http:// Recent Articles and Papers by Our Consultants en-us http:///dyn/hebsArcticles_coll149.php The Internet has become the main distribution channel in hospitality—over 2/3 of all hotel bookings in the US will be directly influenced by the Internet this year. Understandably, Internet marketing has become a priority for many hoteliers who are shifting advertising dollars to the online world from traditional media and GDS advertising. This rush forward may have come at a cost to hoteliers who rely on professional marketers to sort out this dynamic and highly complicated landscape of Internet marketing. This article is not about avoiding snake oil salesmen and Internet hucksters – those should be self evident – it’s about asking the tough questions when evaluating Internet marketers who will be in charge of managing your most important revenue channel. http:///dyn/hebsArcticles_coll156.php Midway through 2007, hoteliers are already planning their marketing budgets for 2008. In the past few months, HeBS has been bombarded by hoteliers requesting information on some of our favorite topics, including the latest trends in Web 2.0, paid search marketing, eCRM, web analytics and ROI tracking, marketing strategies, technology acquisition, and other topics that influence online marketing budgets. We have collected and summarized these commentaries below. Refer to this article as you prepare your own marketing plan and budget for 2008. http:///dyn/hebsArcticles_coll164.php Web 2.0 continues to generate much attention in the online travel industry. Inquiring hoteliers want to understand the status and future of search engine marketing and other Internet marketing formats in this new Web 2.0 environment. Are search engines becoming obsolete? Are Web 2.0 sites going to replace the search engines as an advertising media? Will online travel consumers abandon Google as a travel planning and research tool and shift their attention to Web 2.0 sites such as TripAdvisor.com and social networks like YouTube.com? Must a hotel engage in such strategies? http:///dyn/hebsArcticles_coll145.php What will happen to traditional and online distribution channels in hospitality in the next few years? How will the direct web channel outpace competitors and third-party intermediaries? With online travel growing, how do hoteliers get their fair share? These questions reflect important trends in the marketplace. Consider how these trends will impact your hotel, resort, and brand. By understanding current Internet marketing trends in hospitality, including travel consumer expectations and perceptions, hoteliers can enhance their web presence, and utilize the Internet as the most cost effective and up-to-date sales and marketing channel. http:///dyn/hebsArcticles_coll137.php The Internet has transformed Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in hospitality. A large majority of your customers are planning and booking their hotel stay online. In fact more than two-thirds of them will do that this year: 1/3 of all bookings in hospitality in North America will be generated from the Internet (30% in 2006), and at least another 1/3 will be directly influenced by online travel planning. How do you nurture, grow and retain your customer base when the competition is just a click away? How do you prepare for the future in this very dynamic and transparent online environment? How do you beat the competition for the most lucrative customer segments? By building a comprehensive eCRM strategy and creating interactive mutually beneficial relationships with your customer, any hotel company can ensure its survival in this new environment. http:///dyn/hebsArcticles_coll80.php Over the past few years, hoteliers have been hard at work trying to grow their online marketing revenues. Using techniques like website design, search engine optimization, paid search marketing and email blasts, many have been very successful. However, with all of the new Internet marketing channels now available (ie. Consumer Generated Media, Meta Search) many hoteliers find themselves at a loss, with no clear structure on the best strategy to produce the highest returns. In a recent benchmark study, conducted in conjunction with NYU\'s Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management, Hospitality eBusiness Strategies (HeBS) set out to identify trends in online marketing techniques that have developed in the industry to help grow this distribution channel. http:///dyn/hebsArcticles_coll82.php In 2007, over one-third of all hotel bookings will be generated from the Internet in North America. This dramatic channel shift has created unprecedented price transparency and price-driven marketing in hospitality, thus further commoditizing the hotel product. How are hoteliers handling the increased commoditization of the hotel product, especially in the current rate parity and best rate guarantee environment? How can hoteliers de-commoditize their product offerings and provide a unique value proposition to the hotel customer? http:///dyn/hebsArcticles_coll83.php This year at least a third of all hotel bookings will be generated from the Internet (29% in 2006, 25% in 2005). Another third of all hotel bookings will be influenced by the Internet, but done offline (call center, walk-ins, group bookings, etc). By the end of 2010, over 45% of all hotel bookings will be completed online (Merrill Lynch). Are hoteliers taking full advantage of this dramatic channel shift? Has the shift increased commoditization of the hotel product? Is there such a thing as customer loyalty in this environment? How can the hotel increase its direct online market share? What are some Consumer Generated Media formats and initiatives to consider, develop and implement? Is there more hoteliers can do to compete and succeed? The 2007 Top Ten New Year\'s Internet Marketing Strategy Resolutions, presented by Hospitality eBusiness Strategies (HeBS) for the seventh year in a row provides some of the answers and action steps. http:///dyn/hebsArcticles_coll134.php Marketing is all about results. Unlike offline marketing, we can track and analyze ROIs from our online marketing campaign results quickly and accurately over the Internet. There is no medium that allows tracking like the Internet does, yet in hospitality, we didn\'t adopt these tracking technologies as soon as they were available. Instead we relied on cheap or free analytical tools to provide us with the information that management uses to make decisions. What metrics should hoteliers measure and pay attention to? What are the best practices in measuring ROI from the hotel\'s marketing efforts? Or ROI from the hotel website? What are the best analytical tools out there?