by Todd Lucier on October 22, 2010
Here is the mantra every tourism business should deliver on in the age of internet marketing and social and mobile media:
We provide benefits that meet or exceed your needs and provide value for money, you can count on it.
Understanding the pieces:
“Benefits” – can you anchor the services you provide as benefits that your ideal client is seeking?
“Meeting or exceeding needs” – Do you know what matters to your ideal guest. Are you primed on delivering the goods every day.
“Value” – good economy, bad economy, luxury item, commodity…. whatever you sell, your purchaser is going to use price as a determining factor in determining whether or not to purchase from you. Your competitors may have a role to play in providing an option for your ideal client.
“You can count on it” – credibility, it’s measured every day, not by what you say, but by what your clients say about you. Are you listening? Are your clients engaged? If not, it’s almost as bad as having them say negative things about you. The majority of people will look for what others are saying about you. If no one is reviewing your business, your prospect may be concerned that your business has no track record of success.
I think about getting bums in beds a lot.
After all, I’m in the business of satisfying customers just like hoteliers, attractions and restaurants….. at Northern Edge Algonquin, we’re a bit of all of these. When I think about the role of video, social media, facebook and other Internet Marketing avenues I use the mantra above to check that the content we produce is focused on the right outcome.
Then we do everything we can on the ground, to make sure we are delivering on the promise.
What mantra drives your business?
by Todd Lucier on October 20, 2010
Act Fast, TripAdvisor offer for business listings (which has never been offered at a regular undiscounted rate!) is now 20% off. If you remember when the service; which allows accommodations providers to list their phone number and provide a direct link to their Web property first launched, the service was offered at 50% off. The big threat was that after January the cost would skyrocket. One year later, that offer looks like it was only a 37.5% discount!
Is it legal to offer a 50% discount that, well, isn’t?
Too Expensive
TripAdvisor knows it is outrageously expensive to advertise on business listings. That’s why they have never asked anyone to pay full price. Instead of removing the cash grab altogether as they do for restaurants and attractions, TripAdvisor now offers hoteliers the option of making monthly payments for their listing! Sounds like death by a thousand little cuts to me.
ROI – Is a Business Listing worth the cost?
When I first started marketing I used the cost of a new customer as a way to determine the relative value of my investment.
Using Trip Advisor’s math, I only need to earn six new clients directly from TripAdvisor to profit from the arrangement.
Sorry, a customer acquisition cost of $200 doesn’t allow much room for profit.
. . . and of course that’s if things go as well as Tripadvisor promises…..
What does TripAdvisor have to do to profit from the arrangement?
Income: $1200 (in the example sent me)
Expenses incurred:
- invoicing and accounting for the income generated.
- flipping the switch that turns on contact info like TripAdvisor already does for restaurants and attractions at NO COST.
Looks like a great deal for TripAdvisor, but for the accommodation sector in tourism, this cash grab is more than annoying. It would be great if TripAdvisor could share some beaming hotelier success stories from business listings.
