Listened to a webinar this AM that mentioned that OTA's are only going to become bigger and more aggressive in 2015.
Aggressive in:
- Advertising in all media
- Advertising by purchasing PPC ads on your Business Name and major keywords
- Priceline (owners of Booking.com) just purchased Buuteeq and OpenTable - may see more
The speaker stated we as independents must learn how to play their game without getting burnt. Must work hard to find ways to keep your brand out there..
Copperhead said:
Listened to a webinar this AM that mentioned that OTA's are only going to become bigger and more aggressive in 2015.
Aggressive in:
- Advertising in all media
- Advertising by purchasing PPC ads on your Business Name and major keywords
- Priceline (owners of Booking.com) just purchased Buuteeq and OpenTable - may see more
The speaker stated we as independents must learn how to play their game without getting burnt. Must work hard to find ways to keep your brand out there.
This is all correct. Booking is using ALL legal tools at their disposal to take over your business. You are free to do the same... or not.
Being afraid do not remove the danger.
With Buuteeq (now called "http://suite.booking.com/"), they are proposing a full marketing service. Join, pay commissions and here you go, your business is flying all on its own.
Booking will be guaranteed full data on your business (so they can adjust their cost to the max while keeping you barely alive). They will get hold of 100% of your room availability. They will ensure parity of prices as well. They will get data on their competitors. They will own clients (you quit their offer and loose all clients). Bright move.
Just as TripAdvisor Europe head of hotel relations said a few days ago at a conference, they are not a review website. They are not a travel website. They are a big data company.
It is interesting that, what all you are going through, we have been through 2 years ago with same discussions/questions on French innkeepers forums. Keep talking and learn their tricks.
A colleague going almost all Booking, with 3 rooms in Normandy, was paying 10,000€/year to Booking. I am fighting to keep direct bookings strong and, still, Booking is taking 25% of my bookings (20% of turnover). With most bookings moving slowly (quite fast, actually) to smartphone, we will be left in the dust : users will only use one App : Booking's.
I asked to a SEO company recently whether giving them Booking.com's commission budget would bring same return. They said quite close is possible. If you have not joined Booking, might be an alternative to think of.
I noted that most guests booking through Booking.com arrived on Booking by going direct to Booking, not by searching on Google, then arriving on Booking. It means those guests cannot be found on Google anymore.
You might be interested in looking what a group of hotels is doing here to fight Booking: http://www.fairbooking.com/en/qui-sommes-nous.html
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