Web 2.0, What Does it Mean for Hotels?
By: Linda Ghaffari

With all of the buzz surrounding the Internet and social media, it is not surprising to get questions daily from our hotels about what it all means and how it is impacting their hotel.

Web 2.0 is a not a specific web platform, but instead, a philosophy that allows the customer to become interactively involved with your product.  An example of Web 2.0 is the opportunity for travelers to write a review about your hotel on TripAdvisor or to upload photography to sites like Flickr.  Web 2.0 allows you to touch your customers in a way you have never been able to before.

So how can you take advantage of technology advances and this new “spirit of participation”?  How can you market to this new technologically-savvy customer base?

First of all, you must make sure they can find your site on the search engines as well as on social media sites, web articles and blogs.  As you approach your marketing efforts for 2008 and identify market segments to pursue, knowing your target customer’s online habits is key. 

Getting in front of the college crowd on FaceBook or the new-age crowd on MySpace is just the tip of the iceberg.  More and more interactive sites are being launched daily to give you the perfect marketing and exposure platform.  From travel planning sites to family-friendly blogs, the sky is the limit for your online exposure.

Another form of interactive 2.0 media is eMail marketing, especially marketing that allows for customer interaction through bounce-back offers, interactive games and surveys as well as promotional mediums.  Once you capture the customer’s attention and get them to your site through a mailer, you not only get a possible client, but also get them to stay on your site, interact with you and refer you to their friends.

Web 2.0 is the wave of the future in online marketing.  Hotels with interactive sites and capabilities not only develop a new client base, but retain their current customers for the long haul.
For more information on how WRS can help you get ahead of the curve by tapping into our Web 2.0-friendly Travel Tools, click here.


About WRS:
WRS, a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) company in Dallas, Texas, was founded by Linda Ghaffari, former President of OwnerOptimizer for Felcor Lodging Trust. WRS is a privately-owned hospitality Internet marketing company developed as an online marketing partner working with hotels to optimize revenue from the Internet and brand resources.

WRS offers over 50 years of combined hospitality experience and a team of driven account managers backed by professionals dedicated to search engine optimization, social networking, search engine and tactical online marketing, content research and writing, website design and development, as well as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) execution. For more information on WRS and its services, please call 972-424-2200, e-mail info@wrsol.com or visit our website at www.wrsol.com.