Travel Portal Marketing Solutions for the Hospitality Industry.
Initially, our travel portals were developed to support our client's online marketing needs. Since their inception, the concept has grown into a viable program for all properties located in a natural market area.
Our travel portals are unique marketing programs, developed to attract new prospects and generate exposure for condominium and hotel properties via an easy-to-use, geographic-specific web site combined with participation in a bi-weekly broadcast email program.
Our travel portals are designed to build brand awareness for participating properties within a market-defined geographic area and promote value offers which are booked direct to the respective property’s reservation center without the normal third-party involvement or commissions.
Visitor registration programs are utilized throughout the web site to build databases of prospects for the bi-monthly broadcast emails and add-on marketing programs.
This program can be used either
to supplement a property’s eMarketing strategy or as the primary component
for those without a program in place. This program lends itself especially
well to independent properties which do not have a large-group
“brand” synergy.
Travel Portals benefit both our web site visitors and participating properties!
Benefits to web site visitors:
- One-stop-shopping as we compile and monitor special value offers for
the specific destination market ... not need to
search from site to site!
- Offers are organized and presented in a concise and easy to use
format.
- Easy to follow direct links to the participating property’s special
offer.
-
Option to register on the web site to receive future
communication messages (emails) of discount offers in an easy to use
format!
Benefits to participating properties:
- Exposure to more prospects who are interested in your destination,
but may not know of your property.
- Fixed-cost marketing opportunity with no referral fees or costly
commissions -- low-cost prospecting for new
business!
- Consistent presence in
a forum with emphasis on attracting new
visitors.
-
Regularly
scheduled broadcast emails to recipients who have expressed an interest
to receive your message
-
A easy to use supplement to area tourist development
entities and chambers of commerce.
Why
Should I Participate In The Destin Beach Getaways
program?
Website
It has
been proven difficult for an individual property to break through the
clutter on the search engines and rise to a highly visible position. It is
much easier to gain more attention as a group versus a stand-alone
property. As site popularity is a valuable component in search engine
ranking criteria, attracting visitors is critical to success. In these
times of the desire for instant results, the Destin Beach Getaways web
site experiences a larger number of site visitors (compared to a
single-property web site) due to the popularity for the opportunity to
one-stop shop. Collectively, more can be done to quickly rise through the
clutter.
Each property on the Destin Beach Getaways web site is presented in an
informative format and the visitor is given multiple channels (toll-free
reservation line and embedded link) in which to communicate directly with
the properties they feel best match their particular interests. After a
prospect transfers (via click-thru) to a particular property’s web site,
it is up to each property to handle the inquiry through to booking. There
are no per reservation fee, etc.
Broadcast Email
Throughout the
Destin Beach Getaways web site, email addresses will be collected
through site registrations for future email broadcasts. To enhance the
value of the registration, we will request registrants to select interest
categories, which will allow the opportunity to target interest specific
mailings as scheduled.
Destin Beach Getaways includes a bi-weekly, permission based broadcast
email program to registered prospects. The frequency allows for a balance
of “top-of-mind” awareness when a prospect enters a buying mode along with
the opportunity for a property to vary their
message or offers due to seasonal or
business influences.
A total email marketing strategy in hospitality makes competitive sense as it:
- Serves both as direct-response vehicle and branding tool
- Creates personalized interactive relationships with customers
- Targets and entices recipients with relevant promotions
- Plants seed in the minds of recipients regarding future travel plans
- Serves as a tool to move distressed inventory
- Functions as a sales force - tens of thousands reached in seconds
- Recruits new customers and retains existing customers
- Least expensive form of active marketing available
Finally, does email marketing work?
Everyone uses email. Almost 75% of the US population reads, forwards, files, and prints email. Almost every Internet user has at one time or another actively signed up to receive travel related information from a travel supplier. Travel is a much sought after product and a top information category chosen by most Internet users.
By category, travel related email marketing retains a loyal audience, especially if it offers the recipient value, accurate communication, relevance, and familiarity. Forrester Research points out that on average, only 5 percent of recipients have ever unsubscribed from any travel related list. Indeed, some travel-related email campaigns report response rates as high as 25%. It is safe to say, consumers want to learn about travel specials and promotions.
Current Travel Sites
Great Beach Destinations
In Development
Southern Destinations
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