By all accounts, the Middle East’s hotel sector is in the midst of an online reservations boom. As the region’s consumers increasingly move online to make their purchasing decisions, hoteliers are scrambling for the latest online reservations technology.

The growth figures reported by hoteliers in the region speak for themselves: The Arabian Park Hotel reports a 5% year-on-year increase in online bookings; Dusit Thani Dubai has enjoyed an AED 2 million (US $544,500) year-to-date increase in revenue from online bookings and the Al Diar Siji Hotel reported an 86% increase in online bookings during the first five months of 2011. “Online booking is indeed a fast growing channel for the region’s hospitality industry” ,says Al Diar Siji Hotel and Siji Hotel Apartments General Manager, Fouad Melhem. The online travel market is burgeoning and more web booking portals are soon expected to flood the market. Therefore, an increase in internet booking is inevitable and hotels have to take action if they want to secure a share.As online reservations continue to escalate, hoteliers are looking to balance their portfolio of online booking channels to maximize revenue and retain control over their online presence. Online reservation is likely to form a more significant percentage of a business annual revenue, so hoteliers are diversifying away from their current online strategy which is dominated by online travel agents (OTA) and global distribution systems (GDS). “Since the economic downturn in 2008, hoteliers have realised the importance of online presence and e-distribution”, explains ResNet World managing director, Saahil Mehta.Initially, hoteliers were too dependent on OTAs, which has resulted in lower profitability and overuse of these channels. “Now, a number of hotels are fighting back and have started to improve their own online presence through internet marketing and e-distribution — which is improving profitability and brand value”.

WEBSITE WONDERS

Many hoteliers are recognizing the importance of direct online bookings.This channel sidesteps the OTA’s sales commission process and allows greater control over a brand’s online presence.

To capitalise on this trend, there has been a number of hotel website relaunches. For example,since the new direct booking engine was introduced on rotana.com in late bookings.This channel sidesteps the OTA’s sales commission process and allows greater control over a brand’s online presence. To capitalise on this trend, there has been a number of hotel website relaunches. For example, since the new direct booking engine was introduced on rotana.com in late 2010, the company has seen bookings more than double. Similarly, Al Diar Siji Hotel’s Melhem expects the recent launch of aldiarhotels. com to increase the company’s online bookings from 15% to 40% by the end of the year.

“Looking at the countries that we represent in the Middle East, the strongest channel is now the hotel’s own website, followed by the GDS and the OTAs,” explains Micros- Fidelio regional vice president services and business development, Oliver Menzel.

According to figures from Micros- Fidelio, hotel websites generated 68% of the room nights which were booked via electronic channels in 2010; up from 62% in 2009. GDS decreased from 36% to 27%, according to Middle East and Egypt data from Micros-Fidelio partners.

“Hoteliers are therefore looking to merchandise their own website more effectively,” continues Menzel. “The weakest opportunity is still the OTA scenario, but with Expedia.com and Booking.com entering the market with a local language site, the picture may be about to change again”. Demand for direct online reservation technology may be strong in the UAE, but it has a patchy record in other areas of the GCC — perhaps, in part, due to a lack of localization from solution providers.

Trust International has identified a high demand for localisation and intends to grow its market share in the region with Arabic versions of its your Voyager CRS solution and Internet Booking Engine. “Markets like Saudi Arabia, Doha and Qatar still have high potential for new systems,” said Trust International regional vice president for sales, Heinrich Kessler, “Especially hotel groups working locally with their customers. The key challenge will be to adapt to the booking behaviour in the region’s various markets.

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

Direct online reservations make financial sense. While OTAs and GDS can provide a steady revenue stream for hotels, the commission charged, typically ranging between 15% to 30%, can make them costly. “Without a doubt, direct online bookings are the most cost-effective reservation channel,” says Rotana corporate vice president front office, Dominic Carr. “They also bring in the highest ADR on electronic channels and they usually bring in more revenues through as Travelport hospitality business development manager, Assita Kone confi rms: “Although hotels do not need to pay commissions on reservations made directly, they do have to bear all the costs associated with maintaining their websites and driving traffic, whilst the GDS has built-in infrastructure that provides access to an established network of loyal travel agency users around the world”.

In this respect, OTAs provide an indispensable service to independent hotels that cannot access the economies of scale that large branded hotel chains benefit from. By their very nature, the websites of big-budget international hotel chains can be highly visible in international markets.

“For non-branded hotel properties like us, our own website does not have the reach that other hotel brands have,” explains Arabian Park Hotel revenue and reservations manager, Imelda Ramos.

“We are therefore more reliant on OTAs to expose our properties to a much wider audience and drive room night production into them”.

UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS OF E-MARKETING

In an effort to increase their online presence and drive traffic to their own booking engines, operators are reinvesting resources into e-marketing techniques.

By far the most cost-effective technique is search engine optimisation (SEO) whereby website content is written to show up in online searches. SEO is a complex and competitive area where results can vary depending on evolving search trends, the authority of the domain name, the elusive “page rank” value assigned to websites by the search engines and how effectively keywords are woven into the website content. Together, these elements determine how far up the search rankings a company will be listed for commonly searched-for terms — and every company wants the top position!

“If you do not appear on the first page of any search engine then the likelihood of your property being booked is greatly reduced,” explains Evolution director of e-commerce, Yunna Takeuchi. “Think carefully about which keywords you want to target and use these keywords in your page title, headings, internal links and copy.

You can also generate awareness by distributing press releases that contain links back to your website.

Another method is the pay-perclick (PPC) model which allows hotels to prominently display adverts in a user’s search results when they search for specific terms.

As the name suggests, the account is only charged if the user actually clicks on the advert.

“Currently we are investing heavily in online technology like PPC, social media and SEO — in both English and Arabic,” explains Rezidor director of revenue development, Cristina Polo.

“Our websites have been revamped to provide better digital platforms for booking. Websites need to be appealing yet still reflective of the actual hotel so the consumer feels confident in the product they’re buying. I think it’s important to get the basic things right: websites should have good content, be fast and be efficient”.

In many hotels across the region, expense paid to third parties to directly attract potential guests? One hotel that has stepped up its commitment to growing direct online reservation is Taj Palace Hotel Dubai. It is hoped that a revamped website, new monthly e-newsletter, online promotions and the outsourcing of its SEO requirements to a specialist agency will increase online bookings by 10% per month in 2012.

“Our strategy is to have a good mix of bookings from our own website and OTAs,” says director of sales and marketing, Mohamed Anwar. “Hoteliers looking to increase their online presence need to adopt a back-to-basics approach, which means going out with the right rates at the right time and maintaining rate parity.

“It is vital that your website is well maintained with regular uploading of unique content and a sound search engine marketing plan behind it”.

DYNAMIC ENGINES

As the web becomes more sophisticated, operators cannot ignore the wider context that surrounds their hotel’s website. It is impossible to see the website in isolation from popular social media sites or the region’s Smart Phone revolution; the reading experience on mobile devices is radically different to the traditional web browser experience on a PC.

Today’s online booking engines need to be dynamic in order to meet the diverse needs of consumers and their technology choices. For example, they need to detect the use of a SmartPhone and immediately redirect the user to a mobile version of the booking engine.

The time has come for direct booking engines to be liberated from their static websites — they need to go where the customers are. Developers of direct reservation technology are working hard to integrate booking engines into a customer’s SmartPhone or social media experience.

This industry need has prompted solution provider, Availpro, to launch a reservation application for Facebook, as director of the board, Philippe Lamarche, confirms: “Social booking is set to become the customers without using the worldwide leader in online searches”.

Dramatic change in the online booking market will only occur if Google manages to change consumer behaviour through its new service. It is unclear whether more accessible data displayed directly in the search page will translate into less time shopping around, or vice versa, if Google’s new service will prompt users to search for the hotel website and book directly if the price is competitive.

“Overall, I believe that as it becomes easier for travellers to search for — and book — hotel stays, the less inclined they will be to shop around,” concludes Nagy. Therefore many customers will not visit a hotel’s website to compare prices before booking their stay through an OTA.

“Both revenue managers and marketers need to recognise this shift in consumer booking behaviour and they must adjust their strategies accordingly”.

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In recent years, revenue management has become the lynchpin of any successful hotel business operating in the Middle East. Intense interest in revenue management has been triggered by the maturation of the region’s hospitality industry and the increasingly competitive marketplace. For many years, the Middle East was considered to be a small, fast-growing market fuelled by strong demand, under supply, rising rates and high occupancy — but those days have gone.Rapid development and the emergence of major international hotel operators in all of the sectors have created a very different business environment. If the rules of the game have changed then hoteliers need to implement new disciplines and methodologies to retain their market share.

Therefore, the need for robust revenue management strategies is greater than ever before. “The hospitality industry in the Middle East has evolved tremendously after the downturn in the economy,” explains ResNet World managing director, Saahil Mehta. “Prior to the downturn, several hotels were under construction in anticipation of the growth in both business and leisure tourism in the region. “With the downturn we witnessed a combination of a reduction in demand, lower ADR, and lower occupancy levels, resulting in a decrease in revenue. With this in mind, it is no surprise that revenue management has become a top priority. The truth of the matter is that if you ignore it, you will slowly start to trail behind.”

TIME FOR CHANGE
Although revenue management is now being taken more seriously by hoteliers across the region, the discipline is still in its infancy. By all accounts, only a handful of hotel operators have successfully managed to implement a comprehensive revenue management strategy that has been fully embraced in all areas of the organisation.

In reality, most hotels are midway through a process of change whereby the accountability and the principles Correctly positioning and integrating revenue management into the organisational structure is the key to success. Revenue management is the glue that binds departments together and success is predicated on sales, reservations and marketing all appreciating its value. “If a hotel company is starting on the revenue management journey, they should be aware that it is not a quick fi x to make extra revenues during high demand times,” explains Jumeirah’s group director for revenue management, Stefan Wolf. “Rather it’s a transformation of a company to improve its long-term profi tability. If revenue management is already part of the organisation, its function needs to be truly understood and supported to be able to have a meaningful impact.” In short, for a strategy to work, the entire organisation must be behind it. Whilst this may be easily achievable in individual properties, panregional organisations have a mammoth task ahead of them.

The implementation of a new culture is by far the greatest challenge for operators who are looking to introduce robust revenue management procedures.

“A great revenue management strategy needs to be built on a firm foundation,” explains IDeaS senioraccount manager, Guy Barnes. “A strong culture must be in place that secures buy-in from all of the departments across the organisation — and do so vertically from the CEO down to the housekeeper.”

NEW TECHNOLOGY
By combining historical data like reservations, booking patterns and rate structures with future predictions of economy, seasonal data and demand, revenue management systems offer an opportunity to take a fresh look a hotel’s productivity.

In the past, a hotel’s performance and trend data has been viewed undynamically, making it hard to fully interrogate the relationship between different data sets. In effect, managers were forced to build a picture of an organisation’s performance from data produced departmentally and identify key correlations by hand.

Technology systems like Opera Revenue Management System (ORMS) by Micros-Fidelio have transformed hotel data analysis and forecasting. Within a year, ORMS can increase room revenue by 4-7% by instantly identifying ineffi ciencies and providing remedies – with some surprising results. “We recently had a customer who started analysing their rate structures and realised that they were never actually selling their deluxe rooms at the indicated price!” says Micros-Fidelio’s Oliver Menzel. “Their deluxe rooms were mainly occupied by guests paying for a standard room, who had been upgraded free of charge. Such a discovery is
vital, as it will allow the management to review both their selling strategy and pricing on deluxe rooms.”

Essentially, a successful revenue management strategy is characterised by how dynamically an organisation can interact and interpret market data from four sources: market segmentation, forecasting, pricing and inventory allocation. “What makes a uccessful strategy is how artistically one interplays with these four components to optimise the potential revenue,” explains Ròya International’s hospitality consultant, Turab Saleem.

“For example, every month of the year has its own dynamics and each day of the month also needs to be looked at separately. You then have to apply your in-depth market understanding. If you can effi ciently trace economic metrics, airline performance, currency fl uctuation, performance of competitive destinations and understanding of competition, then you can effectively plan your revenue management policies to maximise the potential revenue.”

Of course, automated systems cannot replace real-life business instinct, but they can identify potential opportunities and ensure that the relevant data is submitted to the right person at the right time. This is the philosophy behind IDeaS own revenue management solution, which delivers pricing, forecasting and optimisation services via software as a service (SaaS). “Accurate demand forecasting should provide sales and marketing with a specifi c understanding of when and where there is business
need,” says Barnes. “IDeaS v5i solution can suggest when to advertise promotional rates or even alert you to any signifi cant changes taking place as they happen.”

THE HUMAN TOUCH
Behind all technology is a good manager. Technological solutions are simply tools, powerful though they may be, to inform the decision making process of a dedicated and accountable revenue manager. Their business acumen and ability to drive proactive change throughout the organisation is integral to the success of any strategy. Testament to this idea is the revenue management strategy of City Seasons Group, where revenue mangers are positioned “on the ground” in individual properties in order to foster better understanding of thediscipline within the organisation and facilitate the overarching strategy of the group.

“I believe that our revenue managers must be as close to the market as possible because dependable market knowledge is now more essential than ever before,” explains City Seasons Group managing director, Thomas Tapken. “They must be aware of shifts in booking patterns and fully understand the competition on a daily basis.” “But it’s also about educating the wider team and getting everybody actively involved in revenue management practices. Sales, marketing, communications and the rooms division manager all need to work together to create targeted measurable campaigns which are appropriate to the business needs of the some way off the ideal scenario, but we will get there in time.”

The need for talented managers behind the technology and good corporate awareness of the discipline has not escaped the attention of the solution providers. Most package consultancy and training services into their software products to avoid hotels investing in a one-time system implementation with the unfounded expectation that nothing further will be required. “I believe that it is important to focus on people and behaviours first, followed by the underlying processes,” explains Total Revenue Solutions director Jennifer Keen. “My number one piece of advice is always to foster engagement from your team from the very beginning,
otherwise you could be in for a very long and uphill battle! “It is critical that the revenue management team can drive action, not
just analysis, and have the ability to turn data into recommendations.

Also, the revenue management strategy needs to be given time — it needs to be a long-term strategy supported by short-term tactics. It would be hard to achieve all of this without an engaged and motivated team.”

A PROFITABLE FUTURE
The emergence of revenue management in the Middle East has been well-timed. The discipline has triumphed as the right solution able to respond to recent changes in the industry. At a time when hoteliers need to maximise their revenues and improve their effi ciency, revenue management is able to deliver concrete results.

Momentum is likely to continue as revenue management fi rmly roots itself in the region’s business culture and, as the discipline s adopted into other departments, hoteliers will continue to see some impressive results in the long-term. “Traditionally, revenue management has focused on rooms because they generate the majority of a hotel’s revenue,” explains Ròya International’s
Saleem. “In most cases, there has been relatively little focus on other areas of the hotel business, including areas such as banqueting, restaurants, spas and health clubs.“But, these areas are very interdependent because success in one area can increase demand in another. It is therefore essential to apply revenue management techniques to all of these revenue generating areas in order to maximise the potential revenue in the long-term.”

The revenue management revolution has only just begun and its full capability is yet to be realised. As the discipline creeps into other hotel departments, it will gain momentum and likely establish itself as a fundamental business standard. If hoteliers can “stick to their guns” and adhere to their yield management strategies in the long-term, then the required cultural changes and interdepartmental buy-in will follow. “The most important thing is to see it through” says Jumeirah’s Wolf. “Once a strategy has been identified, agreed and implemented, there might be initial adverse market reactions, but if it is the right strategy for your hotel, and if it has buy-in from all the relevant stakeholders, then the results of this strategy will eventually speak for themselves.”

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MISTAKE 1: NO STRATEGIC PURPOSE FOR TAKING PART

Whenever a new marketing channel opens up online, it’s easy to feel a little unsure on the approach you should take and how you shouldparticipate. The past few years have seen a lot of buzz around new tools such as Facebook and Twitter, and many businesses have jumped in without thinking about their participation strategically.When it comes to social media, strategic thinking helps with deciding the platforms and interaction procedures that can further your organisation’s larger objectives. Without this type of guidance, it’s easy to get lost and lose direction.Commitment to the programme might fade when business results are not being realised. Overcome this mistake by asking yourself a question: “What are our big objectives right now? How can social media help us with these?” Best practice example: Starwood Hotels http://twitter.com/StarwoodBuzz

MISTAKE 2: NOT LISTENING

Social media is not just about broadcasting. Entering a social network and only pumping out marketing messages will cause you to be ignored at best, and could ultimately lead to you alienating your fans and causing negative word-of-mouth. Before starting any social media programme, spend a little bit of time listening to what people are already saying about you and your industry. Maybe they’re not specifi cally mentioning your brand name, but it’s very likely they’re talking about things that directly affect you: topics such as your competitors, your city, your area, and your industry niche are all important to monitor. When you spend some time getting a feel for online sentiment in these areas, it provides you with a better level of insight and the ability to create a more engaging social media campaign. Best practice example: Hyatt Concierge http://twitter.com/HyattConcierge

MISTAKE 3: NOT INVOLVING PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINES

Ideally, social media interaction will not be exclusively handled by one person on your team. It is much better for you to get as many people involved as possible. This does not mean having everyone update Facebook, for example. It does mean setting up policies and systems that enable your staff to submit story ideas and interesting things they come across in their daily work. Having “ears on the ground” will provide you with a wealth of information that makes your social media presence far richer. It’s impossible for one person sitting in an office to be completely aware of everything that goes on around the hotel and in the surrounding community. To overcome this challenge, enlist your staff. Best practice example: Hotel Max http://twitter.com/hotel_max

MISTAKE 4: NOT STAYING TRUE TO YOUR ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

People should be able to get a sense of what you are like as a company when interacting with you in social media, so let your personality come through a bit. Your offl ine experience must be consistent with your online presence. This means everything from graphic design to social media postings and updates that resonate with your target audience. This consistency is very important for how your brand is perceived. Think through your brand positioning, and what that means in terms of how you will take part in social media. Best practice example: Joie de Vivre Hotels http://twitter.com/JDVHotels

MISTAKE 5: THINKING IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU

As much as you may like to think it, not everyone is going to want to follow you online just because you’re special. The reality is that very few people just go into social media to follow every hotel they see. There needs to be something remarkable about your product if you want to build a loyal online fan base. You must publish more than just special offers and promotions to build an engaged audience. Maybe you want to talk about lifestyle issues or other things that are important to your guests. These messages need to be consistent with your organisation and target market. Best practice example: RSHotel http://twitter.com/RSHotel You must be aware of these issues, but don’t let them scare you off. Social media is a big trend and hotels using this have a distinct advantage over their competitors. Learn more in our report “10 Reasons You Cannot Ignore Social Media”: www.resnetworldarticle.com

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The PCI-DSS exists to safeguard customers from fraud and information theft involving online transactions. The rigorous standards dictate 12 specific requirements ranging from firewall configurations to data storage. These standards were founded in 2004 by major credit card companies including Visa, Discover, MasterCard and American Express.

With the certification, Genares and gReserve offer thousands of hotels and their customers a secure CRS with seamless GDS and PMS connectivity. With the percentage of reservations booked online growing every day, Genares recognizes the vital importance of getting ahead of the security curve.

“Security and peace of mind are hallmarks of the hospitality industry, whether that means electronic door locks or a guaranteed wake-up call,” said Genares President Eugene Harris. “Genares extends that security to hotels and their customers online. Certification of gReserve exhibits our commitment to providing not only state-of-the-art tools to manage customer reservations, but also the ability to use them in confidence.”

For more information about Genares and gReserve PCI-DSS compliance, contact Sara Wilkins at swilkins@genares.com or visit the web site at www.genares.com.

About Genares Worldwide Reservation Services
Genares Worldwide Reservations Services Ltd. was launched in 2004 by former Lexington Services Corp. founders and executives. As the first new central reservation system (CRS) to come to market since 1999, Genares’ gReserve web-based CRS and related services are provided on an ASP basis and designed for properties ranging from small independents to large chain hotels worldwide. The lodging industry’s only privately held reservations technology provider created by hoteliers for hoteliers, Genares’ services include: seamless GDS and Internet connectivity, a private-label Internet booking engine, a web-based CRS with two-way XML property management system interfaces, and private-label voice reservations/call center services. Genares is headquartered in the Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of Las Colinas, Texas, and has sales representation worldwide, with offices throughout Europe and Asia. The company is owned by Ricky A. Wilkins, Michael G. Wilkins and Eugene Harris. For more information, visit www.genares.com

“We are excited to partner with one of the most successful GDS technology providers in the world to bring a full suite of internet marketing and CRS tools to a region hungry for growth and revenue expansion,” said Saahil Mehta, Managing Partner of ResNet World.

The Genares platform was developed in 2005 and is considered the fastest-growing reservations service provider in the world. The Genares system is an open-ended platform that is continually upgraded and completely customizable.

“We have developed a truly integrated central reservation system that incorporates the latest technology while simplifying functionality and ease of use,” said Eugene Harris, President of Genares. “We are pleased to partner with ResNet World and feel that this agreement reinforces our reputation as a leading provider of reservations services.”

For more information on Genares, visit their Web site at: www.genares.com. For more information about ResNet World, visit: www.resnetworld.com.

About Genares Worldwide Reservation Services
Genares Worldwide Reservation Services Ltd. was launched in 2004 by former Lexington Services Corp. founders and executives. As the first new central reservation system (CRS) to come to market since 1999, Genares’ gBooker web-based CRS and related services are provided on an ASP basis and designed for properties ranging from small independents to large chain hotels worldwide. The lodging industry’s only privately-held reservations technology provider created by hoteliers for hoteliers, Genares’ services include: seamless GDS and Internet connectivity, a private-label Internet booking engine, a web-based CRS with two-way XML property management system interfaces, and private-label voice reservations/call center services. Genares is headquartered in the Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of Irving, Texas, and has sales representation worldwide, with offices throughout Europe and Asia. The company is owned by Ricky A. Wilkins, Michael G. Wilkins and Eugene Harris. For more information, visit www.genares.com.

I speak to hoteliers on a daily basis and it is no surprise that the main topic of discussion is the existing economic climate and the effects of the current recession on revenues. The good news is that today’s recession will undoubtedly be followed by tomorrow’s economic upturn. So, in today’s climate, hoteliers should work on diversifying their revenue channels to ensure they maintain fair market share as economies rebound and occupancies start to increase.

The single most important way to gain revenue opportunity is through the proper utilisation of the hotel’s Central Reservation System (CRS). Whether your customer wants to book through a travel agent, a thirdparty website, or directly with you, your CRS will provide that capability 24 hours a day. Those who practise well thought out electronic distribution strategies will not only maximise revenue now, but will also position themselves to outperform their competition in the future. Those who delay and react to the economic upturn will be left behind. One of the most important decisions a hotel can make is the selection of their CRS partner. The key word to consider when making this decision is ‘partner’.

A CRS provider must be willing to work with you to ensure revenue opportunities are maximised. This means listening to you, understanding your needs and most importantly, rolling up their sleeves and actually working for you in the electronic reservation market. CRS providers are often guilty of signing hotels, providing them minimal training and then fi ling their paperwork in a drawer. If the most common communication from a CRS provider is in the form of a monthly bill, there is truly something wrong with that partnership.Choosing a CRS provider is not always an easy decision. There are some top tips to ease the selection process in the box opposite, but the most important issue is to ensure that your provider is ready to work for you and earn your business. And don’t forget: this is a buyer’s market. Be willing to pay a fair price, but be clear about what you expect from your provider before you sign a contract. They are the experts, so be willing to rely on them to follow up on the promises they make. Look for companies you trust with your future and always remember…the future is bright!

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Hoteliers today are exposed to new internet booking channels on a frequent basis and often find themselves spread thin in their efforts to effectively manage and properly yield these revenue streams.

One of the most important booking channels for your property that is usually overlooked is your very own website booking engine. This channel represents your most profitable booking channel and is the fastest growing revenue stream in the industry today. Every hotel should pay attention to this valuable booking tool and spend the time necessary to ensure it is one of the top producers in revenue.

This year begins a period of economic recovery for our industry as a whole. The climb will not be easy but there is indeed light at the end of this long tunnel.

With this recovery it is very important that hoteliers practice proactive sales techniques now to ensure they maintain their fair share of their respective markets. Focusing on your most profitable booking channel is one step closer to ensuring success in the future.

Identifying the need for a website booking engine is obviously the easy part. Choosing and utilising the right technology among the many options available can on the other hand be more daunting. Here are a few simple guidelines you can follow that will ensure you choose the right solution for your property.

1. Understand first that it is your property that sells a room.
Ensure that your website is rich with content and pictures that will allow you to showcase your property to potential customers. We live in a consumer world that is driven by visual stimulation that in more times than not can be the difference between securing a reservation or losing a potential customer.

2. Ensure that your website is properly marketed on the internet.
Today more than ever it is vitally important that you utilise proper web marketing techniques to ensure that potential customers find your property — even when they are not necessarily looking for it. There are a multitude of options available to you to assist you with web optimisation
techniques. These can range from complete website design servicesthat include SEO services to pay per click web advertising that will enhance your current site’s placement in search engines.

3. Make your booking engine accessible on your website.
Make sure your booking engine is visible on every page of your website. A clearly visible booking engine on every page of your website will increase your chances of receiving a booking at your property.

4. Don’t pay more than you should for your booking engine.
There is always a ‘balancing act’ that takes place between quality and cost when it comes to your booking engine. As stated earlier, your property and the quality of your website are very important factors in this channel’s success. Once a guest clicks on the ‘book now’ button you want their mind already made. This translates to choosing a booking engine that visually compliments your website and is easy to navigate. If the potential customer’s mind is already made up and your booking engine is easy to use, then the reservation is much more likely to be made. This means that you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to develop or purchase an overpriced technology. Look for options that will cost a low, fixed price per booking or similar and focus the majority of resources on getting customers to your site first.

5. Don’t be afraid to let the experts help you with web marketing.
Not everybody is an expert in web marketing techniques. There are many options available to hoteliers, at many different price levels, to assist with the web marketing process. If you feel you are lacking in this area then find a fair priced solution for your property that will ensure you maximise the revenue associated with this channel.

6. Be bookable at every step
Once the potential customer is ready to book, it is crucial that they find the ‘book a room’ option with ease to complete the process, otherwise they could easily venture to another site which will cost you.

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CGS Infotech has received ISO 9001:2000 certification and offers comprehensive website design and optimization packages at many levels.   CGS Infotech’s mission is to “Create a New Level of Success” for its clients and partners worldwide.