WEB 2.0 TOOLS IN PROMOTION AND SALES OF HOTEL ACCOMMODATION ON THE EXAMPLE OF SMALL FAMILY

HOTEL

D. Carev Libertas Business School

Trg J. F. Kennedya 6b, 10000 Zagreb Telephone: +3851 2442 595

Mob: +385 98 216 180 e-mail: dcarev@libertas.hr

Abstract:

Tourism and hospitality industry is highly competitive. In the multitude of similar products and services offered, in terms of sales of hotel services, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish services which guests will recognize and which will induce them to purchase a product. Any help in this regard is an opportunity the hoteliers should not miss and why Web 2.0 in this case is a welcome opportunity.

The article defines the term Web 2.0 and explores opportunities for its use in the promotion and sales of hotel accommodation. Elements of Web 2.0 that are stressed out in the paper include a blog, social networking, online video applications, tools for photo sharing, Mashups, satellite navigation and Tagging.

Each element is explained in a way to present the possibilities and potentials in its usage in the hotel industry. Emphasis is placed on the potential of economic growth of hotel accommodation sales and additional hotel promotions, by presenting some advantages and disadvantages.

In order to fully explore the possibilities of Web 2.0 tools their practical applicability in the hotel industry was tested on the example of a small family-run hotel on the Croatian coast.

Testing will demonstrate that the participation of hoteliers in creating Web content using Web 2.0 brings lower marketing costs, acquisition of new customers and at the same time retention of existing guests, increase in productivity and possibilities of quickly launching new products and services to the market.

Finally, the article outlines future research perspectives in finding the optimal use of Internet applications in the hotel industry, and reveals the potential for employment of an Internet Marketing Specialist in the hotel sales department, as a new member of the sales team.

Key words:

Web 2.0; Hotel Industry; Hotel Sales and Marketing, Small Family Hotel, Internet Marketing Specialist

INTRODUCTION

Hoteliers today are the most frequent users of new technologies. They are mostly obliged to

be so due to the fierce competition and large number of similar products in their market

sector. In order to make themselves different and attract potential guests to their hotel, their

usage of web tools is becoming increasingly more frequent. The term Web 2.0 denotes a trend

of different ways of creating, demonstrating and searching web content.1 Wikipedia defines

Web 2.0 as a trend in the World Wide Web technology based on the socialising aspect that

enables users to participate in the creation of web content. The term reflects a new version,

the second generation of the Web and hosting services, which instead of a one-directional

information flow, means an interactive two-directional communication between users and the

computer or other users, by which the user becomes an active participant, as opposed to a

passive one.2

In other words, it means that the communication between internet users is intensified, which

leads service providers, in this case, hotels and hotel employees to take a more active

approach towards guests and the market on the whole. Therefore the user-provider

relationship, apart from classical communication channels such as face-to-face

communication, telephone conversation or e-mail correspondence, is also including an

interactive communication, social network, web pages designed to share various contents etc.

All of the mentioned can today be named Web 2.0 tools.

1. WEB 2.0 TOOLS, A STRATEGIC OVERVIEW

The basic advantages of Web 2.0 include openness, freedom and collective intelligence.3

Wikipedia specifies that the users can use applications completely via the web browser –

therefore the web is defined as a platform where users have control over data on a certain

page. The very architecture of Web 2.0 encourages the users to make a contribution to a web

content or application during their usage. This is why their usage is a challenging tool the

hoteliers can use in additional promotion and improvement of their services.

The constituents of Web 2.0 are different internet applications. However, for the purpose of

this paper, we shall name only the ones that are considered to have potential in hotel

1Wikipedia, Socialbookmarking, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking (03/06/2013) 2Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 (03/06/2013) 3Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 (03/06/2013)

promotion and sales such as blog, social networks, online video applications, photo sharing

tools, social bookmarking, Mashups, satellite navigation and Tagging.

1.1. BLOG

Blog is a term relating to personal diary written on the web in a reverse chronological order of

the content. It can be personal or informative (in a form of a magazine or relating to subject

matter), and is usually kept by individuals who regularly write down their opinions,

observations, critical reviews or other forms of content of their personal interests.4

Blogs can also be connected into groups, thematically or with regard to the domain they are

located on, in which case they are called blogospheres.5 A blogosphere is a community of

internet users who participate in blog creation, and blogging – frequent writing of blogs and

commenting on other people's blogs.6

Hoteliers use blogs in promotion especially when they host famous journalists – travel

writers, who describe the places they visited on their journey, and may write a positive story

about the hotel for a relatively small expense (free dinner, free accommodation in the hotel

etc.). By using the communities that follow bloggers, the hotels receive additional attention

and possibility sell their services to a wider circle of internet users.

Moreover, the hoteliers have more frequently started following web pages such as

TripAdvisor or Booking.com. The reasons for this are the comments guest leave on the web

pages. Even though these do not represent a classical form of a blog, relating more perhaps to

social bookmarking7, such statements on the internet are extremely important because they

form guests' impressions and directly influence the long-term hotel profitability. Namely,

each negative comment published for whatever reason on the web pages, can put off a

potential guest who chooses their next destination. If the hotels are oblivious to such

comments, they are risking a creation of a chain of related negative comments and a long-

term loss of competitiveness.

This is why it is highly advisable for the hoteliers to follow internet publications and

statements, either on blogs or on other pages containing comments by hotel guests. Criticism

4Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 (03/06/2013) 5Wikipedia, Blog, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog (03/06/2013) 6Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 (03/06/2013/) 7Social bookmarking is a blog or a weblog comprising a series of wen „publications“, most frequently in a chronological order in which the latest content is at the top of the page.

or poor rating create bad publicity, and on the other hand they present a good source of

information on how to improve services to guests, and on how to reverse the trend and build a

new positive surrounding for the hotel. The various research aimed at analysing guest loyalty

has shown that the cost of keeping a loyal guest comprises only a 20% of the cost of attracting

a new one, i.e. the increase of 5% in guest loyalty rate creates an increased return of 25 to 125

per cent.8 Therefore, a hotel that can increase the number of returning guests from 35 to 45

per cent should have an increase on turnover by at least 25%. The data clearly states how

important it is to make an effort to keep the satisfaction of a guest upon check-out, so that

they would spread good word and finally return.

1.2. SOCIAL NETWORKS

Promotion via social networks can shortly be defined as a company strategy aimed at

motivating potential buyers (target segments) to mutually share information on a voluntary

and free basis about a product or service, to comment and „like“ them and in that way create

as much visibility as possible of a promotional message to a great number of potential

buyers.9

Key advantages of promotion via social networks are: word-of-mouth, two-directional

communication, relatively small maintenance costs, prompt feedback.10 Quality

communication via social networks significantly contributes to image and to the ways guests

perceive the services offered by hotels. From all the popular social media today, Facebook,

Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., the most frequently used in the world as well as in Croatia is

Facebook.11

In this approach, as with any other media, the appearance on Facebook demands a well-

devised strategy. The first step is certainly creating a Facebook page.

8Kotler P. et al. (2010) Marketing u ugostiteljstvu, hotelijerstvu i turizmu, četvrto izdanje (eng. Marketing in catering, hospitality and tourism, fourth edition), Mate d.o.o. Zagreb. 9Plavljanić, B. (2012) Povijest društvenih mreža (The history of social networks), http://www.pcchip.hr/ostalo/povijest-drustvenih-mreza (27/06/2012) 10Paliaga M. and Mihovilović J. (2013) Marketing putem društvenih mreža (Marketing via social networks), http://www.markopaliaga.com/userfiles/file/Microsoft%20PowerPoint%20%20Social%20marketing%20network1%20%5BCompatibility%20Mode%5D(1).pdf (16/06/2013) 11Duplić S. (2013) Internet 2012. u brojkama: 144 milijarde emailova svakog dana, a prosječan ‘Facebooker’ je star 40 godina (Internet 2012 in numbers: 144 billion of emails every day, and an average „Facebooker“ is 40 years old), http://www.netokracija.com/internet-2012-u-brojkama-144-milijarde-emailova-svakog-dana-a-prosjecan-facebooker-je-star-40-godina-43477 (16/06/2013)

Content design on such a page usually includes uploading photographs of the hotel and

services it offers, then of various social events taking place in the hotel, whether regularly or

occasionally, such as music evenings, fashion shows, exhibitions, gastronomy evenings etc.,

of persons, employees, guests along with a comment describing the photograph. One of the

studies has shown that people on social networks best react on – photographs. 44% of

respondents answered that they are more easily interested in a brand if the brand uploads

photos on a social network. In the modern world in which a customer is exposed to attempts

of many companies and brands on a daily basis who are trying to sell their products in the best

possible way, a picture is successful because it presents short information, a „trailer“ of the

product itself, an insight into what a customer can expect if he or she uses it. Due to the fast-

paced life, social network users spend less and less time reading every word, and more time

watching the visual content alongside the text. Since with the creation of social networks the

users finally obtained a platform on which to express their emotions toward a product,

consequently the subsequent research has also shown that they react best on – visual

demonstration.12 Because of this a hotel Facebook page represents an ideal place to publish as

many different photographs of the hotel and its services. Furthermore, the same page can

serve to promote the destination at which the hotel is located through a presentation of the

photographs of the destination, surrounding attractions and excursions, in order to sufficiently

interest a potential guest in additional activities. Alongside regular publishing of interesting

news and information about the hotel, events, visits etc. the page should also serve as a bridge

for direct inquiries of those interested, which can be made through contact details of the hotel.

It should also be mentioned that this paper will not carry out a deeper analysis of the

possibilities offered by promoting a hotel on social media, because connecting with users and

attracting their attention and trust requires a lot of effort, creativity and innovativeness. In any

case, the example of a small family-run hotel in chapter two will show the benefits of using

social media.

1.3. ONLINE VIDEO APPLICATIONS

Many web pages contain online applications that provide the service of editing video

contents. These applications are not rich in programming possibilities, as would be the case

with a programme solution installed on a personal computer. However, these are a good

12Profitiraj.hr (2012) Evo na što ljudi na društvenim mrežama najbolje reagiraju (Here is what people on social networks react best to), http://www.profitiraj.hr/novosti/evo-na-sto-ljudi-na-drustvenim-mrezama-najbolje-reagiraju/ (16/06/2013)

solution to all internet users because they allow easy upload of video contents directly on the

web page without additional costs for the users.

One of the most well-known of these tools is the YouTube web page13. The launch of

YouTube started in 2005 as a different type of service – in this case an online service for

video contents, through which users can upload, watch and share video contents with other

users. Such a web page enables users to show various video contents, including movie

extracts, TV excerpts, music videos, as well as amateur contents.14 Its fast growth is owed to

the needs of the market and social networks on which videos can be followed via a direct link

uploaded by friends. This is why YouTube became a global network for exchanging video

contents, and in that regard an ideal tool for hotels due to the simplicity of uploading

promotional video clips available to all internet users.

In that respect the hotels use YouTube mainly as a place to publish their professionally made

videos, with which they present the hotel and all its facilities from the point of view of quality

of service, equipment and decor of the rooms and premises, interior decoration and design,

ambience, location and especially the exterior appearance.

1.4. PHOTO SHARING TOOLS

Sharing photographs means publishing or transferring digital photographs of users on the

internet, by which a user can share them with others (publically or privately). The function is

enabled either via a web page or an application that supports transfer and upload of

photographs. Sharing means that other users can browse through the photographs, but at the

same time they do not have to download them on their devices, which basically provides users

with a choice of different authorship rights.15

Some of the best-known photo sharing tools are Picasa, Instagram, SmugMug, Yahoo!

Fotografije, Flickr etc. We can also list Foursquare here (a location-based social network),

along with Gowalla, FacebookPlaces etc.

Due to the simplicity of usage and no additional costs, hoteliers use these tools on a more

frequent basis because they provide the exchange of photographs among different users. This

primarily refers to downloading large format hotel photographs by business partners such as

13YoutTube, http://www.youtube.com/ (22/06/2013) 14Wikipedia, YouTube, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube (22/06/2013) 15Wikipedia, Photo sharing, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_sharing (22/06/2013)

tour operators, travel agencies etc., which creates multiple benefits. Firstly, the partners can

download high-resolution photographs (several megabytes per photograph), they can

independently choose the ones they like best and can use them however they please.

1.5. MASHUPS

Mashups are interactive web applications leaning on external information sources in order to

create a completely new content and services. The concept entails a simple, quick integration

of data, often using open interfaces for application programming and data sources.16 This, in

fact, means that different content can be integrated in a simple way on the internet pages.

The main characteristics of Mashup are combination, visualisation and gathering of data17.

This is extremely important in order for existing data to be subsequently used for personal or

professional purposes. Mashups can be considered to play an active role in evolution of social

software and Web 2.0 tools. An example of the interactive web application is GoogleMaps –

Panoramio.

Hoteliers use it to upload photographs of different hotel facilities on their web pages and

make them more available to a wider circle of potential visitors. They are also a good tool to

publish interesting photographs from everyday life in the hotel that include various events,

manifestations, hotel guests etc.

1.6. SATELLITE NAVIGATION

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) is a standard generic term for satellite navigation

systems (Sat Nav), providing an autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage.

GNSS enables small electronic receivers to determine their location (longitude, latitude and

altitude) to within a few metres using time signals transmitted along a line-of-sight by radio

from satellites. Receivers calculate the precise time as well as position, which can be used as a

reference for scientific experiments.18

As a tool in additional promotion of a hotel they can serve a true purpose if a hotel is

appropriately positioned on all geographical maps (GoogleMaps etc.) and if its location is

accurate. This includes specifying accurate information on the rating and capacity of the hotel,

16Wikipedia, Mashup, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(digital) (22/06/2013) 17Wikipedia, Mashup, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(digital) (22/06/2013) 18Wikipedia, Globalni navigacijski satelitski sustavi (eng. Global Navigation Satelite System), http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalni_navigacijski_satelitski_sustavi (22/06/2013)

telephone contact numbers, additional services etc. so that users could manage more easily

and successfully reach their destination while browsing through different web services.

1.7. TAGGING

Tagging can be defined as a practice of creating and managing tags that categorise contents by

use of simple words. It is usually used in blogs, where authors provide keyword descriptions

(tags) to pages in order to identify pictures of text within their web page as a category or

topic. Web pages and blogs with identical tags can connect in this way, which allows users to

browse through similar or connected contents. If tags are made publically, then online pages

that act as web-based tags can be indexed. Tags can then be created by use of words,

abbreviations and numbers.19

In practice it actually means tagging of the word hotel „xy“ in any text in which this key word

is connected to the proper web page of the hotel and based on which it becomes more visible

and accessible to a wider circle of users.

Considering everything mentioned so far it can be deducted that Web 2.0 tolls have a specific

marketing potential. What exactly the potential is will be shown on an example of a small

family-run hotel located in the southern part of the Makarska seaboard.

2. WEB 2.0 TOOLS IN PROMOTION AND SALES OF THE BELLA

VISTA HOTEL IN DRVENIK (THE MAKARSKA RIVIERA)

The Bella Vista hotel is a 4-star hotel situated in Drvenik, 28 km south of Makarska. It was

built in 2008 in a typical Croatian coastal style and is adorned by elegance, high quality and

variety of amenities.20

The hotel is characterised as a small family hotel with a total capacity of 33 luxuriously

equipped rooms and 7 comfortable suites. Other hotel amenities include a restaurant, summer

terrace with a bar and a wellness comfort zone (whirlpool, sauna and fitness centre).

Drvenik is an inshore small town on the Makarska seaboard belonging to the municipality of

the town Gradac. It consists of two districts Gornja (upper) and Donja (lower) Vala, with a

mutual distance of about one kilometre. The Bella Vista hotel is situated in Gornja Vala at a

19Wikipedia, Tag (metadata), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_(metadata) (23/06/2013) 20 Hotel Bella Vista, text downloaded from http://www.hotelbellavista.hr (15/06/2013)

distance of 50 m from the sea and it only operates in season, from beginning of April to the

end of October.

As such, the hotel represents an excellent choice for testing the possibilities of Web 2.0 tools

in promotion and sales. Namely small hotels, due to their small capacity, are limited in terms

of financial possibilities of investing in classical media such as TV, radio, print etc. But they

are flexible in all other aspects and are trying to use all opportunities offered by internet

technology, in order to diminish the disadvantage and get closer to a wider circle of users.

As previously mentioned the advantages of the Web 2.0 tools are openness, freedom and

collective intelligence, which in fact means that they are free and open for all users who can

easily use them to generate internet content according to their own interests. It is a

revolutionary technology because it enables all users an equal access to text and content

editing on the internet. This is the reason why they have become so attractive to small family

hotels, providing them with an opportunity to approach all customers and thus compete with

other hotels, even the large capacity ones and those who have greater financial capabilities.

The research conducted by the Institute for Tourism in 2010 about the ways in which an

average guest obtains information either about the hotel or a destination shows that 26,8% of

the total number of respondents obtains all information on the Internet.21 This in fact confirms

the significance of the internet as a global medium, and provides the reason why in the next

chapters we will show the results of testing the possibilities of Web 2.0 tools in the promotion

and sales of the Bella Vista hotel.

2.1. BLOG

The example of the Bella Vista hotel has shown that blog usage has no effect on hotel

promotion. To be clearer, the hotel has not found adequate in any of its promotional activities

to use blog as a toll for additional promotion. Reasons for that are manifold. Firstly, the hotel

does not have a sufficient capacity in human resources to engage individual employees to

regularly publish personal diaries of the hotel and thus animate a wider audience. On the other

hand, the hotel has had the opportunity on several occasions to welcome journalists – travel

writers on their tours through the southern parts of Croatia and it should be mentioned that

21Čorak, S., Marušić, Z. i suradnici (2011) Tomas ljeto 2010 - stavovi i potrošnja turista u Hrvatksoj, CroTour 2011, Institu za turizam Hrvatske (eng. Tomas summer 2010 – attitudes and expenditure of tourists in Croatia, Cro Tour 2011, Croatian Institutie for Tourism)

their potential in additional promotion or sales of capacities has never meant a significant step

forward, which in fact shows its lack of worth in a wider context of hotel promotion and sales.

Where the hotel actually has seen its potential has been in the blogospheres, i.e. TripAdvisor

web page.22 TripAdvisor.com is a travel web page providing clients with information about

travel, publishing reviews and opinions related to travelling and participating in forums.23

TripAdvisor gained prominence through its early acceptance of user-generated content,

meaning that the web services are free for users, who can edit most of the contents, while the

page itself is financed through an advertising business model. Such an approach turned the

web page into a popular site for publishing various travel information and reviews, so it also

contains information and reviews of the Bella Vista hotel.

So far the Bella Vista hotel has gained a total of 7 reviews and 57% of positive ratings on the

TripAdvisor web page, which are shown on Picture 1. These present a good source of

additional information for the hotel about guest experiences, and also a place where guests

can directly search for the best prices on three different internet portals, thus generating

additional reservation for the hotel.

Picture 1: Hotel Bella Vista, TripAdvisor web page

22 http://www.tripadvisor.com/ 23Wikipedia, TripAdvisor, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TripAdvisor (25/06/2013)

Source: Downloaded from http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1959798-d1973605-Reviews-Hotel_Bella_Vista-Drvenik_Split_Dalmatia_County_Dalmatia.html (23/06/2013)

For the Bella Vista hotel the benefits of regular browsing through these comments are

unquestionable because they enable tracking results and timely reactions to them, taking care

that the hotel image is always positive. Namely, it is advantageous that a hotel representative

can reply to each comment, including the negative ones, thus protecting the image and the

reputation of the hotel.

Besides, the web page provides the hotel with a direct access to editing content via the

Management Centre. This tool enables hotels to regularly update information on the hotel, add

photographs, and generate additional content with which to attract more users to visit their

web page. For this reason we can conclude that the example of the Bella Vista hotel has

shown that the usage of a blogosphere in the form of the TripAdvisor.com web page is the

most useful and quintessential in further hotel sales and promotion.

2.1. SOCIAL NETWORKS

The Bella Vista hotel has been present on Facebook web pages since 2011. In the beginning

the hotel used Facebook to publish photographs and description of available services for

guests. The page has subsequently evolved and today it is a site for the hotel to publish all

social events, promotional activities and daily communication with guests.

On picture 2 it can be noticed that until today the hotel page has gathered 432 „likes“, had 363

visits and that a total of 59 users commented on its contents. Even though at first glance these

numbers are unimpressive, it needs to be considered that the hotel operates only one part of

the year, on account of which administrator's activities are reduced, and with them also the

visits and comments by users over the year.

In any case, during the opening hours of the hotel, from April until October, all information

about the hotel is regularly updated in forms of video excerpts or photographs of guests

during their stay. The mentioned activities are primarily promotional. On the other hand, the

hotel also regularly publishes special promotions and discounts for its Facebook fans in order

to motivate additional sales of its capacities through this distribution channel. In May 2013

two of such promotion activities have been undertaken. Each user who made the reservation

within this promotional period could enjoy the benefits of discounted accommodation,

welcome drink and free hotel services such as parking, usage of the internet corner and

WLAN in the lobby, and also the usage of the sauna, whirlpool and fitness centre.

Picture 2: Bella Vista hotel, Facebook page

The promotional activity was aimed exclusively at Facebook fans, but their end result was

questionable. Namely, the promotion did not generate the desired sales, but only positive

reactions of the users in terms of „likes“ and „shares“. The first reason for these results can be

sought in unappealing arrival dates offered, because the majority of individual guest travel in

the second half of June until September, i.e. in peak tourism season, making the interest for

travelling in the periods offered slightly lower. However, it should be noted that the hotel's

Facebook page is still primarily a place for direct communication with guests and a place for

additional promotion of the hotel, and its potential as a direct channel of hotel accommodation

sales is insignificant or very low.

This is why the Bella Vista hotel will use its Facebook page in the future mainly as a place for

hotel promotion and quality brand building, and less as a place for direct sales.

2.3. ON-LINE VIDEO APPLICATIONS

On the YouTube web page there are currently three videos shown in Picture 3.

Although the shown videos in reality are that of the Bella Vista hotel, the fact is that none of

them were professionally made in the way that they were officially commissioned and

authorised by the hotel management in order to use the video materials in the best possible

way for promotion of the quality of service, equipment and decor of the areas, interior

decoration and design, ambience and the exterior of the hotel.

Source: Downloaded from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotel-Bella-Vista/223403511022046?fref=ts (23/06/2013)

The first two videos come from independent sources. The first one shows hotel rooms

recorded with an amateur video camera and additionally edited. The second one is made as a

slideshow of photographs of the hotel. The third video presents an areal view of the hotel

made by a professional video camera in June 2013.

Picture 3: Youtube.com search results for hotel Bella Vista Drvenik

.

From the above mentioned it can be seen that the Bella Vista hotel has not used this

promotion channel to the full extent. Namely, due to the non-existence of a professionally

made video an opportunity was missed to present the hotel to a wider circle of internet users

in a well-designed and effective way. This is also why there isn't a connection that would

enable the followers of its Facebook page to connect with YouTube that would show the

videos.

Taking everything into consideration the conclusion is that the Bella Vista hotel should not

further ignore the power of YouTube. Transmitting video contents on the internet containing

everything that the hotel can offer is one of the most effective methods of additional

promotion and generating interest of users for the hotel services. In that respect it is advisable

to create a series of video clips that would show rooms and other hotel facilities, than to tag

each video connected to other video clips from the series. In this way, should viewers be

interested in what they see, it might make them click on the other links. Later on, the

connection of the links with the hotel web page, responsible for providing additional

Source: Downloaded from http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hotel+bella+vista+drvenik&oq=hotel+bella+vista+drven&gs_l=youtube.3.0.33i21.140233.146591.0.148193.25.20.0.5.5.1.438.2686.8j7j4j0j1.20.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.Gr-VrZ88jHk (01/07/2013)

information of the hotel, will certainly present a true path toward using this tool to its full

extent.

2.4. PHOTO-SHARING TOOLS

As previously mentioned, photo sharing means publishing or transferring digital photographs

of users on the internet. In this case, it is about transferring photographs of the Bella Vista

hotel on the internet via Web 2.0 tools.

In this aspect the hotel uses Flickr.com web page. Flickr page represents a site for uploading

photographs and video contents and other web services that was developed by Ludicorp in

2004 and taken over by Yahoo in 2005.24 Apart from being a popular web page for users in

terms of sharing and presenting their own photographs, the page is widely used by photo

reporters and photo bloggers who use the page to upload their photographs and then link them

to their blogs and social web pages. In 2011 Yahoo announced that Flickr had a total of 51

million registered members and 80 million individual visits, i.e. that the page hosts over 6

billion photographs, and the numbers are likely to grow.25

Picture 4: Flickr web page with the user Bella Vista hotel

24Wikipedia, Flickr, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr (30.06.2013.) 25Wikipedia, Flickr, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr (30.06.2013.)

Source: Downloaded from http://www.flickr.com/(30/07/2013/)

The Bella Vista hotel chose Flickr for several reasons, the first being the simplicity of use. By

„drag & drop“ action large format photographs are easily uploaded on the page, which due to

a large number of page users enables greater availability. The page also provides photo

browsing via creating galleries or groups of users. Another possibility is also creating lists of

contacts with email addresses and connecting users directly to the link with photographs.

Bella Vista hotel finds the best benefits in this approach because it enables it to transfer large

format photographs directly on the internet, from where all its partners such as tour operators

or travel agencies can download them without difficulties. This significantly reduces previous

activities of sending photographs by regular mail on a CD or via email.

This activity also enables partners to choose the photographs they want to present, which

certainly creates additional advantages. Another advantage of the Flickr web page worth

mentioning is the possibility of linking to social web pages and tagging photographs with the

geographical area via „World Map“.

The above mentioned shows that the Bella Vista hotel uses this Web 2.0 tool sufficiently.

Even though there has not been a direct benefit in terms of increase in hotel accommodation

sales, the benefits of this tool are for promotional purposes because it facilitates greater

visibility and availability of large format photographs on the internet, also the exchange of the

photographs with business partners, and the whole internet community. Such benefits are

reasons enough for the hotel to continue using the Flickr web service.

2.5. MASHUPS

Among the interactive web applications, the Bella Vista hotel uses GoogleMaps, i.e. its

application Panoramio.

Panoramio in fact is a web page designed for sharing photographs, oriented on the

geographical location.26 It allows all photographs uploaded via the Google service

(GoogleMaps and GoogleEarth), which are easily added to the page at the end of each month.

The aim of the page is to facilitate GoogleEarth users to learn more about a certain

geographical area by browsing through photographs made by other users.

The application is useful for the hotel because it provides a direct linking of photographs with

the geographical location they were taken on and because of this it includes the wider area

such as the surroundings, beaches, natural sites and other locations. This provides them with a 26Wikipedia, Panoramio, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panoramio (01/07/2013)

certain tone of informality and fun, as well as a useful tool of getting to know the broader

destination. An additional attraction is browsing through photographs uploaded by other

users.

Picture 5: Panoramio web page, the Bella Vista hotel

Usefulness of the application in terms of hotel accommodation sales cannot be measured, but

it certainly has particular advantages relating to hotel promotion and because of that it is a

tool that the hotel will continue to use in the future, if for no other purpose then for creating a

better image and recognisability of the destination though regular updates of photographs.

2.6. SATELLITE NAVIGATION

As satellite navigation enables small electronic receivers to geographically determine their

location (longitude, latitude and altitude), the Bella Vista hotel recognised the benefits of

using these devices long ago, and started to use this Web 2.0 tool earlier than any other tool.

The use entails accurate positioning of the hotel on GoogleMaps along with providing basic

information about the hotel such as the address, telephone number and a link to the hotel's

web page. The location itself on the map is followed by several interesting photographs. The

details are shown in picture 6.

Source: dowloaded from http://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt=43.153324&ln=17.261501&z=1&k=2&a=1&tab=1&pl=all/ (30/07/2013)

Picture 6: GoogleMaps, the Bella Vista hotel

All these data are managed through GooglePlaces, whereby opening a free user account

facilitates adding more information such as hotel description, currency, services, room

equipment, opening hours etc.

Besides, GooglePlaces provides users with analytical data on impressions and activities of

those who visit the location of the hotel (Picture 7), as well as the details on the ways in which

the visitors reached the hotel location (Picture 8).

Picture 7: Analytical overview of searching the location of the Bella Vista hotel in the period

between 4 June and 2 July 2013.

Source: Downloaded from http://www.google.com/local/add/analytics?storeid/(04/07/2013)

Source: Downloaded from https://maps.google.com/(02/07/2013)

Picture 7 shows that the location of the Bella Vista hotel attracted the greatest amount of

activities between 26 June and 28 June. But the most interesting data is shown on picture 8.

Picture 8: Analytical overview of Google activity between 4 June and 2 July 2013.

Picture 8 shows that between 6 June and 2 July 2013 a total of 53,764 times was the Bella

Vista hotel shown as result of Google or GoogleMaps search. From that, most views were

those of searching the area itself and the bay in which the hotel is located.

Furthermore, the same search resulted in 435 activities, 377 of which were clicks for more

information on the map and 58 of which were clicks on the hotel web page. The latter

indicator is especially interesting because it shows how many users continued to search for

information about the hotel. Considering that in the mentioned period there were 24

reservation inquiries via the hotel's web page, we can assume that this Web 2.0 tool is useful.

From all the above we can conclude that satellite navigation as part of the Web 2.0 tools is

absolutely perspective in a joint promotion and sales of hotel accommodation. Promotional

activity was carried out via an accurate location on the internet map, containing basic

information about the hotel, available to a wide circle of users. On the other hand, the benefits

for sales have been shown through the activities of redirecting Google web page users to the

hotel web page. Here additional information is displayed and direct reservation inquiries can

be made, which serves to fill hotel capacities and generates additional income.

Source: Downloaded from http://www.google.com/local/add/analytics?storeid/(04/07/2013.)

2.7. TAGGING

Tagging is actually marking of the words „Bella Vista“ hotel in any text that connects the key

word with the hotel's web page, due to which it becomes more visible and accessible to a

wider circle of users.

By making a keyword search of

„hotel bella vista drvenik croatia“

shown in Picture 9, the search

engine is showing a total of about

20,500 results, the first of which is

the hotel web page. This shows that

the web page is well positioned in

terms of keyword, and easily

accessible to all users.

It should also be mentioned that

tagging key words in terms of

promotion is functional as long as

the web page is at the top of the

search result list, making it visible

to other users. In the same way,

hotel sales will be successful as

long as the users are directed to the

hotel web page where they can

make inquiries and reservations of

the accommodation.

All the above mentioned with the

example of the Bella Vista hotel can

lead to a conclusion that this tool

has well found its practical

usefulness and has proven to be one

of the important elements in attracting users to the hotel web page with a possibility of

making direct reservation inquiries, which will result in filling hotel capacities and generating

additional income.

Picture 9.: Key word search results

Source: Downloaded from http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&q=hotel+bella+vista+drvenik+croatia&oq=hotel+bella+vista+drvenik+cro&gs_l=hp.3.0.0.3266.20270.0.21765.52.25.11.16.19.4.705.8207.0j7j5j7j1j4j1.25.0....0...1c.1.19.psy-ab.igtyyybGHvA&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.

CONCLUSION

The aim of the entire research was to determine the possibilities of using Web 2.0 tools in the

sales and promotion of hotel accommodation on the example of the Bella Vista hotel, situated

in the southern part of the Makarska seaboard. Testing individual tools has shown that Web

2.0 provides a significant economic potential. On the one hand it is a socialising element

because it facilitates socialisation via the Internet. On the other hand it is a financial element

because the service providers are offered a space for promotion, i.e. generating income. The

financial aspect is also used by the users themselves, and the example of that is the small

family hotel, which studies customer habits via Web 2.0 tools and accommodates its

marketing activities according to each individual guest. This joint common interest is the

basis of the success of the Web 2.0 tool concept.

A hotel that does not invest in nor accepts technological innovations is handicapped in the

start in relation to its competitors who accept them. This is important because the habits and

needs of guests are changing, and technological innovations promptly react to those changes.

Testing the usefulness of Web 2.0 tools on the example of the Bella Vista hotel has shown

that the greatest benefits for hotel promotion come from blogospheres in view of the

TripAdvisor web page and the Facebook social network page. On the other hand for the

improvement of hotel accommodation sales the most beneficial have been satellite navigation,

tagging and again TripAdvisor.com. The first two tools are significant because they redirect

the users to the hotel web page and open the possibilities for direct accommodation inquiries

generating new reservations. Again, the TripAdvisor web page is useful because it enables

users a simultaneous search for the best hotel prices on at least three different internet portals.

The search is simple and enables searching through dates of arrival and length of stay with

listing of the most favourable prices. Based on their choices the users are directly redirected to

the web pages via which they can make direct accommodation reservations. In this way the

hotel has better chances of becoming successful in filling their capacities and generating

higher income.

Furthermore, the testing of Web 2.0 tools has shown that the participation of the Bella Vista

hotel in creating web content creates the following:

Reduction of marketing costs, because almost all the used tools are free and easily

accessible to users, and without greater investment the attention is turned from

traditional marketing methods (e.g. TV, radio, print etc) to the hotel web page, social

networks, blogs and other online contents.

Expanding customer base and creating long-term relationships with existing guests

because the information about the hotel and its services are available to all internet

users. Also the use of Web 2.0 tools, especially blogospheres and social web pages,

makes the communication more interactive, more familial and intense, especially after

the guests have already stayed in the hotel.

Increase in productivity and facilitation of a faster launch of new products and

services on the market. Namely, increase in productivity is reflected in the increase of

visits to the hotel web page, which is a result of redirecting users from other web

pages. This creates real possibilities for an increase in hotel accommodation sales,

together with an increase in income. Also, the technological innovations help make

new products and services become more visible at the very instant they appear on the

internet, enabling the hotel to be innovative in its products and to react in each

moment in order to keep pace with the competition or even get ahead of it.

All the above leads to a conclusion that testing the Web 2.0 tools on the example of the Bella

Vista hotel has been successful. Even though not all tools have the same effect on successful

promotion and sales of the hotel accommodation, the use of the internet applications in hotel

operations is quite meaningful and has a long-term positive perspective. The question

logically imposed here is who should administer web applications for hotels and should there

be a professional degree for such a job?

Nevertheless, the clear fact is that the Bella Vista hotel, with a total capacity of 40 rooms,

employs 19 people in peak season, one of which is in charge of sales and marketing

operations, and in this case this was also the person who was responsible for administering

web applications. However, in larger hotels, offering a wider range of products and services,

there is a suggestion for a permanent employment of an Internet Marketing Specials, i.e.

Online Community Manager. The person should be creative, with prominent analytical

capabilities and knowledge in marketing, public relations, journalism and even diplomatic

skills in order to use all the possibilities of Web 2.0 tools in the most effective way. Daily

online communication with guests, sales improvement and a quality brand and image

development of the hotel would be their main tasks. Further possibilities and perspectives of

employing a person of such a profile are a topic for future research.

LIST OF REFERENCES:

1. Wikipedia, Socialbookmarking, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking

(03.06.2013.)

2. Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 (03.06.2013.)

3. Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 (03.06.2013.)

4. Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 (03.06.2013.)

5. Wikipedia, Blog, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog (03.06.2013.)

6. Wikipedia, Web 2.0, http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 (03.06.2013.)

7. Kotler P., Bowens J. T., and Makens J. C. (2010) Marketing in catering, hospitality and

tourism, fourth edition, Mate d.o.o. Zagreb.

8. Plavljanić, B. (2012) The history of social networks, http://www.pcchip.hr/ostalo/povijest-

drustvenih-mreza (27.06.2012.)

9. Paliaga M. and Mihovilović J. (2013) Marketing via social networks,

http://www.markopaliaga.com/userfiles/file/Microsoft%20PowerPoint%20%20Social%20mar

keting%20network1%20%5BCompatibility%20Mode%5D(1).pdf (16.06.2013.)

10. Duplić S. (2013) Internet 2012 in numbers: 144 billion of emails every day, and an average

„Facebooker“ is 40 years old, http://www.netokracija.com/internet-2012-u-brojkama-144-

milijarde-emailova-svakog-dana-a-prosjecan-facebooker-je-star-40-godina-43477

(16.06.2013.)

11. Profitiraj.hr (2012) Here is what people on social networks react best to,

http://www.profitiraj.hr/novosti/evo-na-sto-ljudi-na-drustvenim-mrezama-najbolje-reagiraju/

(16.06.2013.)

12. YoutTube, http://www.youtube.com/ (22.06.2013.)

13. Wikipedia, YouTube, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube (22.06.2013.)

14. Wikipedia, YouTube, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube (22.06.2013.)

15. Wikipedia, Photo sharing, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_sharing (22.06.2013.)

16. Wikipedia, Mashup, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(digital) (22.06.2013.)

17. Wikipedia, Mashup, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(digital) (22.06.2013.)

18. Wikipedia, Global Navigation Satellite Systems,

http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalni_navigacijski_satelitski_sustavi (22.06.2013.)

19. Wikipedia, Tag (metadata), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_(metadata) (23.06.2013.)

20. Hotel Bella Vista, text taken from the website http://www.hotelbellavista.hr (15.06.2013.)

21.Čorak, S., Marušić, Z. et al. (2011) Tomas Summer 2010 - the attitudes and spending of

tourists in Croatia, CroTour 2011, The Institute for Tourism.

23.Wikipedia, TripAdvisor, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TripAdvisor (25.06.2013.)

24.Wikipedia, Flickr, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr (30.06.2013.)

25.Wikipedia, Flickr, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr (30.06.2013.)

26.Wikipedia, Panoramio, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panoramio (01.07.2013.)