Presented on behalf of the European Hotel Managers Association (EHMA) 42nd Annual Geneva General Meeting Organizing Committee by EHMA's digital partner StringCan Interactive - Created by StringCan's European Director Jason McDonald. This webinar looks at current trends and solutions in hotel digital marketing focused on 4 and 5 star European hotels. Jason McDonald StringCan Interactive International Marketing Specialist Director of StringCan Europe Jason@stringcaninteractive.com @stringcanagency @JasonMcDonaldIntl linkedin.com/company/stringcan-interactive fr.linkedin.com/in/jasondmcdonald/ stringcaninteractive.com stringcaninteractive.fr Experience: 10 years of international business and marketing experience My Marketing Passion: Helping clients increase their ROI StringCan Mission: Your American Agency in Europe We are a global digital marketing group with locations in the United States and France Smart Phone Ownership – 92% of affluent American’s own smart phones as of July 2014 Mobile Reservations - For the first six months of 2014, over 40 percent of Americans booked travel reservations — flights, hotels, cruises, for example — on mobile devices, up more than 20 percent for the same period last year Mobile Travel Bookings – It is estimated that mobile travel bookings will reach $39.5 billion in 2015, contributing to 25% of the total online travel market. Alterative Payment Methods – In 2014, nearly 1 in 4 mobile transactions was done via an alterative payment method. Google is Clear – Google has made it clear that if your site is not mobile responsive by April 21st, 2015 you will lose web rankings. Leisure Travelers – 60% say Search Engines are the most popular way to research a trip Business Travelers – 55% say Search Engines are the most popular way to research a trip Use Landing Pages – Most of your PPC ads should not be directed to the home page Use Dynamic Text Insertion – The text in your ads should match the title and text on the landing pages. Retargeting Strategy is Obligatory – Using a strategy to continue to talking to visitors to bring them back to your site an to finish the sale is critical. 4 To Dos to Increase Your Online Bookings Make Sure Your Site is Responsive Help Validate Guest’s Decisions SEO is a Profession You Paid for them Now Convert Them

1. Understanding a Hotel Website’s Sales Funnel
What can be done on my hotel’s site to increase online sales?

2. COMMUNICATION REVOLUTION
Understanding Digital, Social and Generational Changes
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3. Source: by chokola at http://flickr.com/photos/22671579@N00/1229450683
Todays Online
Environment - Current
Online Trends and
Changes to Watch

4. Source: by Courtney Dirks
4 To Dos to
Increase
Your Online
Bookings

5. JASON McDONALD
StringCan Interactive
International Marketing Specialist
Director of StringCan Europe
Jason@stringcaninteractive.com
that win!
@stringcanagency
@JasonMcDonaldIntl
linkedin.com/company/stringcan-interactive
fr.linkedin.com/in/jasondmcdonald/
stringcaninteractive.com
stringcaninteractive.fr
Experience:
10 years of international
business and marketing
experience
My Marketing Passion:
Helping clients increase
their ROI
StringCan Mission:
Your American Agency in
Europe

6. West Coast
Scottsdale
International
Paris, France
We are a global digital marketing group with
locations in the United States and France.
East Coast
Boston

7. Some Of Our Clients That Had Complex
Problems

8. The Services We Provide
Digital Strategy
BrandStrategy
Designand
Development
Mobile
Content Strategy
Email
Social MediaGoogle Search
Optimization

9. Understanding a Hotel Website’s
Sales Funnel
• 48% of EHMA members said they
wanted to learn more about their
website funnel.
Source: StringCan 2014 EHMA Members Survey

10. Source: by chokola at http://flickr.com/photos/22671579@N00/1229450683
Todays Online
Environment - Current
Online Trends and
Changes to Watch

11. Source: by Joi at http://flickr.com/photos/35034362831@N01/45511158
Stop Thinking About
the Generational
Divide

12. Source: by Orlando Uy
The Connected
Traveler

13. The Connected Traveler
• Smart Phone Ownership – 92% of affluent American’s own smart
phones as of July 2014
Source: http://www.statista.com/statistics/241262/ownership-of-smartphones-by-affluent-american-household
http://www.criteo.com/media/1034/criteo-travel-report-sep-2014.pdf
• Mobile Reservations -
For the first six months
of 2014, over 40 percent
of Americans booked
travel reservations —
flights, hotels, cruises,
for example — on mobile
devices, up more than
20 percent for the same
period last year
Source: Criteo H1 2014
Share of Mobile Bookings, by Country, H1 2014

14. Mobile Isn’t Coming…It’s Here
• Mobile Travel Bookings – It is estimated that mobile travel
bookings will reach $39.5 billion in 2015, contributing to 25% of
the total online travel market.
• Alterative Payment Methods – In 2014, nearly 1 in 4 mobile
transactions was done via an alterative payment method.
• Google is Clear – Google has made it clear that if your site is not
mobile responsive by April 21st, 2015 you will lose web rankings.
Source: http://www.statista.com/statistics/241262/ownership-of-smartphones-by-affluent-american-household
http://www.netaffinity.com/netaffinity_news.html/15-hotel-marketing-trends-for-2015
http://www.thesempost.com/googles-gary-illyes-qa-upcoming-mobile-ranking-signal-change/

15. It’s Harder to Get Noticed

16. It’s Harder to Get Found

17. OTAs Are Consolidating
Source: Phocuswright study
Expedia’s
acquisition of
Orbitz and
Priceline
gives it
control of
75% of the
US Market.

18. Your Website is only a Piece of the Puzzle
“If you spend your marketing budget on paying designers
wearing black turtlenecks to create the splashiest hotel
website out there, but your connected customers aren’t
relying primarily on your website to form an impression of
your brand, then you’ve mis-used your money.”
Brian Solis
Digital Marketing Analyst, Speaker, and Author
Source: Velkr0 – Puzzel Pieces
What can be done on my hotel’s site to increase online
sales?

19. Your Website is a Piece of the Puzzle
98% of
visitors to a
hotels
website
abandoning
the funnel
Source: http://www.netaffinity.com/netaffinity_news.html/15-hotel-marketing-trends-
for-2015

20. Your Website is only a Piece of the Puzzle
Source: Velkr0 – Puzzel Pieces

21. Todays Online Environment - Current Online
Trends and Changes to Watch
• Forget the digital divide, high-end travelers are connected
• Mobile isn’t coming…it’s here
• It’s harder to get found
• Your website is only a piece of the puzzle
• OTAs are consolidating

22. Source: Alexander Henning Drachmann - Question mark in Esbjerg
How do you leverage
these changes to increase
direct bookings?

23. Source: by Courtney Dirks
4 To Dos to
Increase
Your Online
Bookings

24. 1) Make Sure Your Site is Responsive
Source; The Smart Hotelier’s Guide to 2015 Digital Marketing Budget Planning, HeBS Dig
• With Google
responsive
requirements, more
and more bookings
online and a shift in
how connected
travelers book a
responsive site is
required.

25. No Bad Decisions
• According to Google, the average length in days before a
purchase is 24, and average site visits before purchase is
21.6.
Source; The Smart Hotelier’s Guide to 2015 Digital Marketing Budget Planning, HeBS Dig

26. 2) Help Validate Guest’s Decisions
Source: http://fredericgonzalo.com/en/2014/12/23/why-visuals-are-key-in-travel-marketin
• Have Reviews on Your Sales Pages - 53% of
TripAdvisor users won’t book a hotel that has no
reviews
• Provide Options – Make sure users have several
options when booking
• Make Booking Simple – Your web team should
make sure your booking is as easy as possible
• Provide a Warm and Fuzzy – On the sales page
have an offer or guarantee that makes booking
easier.

27. 3) SEO is a Profession

28. 3) SEO is a Profession
Source :The 2014 Traveler’s Road to Decision June 2014, Google
• Leisure Travelers – 60% say Search Engines are the most popular
way to research a trip
• Business Travelers – 55% say Search Engines are the most
popular way to research a trip

29. 4) You Paid for them Now Convert Them
• Use Landing Pages – Most of your PPC ads should not be
directed to the home page
• Use Dynamic Text Insertion – The text in your ads should match
the title and text on the landing pages.
• Retargeting Strategy is Obligatory – Using a strategy to continue
to talking to visitors to bring them back to your site an to finish the
sale is critical.

30. Source: by Courtney Dirks
4 To Dos to Increase Your Online
Bookings
• Make Sure Your Site is Responsive
• Help Validate Guest’s Decisions
• SEO is a Profession
• You Paid for them Now Convert Them

31. THANK
YOU

32. JASON McDONALD
StringCan Interactive
International Marketing Specialist
Director of StringCan Europe
Jason@stringcaninteractive.com
that win!
@stringcanagency
@JasonMcDonaldIntl
linkedin.com/company/stringcan-interactive
fr.linkedin.com/in/jasondmcdonald/
stringcaninteractive.com
stringcaninteractive.fr
Experience:
10 years of international
business and marketing
experience
My Marketing Passion:
Helping clients increase
their ROI
StringCan Mission:
Your American Agency in
Europe