OnTheShore
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- Aug 28, 2011
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I don't think he is necessarily suggesting changing your name just on that one listing site, but actually changing your business name!I agree with most of your points. What I strongly disagree with is changing your name on any listing. NAP+W (name, address, phone & website) on all listings is a MUST. Google is getting more and more strict and will lower your organic listings if your NAP+W are not all the same.I confirm, Booking is great. Great at bringing bookings, but also very efficient marketing. Join Booking, next day, they use your name in Google adword to try to divert your guests to your website, few days/weeks later, thousands of websites affiliated with Booking will promote your property, several of them using again your property name with the same adwords. "Check the prices" will pop up in TripAdvisor, Google, GoogleMaps, all linked to Booking, etc, etc. They'll be everywhere trying to take your oxygen. Commissions shared between them. Big party ...
Booking have a much better reputation than Expedia (Expedia is at a very low 1.8 on trustpilot.com while Booking is at 8,5/10).
Join them at your own risk. Limit the risk by understanding them in depth. This is a tool. Do not let the tool use you!
Here my advices:
- as about 30% of Booking's visitors will also visit the property's own website, ensure your website is optimised for conversion. If more difficult to book than on Booking.com, guests will return to Booking for confirming.
- for the same reason, the name of your the property in Booking should, when searched in Google, reach a Google page where your website is very visible at the top. Adjust your name if necessary. Visitors will copy your name in Booking and search in in Google.
- for the same reason, your website proposal must be better than Booking's: better look, better prices, better cancellation terms, more information, more and bigger pictures, better prices, special offers, efficient booking engine, ...
- for the same reason your offer on Booking should be worse: no full rooms pictures, just details,
- they DO accept to stop pay per clic. They have such special negociations/agreements with big chains (check it in Google), they have it with me and other colleagues. Force your way through. This is disrespectful behaviour and an appaling way to start a partnership with you. It is like placing a Booking Salesperson in front of your property. No! If Booking wins on this, you are unlikely to convince others not to do it. If you win, "Bravo!" but keep checking, they are likely to "forget" about it.
- fight for this pay per clic only if you are well positionned in seach engine results with the name of your property (see above). Otherwise, it is useless. Like if your B&B name is "The Cellar", your site will unlikely be on 1st page. Visitors will not find you with that in Google. So, you either buy "The Cellar" adwords yourself and stop Booking from doing it. But better choose as name in Booking something like "The Summerbell Cellar" where you are sure to be found in search engines.
- do not trust their advice. Always think they are looking at their own interest. Your interest may be opposite (very likely).
- close dates when you are sure to be full on your own or ensure more expensive on Booking.
- contrat may bind you with a price parity term. Read it carefully and find ways around it (different room names, different cancellation terms, offer without breakfast, ...)
- find solutions to reduce the commission: do not include breakfast on Booking, Family room for 4 but sometimes booked for 1 (keep 4 persons price)
- educate guests (and ensure) that direct is better and explain why. Here, some hotels are cheaper on Booking: best way to tell guests to book on booking next time. Disastrous.
- add a line on your bill "including xx$ commission to booking"
- place a stamp on the bill with "Next time, book direct with us!"
- do not use the booking button (not sure you have it there). 3% commission if small but you offer your priceless guests to Booking who will flood them with emails.
- do not place links toward Booking on your website.
- show clearly on your website the advantages of booking directly
- care for their guests to avoir bad reviews: you cannot answer back
- answer to reviews in TripA with subtle mention of better direct "…, …, and thank you for having booked direct" or "next time, prefer booking direct on our website as we propose this and that".
- enjoy no shows: do withdraw on their credit card as agreed. Room ready, charged without commission. They might think that Booking withdrawn from them, not you. Also charge when guest booked the wrong date but show more flexibility with direct guests.
- create human link when they stay
Lastly, you are a fresh market, things might be a little different, but not much. Look at what hotels in France end-up doing to get back their place: http://www.fairbooking.com/en/
This is a big business, now, not for dreamers anymore. Do not loose your share.
Booking will definitively use you as much as possible. Do the same!.
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It's a good point. Your business name ought to be sufficiently unique that your website will be Google's only possible choice to display at the top of the results page for a search on that name.
Edit: not fast enough on the post. I think the point is good, though, that your name needs to be different / unique from others on the listing site.