Why your primary promotion strategy should be your website

Your website is like your own PR company. They take all your calls and spread your word 24/7 without a break.

Many hoteliers believe that as long as they are doing ok with their affiliates there's no need for a website, let alone promoting themselves. This is just not true. It is very ricky to become overly dependent on any one income channel and many hotels are overly depenedent on their affiiates.

Lets not forget that most affiliates take about 10% commission on each booking.

Guests know this too, so even with zero search marketing or adword campaigns you will already see returns with guests googling the hotel name in order to get the best rates and prices.

Customers expect to be able to book on the website of the hotel they would like to stay in and would definietely be asking questions if this was not possible. In many respects, this is a matter of competitive parity as much as a competitive edge.

There are some free booking engines available, but in general you get what you pay for. These free ones are clunky awkward and not easy to use. They also tend to stick out like a sore thumb on your site as they have very personisation options.

They also charge very high rates per transaction, which is not surprising as this is how they make their money. Remember a booking engine is a long term solution and therefore a once off fee is very easy to justify.