For the last few years, the hotel industry has slowly morphed its understanding of the Internet from that of simple fascination into finally believing that the Internet is a serious, viable, and necessary medium to obtain hotel reservations. Just a few years ago, when I first started expressing my thoughts about the great Promise of the Internet for hotels, many hoteliers did not realize nor understand its true potential. 

In those early days, most hotel web sites were poorly designed and, sadly, some still are. Most of those hotel sites were designed by web masters outside the industry, who had no clue as to how to attract buyers of hotel rooms. Many did not even provide a means to make reservations online. But, thanks to the many people who did see the Internet�s potential, many more hoteliers are now solidly on the electronic channel bandwagon. 

In the past, I expressed my personal thoughts on functional web site design; simplicity versus fancy entertainment, easy navigation versus organized confusion, static photos versus animation and/or photo morphing, and good photography versus 3D virtual tours, etc. Since those early days, many hotels cleaned up their sites into more direct, more simplistic, and functional designs and have improved their booking results substantially.

To verify this, simply view some of the best examples, franchise hotel sites. These sites were designed by the new talented and knowledgeable web site designers spawned during the hotel Internet revolution, in the last few years. Thanks, also to the many new Internet Marketing Companies, created during the past few years, web design, functionality, and marketing have improved considerably. Remember when older sites were designed by the office computer guru, who lacked any understanding of marketing hotel rooms? We�ve come a long way, haven�t we?

But, we still have a long way yet to go. Internet sales have soared for everything from cars, widgets, and airline reservations to hotel rooms. Have your online reservations kept pace with your competition?  If you don�t know the answer, you�re probably not trying hard enough. There is data out there, in the form of electronic media subscription reports that will tell you that answer and much more. But, simply knowing the answer is not nearly enough. The secret to getting more Internet reservations is �Get Serious about this exciting medium�. 

Getting Serious means it�s time to finally budget electronic channel funds, just as you do for other marketing efforts. Marketing your hotel on the Internet will require an investment, but it has a great return rate. It is still more reasonable and more modest than most other forms of marketing. 

Getting Serious also means it�s time to complete your own due-diligence to fully understand your Internet customer. There is an abundance of data available for those who wish to review and use it. If you operate a franchise hotel, get serious enough to spend the time to learn from the many brilliant people on your franchise affiliation staff. Get Serious enough to learn how to get a greater share of business from the franchise web site.  Many hoteliers today simply provide site information to the franchise and forget about it. Smart hoteliers make consistent changes in information to take advantage of seasons, promotions, franchise programs, etc. 

If you are wise enough to also have your own web site, Get Serious enough to assign someone with the task of maximizing search engine results for your site(s). Your site is meaningless until people find it. Pay-per-click almost always provides an excellent ROI. Check with one or more of the very talented Internet Marketing Consultants out there. Fees are usually reasonable and sometimes even guaranteed. 

Get Serious about your Internet sales program, your competition is.