There will probably never be enough time, money, or human resources available for smaller properties to do everything they want to accomplish. For these hotels, prioritizing marketing initiatives is vital. The first priority should be to have a search and sales optimized website and to develop a simplified and affordable online marketing budget.

The relative newness of the Internet, coupled with its rapid changes, has made it very difficult for most hoteliers to manage Internet sales on their own. Outsourcing site design, management, and marketing is usually the only effective means. Sadly, many of the hoteliers, who have made investments in the Internet, have been disappointed by poor sales results due to poor site design and ineffective marketing,

There are still too many hoteliers who have not yet experienced the marketing and sales power of the Internet. Limited service hotels, independent or branded, often rely on just having a website, many of which are poorly designed and ineffective. Before you succumb to search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising, link strategies, and other marketing tactics, make sure your site is properly prepared. All the marketing tactics in the world will not help a site which is poorly designed.

Start with having someone review your website from an objective standpoint. Have someone, who doesn’t know your hotel, look through your site as a consumer would. Usually, for a small fee, many website design companies will review your site, point out errors and improvements, and show you how to make your site more effective. A totally new site isn’t always necessary.

The Top 10 Signs That Your Site Needs a Make-Over

1. Less than 3% of your site visitors are making online reservations.

2. Your site is all about your hotel…and nothing about its location or local room generators.

3. Your site has more photography than it has text. Content (text) is King.

Get the full story at htrends.com