web 2.0 tools in promotion and sales of hotel accommodation 2013
TRANSCRIPT
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WEB 2.0 TOOLS IN PROMOTION AND SALES OF HOTEL
ACCOMMODATION ON THE EXAMPLE OF SMALL FAMILY
HOTEL
D. CarevLibertas Business SchoolTrg J. F. Kennedya 6b, 10000 Zagreb
Telephone: +3851 2442 595Mob: +385 98 216 180
e-mail: [email protected]
Abstract:
Tourism and hospitality industry is highly competitive. In the multitude of similar products andservices offered, in terms of sales of hotel services, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish services
which guests will recognize and which will induce them to purchase a product. Any help in this regardis an opportunity the hoteliers should not miss and why Web 2.0 in this case is a welcome opportunity.
The article defines the term Web 2.0 and explores opportunities for its use in the promotion and salesof hotel accommodation. Elements of Web 2.0 that are stressed out in the paper include a blog, socialnetworking, online video applications, tools for photo sharing, Mashups, satellite navigation andTagging.
Each element is explained in a way to present the possibilities and potentials in its usage in the hotelindustry. Emphasis is placed on the potential of economic growth of hotel accommodation sales andadditional hotel promotions, by presenting some advantages and disadvantages.
In order to fully explore the possibilities of Web 2.0 tools their practical applicability in the hotelindustry was tested on the example of a small family-run hotel on the Croatian coast.
Testing will demonstrate that the participation of hoteliers in creating Web content using Web 2.0brings lower marketing costs, acquisition of new customers and at the same time retention of existingguests, increase in productivity and possibilities of quickly launching new products and services to themarket.
Finally, the article outlines future research perspectives in finding the optimal use of Internetapplications in the hotel industry, and reveals the potential for employment of an Internet Marketing
Specialist in the hotel sales department, as a new member of the sales team.
Key words:
Web 2.0; Hotel Industry; Hotel Sales and Marketing, Small Family Hotel, Internet MarketingSpecialist
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INTRODUCTION
Hoteliers today are the most frequent users of new technologies. They are mostly obliged to
be so due to the fierce competition and large number of similar products in their market
sector. In order to make themselves different and attract potential guests to their hotel, their
usage of web tools is becoming increasingly more frequent. The term Web 2.0 denotes a trend
of different ways of creating, demonstrating and searching web content.1Wikipedia defines
Web 2.0 as a trend in the World Wide Web technology based on the socialising aspect that
enables users to participate in the creation of web content. The term reflects a new version,
the second generation of the Web and hosting services, which instead of a one-directional
information flow, means an interactive two-directional communication between users and the
computer or other users, by which the user becomes an active participant, as opposed to apassive one.2
In other words, it means that the communication between internet users is intensified, which
leads service providers, in this case, hotels and hotel employees to take a more active
approach towards guests and the market on the whole. Therefore the user-provider
relationship, apart from classical communication channels such as face-to-face
communication, telephone conversation or e-mail correspondence, is also including an
interactive communication, social network, web pages designed to share various contents etc.
All of the mentioned can today be named Web 2.0 tools.
1. WEB 2.0 TOOLS, A STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
The basic advantages of Web 2.0 include openness, freedom and collective intelligence. 3
Wikipedia specifies that the users can use applications completely via the web browser
therefore the web is defined as a platform where users have control over data on a certain
page. The very architecture of Web 2.0 encourages the users to make a contribution to a web
content or application during their usage. This is why their usage is a challenging tool the
hoteliers can use in additional promotion and improvement of their services.
The constituents of Web 2.0 are different internet applications. However, for the purpose of
this paper, we shall name only the ones that are considered to have potential in hotel
1
Wikipedia, Socialbookmarking, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking(03/06/2013)2Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0(03/06/2013)3Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0(03/06/2013)
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promotion and sales such as blog, social networks, online video applications, photo sharing
tools, social bookmarking, Mashups, satellite navigation and Tagging.
1.1. BLOG
Blog is a term relating to personal diary written on the web in a reverse chronological order of
the content. It can be personal or informative (in a form of a magazine or relating to subject
matter), and is usually kept by individuals who regularly write down their opinions,
observations, critical reviews or other forms of content of their personal interests.4
Blogs can also be connected into groups, thematically or with regard to the domain they are
located on, in which case they are called blogospheres. 5A blogosphere is a community of
internet users who participate in blog creation, and blogging frequent writing of blogs andcommenting on other people's blogs.6
Hoteliers use blogs in promotion especially when they host famous journalists travel
writers, who describe the places they visited on their journey, and may write a positive story
about the hotel for a relatively small expense (free dinner, free accommodation in the hotel
etc.). By using the communities that follow bloggers, the hotels receive additional attention
and possibility sell their services to a wider circle of internet users.
Moreover, the hoteliers have more frequently started following web pages such as
TripAdvisor or Booking.com. The reasons for this are the comments guest leave on the web
pages. Even though these do not represent a classical form of a blog, relating more perhaps to
social bookmarking7, such statements on the internet are extremely important because they
form guests' impressions and directly influence the long-term hotel profitability. Namely,
each negative comment published for whatever reason on the web pages, can put off a
potential guest who chooses their next destination. If the hotels are oblivious to such
comments, they are risking a creation of a chain of related negative comments and a long-
term loss of competitiveness.
This is why it is highly advisable for the hoteliers to follow internet publications and
statements, either on blogs or on other pages containing comments by hotel guests. Criticism
4Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0(03/06/2013)5Wikipedia, Blog, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog(03/06/2013)6
Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0(03/06/2013/)7Social bookmarking is a blog or a weblog comprising a series of wen publications, most frequently in achronological order in which the latest content is at the top of the page.
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or poor rating create bad publicity, and on the other hand they present a good source of
information on how to improve services to guests, and on how to reverse the trend and build a
new positive surrounding for the hotel. The various research aimed at analysing guest loyalty
has shown that the cost of keeping a loyal guest comprises only a 20% of the cost of attracting
a new one, i.e. the increase of 5% in guest loyalty rate creates an increased return of 25 to 125
per cent.8Therefore, a hotel that can increase the number of returning guests from 35 to 45
per cent should have an increase on turnover by at least 25%. The data clearly states how
important it is to make an effort to keep the satisfaction of a guest upon check-out, so that
they would spread good word and finally return.
1.2. SOCIAL NETWORKS
Promotion via social networks can shortly be defined as a company strategy aimed at
motivating potential buyers (target segments) to mutually share information on a voluntary
and free basis about a product or service, to comment and like them and in that way create
as much visibility as possible of a promotional message to a great number of potential
buyers.9
Key advantages of promotion via social networks are: word-of-mouth, two-directional
communication, relatively small maintenance costs, prompt feedback.10 Quality
communication via social networks significantly contributes to image and to the ways guests
perceive the services offered by hotels. From all the popular social media today, Facebook,
Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., the most frequently used in the world as well as in Croatia is
Facebook.11
In this approach, as with any other media, the appearance on Facebook demands a well-
devised strategy. The first step is certainly creating a Facebook page.
8Kotler P. et al. (2010)Marketing u ugostiteljstvu, hotelijerstvu i turizmu, etvrto izdanje (eng. Marketing incatering, hospitality and tourism, fourth edition), Mate d.o.o. Zagreb.9Plavljani, B. (2012) Povijest drutvenih mrea (The history of social networks),http://www.pcchip.hr/ostalo/povijest-drustvenih-mreza(27/06/2012)10Paliaga M. and Mihovilovi J. (2013) Marketing putem drutvenih mrea (Marketing via social networks),http://www.markopaliaga.com/userfiles/file/Microsoft%20PowerPoint%20%20Social%20marketing%20network1%20%5BCompatibility%20Mode%5D(1).pdf(16/06/2013)11Dupli S. (2013) Internet 2012. u brojkama: 144 milijarde emailova svakog dana, a prosjean Facebooker je
star 40 godina (Internet 2012 in numbers: 144 billion of emails every day, and an average Facebooker is 40years old), http://www.netokracija.com/internet-2012-u-brojkama-144-milijarde-emailova-svakog-dana-a-prosjecan-facebooker-je-star-40-godina-43477(16/06/2013)
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Content design on such a page usually includes uploading photographs of the hotel and
services it offers, then of various social events taking place in the hotel, whether regularly or
occasionally, such as music evenings, fashion shows, exhibitions, gastronomy evenings etc.,
of persons, employees, guests along with a comment describing the photograph. One of the
studies has shown that people on social networks best react on photographs. 44% of
respondents answered that they are more easily interested in a brand if the brand uploads
photos on a social network. In the modern world in which a customer is exposed to attempts
of many companies and brands on a daily basis who are trying to sell their products in the best
possible way, a picture is successful because it presents short information, a trailer of the
product itself, an insight into what a customer can expect if he or she uses it. Due to the fast-
paced life, social network users spend less and less time reading every word, and more time
watching the visual content alongside the text. Since with the creation of social networks the
users finally obtained a platform on which to express their emotions toward a product,
consequently the subsequent research has also shown that they react best on visual
demonstration.12Because of this a hotel Facebook page represents an ideal place to publish as
many different photographs of the hotel and its services. Furthermore, the same page can
serve to promote the destination at which the hotel is located through a presentation of the
photographs of the destination, surrounding attractions and excursions, in order to sufficiently
interest a potential guest in additional activities. Alongside regular publishing of interesting
news and information about the hotel, events, visits etc. the page should also serve as a bridge
for direct inquiries of those interested, which can be made through contact details of the hotel.
It should also be mentioned that this paper will not carry out a deeper analysis of the
possibilities offered by promoting a hotel on social media, because connecting with users and
attracting their attention and trust requires a lot of effort, creativity and innovativeness. In any
case, the example of a small family-run hotel in chapter two will show the benefits of using
social media.
1.3. ONLINE VIDEO APPLICATIONS
Many web pages contain online applications that provide the service of editing video
contents. These applications are not rich in programming possibilities, as would be the case
with a programme solution installed on a personal computer. However, these are a good
12
Profitiraj.hr (2012) Evo na to ljudi na drutvenim mreama najbolje reagiraju (Here is what people on socialnetworks react best to), http://www.profitiraj.hr/novosti/evo-na-sto-ljudi-na-drustvenim-mrezama-najbolje-reagiraju/(16/06/2013)
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solution to all internet users because they allow easy upload of video contents directly on the
web page without additional costs for the users.
One of the most well-known of these tools is the YouTube web page 13. The launch of
YouTube started in 2005 as a different type of service in this case an online service forvideo contents, through which users can upload, watch and share video contents with other
users. Such a web page enables users to show various video contents, including movie
extracts, TV excerpts, music videos, as well as amateur contents.14Its fast growth is owed to
the needs of the market and social networks on which videos can be followed via a direct link
uploaded by friends. This is why YouTube became a global network for exchanging video
contents, and in that regard an ideal tool for hotels due to the simplicity of uploading
promotional video clips available to all internet users.
In that respect the hotels use YouTube mainly as a place to publish their professionally made
videos, with which they present the hotel and all its facilities from the point of view of quality
of service, equipment and decor of the rooms and premises, interior decoration and design,
ambience, location and especially the exterior appearance.
1.4. PHOTO SHARING TOOLS
Sharing photographs means publishing or transferring digital photographs of users on the
internet, by which a user can share them with others (publically or privately). The function is
enabled either via a web page or an application that supports transfer and upload of
photographs. Sharing means that other users can browse through the photographs, but at the
same time they do not have to download them on their devices, which basically provides users
with a choice of different authorship rights.15
Some of the best-known photo sharing tools are Picasa, Instagram, SmugMug, Yahoo!
Fotografije, Flickr etc. We can also list Foursquare here (a location-based social network),
along with Gowalla, FacebookPlaces etc.
Due to the simplicity of usage and no additional costs, hoteliers use these tools on a more
frequent basis because they provide the exchange of photographs among different users. This
primarily refers to downloading large format hotel photographs by business partners such as
13
YoutTube, http://www.youtube.com/ (22/06/2013)14Wikipedia, YouTube, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube(22/06/2013)15Wikipedia, Photo sharing, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_sharing(22/06/2013)
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tour operators, travel agencies etc., which creates multiple benefits. Firstly, the partners can
download high-resolution photographs (several megabytes per photograph), they can
independently choose the ones they like best and can use them however they please.
1.5. MASHUPS
Mashups are interactive web applications leaning on external information sources in order to
create a completely new content and services. The concept entails a simple, quick integration
of data, often using open interfaces for application programming and data sources.16This, in
fact, means that different content can be integrated in a simple way on the internet pages.
The main characteristics of Mashup are combination, visualisation and gathering of data17.
This is extremely important in order for existing data to be subsequently used for personal or
professional purposes. Mashups can be considered to play an active role in evolution of social
software and Web 2.0 tools. An example of the interactive web application is GoogleMaps
Panoramio.
Hoteliers use it to upload photographs of different hotel facilities on their web pages and
make them more available to a wider circle of potential visitors. They are also a good tool to
publish interesting photographs from everyday life in the hotel that include various events,
manifestations, hotel guests etc.
1.6. SATELLITE NAVIGATION
Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) is a standard generic term for satellite navigation
systems (Sat Nav), providing an autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage.
GNSS enables small electronic receivers to determine their location (longitude, latitude and
altitude) to within a few metres using time signals transmitted along a line-of-sight by radio
from satellites. Receivers calculate the precise time as well as position, which can be used as a
reference for scientific experiments.18
As a tool in additional promotion of a hotel they can serve a true purpose if a hotel is
appropriately positioned on all geographical maps (GoogleMaps etc.) and if its location is
accurate. This includes specifying accurate information on the rating and capacity of the hotel,
16Wikipedia, Mashup, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(digital)(22/06/2013)17
Wikipedia, Mashup, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(digital)(22/06/2013)18Wikipedia, Globalni navigacijski satelitski sustavi (eng. Global Navigation Satelite System),http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalni_navigacijski_satelitski_sustavi(22/06/2013)
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telephone contact numbers, additional services etc. so that users could manage more easily
and successfully reach their destination while browsing through different web services.
1.7. TAGGING
Tagging can be defined as a practice of creating and managing tags that categorise contents by
use of simple words. It is usually used in blogs, where authors provide keyword descriptions
(tags) to pages in order to identify pictures of text within their web page as a category or
topic. Web pages and blogs with identical tags can connect in this way, which allows users to
browse through similar or connected contents. If tags are made publically, then online pages
that act as web-based tags can be indexed. Tags can then be created by use of words,
abbreviations and numbers.19
In practice it actually means tagging of the word hotel xy in any text in which this key word
is connected to the proper web page of the hotel and based on which it becomes more visible
and accessible to a wider circle of users.
Considering everything mentioned so far it can be deducted that Web 2.0 tolls have a specific
marketing potential. What exactly the potential is will be shown on an example of a small
family-run hotel located in the southern part of the Makarska seaboard.
2. WEB 2.0 TOOLS IN PROMOTION AND SALES OF THE BELLA
VISTA HOTEL IN DRVENIK (THE MAKARSKA RIVIERA)
The Bella Vista hotel is a 4-star hotel situated in Drvenik, 28 km south of Makarska. It was
built in 2008 in a typical Croatian coastal style and is adorned by elegance, high quality and
variety of amenities.20
The hotel is characterised as a small family hotel with a total capacity of 33 luxuriously
equipped rooms and 7 comfortable suites. Other hotel amenities include a restaurant, summer
terrace with a bar and a wellness comfort zone (whirlpool, sauna and fitness centre).
Drvenik is an inshore small town on the Makarska seaboard belonging to the municipality of
the town Gradac. It consists of two districts Gornja (upper) and Donja (lower) Vala, with a
mutual distance of about one kilometre. The Bella Vista hotel is situated in Gornja Vala at a
19Wikipedia, Tag (metadata), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_(metadata)(23/06/2013)20Hotel Bella Vista, text downloaded from http://www.hotelbellavista.hr(15/06/2013)
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distance of 50 m from the sea and it only operates in season, from beginning of April to the
end of October.
As such, the hotel represents an excellent choice for testing the possibilities of Web 2.0 tools
in promotion and sales. Namely small hotels, due to their small capacity, are limited in termsof financial possibilities of investing in classical media such as TV, radio, print etc. But they
are flexible in all other aspects and are trying to use all opportunities offered by internet
technology, in order to diminish the disadvantage and get closer to a wider circle of users.
As previously mentioned the advantages of the Web 2.0 tools are openness, freedom and
collective intelligence, which in fact means that they are free and open for all users who can
easily use them to generate internet content according to their own interests. It is a
revolutionary technology because it enables all users an equal access to text and content
editing on the internet. This is the reason why they have become so attractive to small family
hotels, providing them with an opportunity to approach all customers and thus compete with
other hotels, even the large capacity ones and those who have greater financial capabilities.
The research conducted by the Institute for Tourism in 2010 about the ways in which an
average guest obtains information either about the hotel or a destination shows that 26,8% of
the total number of respondents obtains all information on the Internet.21This in fact confirms
the significance of the internet as a global medium, and provides the reason why in the next
chapters we will show the results of testing the possibilities of Web 2.0 tools in the promotion
and sales of the Bella Vista hotel.
2.1. BLOG
The example of the Bella Vista hotel has shown that blog usage has no effect on hotel
promotion. To be clearer, the hotel has not found adequate in any of its promotional activities
to use blog as a toll for additional promotion. Reasons for that are manifold. Firstly, the hotel
does not have a sufficient capacity in human resources to engage individual employees to
regularly publish personal diaries of the hotel and thus animate a wider audience. On the other
hand, the hotel has had the opportunity on several occasions to welcome journalists travel
writers on their tours through the southern parts of Croatia and it should be mentioned that
21
orak, S., Marui, Z. i suradnici (2011) Tomas ljeto 2010 - stavovi i potronja turista u Hrvatksoj, CroTour2011, Institu za turizam Hrvatske (eng. Tomas summer 2010 attitudes and expenditure of tourists in Croatia,Cro Tour 2011, Croatian Institutie for Tourism)
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their potential in additional promotion or sales of capacities has never meant a significant step
forward, which in fact shows its lack of worth in a wider context of hotel promotion and sales.
Where the hotel actually has seen its potential has been in the blogospheres, i.e. TripAdvisor
web page.22TripAdvisor.com is a travel web page providing clients with information abouttravel, publishing reviews and opinions related to travelling and participating in forums.23
TripAdvisor gained prominence through its early acceptance of user-generated content,
meaning that the web services are free for users, who can edit most of the contents, while the
page itself is financed through an advertising business model. Such an approach turned the
web page into a popular site for publishing various travel information and reviews, so it also
contains information and reviews of the Bella Vista hotel.
So far the Bella Vista hotel has gained a total of 7 reviews and 57% of positive ratings on the
TripAdvisor web page, which are shown on Picture 1. These present a good source of
additional information for the hotel about guest experiences, and also a place where guests
can directly search for the best prices on three different internet portals, thus generating
additional reservation for the hotel.
Picture 1: Hotel Bella Vista, TripAdvisor web page
22http://www.tripadvisor.com/23Wikipedia, TripAdvisor, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TripAdvisor(25/06/2013)
Source: Downloaded from http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1959798-d1973605-Reviews-Hotel_Bella_Vista-Drvenik_Split_Dalmatia_County_Dalmatia.html (23/06/2013)
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For the Bella Vista hotel the benefits of regular browsing through these comments are
unquestionable because they enable tracking results and timely reactions to them, taking care
that the hotel image is always positive. Namely, it is advantageous that a hotel representative
can reply to each comment, including the negative ones, thus protecting the image and the
reputation of the hotel.
Besides, the web page provides the hotel with a direct access to editing content via the
Management Centre. This tool enables hotels to regularly update information on the hotel, add
photographs, and generate additional content with which to attract more users to visit their
web page. For this reason we can conclude that the example of the Bella Vista hotel has
shown that the usage of a blogosphere in the form of the TripAdvisor.com web page is the
most useful and quintessential in further hotel sales and promotion.
2.1. SOCIAL NETWORKS
The Bella Vista hotel has been present on Facebook web pages since 2011. In the beginning
the hotel used Facebook to publish photographs and description of available services for
guests. The page has subsequently evolved and today it is a site for the hotel to publish all
social events, promotional activities and daily communication with guests.
On picture 2 it can be noticed that until today the hotel page has gathered 432 likes, had 363
visits and that a total of 59 users commented on its contents. Even though at first glance these
numbers are unimpressive, it needs to be considered that the hotel operates only one part of
the year, on account of which administrator's activities are reduced, and with them also the
visits and comments by users over the year.
In any case, during the opening hours of the hotel, from April until October, all information
about the hotel is regularly updated in forms of video excerpts or photographs of guests
during their stay. The mentioned activities are primarily promotional. On the other hand, the
hotel also regularly publishes special promotions and discounts for its Facebook fans in order
to motivate additional sales of its capacities through this distribution channel. In May 2013
two of such promotion activities have been undertaken. Each user who made the reservation
within this promotional period could enjoy the benefits of discounted accommodation,
welcome drink and free hotel services such as parking, usage of the internet corner and
WLAN in the lobby, and also the usage of the sauna, whirlpool and fitness centre.
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Picture 2: Bella Vista hotel, Facebook page
The promotional activity was aimed exclusively at Facebook fans, but their end result was
questionable. Namely, the promotion did not generate the desired sales, but only positive
reactions of the users in terms of likes and shares. The first reason for these results can be
sought in unappealing arrival dates offered, because the majority of individual guest travel in
the second half of June until September, i.e. in peak tourism season, making the interest fortravelling in the periods offered slightly lower. However, it should be noted that the hotel's
Facebook page is still primarily a place for direct communication with guests and a place for
additional promotion of the hotel, and its potential as a direct channel of hotel accommodation
sales is insignificant or very low.
This is why the Bella Vista hotel will use its Facebook page in the future mainly as a place for
hotel promotion and quality brand building, and less as a place for direct sales.
2.3. ON-LINE VIDEO APPLICATIONS
On the YouTube web page there are currently three videos shown in Picture 3.
Although the shown videos in reality are that of the Bella Vista hotel, the fact is that none of
them were professionally made in the way that they were officially commissioned and
authorised by the hotel management in order to use the video materials in the best possible
way for promotion of the quality of service, equipment and decor of the areas, interior
decoration and design, ambience and the exterior of the hotel.
Source: Downloaded from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotel-Bella-Vista/223403511022046?fref=ts (23/06/2013)
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The first two videos come from independent sources. The first one shows hotel rooms
recorded with an amateur video camera and additionally edited. The second one is made as a
slideshow of photographs of the hotel. The third video presents an areal view of the hotel
made by a professional video camera in June 2013.
Picture 3: Youtube.com search results for hotel Bella Vista Drvenik
.
From the above mentioned it can be seen that the Bella Vista hotel has not used this
promotion channel to the full extent. Namely, due to the non-existence of a professionally
made video an opportunity was missed to present the hotel to a wider circle of internet users
in a well-designed and effective way. This is also why there isn't a connection that would
enable the followers of its Facebook page to connect with YouTube that would show the
videos.
Taking everything into consideration the conclusion is that the Bella Vista hotel should not
further ignore the power of YouTube. Transmitting video contents on the internet containing
everything that the hotel can offer is one of the most effective methods of additional
promotion and generating interest of users for the hotel services. In that respect it is advisable
to create a series of video clips that would show rooms and other hotel facilities, than to tag
each video connected to other video clips from the series. In this way, should viewers be
interested in what they see, it might make them click on the other links. Later on, the
connection of the links with the hotel web page, responsible for providing additional
Source: Downloaded fromhttp://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hotel+bella+vista+drvenik&oq=hotel+bella+vista+drven&gs_l=youtube.3.0.33i21.140233.146591.0.148193.25.20.0.5.5.1.438.2686.8j7j4j0j1.20.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.Gr-VrZ88jHk (01/07/2013)
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information of the hotel, will certainly present a true path toward using this tool to its full
extent.
2.4. PHOTO-SHARING TOOLS
As previously mentioned, photo sharing means publishing or transferring digital photographs
of users on the internet. In this case, it is about transferring photographs of the Bella Vista
hotel on the internet via Web 2.0 tools.
In this aspect the hotel uses Flickr.com web page. Flickr page represents a site for uploading
photographs and video contents and other web services that was developed by Ludicorp in
2004 and taken over by Yahoo in 2005.24Apart from being a popular web page for users in
terms of sharing and presenting their own photographs, the page is widely used by photoreporters and photo bloggers who use the page to upload their photographs and then link them
to their blogs and social web pages. In 2011 Yahoo announced that Flickr had a total of 51
million registered members and 80 million individual visits, i.e. that the page hosts over 6
billion photographs, and the numbers are likely to grow.25
Picture 4: Flickr web page with the user Bella Vista hotel
24Wikipedia, Flickr, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr(30.06.2013.)25Wikipedia, Flickr, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr(30.06.2013.)
Source: Downloaded from http://www.flickr.com/ (30/07/2013/)
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The Bella Vista hotel chose Flickr for several reasons, the first being the simplicity of use. By
drag & drop action large format photographs are easily uploaded on the page, which due to
a large number of page users enables greater availability. The page also provides photo
browsing via creating galleries or groups of users. Another possibility is also creating lists of
contacts with email addresses and connecting users directly to the link with photographs.
Bella Vista hotel finds the best benefits in this approach because it enables it to transfer large
format photographs directly on the internet, from where all its partners such as tour operators
or travel agencies can download them without difficulties. This significantly reduces previous
activities of sending photographs by regular mail on a CD or via email.
This activity also enables partners to choose the photographs they want to present, which
certainly creates additional advantages. Another advantage of the Flickr web page worthmentioning is the possibility of linking to social web pages and tagging photographs with the
geographical area via World Map.
The above mentioned shows that the Bella Vista hotel uses this Web 2.0 tool sufficiently.
Even though there has not been a direct benefit in terms of increase in hotel accommodation
sales, the benefits of this tool are for promotional purposes because it facilitates greater
visibility and availability of large format photographs on the internet, also the exchange of the
photographs with business partners, and the whole internet community. Such benefits are
reasons enough for the hotel to continue using the Flickr web service.
2.5. MASHUPS
Among the interactive web applications, the Bella Vista hotel uses GoogleMaps, i.e. its
application Panoramio.
Panoramio in fact is a web page designed for sharing photographs, oriented on the
geographical location.26 It allows all photographs uploaded via the Google service
(GoogleMaps and GoogleEarth), which are easily added to the page at the end of each month.
The aim of the page is to facilitate GoogleEarth users to learn more about a certain
geographical area by browsing through photographs made by other users.
The application is useful for the hotel because it provides a direct linking of photographs with
the geographical location they were taken on and because of this it includes the wider area
such as the surroundings, beaches, natural sites and other locations. This provides them with a26Wikipedia, Panoramio, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panoramio(01/07/2013)
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certain tone of informality and fun, as well as a useful tool of getting to know the broader
destination. An additional attraction is browsing through photographs uploaded by other
users.
Picture 5: Panoramio web page, the Bella Vista hotel
Usefulness of the application in terms of hotel accommodation sales cannot be measured, but
it certainly has particular advantages relating to hotel promotion and because of that it is a
tool that the hotel will continue to use in the future, if for no other purpose then for creating a
better image and recognisability of the destination though regular updates of photographs.
2.6. SATELLITE NAVIGATION
As satellite navigation enables small electronic receivers to geographically determine their
location (longitude, latitude and altitude), the Bella Vista hotel recognised the benefits of
using these devices long ago, and started to use this Web 2.0 tool earlier than any other tool.
The use entails accurate positioning of the hotel on GoogleMaps along with providing basic
information about the hotel such as the address, telephone number and a link to the hotel's
web page. The location itself on the map is followed by several interesting photographs. The
details are shown in picture 6.
Source: dowloaded fromhttp://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt=43.153324&ln=17.261501&z=1&k=2&a=1&tab=1&pl=all/ (30/07/2013)
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Picture 6: GoogleMaps, the Bella Vista hotel
All these data are managed through GooglePlaces, whereby opening a free user account
facilitates adding more information such as hotel description, currency, services, room
equipment, opening hours etc.
Besides, GooglePlaces provides users with analytical data on impressions and activities of
those who visit the location of the hotel (Picture 7), as well as the details on the ways in which
the visitors reached the hotel location (Picture 8).
Picture 7: Analytical overview of searching the location of the Bella Vista hotel in the period
between 4 June and 2 July 2013.
Source: Downloaded from http://www.google.com/local/add/analytics?storeid/ (04/07/2013)
Source: Downloaded from https://maps.google.com/ (02/07/2013)
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Picture 7 shows that the location of the Bella Vista hotel attracted the greatest amount of
activities between 26 June and 28 June. But the most interesting data is shown on picture 8.
Picture 8: Analytical overview of Google activity between 4 June and 2 July 2013.
Picture 8 shows that between 6 June and 2 July 2013 a total of 53,764 times was the Bella
Vista hotel shown as result of Google or GoogleMaps search. From that, most views were
those of searching the area itself and the bay in which the hotel is located.
Furthermore, the same search resulted in 435 activities, 377 of which were clicks for more
information on the map and 58 of which were clicks on the hotel web page. The latter
indicator is especially interesting because it shows how many users continued to search for
information about the hotel. Considering that in the mentioned period there were 24
reservation inquiries via the hotel's web page, we can assume that this Web 2.0 tool is useful.
From all the above we can conclude that satellite navigation as part of the Web 2.0 tools is
absolutely perspective in a joint promotion and sales of hotel accommodation. Promotional
activity was carried out via an accurate location on the internet map, containing basic
information about the hotel, available to a wide circle of users. On the other hand, the benefits
for sales have been shown through the activities of redirecting Google web page users to the
hotel web page. Here additional information is displayed and direct reservation inquiries can
be made, which serves to fill hotel capacities and generates additional income.
Source: Downloaded from http://www.google.com/local/add/analytics?storeid/ (04/07/2013.)
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2.7. TAGGING
Tagging is actually marking of the words Bella Vista hotel in any text that connects the key
word with the hotel's web page, due to which it becomes more visible and accessible to a
wider circle of users.
By making a keyword search of
hotel bella vista drvenik croatia
shown in Picture 9, the search
engine is showing a total of about
20,500 results, the first of which is
the hotel web page. This shows that
the web page is well positioned in
terms of keyword, and easily
accessible to all users.
It should also be mentioned that
tagging key words in terms of
promotion is functional as long as
the web page is at the top of the
search result list, making it visible
to other users. In the same way,
hotel sales will be successful as
long as the users are directed to the
hotel web page where they can
make inquiries and reservations of
the accommodation.
All the above mentioned with the
example of the Bella Vista hotel can
lead to a conclusion that this tool
has well found its practical
usefulness and has proven to be one
of the important elements in attracting users to the hotel web page with a possibility of
making direct reservation inquiries, which will result in filling hotel capacities and generatingadditional income.
Picture 9.: Key word search results
Source: Downloaded from http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&q=hotel+bella+vista+drvenik+croatia&oq=hotel+bella+vista+drvenik+cro&gs_l=hp.3.0.0.3266.20270.0.21765.52.25.11.16.19.4.705.8207.0j7j5j7j1j4j1.25.0....0...1c.1.19.psy-ab.i t bGHvA& bx=1&bav=on.2,or.r f.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.
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CONCLUSION
The aim of the entire research was to determine the possibilities of using Web 2.0 tools in the
sales and promotion of hotel accommodation on the example of the Bella Vista hotel, situated
in the southern part of the Makarska seaboard. Testing individual tools has shown that Web2.0 provides a significant economic potential. On the one hand it is a socialising element
because it facilitates socialisation via the Internet. On the other hand it is a financial element
because the service providers are offered a space for promotion, i.e. generating income. The
financial aspect is also used by the users themselves, and the example of that is the small
family hotel, which studies customer habits via Web 2.0 tools and accommodates its
marketing activities according to each individual guest. This joint common interest is the
basis of the success of the Web 2.0 tool concept.
A hotel that does not invest in nor accepts technological innovations is handicapped in the
start in relation to its competitors who accept them. This is important because the habits and
needs of guests are changing, and technological innovations promptly react to those changes.
Testing the usefulness of Web 2.0 tools on the example of the Bella Vista hotel has shown
that the greatest benefits for hotel promotion come from blogospheres in view of the
TripAdvisor web page and the Facebook social network page. On the other hand for the
improvement of hotel accommodation sales the most beneficial have been satellite navigation,tagging and again TripAdvisor.com. The first two tools are significant because they redirect
the users to the hotel web page and open the possibilities for direct accommodation inquiries
generating new reservations. Again, the TripAdvisor web page is useful because it enables
users a simultaneous search for the best hotel prices on at least three different internet portals.
The search is simple and enables searching through dates of arrival and length of stay with
listing of the most favourable prices. Based on their choices the users are directly redirected to
the web pages via which they can make direct accommodation reservations. In this way thehotel has better chances of becoming successful in filling their capacities and generating
higher income.
Furthermore, the testing of Web 2.0 tools has shown that the participation of the Bella Vista
hotel in creating web content creates the following:
Reduction of marketing costs, because almost all the used tools are free and easily
accessible to users, and without greater investment the attention is turned from
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traditional marketing methods (e.g. TV, radio, print etc) to the hotel web page, social
networks, blogs and other online contents.
Expanding customer base and creating long-term relationships with existing guests
because the information about the hotel and its services are available to all internet
users. Also the use of Web 2.0 tools, especially blogospheres and social web pages,
makes the communication more interactive, more familial and intense, especially after
the guests have already stayed in the hotel.
Increase in productivity and facilitation of a faster launch of new products and
services on the market.Namely, increase in productivity is reflected in the increase of
visits to the hotel web page, which is a result of redirecting users from other web
pages. This creates real possibilities for an increase in hotel accommodation sales,
together with an increase in income. Also, the technological innovations help make
new products and services become more visible at the very instant they appear on the
internet, enabling the hotel to be innovative in its products and to react in each
moment in order to keep pace with the competition or even get ahead of it.
All the above leads to a conclusion that testing the Web 2.0 tools on the example of the Bella
Vista hotel has been successful. Even though not all tools have the same effect on successful
promotion and sales of the hotel accommodation, the use of the internet applications in hoteloperations is quite meaningful and has a long-term positive perspective. The question
logically imposed here is who should administer web applications for hotels and should there
be a professional degree for such a job?
Nevertheless, the clear fact is that the Bella Vista hotel, with a total capacity of 40 rooms,
employs 19 people in peak season, one of which is in charge of sales and marketing
operations, and in this case this was also the person who was responsible for administering
web applications. However, in larger hotels, offering a wider range of products and services,there is a suggestion for a permanent employment of an Internet Marketing Specials, i.e.
Online Community Manager. The person should be creative, with prominent analytical
capabilities and knowledge in marketing, public relations, journalism and even diplomatic
skills in order to use all the possibilities of Web 2.0 tools in the most effective way. Daily
online communication with guests, sales improvement and a quality brand and image
development of the hotel would be their main tasks. Further possibilities and perspectives of
employing a person of such a profile are a topic for future research.
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