Use A Proxy Server

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

• Internet prospecting. Use online tools such as Google Maps to search your 'backyard' market; use Google search for competitor intelligence data like reviewing their web sites for a list of their clients or 'businesses nearby' or searching for specific types of business such as 'hockey tournament Buffalo' or 'training class Toledo'; or to search market specific web sites such as military reunion sites. Don't forget the online RFP sites such as RFP Express or Groople to develop some sure-fire, qualified leads.C:\Users\Singh\Desktop\Electronic Media_d14fc1.jpg

• Electronic Channel Bookings. The breakdown of revenues derived from the electronic booking channels looks like this: 55% from the internet; 23% Travel Agent/GDS; and 22% Voice/Call Center. The clear leader at 55% is the internet channel. These internet bookings break down further as: brand sites 70.1%: merchant sites 13.7%; opaque sites 11.9%; and retail sites 4.4%. Begin by focusing on the power house channels (your brand or proprietary website and the GDS) where the potential return is the greatest.

• Brand and Proprietary Web Site. Make sure the site and any downloadable brochures are up-to-date with information guests want and that the site contains well-researched keywords for optimal organic search results. Make sure content is in an easy to read format and change content monthly to optimize interest and organic searches. Highlight your location, your amenities and features, local attractions, festivals and events. Where possible implement Web 2.0 features and functionality on your website including customer testimonials, experience and photo sharing, expert blogs, etc.

• Online Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising for Your Website. Strongly consider pay-per-click campaigns/paid search to gain more potential bookers. With over 78% of all travel planning commencing on the internet, pay-per-click campaigns can provide an excellent measurable return on your marketing investment. While anyone can go to Google adwords and start a pay-per-click campaign, the key to success is 1.) Gathering immediate data on which 'keywords' are converting lookers to bookers and 2.) Keeping on top of buying those keywords through the complicated auction system which determines your hotel ad's placement. This complex, algorithm based system is usually best left to the experts who have the software needed to operate and monitor PPC campaigns and who can measure your return on every penny spent. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2I6wkh6iFJU/T_q-yivCb4I/AAAAAAAAAL4/0Cw3PqIxqEM/s1600/pie-graph-ad-img.gif

• GDS -Consider marketing on the GDS channel. The likelihood that an agent will book a hotel as a result of a promotional message is 52%. In this challenging economy your campaigns must be well researched and well thought out as more hotels than ever are marketing themselves on the GDS. Begin your GDS research by a thorough review of your HOD or hotel description data on the GDS. Make sure that everything is up-to-date. This data not only feeds the GDS channel but frequently supplies hotel data to the various retail and merchant sites on the web. Then consider budgeting for GDS system opportunities for marketing including placement purchasing and actual promotional ads. These campaigns can provide good, measurable results.

• Online OTA Advertising. Many OTA's are now offering 'enhanced listings' such as 'pay-for-position', 'pay-per-click' (PPC) and display advertising programs that improve your showing on their site in exchange for higher commissions. Opportunities like Travel Ads, the latest enhanced listing/advertising program from Expedia and Hotels.com is an auction-style model. The only caveat is that when users click on the sponsored listing, they do not go to the hotel website; they go to the hotel page on Expedia to make the reservation. In other words: advertising cost plus Expedia's margin equals a total cost to the hotel of as much as 30%-40% from the booked hotel revenue. Explore the opportunities in 'OTA advertising carefully and read the Online Travel Agency section of this article below.

• Online Travel Agencies. The OTAs account for a large percentage of lodging room nights sold. However, OTAs attract more infrequent, leisure travelers, who take just a few trips a year and are more price-sensitive. Brand sites, by comparison, are the preferred destination of the frequent, loyal leisure/unmanaged business traveler, who is less concerned with price and more interested in schedule and convenience. OTAs DO command a place in our distribution strategies. Use OTA's to 'introduce' something new like a new hotel, a renovated hotel or a brand change or to market significant shoulder periods. Then work to shift those guests to your own booking channels. But no matter what, it is vital to maintain rate parity between all channels. Don't give your guests a reason to book on your most costly distribution channel.

• Social Media. Omniture, the industry's leading website analytical and campaign tracking tool, reports that they have not seen any meaningful number of hotel bookings coming from these very popular, but extremely broad and travel-unfocused sites. We do not mean to undermine the importance of social media sites. On the contrary, hoteliers should monitor the Web 2.0 universe and especially the travel-related social media sites like Trip Advisor(R) and have a presence on these sites.

Hoteliers should be monitoring and reacting and responding to customer reviews on the social media sites that matter, like TripAdvisor.com (25 million unique visitors a month) and HotelGuide.com (both indexed by Google), or on major online third-party intermediaries like Expedia.com.Sahara Star uses - Aston bands,TV- ZOOM, ZeeKhana Khazana, Zee network, NDTV, Radio Channels

Social media

There are various social networking Websites where Sahara Star marks his presence such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare and many more

Social media is an online media where people are talking, participating, sharing, networking online. Social media marketing for business involves using websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare, to grow your business online. Business owners can choose to connect with friends, peers, and potential customers while increasing their social media interaction

Social media marketing is a way to connect with the customers whether it is online or offline. Many choose to hold contests to attract their target customers while others use it to find joint venture partners to combine marketing efforts. These programs can focus their attention on different promotional aspects of business. This is accomplished through one or more techniques, such as direct advertising, public relations, personal promotions, and other advertising techniques that all have basically one thing in common. Using social media marketing to promote services and products on social media websites, in hope of connecting with their target customers.

Using your Facebook fan page is a way to reach your target customer and it can help you brand your business online. Using blog posts and messages on Twitter to post information about your business' products or services is a great way to reach your target customer too. Using social media websites can help instill a sense of loyalty with your target customers E:\LAPTOP BACKUP\DRIVE E\MMS\SEMESTER II\SMM -DSIMS\social-media-bandwagon.jpg

Social media is no longer just a hub of sharing activity between people, it has now become a platform for businesses to promote and sell their products. From Facebook, TripAdvisor, Twitter over to the "oldie" eBay these channels demand a new way of interacting with guests while also securing additional revenue and bookings.

Social media is no longer just a hub of sharing activity between people, it has now become a platform for businesses to promote and sell their products. From Facebook, TripAdvisor, Twitter over to the "oldie" eBay these channels demand a new way of interacting with guests while also securing additional revenue and bookings.

The social media revolution has provided new ways of consumer communication, sharing information and being close to a community. While the industry still thought consumer reviews exploded quickly, the likes of Facebook, twitter and Groupon have taught us what pace customers can take when adopting new phenomena once provided with the right toolset.

Despite the burden being forced upon the travel industry, it has also delivered new opportunities for businesses to get involved in such interaction and yet again provide targeted audiences with adequate product.

Facebook (over 500 million active users), MySpace (44 million active US users) and Twitter (21 million active users) have significantly influenced the way people interact, what they trust, how they share their experiences and the advice they offer/receive to/from their ‘friends’. These consumer portals are now becoming powerful marketing and business tools that the hospitality industry needs to address in the upcoming years to avoid losing out on potential revenue avenues or aggressive branding opportunities. Although the latter only has an indirect impact on revenue, it can help to direct more traffic to the hotels own websites that in return provides for more profitable income.

TripAdvisor (34 million monthly visitors) originally caught hoteliers by surprise. It felt that almost within weeks hotels had to deal with negative "press" although the actual movement has been going on for years and was nothing new. In the meantime online guest review websites have taken off with nearly every OTA incorporating some form of guest feedback that’s visible to new customers. Today hoteliers have no choice – either interact positively with guest reviews or see the business suffer. Hotels that effectively manage their guest reviews, both good and bad, encourage more reviews, which as a result sees the rating of their properties rise. As more guest review websites incorporate booking options the impact that your position can have on your revenue is immense.

Social media is no different. Hoteliers that dedicate time to managing social media can see positive results in their revenue; "Online social media reviews have become an incredibly influential channel for revenue generation. We have put greater importance on managing guest feedback and become very successful at doing so. The higher our ranking, the greater the revenue and bookings therefore it is essential we continue to manage opinion wisely

Facebook applications are starting to turn this space into an ecommerce platform with huge revenue opportunities. The first hotels are already selling rooms through Facebook; followers can interact, share their experience and book a room right where the information is placed. Booking engines specifically designed for Facebook (like the one provided by Open Hospitality) turn fan pages into a complete distribution platform.

Websites that were no more than a second-hand buying platform have today turned into intelligent marketplaces. eBay for example, with over 233 million users worldwide, earns 14% of the global e-commerce market. Hotel brand have started to take advantage of the booking opportunities provided but are nowhere near maximizing it.

The dithering about whether Social Media has an impact on travel has no place in a world where it is being used day-in day-out. Consumers’ desire for information and interaction 24/7 should be taken ever more seriously by the hotelier. Social media is all about developing that personal relationship with your audience that goes beyond the pre-sales and their stay, reaching far into post-sales where it completes the cycle. Nowadays we are not monitoring only one customer cycle from shopping over booking to post sales but have to be aware of many customer cycles being in progress at any given point.

Revenue management, reputation management and marketing management need to work together to build or keep a strong online brand and reach the right audiences. Intelligent booking data and careful monitoring of guest feedback will help establish more innovative and relevant marketing that will ensure maximizing sales potential and subsequent revenue.

Therefore, it is essential that hoteliers provide a clear proposition and product, web presence, OTA sales, monitor guest review websites and begin interacting with Facebook and Twitter. This will strengthen your brand, bring you closer to your guests and help you earn additional revenue. But it also means that the already complicated job of being a hotelier does yet become again more complicated.

The Importance of the 3F’s (Friends, Fans & Followers)

Businesses are using social media to earn Likes and Follows, engage with customers, and the more progressive brands, are extracting insights from social and interest graphs to improve and personalize experiences and products. The quest for a larger install base of social consumers is admirable and quite honestly, necessary in a new era of empowered consumerism. It is the intentions of businesses that I question as I believe that their vision and interpretation of acts of Liking and Following are clouded.

The importance of the 3F’s (friends, fans, and followers) does not lie in the initial conversion from consumer to connected consumer. Counting numbers as a metric here isn’t helpful or useful. In fact, it’s misleading and potentially distracts any business from long-term success. The value in the connection is in understanding not only why a conversion took place, but learning about expectations and also studying behavior and preferences to deliver against them in social networks and in the real world.

What does fan really mean?

In June 2011, ExactTarget published a revealing study that shed light on the discrepancy between how brands and consumers interpret the act of liking. For example, when you hear the word fan, connotations of loyalty, advocacy, and passion come to mind. But, for many consumers, clicking Like isn’t a profession of affinity as much as it is a reflection of support. In some cases, the gesture is merely a move to take advantage of an offer, contest or promotion.

According to ExactTarget, only 42% of active Facebook users view the act of a "Like" as a declaration of their devotion or support. On the other side of the coin however, 33% disagree with a Like equating to fandom. The other 25% aren’t quite sure what to think. Finding the meaning of Like is not unattainable though. Understanding what it means to different customers can only improve programming, service and engagement strategies. The reality is that people are actively Liking brands and many know exactly what they expect from the connection. Other consumers who do not know why they do so or what they expect will soon learn once they feel stream fatigue from the lack of focus in the content that flows through their timelines.

E-mailers/ SMS:

Infomedia18 & Netcore - Bulk SMS and Emailer Solutions Provider for the ROC Department

The campaign will be broadcasted as per our schedule using their server system and the content and creative will be shared with them in advance. With this we save our time and energy by manually uploading the emailer / sms which was practiced earlier in Netcore dashboard.

Benefits in Mass Mail:http://www.marketo.com/_includes/wp/resources/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/email-marketing-campaign.jpg

They do not have to purchase database as the same is included in the package.

Database is refreshed and filtered monthly

From marketing point of view, we have flexibility to target any specific database (HNI, Demographic and Pincode wise)

Reports shall be shared (Weekly) at the end of each activity

City selection can be varied as per requirement

All JPEG creatives will be converted to HTML which apparently compresses email size and decrease chances of spaming

The HTML is linked with our website, thus enhancing our web traffic.

Also if we click on email address, the mail recipient automatically composes new mail for any inquiry likewise our contact number will be linked to our new one click online solution

Benefits in Bulk SMS:http://www.planetgroupbd.com/images/bulk_sms.jpg

Saves time as all sms content will be shared with them and scheduled as required

In house database can be uploaded in no time

Reports shall be shared at the end of each activity.

City selection can be varied as per requirement

Flexibility in selecting the desired targeting options for a particular campaign.

Some Examples are

BULK SMS

Express your love & respect by treating your father to a special Thank You brunch this Father's Day at Earthplate-The global cuisine Restaurant. Call 02239807444

Honour him like a king & express your love & gratitude this Father’s Day at Earthplate-The Global Cuisine Restaurant only at Hotel Sahara Star. Call 02239807444

Enjoy Father’s Day brunch at Earthplate restaurant & relish sumptuous buffet spread on Sunday 17th June, 2012 @ Hotel Sahara Star. Call 02239807444

Emailer

This Father’s Day, Hotel Sahara Star hosts a special treat for your adorable fathers' on Sunday 17th June, 2012 to honor and cherish the special bond of fatherhood. Honour him like a king & express your love & gratitude at Earthplate -The Global Cuisine Restaurant only at Hotel Sahara Star, Opposite Domestic Airport. For table reservation please contact +912239807444, SMS Earthplate to 59090 www.saharastar.com

Express your gratitude towards that special man for his guidance and wisdom on this special day and commemorate the bond of fatherhood and indulge him with an exclusive buffet as a little token of your love only at at Earthplate -The Global Cuisine Restaurant only at Hotel Sahara Star, Opposite Domestic Airport. For table reservation please contact +912239807444, SMS Earthplate to 59090 www.saharastar.com

Check –In SMS

Welcome to Hotel Sahara Star, Enjoy Father’s Day brunch at Earthplate restaurant on Sunday 17th June, 2012. Call 02239807444

Welcome to Hotel Sahara Star, Indulge in a sumptuous buffet spread this Father’s Day at Earthplate restaurant. Call 02239807444

4) Smart phone application:

Smart Phone Apps for Hotel industry

Hotel industry is moving ahead aggressively in terms of marketing by using the power of mobile and smart phones.They are utilizing mobile Apps to provide the convenience factor for their loyal customers to stay ahead in the competition.

Many prominent Hotel Groups like Hilton, IHG, Choice Hotels, Best Western, The Peninsula, Four Seasons and many more are looking at mobile apps as a very strategic initiative to increase customer loyalty. Hilton’s app was downloaded 126, 000 times till date.

Smartphones market growing 25% YoY basis

How do we help you to benefit?

We could develop a customized iPhone or any smart phone app that will initially give your smart phone toting customers basic tools for booking and managing reservations. Expect to find:

Search and book hotels

GPS functionality to find nearby hotels

ability to see hotel photos and facilities

custom directions using the iPhone’s GPS

click-to-call front desk for each hotel

automatic use of any membership Club account information to speed bookings

redeem loyalty points for stays

View point balances, level, etc…

view and cancel upcoming reservations

enroll in the program, if you’re not a member

customize billing preferences and room/rate preferences

Customer could customize his requirements even before arrival into the hotel.

see special offers for loyalty members

Why iPhone App for Hotels?

There has been a huge buzz about using latest technologies for marketing. It was facebook, twitter and now the latest is iPhone. iPhone is very handy compared to other technologies and it provides the following benefits with a a very personalized and targeted approach to your customers

Brand Elevation

Improves Customer loyalty

Easy way to promote your promotional offers faster

On the go mobility to reserve

Improves Customer Satisfaction

Improves Revenue at low TCO

Real time data for Customers about the latest happenings

Cnet reports that the number of users who will tap into the App store will be at 100 million by 2013. Just imagine the momentum and let’s grab the opportunity with a well build good looking app that helps in your Brand Elevation.

ROI on Smart Phone Apps for Hotels

The main driver behind the increased usage of mobile apps by Hotel customers is " Convenience". It is said that many of the customers are booking rooms on the fly. Given below are some stats that could help you i evaluating the ROI quotient for Smart Phone Apps.

MariottHotels mobile initiative has generated nearly $ 2 million in gross revenuebetween its Aug, 2008 launch and end of the year. Courtesy Ad Age.com

Mobile bookings have improved to nearly 85% without any promotions of mobile apps.

By looking at the above stats, we could at least safely consider that it is going to wow the customers and when we get the ROI in 2-3 years it is going to wow the management. As a customer focused industry, we need to bring that convenience and comfort to a customer which in turn improves Sales.

Smartphone applications are designed for travel and tourism direct marketing on smartphones

Unlike many of the travel mobile applications specific travel apps are geared to direct to supplier marketing and bookings: small and mid-size hotels and tourism operators, building Hotel brands and marketing travel products directly to the smartphone traveller.

Smartphone Travel apps allow independent hotels, car rental companies, tourism operators and destinations to reach travellers directly on their mobile phones, as well as on many Internet marketing channels.

Multiple channel marketing from a single travel platform

Hotels and other tourism suppliers may now use a single travel application to load, publish and distribute travel products, hotels rooms, cars, trips, holidays and packages to multiple marketing channels at the same time, direct marketing channels include Google Android, Google Shopping, Facebook pages, social media and Web2.0 travel pages like HubPages, Squidoo, WetPaint and hundreds of entrant travel marketing sites.

Smartphone Bookings

Specials can be a simple advertisement with direct links to designated hotel and tourism pages. Your Special Promotions may also be Bookable with links to an immediate holiday quote and shopping cart service for your hotel and tourism brand. In the latter case, travellers can check availability, get a quote for a family vacation, a romantic holiday or an adventure package, right away and book it or save it.

The Bookings option is possible when rates are set up. Travellers like the interactive service and use it extensively. Guests often add resorts and activities to shopping list for a future occasion. As most travellers visit a dozen or more hotel websites and Online Travel Agents before buying, offering Best Rates Guarantee is always a good marketing strategy.

Quotes and Bookings create more staying power and increase visits and Direct Bookings

I-touch menu cards- replacement of menu cards

From advertising age to conversation age

How do internet marketing communications differ from traditional marketing communications?

Interactivity

Intelligence

Individualization

Integration

Industry restructuring

Independence of location

Online communication mix

Decision on the mix between different communication techniques such as search engine marketing, e-mail marketing and online advertising.

Control of media spending and purpose of communication

Attraction

Conversion

Retention

Marketing Communication Tools

Marketing Communication consists of both planned and unplanned messages between firms and customers and among customers.

E-marketers can enhance Marketing Communication by using innovative technologies.

Internet Marketing Communication may include advertising, sales promotion, marketing public relations, and direct marketing

3.1. Research Design

According to Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005), depending on the nature of the problem the research could be exploratory, descriptive or casual.

Exploratory research: it is used to identify and explain the nature of the problem. It enables manager to better understand the problem. According to Zinkmund (2000), the purpose of exploratory research include, diagnosing a situation, screening alternatives and discovering new ideas. Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005) stated that exploratory research is mostly used when the research problem is unstructured i.e. Badly understood, not well know or the other knowledge is not absolute. According to Yin (1994), interview is the best method when gathering information in an exploratory research.

Descriptive research: according to Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005), descriptive research is used when the problem is structured i.e. it gives answers to who, where, what, how and when questions. It is used to make clear the distinctiveness of a population or an observed fact. According to Zinkmund (2000), "descriptive research studies are based on some previous understating of the nature of the research problem".

Casual research: according to Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005), in casual research, the problems are also structured. Causal research has to do with cause and effect relations. The main purpose in such research is to isolate cause(s) and tell whether and to what extent cause(s) result (s) in effect (s).

The methodology used in this case is Causal research. The technique used was quantitative and qualitative research. Questionnaires were structured questionnaire. The data collection tool was primary field survey as well as secondary research (data of previous year)

The population define are Employee working in Sales and Marketing of a five satr Hotel. The researcher has done this research to find out the overall e-communication in marketing and its effectiveness with respect to the developing business and cost attached to it.

Close ended as well as some Open ended questions were used in the as a data collection tool:

The researcher has done this respectful survey in an undisguised manner.

In this case both the Variables, Decision to try the e-communication in marketing and its effectiveness are clearly defined and moreover the case expects to find a relationship between the two variables in form of impact, hence I went for Hypothesis.

Hypothesis Statement:

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant relation between the use ofe-communication in marketing and developing hotel business

Alternate Hypothesis: There is significant relation between the use ofe-communication in marketing and developing hotel business

3.1.2. Data collection sources:

(a)Secondary data:

Secondary data is data collected by someone other than the user. Common sources of secondary data for social science include censuses, surveys, organizational records and data collected through qualitative methodologies or qualitative research. Primary data, by contrast, are collected by the investigator conducting the research.

Secondary data analysis saves time that would otherwise be spent collecting data and, particularly in the case of quantitative data, provides larger and higher-quality databases than would be unfeasible for any individual researcher to collect on their own. In addition to that, analysts of social and economic change consider secondary data essential, since it is impossible to conduct a new survey that can adequately capture past change and/or developments.

(b) Primary data:

Primary research (also called field research) involves the collection of data that does not already exist, which is research to collect original data. Primary Research is often undertaken after the researcher has gained some insight into the issue by collecting secondary data. This can be through numerous forms, including questionnaires, direct observation and telephonic interviews amongst others. This information may be collected in things like questionnaires and interviews.

There are basic approaches to data collections using primary methods:

[Qualitative research] includes interviews, focus groups, participant observations and ethnographies.

[Quantitative research] includes controlled laboratory experiments, field work, questionnaires and surveys.

The term primary research is widely used in academic research, market research and competitive intelligence.

Survey: It is one of the methods of data collection including observation and experience. A survey refers to the method of securing information concerning a phenomenon’s under study from all or selected number of respondents of the concerned universe. In a survey, the investigators examine those phenomenon which exeunt in the universe independent of his action.

The researcher have surveyed employees working in the sales and marketing team of the Five Star and through the interview technique I came to various element of success and area of improvement in E- communication used for marketing in the Hotel.

3.1.3. Data collection methods

The two types of data are:

Quantitative Data

Qualitative Data

Quantitative Data

As the term implies this is data which is expressed in numbers. Quantitative data is quite easy to collect, and a large amount of reliable and valid data can be collected largely by questionnaire in quite a short period of time. It is a fairly formal approach. This data arises from what is termed "closed questions" because the respondent is restricted in the choice of answer the respondent can give.

TYPES OF PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION

SURVEYS:

Surveys are concerned with describing, recording, analyzing and interpreting conditions that exist or existed. The researcher does not manipulate the variable or arrange for events to happen Surveys are only concerned with conditions or relationships that exist, opinions that are held, processes that are going on, effects that are evident or trends that are developing. They are primarily concerned with present but at times do consider past events and influences as they relate to current conditions.

1. Survey type researches usually have larger samples because percentages of responses generally happen to be low, as low as 20 to 30%, especially in mailed questionnaire studies. Thus, the survey method gathers data relatively from the large number of cases at a peculiar time; it is essentially cross-sectional.

2. Surveys are conducted in case of descriptive research studies, usually appropriate in case of social and behavioral sciences because many type of behavior that interest researcher cannot be arranged in realistic setting.

3. Surveys are example of field research and are concerned with hypothesis formulation and testing analysis of the relationship between non-manipulated variables.

4. Surveys may either be census or sample surveys. They may also be classified as social surveys, economic surveys, and public opinion surveys. Whatever be their type, the method of data collection happens to be either observation or interview or questionnaire or opinionnaire or some projective technique. Case method may as well be used.

5. In case of surveys, research design must be rigid, must make economical provision for protection against bias and must maximize reliability, the aim happens to be to obtain complete and accurate information.

6. Possible relationships between the data and the unknowns in the universe can be studied through surveys.

3.1.4. Data collection instrument (Questionnaire and Interview)

The researcher went to various Hotel Employees and conducted a survey in form of undisguised interview.

The Questionnaire was used for Quantitative Data collection tool and Personal Interview was used for Qualitative Insights from the employee who used E-communication in marketing.

3.1.5 Sampling plan:

Sample design covers the method of selection, the sample structure and plans for analyzing and interpreting the results. Sample designs can vary from simple to complex and depend on the type of information required and the way the sample is selected.

Sample design affects the size of the sample and the way in which analysis is carried out. In simple terms the more precision the market researcher requires, the more complex will be the design and the larger the sample size.

The sample design may make use of the characteristics of the overall market population, but it does not have to be proportionally representative. It may be necessary to draw a larger sample than would be expected from some parts of the population; for example, to select more from a minority grouping to ensure that sufficient data is obtained for analysis on such groups.

Many sample designs are built around the concept of random selection. This permits justifiable inference from the sample to the population, at quantified levels of precision. Random selection also helps guard against sample bias in a way that selecting by judgment or convenience cannot.

Defining the Population

The first step in good sample design is to ensure that the specification of the target population is as clear and complete as possible to ensure that all elements within the population are represented. The target population is sampled using a sampling frame. Often the units in the population can be identified by existing information; for example, pay-rolls, company lists, government registers etc. A sampling frame could also be geographical; for example postcodes have become a well-used means of selecting a sample.

3.1.6 Sampling:

For any sample design deciding upon the appropriate sample size will depend on several key factors

(1) No estimate taken from a sample is expected to be exact: Any assumptions about the overall population based on the results of a sample will have an attached margin of error.

(2) To lower the margin of error usually requires a larger sample size. The amount of variability in the population (i.e. the range of values or opinions) will also affect accuracy and therefore the size of sample.

(3) The confidence level is the likelihood that the results obtained from the sample lie within a required precision. The higher the confidence level that is the more certain you wish to be that the results are not atypical. Statisticians often use a 95 per cent confidence level to provide strong conclusions.

(4) Population size does not normally affect sample size. In fact the larger the population sizes the lower the proportion of that population that needs to be sampled to be representative. It is only when the proposed sample size is more than 5 per cent of the population that the population size becomes part of the formulae to calculate the sample size

The sample size taken was collected from 30 employees working in sales and marketing of hotels.

Close ended as well as some Open ended questions were used in the as a data collection tool. The researcher has done this respectful survey in an undisguised manner.

3.1.7 Data Analysis Technique:

Data analysis can take the form of simple descriptive statistics or more sophisticated statistical inference, which are among those shown in Figure below

http://dstraub.cis.gsu.edu:88/quant/images/figure3small.gif

3.2 Classification of data:

Structured data: out of total data collection 75% of the data was structured since it was taken by structured questionnaire.

Unstructured data: 25% of the data was in unstructured for which was collected by observation techniques and casual interaction with Employees to get actual qualitative insights which would have been difficult to find through structured Questionnaire.

4. Results and Interpretation

4.1 Detail about the outcome of research:

The Internet is assumed to be an important channel for marketing and distribution of products and services. This is, among other things, due to the cost-effectiveness of the Internet and the convenience for customers. With the Internet marketers can reach out to a broad customer base, locate target customers, identify their needs and communicate with them at a relatively low cost. The Internet provides an opportunity for market testing and optimization. Increasing digitalization will make it progressively easier to experimentally alter particular aspects of a business and quickly observe how customers respond (Wyner 2000).

Since the Web allows access to a plethora of information on different products, the hotel organization must encourage the potential consumer to use the Web site as both an information tool as well as a purchase option. This combination of information search and purchase process is an advantage over traditional retailing as online consumers have stated that personalized targeting is a reason they shop online. When consumers are more involved in the buying process it significantly improves brand recognition and recall.

Questionnaire

Name

Hotels name

Department

Designation

Q.1) Does your hotel uses E-marketing or traditional marketing.

a) E-marketing - 15

b) Traditional marketing -0

c) Both-5

Designing a user focused website is the most important element in internet marketing for hotels. The goal of your website should be to convert visitors into paying customers. The first step in doing this is building trust. A nicely designed website suggests to visitors that you take pride in the way your site looks.

Q.2) which is the main e-marketing element?

Dynamic Website-9

Google adwords-6

Web banner-0

Online portals-0

Electronic media-1

Social media-1

E-mailers/ SMS-0

Smart phone application-3

45% of the reservations are made through the online reservations using the website that the saves the cost for the hotel. Hotel can save the cost of other variables if the reservation has been made from he website. The second mode of making reservation is through the travel agents, which is the conventional mode.

Q.3) As per the consumer point of view does it helps them to get the right price?

Yes-18

No-2

How price has become largely transparent and that consumers now book rooms at one price, shop around for better prices and then cancel and rebook. Rather than yield higher total sales, discounting simply displaces customers from one distribution channel to another. Any increase in volume fails to offset the revenue lost from the discounting. Claiming that this is true for all industry segments, regardless of occupancy rates. Hoteliers need to be more selective about the rates they provide to third party sites to insure that they are actually generating incremental revenues.

Pointing out that consumers frequently search multiple channels for the cheapest price, and expect cheaper prices online. Using historical data, he surveys rates across five B2C channels to establish whether pricing is consistent across channels; whether one channel is consistently cheaper; and whether the apparent pricing strategy is logical from both consumer and hotel perspectives. His findings show that hotel companies typically use multiple distribution channels, and offer multiple rates across each channel. No channel consistently offers the cheapest price, but the analysis reveals differences based on market segment. Consumers are more likely to find cheapest prices on direct channels (chain website and call centre) at the lower end of the market, and conversely through intermediaries at the upper end. In other words, luxury hotels appear to be offering their cheapest prices though channels with the highest cost of distribution.

Some employees said no because the guest are not aware about the best price available through different channels.

Q.4) Are the prices negotiable?

Yes -8

No-12

While yield management varies prices relative to demand, the rate to individual customers is fixed; hotels set the price and potential guests accept their offer or stay elsewhere. In contrast, negotiation is normal with group sales (meetings, conventions, tour groups, and corporate travel accounts). Only the highest bid is accepted, other potential customers are left unsatisfied and incremental revenue is lost as non-winning bids are foregone. "Online Requests for Proposal" (buyers detail their requirements, which are then forwarded to potential suppliers) help overcome these limitations, but generally only facilitate matching and have no influence over subsequent negotiations

Q.5) how much beneficial is the e-communication in marketing when it comes in measuring the data

Financial measures

Competitive market measures

Consumer behavior measures

Consumer intermediate measures

E-marketing measures, such as

Conversion rate

Traffic

Visit duration

Number of transactions

Number of users

All the element were important because all the employees marked all of the option, it says that the elements are helpful in some of the other way, such as making decitions or any financial measurement.

Q.6) Do the alternatives offered by E-marketing reduce the overall cost of sales & marketing the traditional way of marketing?

Agree-17

Slightly Agree-3

Slightly Disagree-0

Disagree-0

After the analysis through the literature review and the respondent reactions researcher has found that e marketing has more to offer for marketing hotel product and services.

Most of the respondents were agree with that E marketing lowers the cost of customer communication. Previously when the traditional marketing was in the practice the cost was high such as hen telephones were used for the communication with the customers then the cost was very high for the hotelier. E-marketing has changed the scenario now the customers are contacted via email and the hotel is able to the cut the cost and giving more efficient services to the customers.

Respondents were slightly agreed on that e marketing keeps offers out of the view of the mass market & potentially to the competitors. This makes e marketing more in demand. The traditional marketing is not very effective in terms of competitors.

In India many hotel organizations and is practicing e marketing and some of them are still in a process to practice e-marketing process. But respondents are slightly agreed on the execution of e marketing that E-marketing can be executed quickly with in-house resources in comparison to the traditional method of marketing.

E-marketing addresses consumers that are actively looking for hotel offers, Cost effective way to address, on his respondents are slightly disagree. They said that there are other means of addressing customers; the cost involved in acquiring full-fledged e-marketing is little higher.

E marketing has leveled the playing field and allows small chains & even independent hotels to compete head on with the major brands all of the respondents were agreed on this. Respondents strongly feel that the traditional marketing do not provide the opportunity to small hotels. Now the introduction e-marketing in independent hotel has changed the scenario of the hotel business.

Q.7) How most of the consumers in these hotels make reservation for the booking of the room?

Travel agents-3

Walk-ins-5

Website-12

Approximately 60% of those were done via hotel branded websites (i.e. Direct Online Channel) It tells us that the importance of the website,thereefore the hotelier should always make keep an eye to upgrate it as and when needed with all the technology and the hotel promotions.

Q.8) Approximate Percentage of Business from the Internet

Below 30%

31% to 50%

51% to 70%

71% and above

over 51% to 70% of hotel bookings were generated via the Internet these include all the other elements like online portals, Electronic media, Social media E-mailers/ SMS, Smart phone application

This result is on par with the industry and underlines the importance of the direct channel in the overall Internet strategy.

Conclusion need to be added

Q.9) which element helps to generate maximum awareness?

Website- 3

Google adwords-4

Online portals-1

Electronic media-2

Social media-7

E-mailers/ SMS-1

Smart phone application-2

Social media has massively grown in popularity. Near enough everyone has some kind of social media account. It is because of this that search engines have begun to include social media content within the natural search results. This is why social media marketing should be an integral element of anyone’s Internet marketing campaign. Success across social media is useful for raising brand and company awareness as well as providing extra results within the search results.

Q.10) Describe if any new trend coming up?

You’ve heard a million people say it for at least the last five years: this is the year of mobile. For almost every marketing executive, the saying has become cliché and trite. Technology in the mobile space has drastically improved and our team emphatically believes that, for hotels, the time is now. As we move forward in 2012, it is important for hotels not to ignore mobile and risk being left in the wake of their competitors who already leveraging this opportunity.

The study projects that mobile and tablet devices will account for 25% of paid search clicks by the end of 2012. In the hospitality field, I still believe hotels have a very big opportunity here as not everyone is doing this as opposed to standard PPC marketing. However, if you aren’t on top of the mobile game now, you certainly will be lagging behind your competitors in the near future.

CONCLUSION

Salient conclusion from the work

The impact of e-marketing is very positive when the hotel web site is managed by hotel itself. Choosing which tasks to assign and, which ones to handle personally, is often the measure of successful management. Some managers interviewed view Internet marketing as a purely static and inert form of advertising, which requires little attention after the site is published. Because of this mistaken belief, managing the Internet and other electronic marketing sometimes gets assigned to someone else to maintain. This could be a big mistake. The Internet’s deceptive simplicity fools many hoteliers into believing that all they need do is to have a web site created publish it to the net, and business will come flowing in. Mr. Sharma Sales Manager JW Marriott hotel said

"We’ve all learned that the Internet is intensely complex; it’s not just what your site says that’s important, it’s how it says it that’s important, too. You can get it to work for you. So the impact will be higher. We are using the e-marketing as our main tool for marketing."

6. LIMITATION

The research was limited to employees of only few hotels, where the chain of hotels were not included.

Back end activities were not included that support online order-taking. It includes fulfillment, inventory management, purchasing from suppliers, payment processing, packaging, and delivery

7. RECOMMENDATION

Finally the survey results clearly showed hoteliers understand the need of hotel Internet marketing even though hoteliers are still using the conventional marketing strategy. Now hoteliers are taking a holistic view of the hotel online environment and adopt a comprehensive, long-term strategic approach to grow the online channel. No longer viewed as a source for only incremental sales, the website is a major revenue driver and requires an online marketing budget to support the activity.  Today’s hotel marketing budget tends to include specific line items addressing direct web marketing. These are treated as "fundamental" and include website re-designs, organic search optimizations, search marketing, email marketing, strategic linking, online advertising and public relations, and new media formats such as Web 2.0 which includes social media, and blogs.

Here are some main findings from the survey:

The hotel industry reported that online business is coming from their own website more than third parties or corporate brand sites

Franchise/major brand hoteliers overwhelmingly find there to be major restrictions in online marketing conduct due to brand standards and regulations.

Similar to last year, the percentage of customers use search engine optimization and organic search in their search marketing campaigns was high. This was followed by paid search, then local search.

When asked what Internet marketing objectives would like to focus on, the highest percentage of hoteliers said website optimization, followed by search optimization – organic search.

The survey findings said that the more hoteliers learn about online direct distribution and Internet marketing, the more they realize their property website does not conform to industry’s best practices.

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