Is a Website Enough to Advertise Your Bed and Breakfast?
As a bed and breakfast owner, you probably know it’s imperative that you have a mobile-friendly, responsive, fast website. It’s the most important piece in your online marketing presence.
Yet, if you’re like many small business owners, you may also think your digital marketing can stop there.
In this article, we look at the question, “Is a website enough to advertise your bed and breakfast?”
This is relatively easy to answer with a resounding, “No, it isn’t enough in the 21st century.” We’re going to tell you why it’s not enough and provide you with some additional marketing tips.
Why Isn’t a Website Enough?
First, pretty much everyone has a website these days.
Second, just because you have a website, doesn’t mean people will find it. In order to be successful, you have to get people to your website to see your accommodations and ultimately make a reservation.
To get the competitive edge in your community, a website simply isn’t enough.
You want to promote your bed and breakfast on multiple channels. Your website on its own won’t accomplish all your marketing goals. You need a plan to advertise from several digital arenas.
What you want to remember, though, is that your website stands at the center point of all your channels. It’s the hub of all your online marketing efforts. Your other digital channels are part of your strategy to get people back on your website for the purchase. (tweet this)
Making Your Website the Central Channel
Standing in the middle of your digital marketing universe is your website. Everything you do when it comes to marketing is set to drive traffic to this central channel.
So, before we get to the surrounding channels, we want to emphasize how important it is that your website speed is up to par, you optimize for search engine optimization, and your website is mobile-friendly and responds to various screen sizes.
In addition, your website should be very user friendly and concentrate on the overall customer experience. Provide great information, professional photographs, and an easy reservation system.
Now let’s look at what channels and mediums you can add to your advertising strategy.
Building Connections with Email Marketing
A very important channel in your digital marketing strategy is email marketing.
It’s a powerful way to connect with your customers, provide them with valuable information, and let them know about specials and events.
Use your email list to build relationships as well as promote customized offers for your customers.
This is a valuable opportunity to meet with your customers in their inbox on a regular basis. You can also send them to your website to read blog posts, watch videos, download guides, and take advantage of specials.
Engaging Your Target Audience on Social Media
The next channels you want to use to complement your website are social media platforms.
Social media is exploding with exponential growth, and it’s safe to assume nearly all of your customers and potential customers have used or are using at least one social media platform.
In fact, many people will see you on social media before ever visiting your website. These days people research you online and look for your social media presence almost as often as they look for your website.
When it comes to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snap Chat, Instagram, and others, their goal is to build community and relationships and ultimately send people back to your website. Social media helps you drive the traffic.
As you set up your social media platforms, it pays to make a strategy and keep all of your branding uniform. The tone of your bed and breakfast should shine through just as it does on your website.
With social media, you can meet your customers where they’re spending time. Once you’ve built the relationship, you can send them back to your website.
Be sure to not only share but listen on social media. Engage with people and give them a peek into your bed and breakfast.
You can also take it a step further, and use paid social media advertising. This is an excellent way to drive people to your website to fill out a form, watch a video, download something, or make a purchase.
Using Google to Enhance Your Website
Do you have a Google My Business page? If not, it’s something you should do right now as it’s another channel for your marketing.
A Google My Business account not only gives you an online business listing, but it helps you connect with your customers on Google Search and Maps.
When creating this listing, be thorough. Upload your logo and cover photo as well as photos of the inside and outside of your bed and breakfast and its amenities. Fill out the description info and make sure to list phone numbers, website, and the proper hours.
This listing can also enhance your website by providing additional information to your customers and providing them with a link to your site.
Leveraging Yelp
Yelp is another online channel to help promote your bed and breakfast, and it encourages users to leave reviews.
Like Google, you can upload numerous photos, include a link to your website, and add your hours, location, and phone number.
You can go further and harness the power of Yelp by sharing your positive reviews on your website.
Final Thoughts
As you advertise your bed and breakfast, make sure all of your digital and print marketing flows seamlessly together.
You don’t want to rely on one channel exclusively. While your website isn’t enough to advertise your bed and breakfast alone, it should work seamlessly with all of your other channels.
Your fonts, color, imagery, and branding should all be cohesive, and most of your advertising should direct back to your website for the end conversion – the booking.
Your website is the vital key hub to your marketing efforts, but you should also use the channels listed here to grow your business while building lasting relationships with customers.
Follow these tips, and you’ll soon be optimizing all of your digital marketing for increased bookings and greater customer satisfaction.
Looking to showcase your hotel? At Hotel Propeller, we build functional, beautiful websites that highlight your hotel to help you stand out in the crowd. You’ll find everything you need to attract guests to your website and compel visitors to make a reservation. Take a look at our showcase and contact us today.
Images: Brooke Lark and Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
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