Ecommerce and marketing solutions that reduce OTA reliance & increase bookings…

Gaining ground in market share isn’t the only goal for hotels and hotel chains. Keeping it  — comes in at a close second. To do that in the current industry climate, many hotels must utilize specialized e-commerce solutions to make sure all online presence and marketing resources are maximizing market share opportunities. Fuel Travel, a premier hotel marketing agency, is offering just that — website design, custom hotel apps, and marketing solutions that reduce OTA reliance & increase bookings. Plus, its COO hosts a podcast which can add some “fuel” to a resort or hotel’s marketing strategy. And the one snack you have to try. Stuart Butler, COO of Fuel Travel and host of Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, joins John Matson and Pavan Bahl in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.

 In this episode:

•  How hotels can differentiate in the market
•  Following brand standards and following the flag is more challenging, and in the end hospitality comes down to one thing: hospitality
•  Why the best marketing is hiring the right people and exceeding the expectations of guests
•  Exceptional experiences are priority, and the rest takes care of itself
•  How Butler wanted to work for NASA, originally from the UK, and how while studying physics he got into computer programming
•  Why fuel Interactive rebranded as Fuel Travel, adjusting focus to hospitality
•  The Guest Express mobile app, giving a property the ability to communicate with customers one-on-one
•  The mistakes independent hotels make when launching, how too many are people chasing the bright and shiny buzz vs. paying attention to the basics that have worked forever
•  Email marketing is still the #1 thing one can do as a property and destination property
•  Also, most hotel operators do not have a grasp of the data, or how customer acquisition is happening, or tracking the whole revenue journey
•  The focus on accessing info via mobile, with micro-periods of access, yet mobile is an afterthought for so many web designers for hotels
•  More traffic comes from mobile, but bookings are not following that yet (likely because mobile experience is not as good as desktop)
•  Good profiles are very important to connect with younger generations
•  It is unnecessary to give away massive discounts to get business if marketing is strong enough
•  Podcast helping marketing hotels with the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast
•  Aspirations for space travel, and Star Wars
•  Why marketing should be thought of as a conversation with the guest

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.