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Smart Use of Technology
July 10, 2007

I am overwhelmed by technology today, and my guess is that many of your customers are as well. Yet we continue to hoist more and more gadgets upon them, whether they need them or not, or whether they have actually asked for them or not.

Today, two press releases came into my in-box that, I think, are great examples of how to best use technology.

The Web site for Half Moon in Rose Hall, Jamaica is now interactive with a live chat feature. Users of www.halfmoon.com can chat live to a Half Moon service specialist when they click on the live chat link located on every page of the resort’s Web site. Available from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m., web users can ask questions, check on bookings and learn even more about the resort. This is a useful, service-based program. Congratulations to Half Moon.

There is so much to consider when marketing your hotel online—from social networking to user-generated content and the many Web applications that can cause you to do some severe head scratching about how to best deploy your marketing resources. While attending the recent HITEC conference in Orlando, I met Felix Laboy of E-site Marketing, who recently authored a white paper http://www.esitemarketing.com/web2-travel-marketing.php that provides a framework with which to evaluate, leverage and measure the various new channels and techniques made available by the Web 2.0. The report will cover: social networks; reviews, blogs, forums and message boards; media and content syndication; Web 2.0 technologies such as mashups and AJAX; as well as Measurement and ROI. Give it a read for some excellent insights.

Posted by Jeff Weinstein on July 10, 2007 | Comments (0)