New: Google Sidewiki - Chance or Curse for Hotel Online Marketers?

Google has just launched it's new product Sidewiki as part of the Google toolbar. With Sidewiki people can leave their comments on any website, page or part of the site's content.
It has to be seen how popular the product will be, since one has to be using the Google toolbar and logged into their account in order to comment. However, it is certainly going to have an impact on hotel and tourism online marketing strategies.



Negative comments won't be tucked away on community and special interest sites like Tripadvisor anymore but can be found alongside your brand or individual hotel website, exactly in the very spot where you are trying very hard to convert a website visitor into a booker. Sidewiki could also be open to abuse by competitors, of course.
Sounds like Sidewiki could become quite a curse for hotel and tourism marketers. But why not see it as a chance as well? After all, if your product convinces and people leave positive comments, this may just tip an undecided visitor over and make them book.

Like most things in life this innovation has advantages and disadvantages and you can see the glass as being half full or half empty. I think, Google Sidewiki is just another step towards the truly transparent and collaborative web. Use it wisely!

More information and download Google Sidewiki.

Why think twice before using audio on your hotel website

Have you ever been at the office surfing the web peacefully. Then, accessing a website, suddenly your otherwise quiet room filled with music blasting from your speakers. Every single one of your colleagues looked - a knowing smile on their faces? I'm sure you have. And what did you do immediately - without even thinking? You hit the 'back' button of your browser. You could have tried to figure out how to work the usually well-hidden audio controls on the site. But you didn't!

This is why hotels should not use audio on their websites. The only exception would be if the sound was set to mute and the user chooses to switch it on.

Audio on websites is intrusive. In a recent survey, 87% of web users said they found ads that play music or sound frustrating: The Harris Poll PDF. This, however, does not only apply to video ads - a recent annoying marketing trend (Publishers: don't annoy users with audio).

Statistics show indisputably that people look for and book hotel rooms during the week. They do this from the office during their breaks or in between work, when no one looks at their screen. And they don't want to be caught out. Not even by the smoothest, atmospheric music you may think is essential to selling your stylish hotel. Once they've hit the 'back' button, you have most likely lost them forever.

Is audio really worth risking that?