“What makes an excellent Hotel Website” is a crucial question. Nobody nowadays can launch or have a business without considering the fact that everything that happens in “real” world pass through the virtual world. Funny, huh? Is internet some kind of new unconscious? Milliards of people are connected and communicate this way. For years now we have been making appointments, taking information, looking for inspiration, even dating, sharing information, “LOLing”, advertising, convincing through internet…
So what’s about the business world? Definitely, since many things (not to say most of them, sadly or not) are about money, the most concerned by this progress is the business world! Still, the article defends the idea that not only a business such as a Hotel should have a website but it also implies that there is a rude competition among them. Since hotel websites are the first showcases for the customers this appears to be some kind of logical. So, the article lists six criterions that a hotel owner should “respect” in order to survive in this competition.
- Socializing
This is a surprising first standard considering the title of the article. As I read it, I thought of the fact that having a website isn’t something original anymore (just as speaking English in the business world). There are sooo many websites nowadays, that really; does it have to be “excellent” as entitles it the article?! Or shouldn’t we change the strategy and try to be as present as possible on internet? Does really it still have a sense to have a good website? (it costs money…)
Socializing… Ok then. Let’s concentrate on the fact of communicating with customers and keeping in touch with them. But once you are bound to your customers and your customers are bound among them, what is the next step?! Communications are a tough field, you can not communicate with some customer in order to make him buy and then just forget him…If we consider that, you won’t be able to put it on “pause” because you could harm the sensibility of your customer. So it is really a fulltime job. Humm… Is there some kind opportunity for me in terms of looking for a job?
- Functionality
This seems to be essentially a question of money: the more you invest the better your server will be and this is how you improve the functionality of your website. So the big question seems to be “how much do you want to invest in your virtual world?” Tough question here again, because it is hard to exactly know how much you earn on it.
- Multilingualism
Well, as internet breaks the frontiers and brings everyone together you still have to make “communities”. Well, actually it is obvious that the more you personalize your offer the more you communicate efficiently with your customers. And definitely, you’d better talk the same language as your customer, even in virtual world. Multilingualism… at the end, isn’t it about socializing once again?
- Ease of use
Not everyone is used to internet and meanwhile it is an inevitable tool whatever you do. So let’s make it as easy to use as possible. And to be easy you have to, as usual with internet, stimulate your interlocutors’ senses by making your website as intuitive as possible.
- Detailed Service
Internet is not some kind of superficial tool anymore. You definitely have to sell some real values. Not only you have to describe your services on your website but from my point of view, internet should be a specific place that offers more services than your Hotel: games, promotions, interactive tools… The customer not only needs to know your offer but also needs to feel your spirit and atmosphere.
- Choice of coulors
“Somewhere, over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I've heard of”
Franck Sinatra
Once again this is about to create a feeling for the customer. But we have to be very careful with trends. As “colour” trends change often, you can’t change your website every season or year. Though…could be nice! If you can afford it…