Blog

Judy Weitz, owner of Compucast Interactive, was featured in the recent article in Southern Hospitality Magazine, “Making the Most of Your Website”, by April Chapman Thomas.

“Because more and more people have internet access and are using the Web to make their travel decisions, hotels and restaurants can no longer consider their websites as merely online billboards. These sites should always have current information and be interactive, allowing visitors to reserve online,” noted Judy Weitz of Compucast (www.compucast.com) in New Orleans, La. Compucast has designed websites and provided online marketing services for a variety of hotels, restaurants, attractions and eventsthat include Royal Sonesta, Harrah’s Casino, French Quarter Festivals, etc.

“It is important for those in the hospitality industry to fully realize the value of the Internet and how much it can contribute to their success,” Weitz adds. “A website can represent a property beautifully, but it must be found by visitors. The number one consideration is ensuring the website has visibility, meaning that people can find it easily. Geo-specific marketing is key. The site should be properly coded so it shows up in the major search engines and has incoming links from popular sites.”

Weitz recommends that all restaurants have current menus and prices on their websites, and restaurants that can accommodate group events should include floor plans with pictures and dimensions.

As for hotels, they should always have any ongoing specials or promotions included on their websites.

“Specials should be announced on the home page to entice the visitors to respond. Visitors should be allowed to subscribe to a mailing list on the website for upcoming specials, allowing the hotel to gather email addresses for future promotions.”

She continues, “Hotels offering online reservations on their websites should make online inventory management a priority. As many room types as possible should be included, encouraging the visitor to reserve online.”

Also for hotels, she highly recommends a photo gallery or a 360 tour: “Visitors using the Web to make decisions appreciate visuals.”

However, don’t get overzealous and feel like you have to add a little of everything to your property’s website. Contrary to what you may have seen online, Weitz recommends not having an intro page with nothing but graphics and a “skip intro” link.

“The Internet is an informational medium, and although it is important for your website to professionally represent your business, visitors want to see the information they seek right away. Having Flash (for animated effects) is advisable only when it is used to highlight your business, definitely not for text. Search engines cannot see Flash.”

To learn more about Southern Hospitality Magazine, click here:

http://www.southernhospitalitymagazine.com/feature_3_spring.html