Technology : Website development unique characteristics adapted to local preferences . Our goal is to provide users with the best platform for maximum hotel choices .”
What makes content dynamic Typically hotel websites must appeal to a variety of potential customers , and dynamic website content enhances a website ’ s ability to accomplish this by allowing the content to pivot on any predetermined variable . A website can be programmed to respond in real time to known variables essentially through “ ifthen ” statements . For example , if the user is from Saskatchewan , then the website will display a certain picture .
Dynamic content can include everything from photos and text to merchandising boxes , video and exclusive rate discounts . Ultimately this allows the website to respond to users , steering them directly to content they are most inclined to like while giving the website a better opportunity to convert a sale .
The hospitality industry is using several categories of dynamic content to best serve their customers . Locationbased dynamic content morphs based on the physical location of the website visitor . One example is automatic language translation , which makes the website immediately welcoming and suggests to the user that the hotel , resort or brand will know how to deliver a multicultural experience .
The 196-room Postcard Inn on the Beach in Saint Pete Beach , Florida , uses location-based dynamic content . The New York market is an important feeder during the winter months for the hotel . Over the course of the past winter , Postcard Inn appealed to New York City-area travelers via the familiar I NYC logo . When guests from the state visited the Postcard Inn website , they were greeted with the graphic and a link to a special offer exclusive to New York guests .
“ There was no cost to running the campaign because the functionality was already built into our website , and we experienced a 10 % increase in reservations from New York State that winter ,” says Colleen Flattery , area director of revenue management , Postcard Inn on the Beach .
The same property relies heavily on drive-market business during the summer . Using the same location-based dynamic content technology , Postcard
Postcard Inn on the Beach uses location-based dynamic content technology to offer exclusive discount deals for targeted markets , here displaying an offer for Florida and Georgia residents .
Inn created a promotional banner for its homepage touting a special rate for Florida residents , so users accessing the hotel website from Florida during the summer months see a resident rate promotion first upon viewing the website . However , the promotion was hidden for users accessing from any other location .
Tracking user content is another way to personalize the website experience with dynamic content . Website visitors express their biases when they visit different pages on a website . Moving from the home page directly to the spa page , then viewing spa offers , demonstrates a clear interest in a trip that includes some type of spa experience . More often than not , the visitor will leave the site during their research phase only to return hours or days later . With dynamic content that returning visitor can be pushed toward a conversion by being presented with a specific offer and providing confirmation they are making the right decision upon returning to the website .
When visitors use a search engine to identify a property website , they are often demonstrating bias or intent , and the website experience can be tailored to the search term that lead them to the website . Some properties are changing the pictures that display on their homepage depending on search term . Others are making slight adjustments to the description of their property , subtly positioning written content to appeal to the perceived interests of the user .
“ We invest a significant portion of our online budgets to search marketing activities — to us , it ’ s vital to make a positive first impression when those visitors first come to our site ,” says Jeff McIntyre , founder and partner , Gemstone Hotels and Resorts , Park City , Utah . Gemstone is in the process of implementing search-based dynamic targeting at a majority of its properties .
www . hotelsmag . com July / August 2014 HOTELS 57