How to Create a Top Performing B&B Website

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How to Create a Top Performing B&B Website

October 15th, 2015

Darlene Rondeau, VP, Best Practices, Online Merchandising, LeonardoBob Tubbs, Owner, Cedars Of Williamsburg Bed & Breakfast Mark Hayward, Former Innkeeper and Digital Marketing Expert

Technical Difficulties?Contact

Citrix GoToWebinar1-800-263-6317

support@citrixonline.com

Darlene RondeauVice-President, Best Practices, Online MerchandisingLeonardo

@darlenerondeau

Follow:

@VFMLeonardo

Tweets & Questions:

#LeoWebinar

Bob TubbsOwnerCedars of Williamsburg Bed & Breakfast

@cedarsbandb

Mark HaywardFormer Innkeeper and Digital Marketing Expert

@markhayward

• 94% of people have abandoned a booking online

• ~47% of people shopping for B&Bs start their search through Google, Bing or Yahoo

Know This About Creating a Top Performing Website

#LeoWebinar

Bob TubbsOwnerCedars of Williamsburg Bed & Breakfast

@cedarsbandb

Grace & I are corporate escapees My hometown racquetball friends

always talked about owning a B&B They mentioned it one too many

times when Xerox was being particularly interesting!

I came home one night and she mentioned buying the Cedars

Now, I’m in charge as long as I do everything she tells me!

Why Own the Cedars B&B? Racquetball!

Cedars of Williamsburg Website Challenges - Before Search engine compatibility Platform formatting (smartphone,

tablet) Image size restrictions Social media limitations Needed a new platform to

address challenges and pave the way for future technological changes

Cedars of Williamsburg - After Multi-channel, multi-platform Platform integration & positive

branding is vital Incorporate strategic technology

infrastructures to engage third-party travel sites is absolutely critical (Travelocity, Orbitz, etc.)

Strategic business & marketing planning helps focus your message

First Impressions Count

Invest in good

marketing materials

Help your guests experience what

your location offers

Promote the area

with content

Guest reviews are

integral

Ask for feedback

and address concerns

Consistent and highly positive feedback from guests

12-15% increase in traffic

Record year in revenue

Early Results: June – September 2015

Tips & Recommendations Find the right technology partners to help guide you

Invest in multi-platform solutions

Plan your strategy, determine an appropriate budget and execute

Monitor regularly to see what is working and be ready to shift emphasis based on what you see

Persevere!

Mark HaywardFormer Innkeeper and Digital Marketing Expert

@markhayward

Pursued my dream to own a B&B in the Caribbean

No marketing or hospitality experience

No bookings, no cash flow, and no real online presence

Nobody knew we existed (except my mom)

Needed to meet large monthly mortgage

My B&B Story

Top 5 Goals I Wanted to Achieve

Direct Bookings Guest Engagement

Revenue A Better Web Presence

Receive Great Reviews

My Marketing Strategy

Create my own website

Learn everything about web marketing

Start blogging

Respond to all reviews

Get active on social media

Website design and development Search engine optimization 24/7 technical support Optimization across all devices Security Copywriting Promotions, specials, TripAdvisor reviews Booking engine integration

What I Didn’t Know About Web Marketing

Search engine optimization Web & mobile experiences are the same Loads quickly Visual first to really grab attention Navigation easy to use and figure out Descriptive text Frictionless booking options Knowing your target guest

Website Best Practices

The Big Picture: My Results

Ranked on the front page of Google

Featured in travel magazines and newspapers

Direct bookings increased

exponentially

Maintained a Top TripAdvisor ranking

for five years

Key Takeaways

#LeoWebinar

Learning and staying current pays off

Stories happen locally; it’s more than just your

property

Consumers want assurances that their choice

is the best one for them

About Leonardo

Invitations to upcoming webinars

Recording of this webinar Share it with your

colleagues

It’s a Wrap

Connect With Us!

leonardo.com1.877.593.6634@VFMLeonardo blog.leonardo.com

mark-hayward.comMark.w.hayward@gmail.com@markhayward

www.cedarsofwilliamsburg.comreservations@cedarsbandb.com@cedarsbandb

Mark Hayward Bob Tubbs