The Problem
A lodging provider at a popular vacation destination wanted to more effectively
compete against better-known competitors by using the Web to target highly
qualified visitors. The client also hoped to increase reservations during
traditionally slow periods.
The Solution
Following in-depth discussions with the client and analysis of their current
website and brand positioning, The Poulton Consulting Group recommended a
three-step solution. The first step involved optimizing existing website
pages so that they would rank well on major search engines. Then, the revised
pages were submitted for inclusion in major search engines and directories.
The second step was to redesign the client's website to improve branding and
the overall user experience. This included adding several pages that were
designed to attract new visitors to the site. The third step was a focused
pay-per-click search engine campaign designed to attract fall-season tourists
and travelers.
The Results
The first step resulted in solid increases in visitor traffic and
reservations. This encouraged the client to commit more resources to the
second and third steps of the plan. Following the release of the revised
and expanded website, visitor traffic increased dramatically and continued
to grow each month.
During the first 12 months of our combined site optimization-and-marketing campaign, total site visitors increased over 370%, while visitors referred by search engines increased by over 670%. All of this translated into a 200% gain in guest bookings during the fall season over the previous year's total.
