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.
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