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Copperhead

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So after the thread about bb onl ine and what seems to be a clear decline from some member's stats after they redid their website, I decided it was time to take the same look at what is commonly (here) called the Big Gorilla (be dand bre akfast) since they also gave their site a new look.
I have checked mine and have some mixed type of stats. I compared last years stats to this year, by using the ave by month. See my post in this thread for my stats.
Please post yours! Are you still getting the bang for your buck?
 
Generally speaking, bandb.com returns 10x on my investment whether the traffic is there or not. The traffic I get is 'good' traffic. Booking traffic. However, I am sure that my ROI would be better if bandb.com didn't list places that are an hour away in my town list. I get they want the extra money but they really should not allow B&B's in towns that are 50+ miles away to advertise they are in 'adjacent' towns. In some cases, there is a 45 mile stretch of interstate between us. Adjacent STATE maybe, but not town.
'Adjacent' if you have a boat, not if you are traveling via car.
Another caveat on my listing- I am cheap. I do not pay for the premier listings. Maybe my traffic and bookings would be higher if I paid more.
 
To start, I am at the Silver level, did not change my listing, no 2ndary listing -
Here are my stats by %, comparing this years to last (ave by month):
Brief listing - DOWN by 35%
Detailed listing - UP by 300% - yes, 3x more traffic
Click thru (to our website) - DOWN by 60%
Featured listing by # Impressions - UP by 300%**
Featured listing Click-thru (to our website) - UP by 300%**
****Regarding Featured listings: I have doubled what I spend each month as compared to last year. I have had to add my neighboring city (one that draws the most of my customers) as my town is Podunk & no one knows to search for it. Last year my listing was 1st on the list in that city as I am the closest to without being in that city. Now with the big push by the Gorilla for 2ndary listings, the BIG city B&B's near us are posting their 2ndary listings in this city & are Gold or above members, my listing has fallen to #44 or so on that city page, thus the option of featured listing came to be. (as of now featured listing there is still far more reasonable than increasing my membership level to compete.
So to state it simply, the featured listing is making up for the fact that people are NOT finding what they are looking for in the reg. list - they are wanting something IN or very close to that city, not 30 miles away... if they wanted Big City B&B, they would have searched that way!!!
 
Generally speaking, bandb.com returns 10x on my investment whether the traffic is there or not. The traffic I get is 'good' traffic. Booking traffic. However, I am sure that my ROI would be better if bandb.com didn't list places that are an hour away in my town list. I get they want the extra money but they really should not allow B&B's in towns that are 50+ miles away to advertise they are in 'adjacent' towns. In some cases, there is a 45 mile stretch of interstate between us. Adjacent STATE maybe, but not town.
'Adjacent' if you have a boat, not if you are traveling via car.
Another caveat on my listing- I am cheap. I do not pay for the premier listings. Maybe my traffic and bookings would be higher if I paid more..
Madie, I get that they are still delivering for you, they are delivering for me as well, but I am now paying more via featured listings to get this delivery. The facelift did NOT help my stats, it hurt, yet the directory is still coming out better in the pocket due to the fact that innkeepers are coughing up more $ to get the same #'s as before. Do compare your stats and watch closely this year as your high season hits.
 
To start, I am at the Silver level, did not change my listing, no 2ndary listing -
Here are my stats by %, comparing this years to last (ave by month):
Brief listing - DOWN by 35%
Detailed listing - UP by 300% - yes, 3x more traffic
Click thru (to our website) - DOWN by 60%
Featured listing by # Impressions - UP by 300%**
Featured listing Click-thru (to our website) - UP by 300%**
****Regarding Featured listings: I have doubled what I spend each month as compared to last year. I have had to add my neighboring city (one that draws the most of my customers) as my town is Podunk & no one knows to search for it. Last year my listing was 1st on the list in that city as I am the closest to without being in that city. Now with the big push by the Gorilla for 2ndary listings, the BIG city B&B's near us are posting their 2ndary listings in this city & are Gold or above members, my listing has fallen to #44 or so on that city page, thus the option of featured listing came to be. (as of now featured listing there is still far more reasonable than increasing my membership level to compete.
So to state it simply, the featured listing is making up for the fact that people are NOT finding what they are looking for in the reg. list - they are wanting something IN or very close to that city, not 30 miles away... if they wanted Big City B&B, they would have searched that way!!!.
The featured listing on my town page is an apt in another state. WTH??? They have one crappy review, why are they spending the money to put their apt on a B&B page in another STATE???
 
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