Welcome to Boostly Podcast Episode 406. This is a recap of my Facebook live where I talked about how I helped this host focus on their pet-friendly niche.
Here's the audio for this episode:
Here's the video for this episode:
Timestamp
00:00 Start
00:40 Marketing Review for Heidi Ruddle
06:30 Social Media Content
09:00 My recommendations
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Visual – YouTube
Audio – Boostly Podcast
Transcript from the Episode
Welcome back to another episode of The Boostly podcast. And I'm going to do another Marketing Review live for you right here. So what is the marketing review, hosts who are part of the hospitality community, they get offered free marketing when they joined. All they do is they fill in a form, and I just pick someone at random. And I do a marketing review. And I put out a little post bespoke plan for them to be able to put into practice. But I find that when I do this, and I put it on the podcast, then I guarantee there's going to be at least one person who is watching this who can put these tactics and tips into their business as well.
Marketing Review for Heidi Ruddle
Let's go to the website, the website was one that was being created this year. And I think, looking at this having an occupancy of very high 85% But then the rate being only 80 pounds, I honestly think that first and foremost what you need to be doing is is looking at a pricing software tool I believe that you could be charging more here and so with that in mind, main bedroom one king bed you've got a single bed etc I would really look to see which pricing dynamic software tool links in. If there isn't one right now then there should be one on the way but definitely have a chat to them.
So the website itself let's go to the homepage. So spaniel cottage holiday home. So instantly from the name, I am getting vibes. This is a pet-friendly property. There we go. Now the thing for me, and I think you should be looking to do is instead of having a picture of the front of the door, I should be in my opinion from the off I have that picture of the pets fervor up to really nail down that you are a pet-friendly property and obviously a spaniel etc. Does sort of give the game away.
I love that you've put the YouTube video here on the website with a nice little bit of music. This definitely does help when other people are looking to maybe book with you at the property to a video definitely does more than just pictures.
So I think First Things First change the picture here, I would get the picture of the pets or parents. So you really do state that you are a pet-friendly accommodation. And I would get it in words as well because pictures do tell a thousand words, but it's always good to have a very clear word in here. And also as well, I say this quite a lot. On the homepage here, there is no button that is obvious to a guest to book now. So I would get a book now button here or check rates, check availability, a button right here that will drive people to the booking page. In fact, the only way to book I have to come into here when you get to the calendar, so again, what I will be looking to do, just again, we've got to make it really simple, really, really simple for guests to land on this page and then want to go and make a booking, I would in all honesty, I would get keep this and get rid of the rest. And then have it mostly on the homepage. And then have a nice big book now button that will take them to book from there.
I can see you recently doing a giveaway which is fantastic, which which is lovely. I wouldn't be putting it on your website, I'd be just focusing on having it on your social media pages, which I can see that you've been doing. So here which is great. And you've also got the Instagram as well, which really does highlight the cottage.
Social Media Content
One thing that you can do is you haven't got a lot of content. On here, what you can be doing is you can link up your Instagram, to your Facebook. So when you post on your Instagram account, it will instantly update your Facebook it just saves you a lot of time by doing so. And you can connect it up to the settings page of your Instagram account. So again, it's easy to do and it just means it'll all be synced.
Now coming on to the social media page coming on to the Facebook. Again I would be focusing here on the fact that you are pet-friendly holiday home having that that picture of the Spaniels in the booth is a great example. You can enter in a photo album, focus on the cottage so you can really fine-tune these albums and you can have one that's of the cottage one that's of the surrounding area. And if you have guest pictures that guests have shared with you, you can have a guest picture album as well.
By making it more simple to use, it really does help a guest land on your page and know instantly what you're about and who you serve best. And I think that is definitely something that I'd be looking to do.
As far as website load speed, I did a quick check on tools.pingdom.com. So I put in your URL, obviously when a test it from the UK. And it loads really, really quick. Ignore all of these, this is the main thing that you're looking for. And as long as it's loaded under three seconds. That is great work. But I really do think that the above the fold, which is what we're looking at here, that can be simplified by really nailing down as soon as somebody lands on it the picture of the Spaniels and having it as pet-friendly accommodation in Stoke Southampton.
So again, just as nailing down exactly who you are and where you are. Because the people that land on your website. And this is really important for everybody here, the people that land on your website, for the first time are going to be a recommendation is going to be social proof, as in somebody mentioned you so someone's come and stayed at your property, had a great time and has gone home and recommended you given the website. Or it's a combination of good work on social media, or you've driven them from an OTA listing back to your website.
So instantly from the off, you need to make sure that you tell everybody who you are, but most importantly, how they can book with you. And at the moment what we have on the page as president, it's not super obvious.
My recommendations
Number one, definitely start to utilize email marketing is free mailchimp.com. Number two, I would be looking at working with Bookalet to try and see if they have dynamic pricing software as a tool that they work with because I believe that your prices is too low for you. Number three, I will be linking up Facebook and Instagram so it can help you navigate away from the social media where is it that you have in the navigation of all and definitely keeping in the world of the hospitality community we've got so much more help and advice that will definitely help you but most importantly guide you and a bit of community as well.
If you would like a mock interview for your business, all you need to do is go to boostly.co.uk/review. Fill the form and I pick one person every month and you never know you might be featured on a Boostly podcast episode in the coming weeks or months. Thank you so much for stopping by and tuning in I'll be back tomorrow
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