visitors to stay on your website and learn more about your property, you have to help them understand what makes you different from your competitors or other hotels in your area within a matter of seconds. One great way to differentiate from other properties is by using real, authentic photography on your website. But what does that mean, exactly? How are these photos different than the ones you already have on your website today? Here’s the difference: real, authentic photos include actual people who stayed and enjoyed their time at your hotel. They’re candid, relatable, a little imperfect, and the complete opposite of stock photography. To help interested travelers picture themselves at your hotel, hire a photographer to capture moments and guest experiences at your resort for a few days. Get authorization from guests to use their photos on your website and in other marketing material. Persuade them by offering some sort of additional free perk that they can take advantage of during their stay. Sprinkle the photos onto your homepage along with the professional photos that highlight and feature the best parts of your property. Start 2020 off on the right foot by making a plan to remove all stock photography from your website—stock photos are not compelling to people. They are easily recognizable, and they do nothing in terms of helping you show visitors what makes your hotel unique. 2. Compelling Stories These days, colorful property descriptions aren’t always enough to grab the attention of interested travelers who land on your website. In order to keep visitors engaged and willing to explore, you need to leverage new types of content. Stories are one such type of content that you can use gain and keep the attention of interested travelers who are looking for the perfect place to stay. When it comes to making a decision about whether or not to request more information or book a reservation, website visitors expect that they’ll be able to find on your website basic information about your property, your amenities, your room availability, and your pricing. But that’s not all travelers want or need in order to make a decision these days: they also want to be able to quickly determine or imagine the type of experience they’ll get from a stay at your hotel. By featuring the right stories throughout your website, you can help paint the right picture in the mind’s of your prospective guests. Wondering what type of stories you can feature on your website? Here are a few ideas: Long-form testimonials from past happy guests Authentic photos (taken by a photographer that you hire) that feature guests who have stayed at your resort Videos that tell the origin story of your resort Photos and videos that feature your employees, managers, and owners Videos and photos from happy guests (created by them, curated by you) Wondering where to feature these stories on your website specifically? Try these locations: In blog posts On About pages In room description sections On a new Stories page Sprinkled very sparingly on your homepage The key with featuring stories on your website is to not overdo it. Stories within your hotel website design should avoid distracting visitors too much from the conversion experience that you need them to go through in order to book a reservation with you. Start small by publishing a new video on your homepage or featuring an authentic, real photo within your homepage photo slider or hero banner. 3. Helpful Content Another great way to build trust with website visitors and nurture them down your funnel is by creating and sharing helpful content that your target audience can benefit from consuming. Remember: a lot of people who land on your website might not know anything about your property at first. In the early stage of their research, they are simply looking for a answers to questions they have (ex. What is a good resort in Maui? Should I stay in Maui or should I go to Oahu instead?). It’s up to you to position yourself and your hotel as a resource for travelers who are looking for answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. That’s where the creation of helpful content comes into play. There are really two places on your website where you can be sharing or promoting helpful content: in blog posts, and gated behind opt-in forms that live on landing pages or within pop-ups. Conversion Optimization Pop Ups can be a great place to start getting travelers to subscribe to your blog and eventually book direct. 4. Easier Navigation & Accessibility If you’re not experiencing the amount of conversions you expected from your website, it may be because people are having a hard time finding […]

  Deciding where you should be placing your Hotel Advertisement dollars can be a difficult decision. A huge advertising opportunity that many people are missing is Social Media Retargeting. Retargeting works by adding a cookie to the browser of anyone who visits your website, then Facebook is able to show them your targeted ads in their newsfeed. A traveler will visit your site, view photos, amenities and start looking into rates. Although they may be interested, most travelers won’t book on their first visit to your site. Over the next several days they will visit Facebook and see your ad keeping you top of mind. This can increase the likelihood that the visitor will come back to your website and book direct. With the goal of getting travelers back to your website there are many ways that you can optimize your campaigns. Here are 3 things that you should consider when spending your advertising dollars on Facebook Retargeting Ads: Why You Should be Advertising on Facebook Who to Target What type of ads to run   Why You Should be Advertising on Facebook   Facebook is the biggest social network worldwide by far with 2.41 billion monthly users. 169 Million of those users are from the United States which is over half the population. The potential audience for Facebook is huge! Today data is key and Facebook provides the most comprehensive tools to reach out to your target audience. With so many users, the biggest advantage that Facebook has over other platforms is the vast amount of data it collects. Users provide info such as age, gender, relationship status, interests, etc. This means you can get ultra specific about who you want to target when creating your campaigns. With such a large audience and great tools to help you succeed, Facebook is the ideal platform for Hotel Advertisement. With all of Facebook’s comprehensive data who should you target?   Who to Target   Retargeting Ads target travelers who have already visited your website. We know these travelers are actively searching for a vacation and there was something that compelled them to be interested in your hotel! Whether they initially found you through search, social media or another channel they will most likely forget about you if you don’t work to stay on top of their mind. If they didn’t convert by subscribing to your blog or booking direct then they may never find you again. That’s where Retargeting can work to your advantage! Being able to narrow down your ads to specific audiences makes Facebook such a powerful hotel advertisement platform. As mentioned earlier Facebook gives you a ton of data that you can use when creating ads. You can segment your ads based on age, gender, language, location, relationship status and other interest or behaviors. By getting more targeted you can advertise specific aspects of your hotel. For example, if you are marketing a golf resort you can send golfing offers to travelers who have visited your site that are interested in playing golf. If you’re marketing a romantic getaway you may want to change your messaging depending on their relationship status or anniversary date. With more targeted campaigns you can show what makes your hotel great for individual travelers.   What type of Ads Should You Be Running?   Now that you know who to market your ads to it’s time to create them. Facebook offers great tools to help you create your ads. Make sure the content of your ads matches the audience that you are trying to target. The ads shown below are a great example on how you can target based on relationship status and anniversary dates. one ad shows a couple getting married on a romantic getaway while the other one is more general and shows their stunning pool. Same thing goes for this example below. You can see that one ad targets families while the other targets travelers interested in Golf. When creating ads there are some general guidelines to follow. People scroll through social media quickly so your text should be short and compelling. Your photos should also have minimal text. If you have a beautiful destination make sure you are showcasing it in pictures! Facebook has a carousel format so you can add multiple images for travelers to scroll through to really show off your destination. If photos don’t cut it for you video can be a great option. A well produced video can cost more money but can really show travelers what your property is all about. Also video offers additional engagement tracking. You are able see average view time as opposed to just likes and clicks. Finally a great call to action should compel travelers to go back to your site. Facebook offers multiple Call to Action options that you can chose from. A learn more button could be great for travelers who simply looked at your home page while a book now button would be better for travelers at the bottom of the funnel who have viewed your bookings page. Overall, if you target the right ads to the right people you should be able to better spend your hotel advertisement dollars and be well on your way to converting more travelers into direct bookings.   Have Questions?   Without the proper experience getting started with retargeting can be a daunting task. TravelNet Solutions has 20 years of experience in the Hospitality Industry and can help get you in front of potential guests.

Last week TRACK Hospitality Software of TravelNet Solutions (TNS), sent technical sales engineer, Casey Coughlin, to Beaver Run in Breckenridge where he was an exhibitor in VRMA Colorado Connect. This was Casey’s first conference as a TRACK Representative. Here are the top three takeaways Casey learned at VRMA Connect.  Attend Sessions (Even as an exhibitor!) VRMA Colorado Connect was the first of a series of four. One of the largest takeaways was the entire event being located in one single conference room. From vendors, lunch, to sessions, they were all located in the same open space. This provided value as exhibitors got to listen in on all sessions as well.  Educational Lessons Learned: Providing an experience is more important than the property they will stay in. Managing pricing agily could allow you to capitalize on the night rate opportunities versus companies that just enter base prices. Housekeeping provides one of the most important services that can have the largest impact on the guest experience.  Be ready to invest in your people to keep them because it is much less expensive than replacing them. Get involved with your local government and municipalities to have a seat at the table and to help show them the positive impacts that can be made on the communities by your guests and business. Take Notes Returning back to the office with a full TNS notebook of ideas and takeaways is a great way to be a thought leader. Conferences provide a wide array of information from housekeeping, front desk, marketing, and more. Make sure to share the knowledge with your company. The exhibitors at these events are the experts and you are at the event to learn!  Don’t try to fool me by saying you forgot your notebook, I’m sure you can find a booth with a pad and pen! (Swing by booth 313 at VRMA International and grab some TNS notebooks!) For a first event of Casey Coughlin with TNS as the Technical Sales Engineer, we are excited to say he will see you at RezFest 2019 and 2019 VRMA International.

  Last year we set sail at Rezfest 2018, this year we take a gamble as we head to Vegas. TRACK Hospitality, Software of TravelNet Solutions (TNS), is anxiously awaiting September 24th for the kickoff of another amazing year at Rezfest. If you’re planning on joining in on the festivities, make sure to visit booth 33 to learn about the Vacation Rental Software of the Future. Celebrating 20 years in the industry, TNS has gained it’s fair share of reliable, trusted integration partners in the vacation rental space. Here is a list of the must see sessions from our incredible partners.  Ascent Processing Wednesday, September 25 11:30AM: Reservation Financing to Turn Lookers into Bookers Join Ascent Processing, Dawn Yeskulsky, to learn about the first guest-finance solution to the Vacation Rental Industry. Ascent allows guests to travel now and pay monthly over time, while PMs get paid 100% in full the day of booking, no chargeback or fraud liability, and more direct bookings. TRACK recently announced their partnership with AscentPay powered by Uplift. This game-changing tool is beneficial for not only guests, but property managers. TRACK is fully equipped to implement AscentPay into your PMS software to make vacations more accessible for everyone.  RedAwning Wednesday, September 25 at 2:45 PM: Building Trust Through Content and Merchandising Optimization TRACK’s Integration Partner, RedAwning will discuss how to build trust with travelers before they decide to book. Learn tips and tricks to optimize your content and merchandising, and maximize bookings in the modern digital marketplace. Don’t miss this session presented by Dustin Warr.  RedAwning and TRACK announced their integration in late July 2019. TRACK integrating with RedAwning gives vacation rental managers currently using TRACK PMS access to RedAwning’s global distribution network as well as their industry-leading marketing, reservations, and revenue management solutions.  Yapstone Wednesday, September 25 at 4:00 PM: Max Out Bookings: Take Advantage of Tools, Technologies, and Best Practices Travis Hill will deep dive why vacation rental professionals need to stay ahead of the game with the latest tools, technologies and trends. Learn how to use effective tools and strategies to market your properties, analyze your payment data, improve your guest experience, and max out your bookings.  TRACK is fully integrated with Yapstone to provide easy payment methods for owners and VRMCs. Learn today how you can seamlessly utilize payment processing and your PMS all in one place.   Bluetent Thursday, September 26 at 10:30AM: Weaving a Powerful Booking Strategy: Tips for Staying Competitive A panel discussion on increasing your reach and driving bookings with a strategic plan including email marketing, digital advertising, SEO and an innovative new way of putting your properties where guests are looking. Take away actionable ideas you can bring back to your team.  Beyond Pricing Thursday, September 26 at 10:30 AM: Holistic Revenue Management: How to go Beyond Just Pricing Ian McHenry will discuss optimizing ADR, occupancy, and RevPAN, strategies beyond pricing can help you make more revenue. Learn how distribution, website conversion, email marketing, and more can work together with dynamic pricing to maximize your revenue.   Allow Beyond Pricing to be an expert when it comes to pricing. Seamlessly connect TRACK PMS along with the most advanced pricing solution in the vacation rental industry. Beyond Pricing accounts for changes in demand nightly and ensure you’re never leaving money on the table.  VaycayHome Connect Thursday, September 26 at 10:30AM: Members-Only Program to Increase Booking Revenue TRACK’s integration partner, VaycayHome Connect deep dive on how to dramatically increase booking revenue with the click of a button, making your properties available to vast membership and loyalty networks. Millions of qualified, members-only travelers are available to you via the most modern distribution platform in the vacation rental industry.  In May 2019 VaycayHome Connect and TRACK Hospitality Software announced with integration partnership to the vacation rental industry. By integrating TRACK PMS with VHC allows property managers to distribute their rental inventory through leading booking channels such as HomeAway, VRBO, Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and more.

It is hard enough to get travelers to your website let alone get them to convert into paying guests. You may use the best SEO practices, Google Adword bidding or Metasearch marketing to drive traffic to your website. In the end if your website doesn’t compel visitors to act, many travelers who visited your site will end up booking on OTAs or worse… a competitor. So if you’re wondering how to get more bookings, consider using conversion optimization (con-op) strategies. A well built con-op strategy can help you: Grow your email subscribers Keep you in touch with travelers Increase your direct bookings   Grow Email Subscribers   Not everyone who visits your website is ready to book right away. They may be in the early stages of planning a vacation or comparing multiple destinations. The first goal of conversion optimization is to increase email subscribers. By giving travelers the option to subscribe to your email list they can convert on your website with little commitment while still giving them the chance to book when they’re ready. This is great for travelers who are interested and simply want more information at the time of their visit. The average opt-in rate for a website typically is 1-5%. The conversion optimization campaigns that work the best give travelers compelling reasons to subscribe. You may want to offer a discount, vacation package or simply show what makes your destination great! The more compelling the offer is, the more travelers will want to subscribe to your email list.   Keep in touch with travelers   By adding travelers to your email subscriber list you can continue to market to them keeping your destination top of mind. Getting travelers to subscribe to your email list is one thing but now you need to keep in touch with them. So how can you optimize your emails to get travelers to convert? The emails you send travelers will increase their likelihood of coming back to your website and booking directly as opposed to booking with an OTA or competitor. If you offered a discount in the con-op, the first email should include your offer. To make the most of your emails they should all be: concise segmented have a strong call to action high quality mobile friendly It takes a lot of effort to get travelers to subscribe so make sure your emails are relevant. Travelers will unsubscribe in a heartbeat if you give them something that they don’t expect. With that you want to avoid these common errors in email marketing.   Increase Direct Bookings   If everything goes to plan with compelling conversion optimization opt ins and wonderfully executed email marketing, travelers will fall in love with your destination, return to your website and book direct. With more direct bookings you can reduce your reliance on OTAs and leave your competition in the dust. So what are you waiting for? Now that you know how to get more bookings, start converting website visitors into email subscribers and guests today! Schedule a Demo of Conversion Optimization by TravelNet Solutions.

TRAVELNET SOLUTIONS (TNS), a leading hospitality industry provider of integrated Hospitality CRM, Vacation Rental PMS Software and Digital Marketing Solutions is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Company’s founding and announces the release of a video titled “Transformation”   Following the successful rebrand to TravelNet Solutions at the beginning of 2019, TravelNet further clarifies its mission of Transforming How Hospitality Works with a commercial that positions the 20 year old technology Company as a guide for those seeking growth and transformation in an ever changing, hyper competitive world. TravelNet Solutions is the Parent Company to Brands TRACK Hospitality Software, a leading provider of Cloud Hospitality Omni-Channel CRM, Cloud Contact Center and Enterprise Vacation Rental PMS Software as well as ResortsandLodges.com a niche marketplace for unique lodging and travel experiences. “It’s been an incredible ride, these first 20 years, but we believe the best is yet to come. Every day we renew our mission and vision of a transformed industry in which every company competes on a level playing field. This commercial is a reflection of our vision for the future and our commitment to our employees, customers, shareholders and the industry as a whole,” said Ryan Bailey, CEO. About TRAVELNET SOLUTIONS: Our mission is to transform how hospitality works. Everyday we strive to solve the most difficult technology and workflow challenges, and we work tirelessly to provide solutions to help our customers become more efficient and profitable. Our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. Our goal is to become our customer’s business concierge. It all starts with one question: How can we help you?

HFTP – HITEC 2019 is underway in Minneapolis, Minnesota and TravelNet Solutions had the opportunity to kick off the week long event with 12 powerful women attending the first annual Women in Hospitality Luncheon. Moderator, Donna Hale, lead the discussion providing insight on confidence, work/life balance, and the future of women in the hospitality industry. “Providing networking and educational opportunities to the Women at TravelNet Solutions is a key component to help shape the future of a diverse leadership team in a male dominated space,” expressed Jen Manwarren, Vice President of Operations. Confidence The Luncheon is coming to an end, with full intention to go out with a bang, the question on the other end of the microphone echoes, “How do you sit at the leadership table as the only woman and state your opinion without sounding like a B****?” All 100 attendees eyes widen at the use of language and then laughter broke out in the room. We were all thinking how true that statement is. As a young, innovative, woman new to the hospitality industry, having a strong opinion can be daunting when presenting to leadership. The panel answered this question with flying colors. If you are confident and present in a professional manner, the last thing you should be worried about is how others view you. “Be bold, brave, and confident in being you,” is one of the biggest takeaways TraveNet Solutions, Bobbie Turner, took from the Luncheon. If you are in a position to make an educated comment, you are in that position because your opinion is valued. Work/Life Balance Being a leader in hospitality is demanding, being a leader in technology is demanding, putting the two together can be hard to juggle a balance with raising a family and work. The panel addressed that having a strong support system is extremely important. It was made very evident that women leaders do not feel as if they worked harder to get where they are compared to men, they feel as if shutting off work is mentally more challenging. Women tend to be emotional and organized creatures by nature, making that decision to separate work and life more complicated. Defining that line is detrimental to becoming a woman at the leadership table. The Future of Women in Hospitality In a male dominated space, it was made clear at the Women’s Luncheon that  many strong and powerful women are serving as mentors in the Hospitality industry and will continue to do so. Continuing to provide support for one another and empowerment is the future of Women in Hospitality.  

When Hotels, Resorts, Lodges, and Vacation Rentals are looking for the most return on investment when it comes to Marketing tactics, search engine optimization, also known as SEO, should be their top priority. With various channels to choose from, SEO has demonstrated ROI regarding money as well as value for time spent on the strategy. The Mystery Behind Hospitality SEO Marketing channels such as email and social media are important, but both have a reach of a limited database. For instance, Facebook posts will only be seen by your fans, and not even all fans will see your posts. Where email campaigns will be focused on your CRM (such as TRACK CRM) email campaign. Effective SEO will help you get a regular supply of affluent travelers who may have never heard of you before but are interested in staying at places like yours. Since SEO is one of the most complex marketing strategies for your company, many local agencies will work with your competitors who do not have experience with SEO in the hospitality industry. So let’s start out with our first tip to use a digital marketing agency with a Hospitality focus that is transparent and educational to avoid any mystery! With that being said, take it from us (TravelNet Solutions, a leading digital marketing agency in the industry), here are Three Tips to Focus on For Hospitality SEO. Tools to Track the Success of Your Goals Setting goals for your company should already be a given, but to make these goals successful, you will need to implement tools to help you make it to your finish line. An example goal to track via SEO would be to boost your direct bookings. Check out how Google Analytics, an effective CRM, and Conversion tools can help you track success for direct bookings. Google Analytics (FREE!) Properly setting up your Google Analytics account will assist in tracking eCommerce conversions on your site. If you are utilizing a third party booking platform, you’ll have to work with them on this as well. Conversion Tracking Getting people to your website is one thing, keeping them there is another. Using Google Analytics you are able to understand how people land on your site, where they explore your site, and when they convert. An Effective CRM When you implement an effective CRM you are able to keep phone call data and record on guest calls that come from your website. Creating relationships with your guests and utilizing lead management of a CRM, will help close more bookings, adding on to your goal. These measurements are part of Google’s algorithm in search engine placement. Keeping someone interactive on your site and converting helps your placement score. Setup Your Page For Visitors to Interact When visitors arrive at your website, you want it to be equivalent to inviting guests into your house. A nice welcome greeting, easy navigation, and a good host. One of Google’s and other search engines top priorities is to provide the best answers with relevant content to the asked question. When Google is successful, people will continue to use their search engine. Keep in mind you want it to be easy to navigate regardless of how the visitor enters, they can find exactly what they need to find and quickly. This means making your pages very specific and focused. If your goal is to drive direct bookings here are some page ideas you want: Accommodation or room pages Vacation Rental Unit Pages Pages of Specials and Packages A few tips and tricks to help your users interact: Use a Conversation Optimization tool. This will help capture visitors information for future visits and remarketing strategies. Create a blog page and update it often. By providing educational content with keywords will benefit you not only with SEO on Google, it will also help create credibility with your visitors. Track and A/B test call to actions. Implement a next step feeling for the visitor by having them submit their contact information. Make sure your call to actions are in high traffic locations, explain the follow up action which will occur once information is submitted, and that the CTA design is inline with brand colors and consumer behavior best practices.  Site Speed is Impactful It may seem like common sense that a faster loading site is more user-friendly, attractive to the visitor, and less frustrating, but the results that are affected by the site speed is astronomical. According to Amazon, a page that loads just one second slower had lost sales of $1.6 Billion. One second can mean that much? It can! The best practice to focus on is staying under that 3 second mark, and being quicker than the competitor. You’re not only competing with the competitor across the street when it comes to SEO, you need to keep in mind that OTA’s are the king of SEO. Heck, it’s their job to get the most traffic to their sites, so if you can beat them in SEO, you’ve got it mastered. If you’re questioning your site speed, let me give you access to this free tool of Google Page Speed Test.   That’s a Wrap on SEO After reading this you should be able to define your company goals and understand that SEO inevitably will play a large factor in successfully achieving those goals. Learn about Google’s Ranking Algorithm and implement best practices for your website to perform. If you need: Help reviewing your Google Analytics Account A Lead Management Software Help navigating your OTA’s vs Direct Bookings Questions on building a quality Website Be sure to set up a time to talk with our Solutions Consultant.

In 2017, Google rolled out a number of new initiatives at their Google Marketing Next event. Last year they launched Google Marketing Live, and we got to see an inside look at what the internet giant had been up. Google announced some new branding initiatives, including a naming shift from AdWords to Ads, and the combining of the DoubleClick Ad Exchange and DoubleClick for Publishers into a single platform: Google Ad Manager. Google also made changes around their advancement of machine learning, and how they apply to the Google Ads platform. With Google Marketing Live 2019 this week, we want to take a look back at what was launched last year. What We Learned As many of you know, search ads were one of Google’s first offerings, and responsive search ads leverage machine learning to “be helpful and personalized” at scale. According to the company’s testing, this approach results in 15% more ad clicks. Simply provide up to 15 headlines and 4 description lines, and Google will do the rest. By testing different combinations, Google learns which ad creative performs best for any search query. So people searching for the same thing might see different ads based on context. In addition to these Responsive Search Ads, Google also announced enhancements revolving around machine learning: Maximize lift for YouTube — Uses machine learning to optimize ad performance on YouTube by automatically adjusting bids. Local campaigns — Uses machine learning to help get more customers into physical stores by optimizing where ads appear across various Google platforms. Smart shopping campaigns — Uses machine learning to optimize campaigns based on criteria and goals selected by marketers. What these Updates Mean for the Hospitality Industry Google made a large impact, targeting hotels with their Hotel Ads feature, allowing properties to showcase their business on Google.com and Google Maps, across all devices. However, unlike most meta-search entities (which is still at the heart of Google’s foray into Hotel bookings), the company allows travelers to book directly on the property website, in a sense “owning the relationship” from the interaction with the ad to the booking. Google integrated with a number of booking engines to ensure they have easy access to available room inventory for a variety of lodging providers including TravelClick, Sabre Hospitality, IBC Hospitality Solutions, and SHR to name a few. New Ways to Manage Audiences Google’s audience manager lets you set a hotel marketing campaign to target people who have already engaged with your website in some way. Along with this is the ability to target by demographics, allowing advertisers to cater their ads to appeal to different genders and ages. While this functionality was available before, Google took this a step further with targets able to be based on household income and parental status. A capability like this enables advertisers, such as hotels, to get really specific about their audience, making it easier to attract the right guests. Ad Placement In addition to all of these releases, Google tested a new placement of these high conversion Hotel Ads, above the first organic placement on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). As you can see from the screenshots below, these ad placements have moved from the right sidebar to a traditional “native ad” placement, right within the results area of the page: How do these ad placements impact your business? By the sheer measure of pushing organic results further down the page, these Hotel Ads placements decrease organic brand traffic to your website. There needs to be a greater SEO focus on local search terms and long tail keywords to ensure that your property is staying on top of non-brand related search term results. Brand bidding becomes more important as your rates aren’t the only ones showing up in the “Book Now” box. OTAs also are bidding to be included in this area, and while these bookings will help you increase your occupancy, we all know that they aren’t optimizing revenue. The only way for your website to display above this inline “Book Now” format will be to bid on your own brand keywords. If you aren’t already using Google Hotel Ads, now is the time to learn more about how your property can be included. The first step is finding out whether or not your booking engine has integrated with Google. So what’s on tap for 2019? What new innovations will Google be releasing at this year’s Marketing Live Conference? Leave a comment below with your thoughts and insights into what you believe Google will be releasing in 2019 and how this will affect the hospitality and travel industries.

It’s always a good time to think about how you plan to capture more leads and drive more conversions through your website. As a property manager, it’s important to recognize that your website isn’t meant to be a static brochure for your business—instead, it should be used as a tool for boosting awareness, educating travelers, qualifying traffic, nurturing leads, and helping people make the right choices when it comes to deciding where to stay during their upcoming trip. If your property website isn’t perform as well as expected, it might be time to make some changes. Not sure where to start or what to focus on? Here are 8 conversion-driven website components that could help you boost online reservations and profits for your business in the year ahead: 1. Points of Interest When it comes to persuading travelers to book a stay at your property, you have to remember that you’re not in the business of selling accommodations—instead, you’re selling experiences. When travelers land on your website, they expect to find helpful information about your rooms, specials, and amenities. But in order to make an informed and confident decision about where to travel to and where to stay, the average traveler will usually want to spend more time researching different aspects of their trip. Before booking a reservation at your property, your travelers want to know things like: How close is your property to popular restaurants, coffee shops, and bars in the surrounding area? What major roadways are close to your property, and where do they lead? What culture-based attractions (concerts, festivals, neighborhoods) can they easily see or experience if they stayed at your property? What shopping centers or small businesses are close by? Does your property offer quick access to parks, hiking trails, or other nature-based attractions that are popular in your area? As a property manager, you can either choose to let your prospective guests leave your website to do this kind of research on their own, or you can keep them engaged by allowing them to find the information they’re looking for without ever having to leave your website. TAKE ACTION: To build trust and boost reservations through your website, add helpful information for interested travelers about dining, local events and festivals, day trips, and other things to do, see, and experience while they’re staying at your property. 2. Specials/Packages Another way you can boost reservations on your property website is by offering attractive specials and packages for interested travelers to take advantage of. To offer specials and packages that pique the interest of the people who land on your website, ask yourself the following questions: Who is my target customer? What do they care about? Why do our guests choose our property over others? What do our guests do while they are staying with us? How does our property cater to our target audience better than our competitors? What type of themed packages would interest our target guest most? Which specials have been most effective in the past? What kind of packages and specials can I afford to give to my prospective guests? Use your answers to these questions to come up with enticing offers and packages that you know your target guest will get excited about. For example, if newlyweds book a reservation at your property as part of their honeymoon, create a themed honeymoon package that offers a discount plus special amenities that other guests won’t have access to. If travelers book reservations with you because they love golf, create a VIP golf package that they won’t be able to resist. TAKE ACTION: Come up with unique specials and themed packages (hiking, honeymoon, golfing, ladies weekend, senior special, etc.) that help convince people of the value of choosing your property over another in the area. Feature them prominently in a banner ad on your homepage, or within the main navigation menu. 3. Mobile Functionality If your property website is not optimized to display on mobile, or not optimized to accept reservations from people using smartphones, you’re missing out on a big opportunity. According to research on mobile trends and the travel industry, more travelers are using their smartphones to research properties and book reservations than ever before. Hotel bookings from mobile devices grew by 67% in 2016, and in the past year, conversion rates have grown 88% on mobile travel sites. In addition to impacting conversions, a website that doesn’t load on mobile can affect your reputation among travelers. Because most travelers don’t have the opportunity to come visit your property before deciding whether to book a reservation with you, they rely heavily on the internet to overcome any hesitations and objections the might have about your property. If your website doesn’t load correctly or quickly when opened on a mobile device, prospective guests may get the wrong impression about your property. TAKE ACTION: To boost reservations, make sure your website and your online reservations system are both optimized for mobile. To find out if your site is optimized for mobile and to identify any hidden issues that may exist, use this tool from Google. It will analyze your website and make recommendations about how to improve user experience for anyone who attempts to access your site from their smartphones or tablets. Need help creating a mobile-friendly property website? We can help. 4. Live Chat Another tactic that more property managers—and businesses across all industries—leveraged more in 2017 was including live chat on their websites as a way to connect with and engage with leads in real-time. Not fully convinced of the value? Consider these facts: A recently published Inc article reports that, “customers feel most satisfied during their buyer’s journey when using a live chat feature, compared to other options such as voice (88%), email (85%), and even social media messaging (Facebook 84%, Twitter 77%).” A recent survey from Kayako found that, “79% of businesses say offering live chat has had a positive effect on sales, revenue, and customer loyalty.” The same survey from Kayako states that, “38% of consumers are more likely to […]

Are you busy on Wednesday, May 8th? You won’t want to miss TravelNet Solutions sponsored Welcome Cocktail Reception at the Spring 2019 Executive Summit in Park City, Utah. OPMA Boardmember and CEO of TRAVELNET Solutions, Ryan Bailey will be kicking off the event accompanied by leaders Matt Renner, Zak Mountassir, and Solutions Consultant, Stephen Green. Matt Renner will be featured as a panelist at the 9AM session on Thursday May 9th, Effective Direct Booking Strategies That Actually Work. Learn about website optimization tactics, email marketing best practices, and how to approach social media in an authentic and trusted way from industry expects. TNS provides an array of solutions for the hospitality industry with PMS, Digital Marketing, CRM, and Cloud Contact Center. Our mission is to transform how hospitality works. Every day we strive to solve the most difficult technology and workflow challenges, and we work tirelessly to provide solutions to help our customers become more efficient and profitable. Our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. Our goal is to become our customer’s business concierge. It all starts with one question, how can we help you? Not attending OPMA but would like to learn more about how TNS can serve you? We’d love to hear from you!

TRAVELNET Solutions (TNS), the integrated solutions provider for the hospitality industry, today announced the addition of Sean Hughes to its leadership team as Vice President of Engineering and Product. Sean’s addition to the TNS team further solidifies the company’s position as a leading provider of SaaS and digital marketing solutions for the hospitality industry. With 20 years of expertise and experience in Executive level Product and Engineering management, Sean will help to increase the speed and quality of delivery of an ever evolving and diverse product portfolio. “We are truly honored and excited to welcome Sean to our leadership team,” said Ryan Bailey, CEO. “Sean brings the right blend of experience and passion to help us deliver world class products for our customers as we continue to grow.” Sean joins TNS with a strong background in development and leading large software engineering and product teams while developing enterprise applications for well known companies including John Deere, Thomson Reuters, and DTN. Sean will lead all product and engineering across the TravelNet solutions portfolio, including TRACK CRM, PMS, PULSE and Business Solutions. About TRAVELNET SOLUTIONS Providing integrated solutions for the hospitality industry, TNS has a full suite of software and solution products ranging from Property Management Software, CRM, Digital Marketing, and Cloud Contact Center. Our mission is to transform how hospitality works. Everyday we strive to solve the most difficult technology and workflow challenges, and we work tirelessly to provide solutions to help our customers become more efficient and profitable. Our vision of the future is a world where every hospitality company is able to compete on a level playing field. Our goal is to become our customer’s business concierge. It all starts with one question: How can we help you?

Marketplaces created to compare prices between products and vendors can help buyers make the most informed decision possible. Metasearch sites such as Google Hotel Ads, TripAdvisor, Trivago and Kayak are the lodging industry’s answer to a comprehensive marketplace. They allow travelers to have a one stop shop for all of their lodging needs. Metasearch sites are search engines that aggregate data from leading online travel agencies (OTAs) and provide it to travelers so they can view and compare rates, availability, and pricing in one place. In addition to letting travelers compare leading OTAs, metasearch sites give the ability to compare rates directly with the property’s own brand website. This channel currently accounts for 14% of hotel and resort bookings, driving billions in revenue each year, and will continue to grow in 2019 and beyond. With more travelers choosing metasearch as their preferred method for finding and comparing prices, how can your property increase revenue through this important channel? Here are 3 things to consider to help maximize your ROI on metasearch sites. Google Hotel Ads is Growing Google has made several notable changes to the layout of the search engine results pages. The main goal of these changes appears to be hyper-monetization, offering better exposure for ads placements than organic results in many cases. The Google Hotel Ads featured provides travelers with a great user experience and is easily accessible with any Google search for lodging. Having a great PPC and SEO strategy is still important, but you will want to include Google Hotel Ads in your online distribution strategy moving forward. Not maximizing this channel, or other metasearch engines, will likely cause a decrease in direct bookings. OTAs are Heavy Players in Metasearch If you have your availability listed on OTAs, your property is likely already showing up on metasearch engines. All major OTAs are sending their information to metasearch sites. When travelers find your property via metasearch, they can choose the channel (likely the lowest rate) through which to book their stay at your property. If your property’s website is not included in metasearch results, you can expect an increase in commission fee costs to your OTAs that are maximizing exposure on this channel. This is why it is imperative to have your official hotel website integrating with metasearch sites. If you have competitive pricing and/or direct booking incentives, travelers will choose your site over an OTA. Metasearch Can be a Bargain Compared to OTAs OTAs are a great platform on which to be found and can certainly help you increase occupancy, but you should be taking any opportunity you get to have your guests book direct. In metasearch you’re not just competing with other hotels in your area, but also with OTAs for your booking at your property. The cost per click can seem expensive at times, but remember: If your website isn’t showing up, an OTA probably is. A click on Google Hotel Ads to an OTA could cost you up to 30% for a booking. If you think of it, $1.50 or so for a click is a bargain and can save you a ton of money from OTA commissions. With an ROI of 10:1 on average for businesses across all metasearch channels, having a comprehensive metasearch strategy is a no brainer. Next Steps Just like Google Ads, bidding on metasearch can be complicated. You need to be sure that you have a booking engine that integrates with metasearch platforms and have a comprehensive bidding plan to maximize ROI. If you don’t have a great strategy you may not see the ROI you’re looking for. If you’re not sure where to start you can reach out to our experts for a free consultation. TNS offers metasearch management as a service and we can help ensure that your campaigns are performing so that you can focus on your guests. Focus On Your Guests and Leave the Digital Marketing to Us   Get your free metasearch consultation:

Today it is of the utmost importance to have a strong digital marketing strategy. Hiring a marketing team for a lodging business can be time consuming and expensive without even mentioning training and employee turnover. If you hire cheap you may have someone with little digital marketing or industry experience, but if you hire expensive you may not have a large enough return on investment to justify the costs. Sure, large brands can easily carry the costs of a marketing team while having positive ROI, but what about independent properties? If it isn’t practical to hire in-house where should you go? Here are 3 things to consider when hiring a Hotel Marketing Agency for your property. Costs of an In-House Marketing Team Vs. Marketing Agency To have a successful in-house, specialized marketing team at your property, it is necessary to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on wages. This isn’t practical for independent properties and as you can see, the costs quickly add up: $77,000 – Marketing Manager $56,500 – SEO Specialist $68,000 –  Web Developer $49,000 – Content Writer With a digital marketing agency it is possible to have all of that for the price of one employee. For example with TravelNet Solutions (TNS), depending on products and company size, a full funnel strategy can cost about the same as one employee that makes $11.25-$25.62 per hour. Marketing Specialization: Even if you hire one or two marketing employees in house, they may be experts in some aspects of digital marketing but not others. There is a broad spectrum of strategies in digital marketing and for a business to be successful it has to use a number of different solutions. When hiring a marketing firm it is important to consider how it is set up. Most leading marketing firms have resources specializing in every aspect of marketing. They may have individuals who specialize in blog writing, Pay Per Click (PPC) management, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Web Development and so on. By hiring the right marketing firm you’re not just getting people who have a broad digital marketing knowledge, but people who specialize in each individual aspect of digital marketing. Industry Knowledge: There are many marketing companies that do digital marketing for businesses in just about any industry. It isn’t even a question that whoever is running your marketing campaigns, especially in the hospitality industry, should know your business inside and out. You may think that hiring and training a marketing team in-house is the only way to have true experts with in-depth knowledge of your business, but this is not necessarily the case. There are plenty of marketing agencies that have found their home in individual industries. While you may be able to find a number of unique local agencies that have vast experience in numerous marketing solutions, we recommend finding a Hotel Marketing Agency that specializes only in the hospitality industry. At TNS, we have an in depth understanding about how your customers find you, how your business operates, and what strategies work in the hospitality industry. Conclusion: With so many intricacies to digital marketing you should have the right Hotel Marketing Agency running your campaigns so that you can focus on what you do best, making sure your guests have a great experience at your property. Focus On Your Guests and Leave the Digital Marketing to Us Get Your Free Digital Marketing Demo:

Your marketing efforts have worked! A traveler has found your property’s website via your Blog, SEO or PPC efforts. Maybe they subscribed to your email list via Conversion Optimization or have revisited your website from ads on social media thanks to Display and Retargeting. Finally they click on your call to action to book, pick the dates… and then they’re gone. Another case of cart abandonment. Cart abandonment is a problem that any e-commerce business sees on a regular basis. On average nearly 70% of all shopping carts are abandoned. No matter the reason for the abandonment, their actions show enough interest in your property to begin the booking process. Even though they are planning on leaving you or have already left you, don’t give up just yet! Here enters Cart Abandonment Software! With an estimated $1.78 trillion left as uncompleted purchases in the travel industry, it’s necessary to target those shopping on your site, and ensure that they not only make it to your booking engine, but complete their purchase. Cart Abandonment Software allows you to re-target travelers that have already made it to the bottom of the funnel. By monitoring when travelers are abandoning their shopping cart on your site, you can send them real-time, targeted emails and exit intent pop-ups that lead them to go back to your site. These guests that have abandoned your booking engine are ready to travel and for whatever reason didn’t book. Here are 3 reasons why travelers leave a booking engine, and how to get them back. 1. Looking for deals Many travelers will see the price, but instead of booking they decide they want to search for a better price or a coupon code. Once they leave they may get distracted and never come back. To combat this, simply remind them that booking direct gives them the best price OR offer a coupon code as they attempt to leave the booking engine. This makes the traveler’s job easier and keeps them on your booking engine. It also saves you money from OTA and/or coupon site fees. 2. There was a genuine problem when they were trying to book We all know that things don’t always go exactly as planned and a booking engine or internet connection can fail. To the disappointment of the traveler, they have to re-insert all of the information again. In this case, cart abandonment software can be a tremendous help to the traveler. One way to help fix this issue is to send an email stating “Did something go wrong?” You should link back to their cart so they can easily finish the booking. Even if they left the booking engine for another reason, this message can be effective. It gives them a link back to their cart and it shows that you are trying to be helpful and not over sell. 3. Comparing prices Your property probably isn’t the only location where the traveler is looking. It’s easy to check the prices of multiple resorts without hassle. Keeping track of all of the prices and properties can be confusing for the traveler and they may lose sight of your resort. They already considered you so it is your job to remind them that you exist. By sending an email drip campaign (including the “did something go wrong” email) you can remind them of your property. This can get them back to your website as quickly as 20 minutes after abandonment or up to a few days, keeping your property at the top of their mind. As you can see, Cart Abandonment Software not only drives bookings at the bottom of the funnel, but is a great resource for travelers as well. By helping solve the reason that they are leaving your booking engine, you will see increased conversions and revenue. Why let another direct booking slip through the cracks?

We’ve all experienced it before. Inboxes flooded with excessive amounts of annoying emails, no doubt blasted to every guest who has ever stepped foot in the door or innocently provided their email address online. As potential guests become harder and harder to reach, it is critical for hotel owners and marketers to take a closer look at their email marketing strategy (or lack-there-of). So how do you make the most of your campaigns and avoid the dreaded ‘unsubscribe’? Here are 5 of the most common email marketing mistakes and strategies you can use to avoid them, improve engagement, and drive more direct bookings. 1. Too Much Information One of the easiest ways to kill an email’s potential is by filling it with too much text. Rather than a newsletter meant to deliver information and updates, your emails should act as a springboard, successfully getting potential guests to your website where they can then learn about your property and begin the buyer’s journey. Keeping the verbiage concise and strategic is the first step in improving your click-through rates and effectiveness. Just like emails with too much content, emails that have too much going on visually can discourage openers from reading. Make sure that your colors don’t clash and your fonts are easily legible. Just follow one simple rule, and you should be good: if you want people to read it, make it easy to read. 2. Non-Segmented Blasts To make the most of your campaigns, the best strategy is segmentation. The more you can target specific audiences and tailor your content rather than blast a message to your entire database, the more effective your email will be. This is the perfect time to send that last minute event-specific promotion that would be impossible to push via other channels. Say a big game is coming to town and you want to fill vacancies with a reduced rate. Send a specific and segmented email to users within a certain mile radius and unleash email marketing’s full potential. If segmentation is not possible for you, be sure to feature content that appeals to most of your users, without being so generic that readers lose interest. Be strategic about what you are sending, and especially who you are sending it to. 3. Weak CTAs An email with a weak Call To Action button will generate a weak response. It could have the most beautiful design, the most carefully crafted copy, and the most intriguing subject line, but if readers don’t know what to do, they will do nothing. The most effective email marketing campaigns include strong, unique, and purposeful CTAs to prompt readers to click. Here are a few tips for creating your CTAs:   Use Action Verbs - Entice readers with creative and specific verbs, such as ‘Discover,’ ‘Plan,’ and ‘Explore’ rather than ‘Click’ or ‘Learn More.’ Be Mindful of Design - Make CTAs large and easy to spot by using bright colors with plenty of whitespace around them. Place CTAs in the top half of the email. Keep it Concise - Limit the number of words to the absolute minimum to improve readability.   We have also found that including multiple CTAs in an email to appeal to more users can be a successful strategy that can increase click-through rates up to 5X. 4. Low-Quality Content Another factor that increases click-through rates and overall engagement is the quality of content in the email. Control the first impression openers get by including high-resolution professional imagery of your property at the top of your email. This may seem like an obvious and fairly basic element, but the use of high-rez photos can increase your click-through rate by up to 5%. Low-quality content creates distrust in readers that is hard to overcome. Be diligent in your editing and make sure your emails contain professional copy void of any spelling or grammatical errors. 5. Non-Responsive Designs As anyone in the hospitality industry knows, the way consumers interact with properties is always evolving. This does not change when it comes to email marketing. A huge portion of openers operates exclusively on their mobile and tablet devices. Creating responsive email designs that translate correctly to every device is a must. Distorted images, broken links, and out-of-place design elements will turn away users immediately and leave a negative impression of your property. Always be sure to optimize your designs for mobile, tablet, and desktop applications. Email marketing can be one of the most effective tools for the hospitality industry if it is done properly. We hope that you find these common mistakes and strategies to avoid them helpful in your own digital marketing and can employ these tactics to increase engagement and drive more direct bookings. Take advantage of this incredible channel of direct communication with your potential guests, and enjoy seeing the difference your email marketing campaigns can make! See how TravelNet Solutions can transform your email marketing

Conference season is around the corner and TRAVELNET Solutions(TNS) is fully loaded and prepared to represent their new brand alongside 60 industry-leading exhibitors at VRMA Spring Forum in Charlotte, North Carolina. TNS is the proud owner of TRACK Hospitality Software, ResortsandLodges.com, and a wide array of digital marketing services such as SEO, PPC, Meta Search, Website Development, and more. On April 15th and 16th, Vacation Rental Managers can visit booth 104 to learn how TNS provides integrated solutions to help consolidate multiple systems and increase revenue for vacation rental managers. Representing TNS at the conference will be VP of Sales from the Minnesota Headquarters Tim Schutts. Tim has spent the last 7 years helping vacation rental managers increase direct revenue through innovative marketing, CRM and PMS solutions. Alongside of Tim will be VP of Sales located out of the TNS Orlando Office, Zak Mountassir. TNS will also be represented by two Solutions Consultants, Ryley Gorman,  and Steve Green, who bring software and marketing solution expertise to the table. TNS has been providing solutions for Vacation Rental Managers for more than 15 years. With integrated software and marketing tailored to help professional vacation rental and property managers, we are able to provide a whole new spectrum of services to level the playing field. From TRACK Property Management system including accounting, CRM, reservations, property care tools, and more to marketing strategies to increase direct bookings and decrease the cost of customer acquisition, TRAVELNET SOLUTIONS can help Vacation Rental Managers beat the competition and maximize revenues. It all starts with one question, How Can We Help You? If you want to learn more about TNS before we meet you in Charlotte, contact us below to set up a free consultation.

TravelNet Solutions, a provider of integrated technology and solutions for the Hospitality Industry, as well as parent Company to ResortsandLodges.com and TRACK Hospitality Software, today announced the opening of a new office for sales and support in Orlando, Florida, as well as the addition of three key executives to the TravelNet leadership team. Kevin Anderson, Director of Human Resources, joins TravelNet Solutions as a seasoned leader in Human Resources within the Tech sector, with more than 15 years of experience at companies including Cargill,  Merrill Corporation Datasite, and Digital River. As Director of Human Resources, Kevin will be leading an aggressive hiring growth plan as TravelNet builds on to a successful 2018 in which the company saw the addition of over 35 new employees. Jennifer Manwaren joins TravelNet Solutions as Vice President of Operations. She is responsible for all operations, customer success and fulfillment across TravelNet Solutions’ portfolio of products and services. In her role, she will oversee the operations in the Digital Marketing Services division, as well as the TRACK product suite, including TRACK Pulse, TRACK PMS, and TRACK CRM. Jennifer brings with her more than 16 years of leadership experience, most recently serving for four years as the Senior Director of Global Operations for the MyCommerce division of Digital River, a multi-billion dollar e-commerce and technology company. “We are extremely excited to add someone of the caliber of Jennifer Manwaren in an operational leadership capacity. Our #1 priority is serving our customers and ensuring they have a world class, experience with our company when they purchase our products and services,” said Ryan Bailey, TravelNet Solutions CEO. “When we met Jennifer, we instantly knew we had a shared vision,” said Bailey.  “We are excited about the impact she will have with our customers and our employees as we continue to scale.” Zak Mountassir has also joined TravelNet Solutions as Vice President of Software Sales and is responsible for leading global sales for the TRACK Hospitality Software suite of products. Zak brings over 7 years of experience in sales leadership roles within the hospitality industry and has helped leading Hotels, Resorts, and Management Groups to increase revenues and streamline operations through integrated Marketing, CRM and Contact Center solutions. Zak will be leading Software Sales from the new Orlando office location. Prior to TravelNet Solutions, Zak was a Director of Sales for NAVIS and previously had experience as Vice President of Sales for 360 Global Hospitality Solutions as well as a consultant for the leading premium reservation call center, Travel Outlook. “Zak is a key addition to our sales organization and leadership team, and we are thrilled to have him. His knowledge of the needs of Top Hotels, Resorts and Premium Vacation Rental companies is vast and he has already helped 100’s of companies increase revenues through technology innovation and adoption in this industry. He, like the rest of our sales organization, truly believes that the right technology partner can make a huge impact for our customers,” said Matt Renner, Chief Sales Officer. The new office location in Orlando will support a growing outside sales and customer success  organization with a footprint in a key market. “We have over 150 customers in Florida alone, throughout the southeast we have more than 500. This strategic location gives us easy access to meet with key customers in key markets, and allows us to access a world class hospitality talent pool here in Central Florida, as we continue to scale our growth,” Said Mountassir. Kevin, Jennifer, and Zak are very experienced professionals and great additions to our team,” said Ryan Bailey. “We are delighted to have them on board and I am confident that they will have an immediate impact for our customers and employees as we further expand our global capabilities and support our growing client base.” About TravelNet Solutions TravelNet Solutions is a leading provider of integrated ecommerce, technology and marketing solutions to more than 2,000 Hotels, Resorts, Vacation Rental Managers and Alternative Lodging companies. TravelNet delivers a broad range of products including Managed Digital Marketing services and Ecommerce solutions including CRM, PMS, CRS and Cloud Contact Center. TravelNet is also parent company to ResortsandLodges.com, a marketplace for unique lodging.

Ryan Bailey, CEO – We have some exciting news to share today, TravelNet Solutions, parent company to ResortsandLodges.com, ResortsandLodges for Business and TRACK Hospitality Software has a bold new look and a clarified mission and vision for the future. Over the past 5 years, we have grown from ResortsandLodges.com, and have evolved into a portfolio company with a suite of integrated software and marketing solutions that serve the greater hospitality industry. As our business has evolved, we felt it was important for our brand to reflect our core values, our mission and vision, and who we are today. This change marks a new chapter for our company and we are appreciative of all of our dedicated employees and loyal customers who have helped to define this direction, we are excited for the future and for continuing to further our mission and vision. The Beginning Of A Legacy TravelNet Solutions has roots in the early days of the internet, myself (Ryan Bailey), my brother Charles Bailey, as well as Darin Anderson, are all from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota (also known as the Bold North). Growing up and into our early adult years, we were always big outdoor enthusiasts, and we had a vision that one day, all hunting and fishing lodges would need an online booking engine. I was in College at the time and Charles and Darin quit their jobs to pursue this dream we had of building this amazing online booking engine technology, and in just a few years we had over 100 unique properties using the software! We thought we were going to the moon! ResortsandLodges.com Around the same time as we were getting started with AvailabilityTracker, NASA, the space leader, gave a $3.2 Million grant to Michigan State University, who, in partnership with a for-profit company called Polyphasic, built ResortsandLodges.com as a test vehicle for a global content management system called Cognation. In late 2002, I discussed with Charles and Darin that we could expand our current online booking customer relationships by getting them listed on ResortsandLodges.com.  After a myriad of discussions with Polyphasic, they decided to sell us ResortsandLodges.com. In the aftermath of the dot com bust, money was hard to come by from traditional banks and investors, particularly when you tell them you’re going to acquire a website. I was still in college with no means to make significant investments, so Charles and Darin decided to take out second mortgages on their homes and drove out to East Lansing Michigan to purchased ResortsandLodges.com for $200,000. We had a vision of a global marketplace for unique lodging and thought it to be the perfect compliment to AvailabilityTracker for online bookings. Years of Growth Over the years, ResortsandLodges.com consistently grew and AvailabilityTracker evolved to become RezTracker, an early Cloud PMS that we launched in 2007. This was the start of our thinking of building an integrated solutions company. By this time, ResortsandLodges.com was attracting over 5 million annual visitors and had over 1,000 advertising partners, from Resorts to Hotels, Ranches to Inns, Lodges to B&B’s. RezTracker, on the other hand, was a bit ahead of its time and failed to garner the adoption of resort properties due to the fact that the Cloud was still in its early years and wasn’t a widely adopted or trusted solution for most businesses. Although it was feature rich, it required reliable internet, which, for most properties, especially in remote destinations, was still a challenge at this time. (If you remember, this was the year the iPhone was released and all that existed was 3G at this time – and cloud companies like Amazon Web Services were only a year or two old at this time.) So we had some challenging times with RezTracker, but it taught us lessons we would learn from and take into the future. The Great Recession Like most people and businesses, we were affected by the Great Recession, although, it seemed to hit travel about a year after everyone else.  The years 2010 to 2012 really tested the resiliency of our people and our company. Growth was slowed as advertisers pulled dollars back and software buyers were few. However, we survived and came out with a new outlook and perspective for the future. We were ready to evolve. A Diversified Future – TRACK From 2012 to 2014, we built back up and took aim at future growth. At the beginning of 2014, with steady growth and a new vision for the future, Charles took on the role of Chairman, and I took on the role as CEO. With a focus on providing diversified solutions to the hospitality industry, we made an acquisition of a small software company out of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee called ResortZilla, then we raised $750,000 in seed funding for development, and rebranded the platform as TRACK Hospitality Software, better known as TRACK. Over the next few years, we developed TRACK from the ground up with 3 core, integrated products: TRACK VR (All-In-One, Cloud, Enterprise Vacation Rental Management Software), TRACK PULSE (Omni-Channel Contact Center) and TRACK CRM (Enterprise Hospitality CRM). Today, we are proud to say TRACK is the platform powering marketing, guest communications, reservations, and operations at many leading hospitality companies including Brittain Hotels and Resorts, Remington Hotels, Sage Hospitality, Viceroy, Two Roads Hospitality, V-Trips, and many amazing independent lodging companies. We are so grateful for all of our software solution customers and partners. Business Solutions Then, in 2016, we saw a need for a new type of marketing solutions provider. In speaking with 1,000’s of customers over the years, we heard building frustration with the current and legacy agencies in hospitality. Our customers were frustrated with poorly managed digital marketing, lack of innovation, non-integrated solutions, egregious pricing, too many vendors, lack of transparency in reporting and an overall lack of customer service. We knew we could help. So we launched Business Solutions by ResortsandLodges.com. We leveraged our nearly 14 years in experience at that time in Google Search Marketing, Website Development […]