Online Presence in Hospitality Industry - Part I

The last two decades have seen an exponential growth in the penetration of Internet into the markets all over the world. Internet has almost become like the second world and it’s not uncommon to see people turning to it very often for even the most basic information. With the rising awareness of Internet among travelers, hoteliers too have realised the importance of having a web presence. They have come to understand that Internet can be an excellent tool for increasing awareness about the industry as well as for obtaining more bookings online. All these developments have led to the mushrooming of several hotel websites, property management systems, hotel review websites and other types of tourism related portals.

The new age online marketing mediums in the form of social networking websites like Facebook, twitter etc, social bookmarking portals and Web 2.0 have all contributed significantly to the changing face of hospitality industry. The ultimate beneficiary of all these developments is the traveler who now has innovative tools available to compare different hotel establishments and analyze their rooms & rates. The present day web technology allows the hoteliers to put up virtual tours of their properties on their websites so that the prospective clients can have a first-hand feel of the interiors and exteriors of their properties.

Apart from all these facts, how important do you think is having a website for your hotel? Are you really sure that having one would help you cut down your expenses and increase the revenues and patronage? Although there are various global statistics that reiterate the fact that Internet is today the most popular medium for travelers to gain information about hotels and for making their bookings, do you really think that you can benefit from its potential? Well let’s help you answer these questions by throwing light on some important points:

Increased efficiency – When you have a comprehensive website in place that is optimized well for search engines, you can be sure of increase in hotel bookings. A comprehensive website also saves a lot of time of the hotel staff, who might otherwise be occupied in answering queries of guests and prospective clients. If the website has efficient automated processes that can provide basic guest information, request for proposal forms, conference facility layouts and other important information, they can save a lot of time and money for the hotel. The website can also be instrumental in capturing contact details of guests who can later on be pursued for repeat business via promotions, newsletters etc.

Hotel marketing – Once the hotel has an appealing web presence, it becomes quite easy for it to apply the essential principles of hospitality marketing for revving up revenues. In fact websites are the best medium for building relationships with clients, retaining them and working towards getting repeat business from them.

Hotelogix is one such hotel management system that can empower your website, to achieve the highest levels of customer/user satisfaction and supplement your online initiatives.