Jul
13
Like everything else on the internet - there are examples of good and bad ways to do pay per click promotion of your hotel rooms.
I don't do much pay per click work with hotels. Not because I don't think it'll work, but because most hotel websites I come across aren't much use.
You see, there are a few things websites need to be quite good at in order to make pay per click work properly (and by properly, I mean "profitably" - there is nothing more frustrating than a marketing campaign that generates a lot of heat but no light).
Number 1 - relevance to the buyer. Pay per click ads should point at specifically designed landing pages which deal with the purpose at hand and nothing else. I've seen to many links to website home pages which then make the visitor repeat the process of looking for what they've already looked for.
Number 2 - the ability to convert. Most hotel websites have a poor "look to book" ratio. If a click costs you £1; your product sells at £100 and makes you a profit of £20, a conversion ratio of 5% or less will have you losing money. (note - discount your selling price and you will play havoc with this calculation) Improve your ability to convert and things start to look a lot better.
Number 3 - capturing customer contact information even if they don't buy. If you're spending all this money to get people to go to your site, it would be a shame to waste it by not finding out who they are and seeking their permission to allow you to direct them to your site in the future. Aim for the stars (a sale) and fall to the moon (permission to communicate) - you've still achieved something.
Number 4 - containing the visitor. Don't make it too easy for them to leave. Too many hotel websites encourage people to look at ratings websites, weather information, etc. Having done all the work of getting someone to click on your paid link, why then send them into the welcoming arms of a competitor or an online travel agent? The best way to do this is to create engaging content: Strong copy, relevant images, useful video, good value offers. Be the answer to the problem.
Number 5 - an alternative means of making an enquiry or booking. Sometimes people want to talk to people - they have questions, they need answers before they can book.
Pay per click goes bad when your website talks about what a wonderful hotel you've got and ignores the needs of the buyer.
Pay per click goes bad when you have a useless booking engine - or even worse, an enquiry form.
Pay per click goes bad when the phone rings with an enquiry and either nobody answers it or it's answered by someone who doesn't know how to handle the enquiry.
Pay per click can only introduce potential customers to your business. Making them buy something is your job. Pay per click goes bad when you ignore your responsibilities.
I don't do much pay per click work with hotels. Not because I don't think it'll work, but because most hotel websites I come across aren't much use.
You see, there are a few things websites need to be quite good at in order to make pay per click work properly (and by properly, I mean "profitably" - there is nothing more frustrating than a marketing campaign that generates a lot of heat but no light).
Number 1 - relevance to the buyer. Pay per click ads should point at specifically designed landing pages which deal with the purpose at hand and nothing else. I've seen to many links to website home pages which then make the visitor repeat the process of looking for what they've already looked for.
Number 2 - the ability to convert. Most hotel websites have a poor "look to book" ratio. If a click costs you £1; your product sells at £100 and makes you a profit of £20, a conversion ratio of 5% or less will have you losing money. (note - discount your selling price and you will play havoc with this calculation) Improve your ability to convert and things start to look a lot better.
Number 3 - capturing customer contact information even if they don't buy. If you're spending all this money to get people to go to your site, it would be a shame to waste it by not finding out who they are and seeking their permission to allow you to direct them to your site in the future. Aim for the stars (a sale) and fall to the moon (permission to communicate) - you've still achieved something.
Number 4 - containing the visitor. Don't make it too easy for them to leave. Too many hotel websites encourage people to look at ratings websites, weather information, etc. Having done all the work of getting someone to click on your paid link, why then send them into the welcoming arms of a competitor or an online travel agent? The best way to do this is to create engaging content: Strong copy, relevant images, useful video, good value offers. Be the answer to the problem.
Number 5 - an alternative means of making an enquiry or booking. Sometimes people want to talk to people - they have questions, they need answers before they can book.
Pay per click goes bad when your website talks about what a wonderful hotel you've got and ignores the needs of the buyer.
Pay per click goes bad when you have a useless booking engine - or even worse, an enquiry form.
Pay per click goes bad when the phone rings with an enquiry and either nobody answers it or it's answered by someone who doesn't know how to handle the enquiry.
Pay per click can only introduce potential customers to your business. Making them buy something is your job. Pay per click goes bad when you ignore your responsibilities.
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