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www.hebsdigital.com 1 2 3 21.6 Touch points The average traveler researches 21.6 websites before making a booking. Search & Display Together increase purchase intent 43% 24 Days Average length in days before purchase Important Stats

Drive Revenue By Optimizing the Traveler Planning Journey Pt 2

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The average traveler visits over 20 websites before they make a booking. Mariana Mechoso Safer of HeBS Digital and Shalini Jariwala of Google will take you through a typical traveler’s journey to booking and what strategies play the largest role through the entire buying funnel. You’ll get inside strategies on: · How to boost revenues in Q2 through multichannel marketing · Where and how different marketing channels reach the consumer · How many steps it takes a consumer to make a booking · The customer perspective (i.e. a mom planning family travel or a family reunion) · Ways to recover abandoned bookings · Case studies to support recommendations Mariana Mechoso Safer is Senior Vice President, Marketing at HeBS Digital, overseeing advertising, marketing and public relations. Mariana heads the Las Vegas office, developing and implementing digital marketing strategies for HeBS Digital’s West Coast partners. She frequently conducts industry research and publishes her major travel and hospitality publications, and is also a guest speaker and presenter at hospitality events and conferences. Shalini Jariwala is Strategic Partner Manager of Channel Sales at Google. Shalini has been working in high tech for the past 10 years. She has held various marketing, sales enablement, and business development roles at companies such as Google, Ooyala, Salesforce.com and Evernote. Currently she is a Strategic Partner Manager on the Channel Sales Team based out of the Google NYC office.

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21.6 Touch pointsThe average traveler researches 21.6

websites before making a booking.

Search & DisplayTogether increase purchase

intent 43%

24 DaysAverage length in days before

purchase

Important Stats

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Initiatives that Drive a

Purchase: Final Stages

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Last Touch Point-Interaction Initiatives

Organic Search

Paid SearchMeta

Search (DRM)

Direct

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Organic Search (SEO)Google updates its algorithm up to 500 times per year.

Google officially announced Page Centric SEO Approach vs. Keyword Centric Approach in 2013.

Google Panda (2011)

Valuing rich, engaging, editorial

content over keyword-

stuffed content.

Google Venice (2012)

Focus on local search

results, made local search

indispensable.

Google Penguin 2.0 (2013)

Eradicate link farms and

poor-quality reciprocal

links, placed a premium on high-quality

links.

Google Hummingbird

(2013):

Gather better, more intuitive

results via conversational

search.

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Quality/Updated/Relevant Content

Build packages around attractions

Add pages on your destination

Maintain a blog

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Claim listings on Google,

Yahoo!, and Bing.Requires on-property

verification.

Standardize information

on main data providers.Search engines often pull

information from data

providers.

Establish listings on local

business directories.Develops a presence in prominent

local business listings. Keep these

updated!

Optimize for Local Search

As local listings take a more prominent position on search

engine results pages – such as Google Carousel – it is

important to fully optimize local listing profiles.

Claim and optimize local listing profiles, standardize property information across the

Internet, and cover more SERP real estate.

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1 2 3Audit existing linksDisavow in compliance with

Google Penguin updates

Devise action plan for main

data providers and

reputable directories

Feed information to local

listing profiles

Reach out to local bloggers,

colleges, CVBs, etc.

Long-term plan to acquire more

local links

Quality Inbound Linking Strategy

Off-page factors such as the quality of

inbound links to the website are nearly

as important as on-page optimizations.

Increase page rank, avoid algorithm penalties, and remove potentially harmful links.

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Paid Search Marketing

SEM and

location extensions

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Account Structure

Branded Keywords (hotel name)

Highly Relevant Location Keywords (lower

nob hill hotel)

Broader Destination Keywords (san

Francisco boutique hotel)

Paid Search Engine Marketing

Process:

Market level & demand keyword research

Compelling ad copy

Desktop, mobile & tablet

Geo-target campaigns to focus on feeder

markets

Launch on Google, Yahoo/Bing

Branded Keywords

Highly Relevant Location Keywords

Broader Destination Keywords

Conversions

Impressions/Search Volume

30%of the Budget

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More than one keyword?Bid on brand terms, don’t rely on them 100%.

01 02 03

A common mistake is to stop bidding on keywords that are

important in the research process.

Keyword: Location & ‘Hotel’ Keyword: Location & ‘Hotel’

& ‘Nearby Attraction’

Keyword: Branded

Term (name of hotel).

Book Now

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GAME-CHANGING:

Dynamic Rate Marketing

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Dynamic Rate Marketing (DRM)Real Time Availability & Pricing = Higher Relevancy

• Meta Search • Banner advertising• Retargeting

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• Google AdWords (in beta)• Email marketing • Promos on the hotel website

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Displays real-time ratesUser will choose dates and

rates/availability will update

automatically

User chooses hotel websiteUser clicks on the property’s logo

and is directed to the property’s

booking engine

Increase direct booking

opportunitiesOption to include direct links to

website with ‘Hotel Amenities’ and

‘Professional Photos’ links

Meta Search Marketing: TripAdvisor

From October 2012 – May 2013, a Boston hotel saw a

1554% ROAS from this initiative.

Firmly being established in last booking stage.

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Meta Search: Google Hotel Finder (HPA)

Appears within:

1 Google Maps 2 Google Hotel Finder

Beta

Google Search Results

Pages3

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DRM: Banner Advertising

Will this move display further up in planning journey?

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Direct:The Website & Three Screens

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Adaptive Design The Three Screens

Consumers use each device differently to research and book travel.

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Serve the right content on the right device while ensuring the maximum user

experience, relevancy and conversions.

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Make phone

numbers and

maps easily

accessible.

Accommodates

touch- screen

navigation.

Slim down

content.

The Smartphone is a last-minute device.Should be simple and booker-friendly.

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Tablets ideal for browsing,

research and even booking!

Used similarly to desktop.

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The Last Mile of the Hotel Booking Process

OTAs

Hotel Websites

Search Engines

Travel Research/Planning Decision Verification Booking

Friends & Family

Facebook, etc

TripAdvisor

OTAs

Hotel Websites

Voice

Case Study: TripAdvisor is establishing itself firmly as part of each of the three steps in the last mile of the hotel booking process

MetaMeta

Social Media

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Initiatives that Drive a

Purchase: Assist Stages

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Assist or ‘Planning Stage’ Interaction Initiatives

Social Media

Display Email Reservation Reminder

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How Can Social Media Drive Engagement?Focus on building buzz and increasing brand awareness.

01 02 03

Prompt users to “like” your Facebook Fan Page, follow the Twitter handle,

and follow the Google+ Page.

Increase fan base.

Prompt people to become a

fan on Facebook, a follower

on Twitter on Google+.

Brand your Presence

Facebook Cover Page,

Twitter & Google Header

Image, etc.

Customer Service

04 Run Contests &

Incentives

Offer a free welcome

amenity for next stays

or a chance to win a

free stay.

Book Now

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DISPLAY is one of the first

steps in the path to

purchase, SEARCH acts as

a last ‘push’ to conversion.

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Online Display Campaigns

Smart targeting drives ROI.Today can target the travel segment using first-party data

from airlines, hotels, and travel planning sources.

No longer need big budgets!

Targeting includes: Destination

Feeder markets

Customer segment

Retargeting

Client PortfolioHeBS Digital

750%

Average ROAS

The Google Display Network (GDN) offers in-depth travel targeting and is comprised of

millions of websites.

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Email Marketing

Email content can include:

Monthly Offers

Thank You for Signing Up

Real-time Availability & Rates

Countdown Clock

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A branded reminder email

featuring a booking link

back to the hotel website

with a special rate or

incentive.

Capture visitors in the

dream stage of planning.

Reservation Reminder

Remind me to book:

Guests request a reminder

within a certain number of

days.

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Scenario: Mom Planning

Travel

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Focus on these stages:Dreaming: Social Media, Mommy Blogs, Videos

Planning: Online Research, Search Engines

Where does she begin?

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Dreaming Stage: Social Media

There are 27 million U.S. women who identify as

mothers on Facebook. (Time)

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Dreaming Stage: Social Media

Moms are 61% more likely to visit

Pinterest than the average American. (Nielsen)

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Dreaming Stage: Blogs

14% of all American mothers with at least one child in their

household blog about parenting or turn to blogs for advice (Scarborough Research)

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Search for “Four Seasons

Prague” (mommy suggestion)

with hotel on top of results page.

Search for ‘Prague Family Hotel’

Results: TripAdvisor, Hotels in the

Carousel, OTAs

Planning Stage: Search Engines

Organic Search Paid Search

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See how easy it is to reach

21.6?

Facebook

Organic Search

Pinterest

Paid Search

Blog

Expedia

Paid Search

Orbitz

Kayak

TripAdvisor

Paid Search

Organic Search

Hotels.com

Twitter

Organic Search

Pinterest

Paid Search

Blog

TripAdvisor

Hotel Website

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Scenario: Planning a

Group Getaway or

Reunion

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Focus on these stages:Dreaming: Social Media

Planning: Online Research, Search Engines

Booking: Hotel Website

Where do we begin?

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Dreaming Stage: Social Media

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Planning Stage: Search

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Booking Stage: Website

SPEAKTo our key customer

segments on your website

OFFERPlanning tools & packages

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Putting it All Together

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WHO?Who is the target customer

segment?

WHAT?What campaign message will

resound with the target

segment and what channels

will effectively reach this

audience?

WHEN?When is the best time to reach this

target segment for the greatest

impact and ROI.

Multichannel Campaigns

Reach travel consumers at multiple touch points

with one cohesive message across the web. Build

stickiness and traction across channels and

dramatically increase revenue.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

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THE MULTICHANNEL CAMPAIGN

Campaign

Google SEM

Bing SEM

Google Display Network

Promo Hero Slide

Flash Banners

TripAdvisor Special Offer

Facebook Promoted

Post

Email

Limited Time Offer

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Multichannel CampaignsCase Study: Daylight Savings

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Bonus: Bring People

Back to the Booking

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Reservation RecoveryBring guests back to complete the booking.

Why should you try to recover abandoned bookings?

• Typical conversion rates on hotel websites are 2 – 3%

• Approximately 1/3 of website visitors initiate a booking

• Only 5% of website visitors actually complete the booking

251

7,272%

Recovered Room Nights

ROI

Case Study: 30 Days

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Capture guest booking

details, send ‘recovery’

email with a link back

into the booking

process, and recapture

that booking!

Only 5% of initiated

bookings are completed.

Email Retargeting

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Understand Last vs.

Assist Interactions Know how budget line items can work

together in the path to a booking.

Multichannel MarketingCampaigns will reach consumers at all these

touch points.

Don’t

underestimateThe path to purchase includes

multiple touch points. Don’t review

analytics in silos.

Key Takeaways

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Questions?