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anonymous

Are customers' reviews creating value in the hospitality industry? Exploring the modera... - 0 views

www.sciencedirect.com/...S0268401216301049

Social Media Influence Tripadvisor effects on hotels user generated reviews

shared by anonymous on 25 Aug 20 - No Cached
  • reviews
  • positive effect on hotel revenues
  • outside popular destinations
  • ...39 more annotations...
  • online visibility
  • user-generated reviews
  • 240 small and medium-sized hotels
  • online retailers have thus been gaining increasing market power in influencing customers’ purchases (i.e., Inversini and Masiero, 2014, Silva, 2015, Yen and Tang, 2015) and have improved market transparency and uncertainty for travellers (Toh, Raven, & DeKay, 2011). For this reason, their role is now considered an infomediary (Chen, Yang, & Wang, 2015) because their capability to add value in transactions depends primarily on collecting and processing information about prices, destinations and travellers’ reviews.
  • positive effect on hotel revenue growth
  • outweighed by a negative effect on gross profit margins.
  • managerial implications discuss how hotels should use social media features according to a strategic view based on pursuing the horizontal and vertical differentiation of their services in an attempt to create more economic value from their online visibility and to protect profit margins from the intermediation in their customer relationships.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Aug 20
       
      MIS idea of how to actually use the information giving from this style of data mining
  • Online reviews provide additional information for travellers to mitigate the uncertainty about the quality of a hotel and about its fit to their needs and preferences on accommodations and destinations.
  • 50,115 user-generated reviews on TripAdvisor,
  • shake up long-lasting reputations through reviews posted by unmonitored influential opinion makers
  • Internet can be a value-destroying mechanism for small businesses and can deter hotels’ capacity to defend profit margins
  • empower buyers
  • ncrease the degree of rivalry among firms that sell and distribute their products/services
  • bargaining power
  • First, online ratings can have a beneficial effect on the occupancy rate of rooms, which is especially important for larger hotels that bear a greater cost of idle capacity, especially in off-peak periods. Second, visibility on social media can allow hotels to apply a price premium thanks to greater economic value generated by market transparency, the reduction of the search costs for both parties involved in the transaction
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Aug 20
       
      Hypothesis broken into 2 parts
  • brand image of hotels,
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Aug 20
       
      Potential here for bad press. Viral videos of mistakes/ misinformation etc.
  • maller hotels with opportunities for market growth in segments in which they have a limited market presence
  • exploring the relationship between online visibility and the creation of economic value in terms of increase of sales and profitability for a panel of 240 Italian small and medium hotels
  • ive million registered users who visit the platform 30 million times per month on average
  • we consider only the profitability (the value appropriation achieved through online visibility) and not the increase in sales (the value generation achieved through online visibility) because hotels’ market positioning affects a hotel’s capability to appropriate the economic value brought by online visibility and influences hotels’ ability to negotiate the infomediation fees, which in turn impact hotels’ profitability.
  • social networking (i.e., the opportunity that users have to connect with people with similar travel interests, needs or experience) and knowledge sharing
  • travellers can more easily find persons who share similar travel preferences and needs. In a similar way, a user consulting travellers’ reviews can see if the reviewer is a member of his/her friends’ social networks on other platforms, such as Facebook.
  • beyond allowing hotels to improve their room occupancy rates, online visibility may allow hotels to apply price premiums.
  • respond strategically to online reviews
  • positive relationship between online visibility and sales
  • three different forms.
  • first is the rating assigned by users, who can express their evaluations on a quantitative scale.
  • rates given by users are distributed over the scale.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Aug 20
       
      Think amazon review
  • number of reviews that users give to hotels
  • we may expect that online visibility on social media – seen as a composite measure of the three above-mentioned elements – can positively impact hotels’ revenue growth
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Aug 20
       
      hypothesis
  • hotels’ market positioning between their online visibility and profitability.
  • Online visibility has a negative effect on the gross profit margin of a hotel.
  • Consequently, high star-rating hotels apply price premiums for their superior quality and attract less price sensitive customers, who have a higher willingness to pay for quality
  • we expect that less price sensitive customers are willing to pay more for hotels with higher customer ratings on infomediation platforms because they perceive these hotels to be more valuable
  • The relation between online visibility and sales profitability is stronger for hotels with high star-rating.
  • iche tourism appears to offer a more meaningful set of experiences, given the knowledge that tourists’ needs and wants are being met
  • “what makes a tourism destination truly competitive is its ability to increase tourism expenditure, to increasingly attract visitors while providing them with satisfying, memorable experiences, and to do so in a profitable way” (p. 2).
  • However, a number of studies have reported that online user-generated reviews are perceived as more credible than traditional word-of-mouth when they come from persons with similar attitudes and preferences
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 25 Aug 20
       
      Hate this.
  • Hotels in niche destinations are thus better positioned to extract more economic value from online visibility.
  • anonymous on 25 Aug 20
     
    This article analyzes how user-generated ratings have a positive impact on hotels revenue growth. It looks at this through three different methods: one, ratings that the uses provide, two at how those ratings are "distributed over the scale," and three, the number of reviews that hotel receives. The article observes 240 small to mid scale hotels in Italy. Some issues we see come up revolve around the subjectivity of user-generated reviews and how that can positively and negatively affect hotel occupancy and interest. Ultimately, it appears that hotels that already have a high star rating will benefit most from these user-generated ratings because they have a stronger bargaining tool. The other benefactor are small, niche hotels whose increase viability and unique qualities help it in encouraging new tourism and high level experiences.
Patty Ferrer

Is Orbitz steering Mac users toward pricier hotels? - CNN.com - 0 views

www.cnn.com/...index.html

shared by Patty Ferrer on 19 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • (CNN) -- Is Orbitz trying to get Mac users to book higher-priced hotels?
  • "What we have found is ... that Mac users are 40% more likely to book four- or five-star hotels than PC users," Harford said. "That lines up with (the fact that) Mac users are typically more willing to spend more money on higher-end computers."
  • Patty Ferrer on 19 Jan 13
     
    The equipment we use in technology such as out computer is not a determent of what prices we pay. Orbitz is showing mac users higher prices on hotels simply because they use a mac instead of a PC. The CEO states thats not a fact but facts prove that mac users are 40 % most likely to book a 4 or 5 star hotel. The engineers from Orbitz are experimenting with predicting what the consumer will search for and not giving mac users a higher price on hotel nights. Technology has now become a sterotype is how consumers are feeling by the futy posted in twitter. At the end of the day the consumer can search for different hotels prices and rooms no matter if a mac or pc user.
angelicamm6

http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2443/paper04.pdf - 0 views

ceur-ws.org/paper04.pdf

business technology hospitality software pdf

shared by angelicamm6 on 21 Sep 19 - No Cached
    • angelicamm6
      angelicamm6 on 21 Sep 19
       
      There are some relations between publisher, advertiser and user according to the sustainable development principle in web advertisement context in e-business. The following principles should be adopted: * The publishers should use users' knowledge and experience in case of form of advertisement and propose advertisements, if they constitute their source of income. * The publishers and advertisers should allow users, i.e. the recipients of content, portals or websites, to make the decision in case of invasive or not interesting advertisement.
    • angelicamm6
      angelicamm6 on 21 Sep 19
       
      Table 1. Reasons of ads blocking grouped by categories
    • angelicamm6
      angelicamm6 on 21 Sep 19
       
      The research methodology included the following steps:
  • ...3 more annotations...
    • angelicamm6
      angelicamm6 on 21 Sep 19
       
      Apart from banner advertisements, there are also the following types of advertisements: * top layer - advertisements displayed only once in the form of an animation with its sound on by default, * brandmark - it is a variety of a pop-up advertisement, * interstitial - an advertisement displayed as a 10-second full-screen animation, * floating ad - a specific type of a moving advertisement which floats over the website and browsed content, encouraging users to click on it (it can be perceived as a harassment), * watermark - a form of an online advertisement displayed as a background, * trick banner - an advertisement which is actually a form of deception or fraud. It contains a text encouraging the user to click it and which takes the user to a different, infected website.
    • angelicamm6
      angelicamm6 on 21 Sep 19
       
      Table 2. Blocking ads divided into age groups
    • angelicamm6
      angelicamm6 on 21 Sep 19
       
      According to the survey results, about 60% of the surveyed users aged 18-24 block ads: * Age group 18-24 - 56,30% of Internet users block internet advertising, * Age group 25-34 - 32,80% of Internet users block internet advertising, * Age group 35-44 - 9% of Internet users block internet advertising.
  • angelicamm6 on 21 Sep 19
     
    The articles focuses on the idea of web authors posting free articles and compensating it with ads. But users have ways of either blocking the ads or not really getting ads they care for. Does this defeat the purpose of having free web pages, or are user just beating the system.
Yue Li (3011472)

HFTP Begins Development of a Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide - 1 views

www.hftp.org/...NewsPressContent.aspx

accounting technology

shared by Yue Li (3011472) on 01 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • "We are the only global association dedicated to hospitality finance and technology
  • To create a global resource for the hospitality finance industry, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has begun development on a global hospitality accounting system users guide.
  • The global guide will provide the industry with a comprehensive glossary of inventory terminology, charts of accounts and will benchmark common allocation for specific regions of the world. The project is planned as a three step process:
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • HFTP is working with members of several organizations including, EHL, HFTP's Research Institute at the University of Houston, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA).
  • boyan yuan on 01 Mar 12
     
    To create a global resource for the hospitality finance industry, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals has begun development on a global hospitality accounting system users guide. HFTP is the only global association dedicated to hospitality finance and technology and our Global Board is investing heavily to create a benchmark that stakeholders can use to compile accounts, compare regional differences and define the value of a hospitality operation.
  • ...3 more comments...
  • Marcia Brown-Kelly on 01 Mar 12
     
    I agree that this will be a great resource for hospitality finance and technology professionals. I believe that the school doing the research should partner with industry focus groups as well.
  • david swatscheno on 28 Jun 12
     
    This article focuses on a global accounting system. Their trying to make a generic set up that is user friendly for people worldwide. People are working on this and we will see what it has to offer the hospitality community here in the future.
  • Laura Montoya on 15 Oct 12
     
    This article speaks about a user guide that will "compile accounts, compare regional differences and define the value of a hospitality operation." To create this guide will take some time, and 3 steps must be performed. First the research needs to be conducted and gathered, secondly the collected data will be distributed to regional teams who will develop sample charts of accounts. Lastly, the team chairs will finalize the project by authoring a discussion on similarities or differences.
  • Kelly Baptist on 17 Oct 12
     
    This article was pretty brief, but it stated that Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals has begun development on a global hospitality accounting system users guide. This would create a global resource for the finance industry. Frank Wolfe, HFTP's CEO, says that the company is the only global association dedicated to hospitality finance and technology. They are hoping to create a benchmark that stakeholders can use to compile accounts, compare regional differences and define the value of a hospitality operation. What I found interesting about this article was that it greatly involved final year bachelor students at Ecole Hôtelière De Lausanne in Switzerland performing research for this project. I also think that a global hospitality accounting system users guide would be beneficial, especially since many managers/employees do not have the strongest training or skills in a financial or technical area.
  • Yue Li (3011472) on 17 Oct 12
     
    HFTP (Hospitality financial & technology professionals) begins developing a global hospitality accounting system users guide. This kind of users guide is totally new to the hospitality industry and currently there is no global resource like this. The global guide will provide the hospitality industry with a glossary of inventory terminology, accounting charts and other accounting-related information. This project is developed using technology that can provide users with a benchmark that stakeholders can use to compare regional differences and define the value of hospitality operation. This project is a three-step process. First, bachelor degree students from all over the world who are interested in this project will work as data collector. Second, the assembled and analyzed data will be processed into professionals in different regions all over the world to create new sample charts. Finally, the initial guide will be published in multiple languages and distributed globally. This new accounting system technology is predicted to help the hospitality industry increase the ability in financial management, accounting, cost control and the sharing of global accounting data sources.
Jia Kim

Choosing the 'Right' Mobile Solution to Maximize Bookings - 0 views

www.e-marketingassociates.com/...-solution-to-maximize-bookings

mobile apps user experience maximizing booking

shared by Jia Kim on 07 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • it is apparent that having a mobile site is critical to having a successful hotel marketing campaign
  • Jia Kim on 07 Sep 13
     
    This article says about the right mobile solution to maximize bookings. It is apparent that having a mobile site is critical to having a successful hotel marketing campaign. Most hoteliers have to design a mobile-friendly site, it's not an option. The more positive user experience created, the more bookings expected. User friendly application surely influence the users' purchasing decision. Thus, the hoteliers need to optimize various devices in order to keep users engaged from the moment of searching to researching and to booking. Two kinds of solution was introduced. One is Responsive design solution which enables one site to fits all kinds of device from desk top, lap top to smart phone or tablets. It is not necessary to optimize teh contents for each device so easy to manage the contents and images on the site. Second type is Multiple site solution or traditional mobile site. This solution is ideal for hotel sites that have many pages within the site. Building a seperate site in order to cater to mobile users who are interested in specific information. It is important to acknowledge that which device the guest is using to optimize the contents. To be short, providing an optimum user experience is very important to convert visitors into guests.
priscillamuniz

Location-Based Ads: Convenience Versus Privacy - 0 views

www.businessnewsdaily.com/ocation-based-advertising.html

shared by priscillamuniz on 21 Jul 23 - No Cached
  • Privacy concerns may leave consumers feeling inclined to disable location tracking on their smartphones. However, the number of users who actually enable or disable their location tracking varies based on what source you consult – and perhaps the type of device.In 2022, Android Authority found that most people still leave their location tracking enabled. In its poll of more than 1,400 people, 66.8 percent of Android users said they keep their location-tracking enabled. In contrast, in 2021, Flurry Analytics found that only 4 percent of iOS users in the U.S. opted in to app tracking. There’s an important distinction here: iOS 14.5 and later versions give users the choice to opt in to location-tracking rather than opting users in by default. Users can manage their Android device’s location settings and grant or deny location-tracking permissions. 
  • priscillamuniz on 21 Jul 23
     
    What I found interesting was the type of device and number of users that actually enable or disable their devices. Android users tend to leave their location-tracking enabled. 4 percent of iOs users in the U.S. opted in to app tracking. In addition privacy still is a concern when it comes location-based marketing.
Camila Calcines

Smartphone VS Tablet: Prep Your Hotel For a Mobile Future | Top Stories | | Hospitality... - 0 views

hospitalitytechnology.edgl.com/...Hotel-For-a-Mobile-Future86086

smartphone tablet hotel mobile future hospitality magazine tourism

shared by Camila Calcines on 23 May 13 - No Cached
  • In 2011, mobile was responsible for $2.6 billion in travel bookings. By 2013, the number is projected to be $8 billion
  • tablet users are much more likely to purchase something (62% versus 47%) or book travel (41% versus 29%) on their devices than smartphone users.
  • Sixteen percent of mobile users will not return or wait for a website to load if it takes too long and 6% will go to a competitor’s website
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • the tablet market is expected to grow to more than 300 million
  • Understanding that the tablet and smartphone experience can be vastly different is important to the way you may want to market to your target audience.
  • smartphone and the tablet experience are not one in the same and both are important.
  • Time and delivery is very important for mobile guests and the capability to manage reservations through mobile devices provides increased mobility to the modern day traveler,
  • The most challenging part of optimizing for both smartphones and tablets is in the execution.
  • Regular testing and monitoring of your mobile site can ensure that customers are getting the best experience.
  • Camila Calcines on 23 May 13
     
    In this era of technology I think the hotel industry should of accommodated their customers with an excellent mobile site experience. As read in the article, "In 2011, mobile was responsible for $2.6 billion in travel bookings," and the numbers are increasing exponentially by year. Mobile devices are becoming so popular to book travel because todays customer lives a high-paced life and is always on the go. So I think it is extremely important that travel industries understand the customer and targets them accordingly in order to form that customer loyalty. With the popularity of tablets, the smartphone is gaining harsh competition because a tablet user has a smartphone and when it comes to booking travel they would most likely use their tablet because it is more accessible and the screen is bigger and easier to read. The smartphone and tablet experience is completely different because in essence you are targeting different audiences. The tablet user wants to see bigger icons and more visibility on the bigger screen, while the smartphone user wants to have a quick information session where she/he can view everything on the go. I think the travel industry should focus on execution in order to give the tablet and smartphone user the best mobile experience. With that said, the only way to ensure that positive feedback is through "regular testing and monitoring of your mobile site…"
bnort002

How to Build a Brand for Your Mobile App: Strategies, Tips and Examples - 2 views

uxplanet.org/tips-and-examples-29718ab6a291

shared by bnort002 on 26 Aug 18 - No Cached
    • bnort002
      bnort002 on 26 Aug 18
       
      Some other things to consider would be: Is the app easy to use, will it appeal to all users or the target market, and will your colors/logo/design be able to grow and mature with the Brand you are creating.
    • bnort002
      bnort002 on 26 Aug 18
       
      Some Brands do not allow much creativity or changing of the Brand. For example, when I worked for Hyatt, you had to follow everything that was within the Brand Standard. It you couldn't find it in their Brand database you could not use it. Working for a family owned or private company you have more flexibility with promoting their brand and you can have more creative pull such as with an App.
  • Gamificatio
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • Social networks are first of all the big channel of brand awareness and brand recognizability so don’t neglect their influence.
  • All these details shape the positive user experience and support brand loyalty with happy users.
  • Personalization and Onboarding
  • not only should mobile apps offer high quality of their performance but also build up strong brands to stand out.
  • brand is an image created with a set of distinguishing features and promoting awareness and recognizability of the product or service on the market, it’s what people think and know about it
  • Talking about mobile apps, the important thing to think about is the correlation of the logo with an app icon
  • how users will perceive the app interacting with it: its visual image, its communication and its reputation
  • Keywords
  • Descriptor keywords
  • Brand keywords
  • Brand-Plus keywords
  • Help and Support
  • Landing Pages
  • Choosing this direction, remember two things:
  • – opinion leaders mostly care about their audience and reputation so they won’t promote what they don’t like or don’t find good for their audience, even rejecting profitable offers.– opinion leaders and brand ambassadors will waste your money if the product is half-baked. You may get the big traffic from the campaign and attract many users but if they get something with numerous bugs or lorem ipsum here and there instead of real copy, it will have a bad influence on the brand image in general. Positive experience first. Presentation and promotion after it.
  • bnort002 on 26 Aug 18
     
    This article brings up some great points on building your Brand on a mobile App. As a whole, we are attached to our cell phones and using apps for everything. Creating a Brand for your Mobile App is a must have in our industry and it is the direction most hotels, cruise ships, and resorts are taking when you are on property/ship. Personalization and Onboarding is important to the user as they want to be able view their interests/preferences/needs. By providing a personalized experience (interactive maps, videos, etc.) via App we hope to provide the most positive guest experience. As the article states, providing a positive user experience creates happy users which results in Brand loyalty. The end result is always to capture repeat business and Brand loyalty.
Michelle Wilson

Ping Identity Shares Best Practices for Securing and Managing User Access to UltiPro at... - 0 views

eon.businesswire.com/...Single-Sign-On-to-UltiPro

HRIS SSO HR payroll employee satisfaction identity security

shared by Michelle Wilson on 05 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • ing Identity solutions for human resource applications help companies get the most out of their HR technology investments. The company’s cloud identity management solutions allow employees to securely access UltiPro and other Web-based HR applications using Single Sign-On (SSO), while making it easier for Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) to provision and manage user accounts. Whether a customer chooses PingFederate cloud identity management software or PingOne cloud identity management as a service, Ping Identity’s products are designed to work with existing HRIS systems, as well as a wide variety of Web-based environments and business applications. Connections—The Ultimate Partner Forum is Ultimate Software’s annual customer conference. Each year, a dynamic group of more than 1,000 HR, payroll, and talent management professionals come together to learn about UltiPro product enhancements, industry best practices, and compliance regulations. On March 29, 2012, at 10:45 a.m. PDT, Ping Identity Senior Technical Architect Paul Madsen will join Ultimate Software’s Vice President of SaaS Technology Jim Jenson and Director of Strategic Alliances Jennifer Brafman Staffen in a track session for UltiPro Enterprise that will cover “The Advantages of Single Sign-On and How to Get There.” The session will repeat at 4 p.m., PDT, March 29, 2012, in a track session for UltiPro Workplace. To learn how Ping Identity’s cloud identity management solutions work with UltiPro and other HR applications, please stop by the Ping Identity booth. The Ultimate Connections Conference begins today and continues through Friday at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. About Ping Identity | The Cloud Identity Security Leader Ping Identity provides cloud identity security solutions to more than 800 of the world's largest companies, government organizations and cloud businesses. With a 99% customer satisfaction rating, Ping Identity empowers more than 42 of the Fortune 100 to secure hundreds of millions of employees, customers, consumers and partners using secure, open standards like SAML, OpenID and OAuth. Businesses that depend on the Cloud rely on Ping Identity to deliver simple, proven and secure cloud identity management through single sign-on, federated identity management, mobile identity security, API security, social media integration, and centralized access control. Visit pingidentity.com for more information. Contacts fama PR for Ping IdentityWhitney Parker, 617-986-5011pingidentity@famapr.comFollow Us on Twitter: @PingIdentityJoin our LinkedIn Group: Ping Identity CloudSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: PingIdentityTV Recent Stories from Ping Identity UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School Turns to Ping Identity to Solve Identity Management Complexity April 04, 2012 DENVER--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Ping Identity today announced that the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School has selected PingFederate to ease the management of identiti... more » Ping Identity Partners with Macnica Networks April 03, 2012 TOKYO--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Ping Identity®, The Cloud Identity Security Leader™, today announced that it has partnered with Macnica Networks Corp., the leading value-added distributor in Ja... more » Ping Identity Launches Certified Service Partner Program April 03, 2012 DENVER--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Ping Identity announced its Certified Service Partner Program. more » More Stories class
  • Ping Identity solutions for human resource applications help companies get the most out of their HR technology investments.
  • allow employees to securely access UltiPro and other Web-based HR applications using Single Sign-On (SSO), while making it easier for Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) to provision and manage user accounts.
  • Michelle Wilson on 05 Apr 12
     
    This article shares some information about a Ping Identity that was demonstrated at the Ultimate Connections Conference in Las Vegas which was held at the end of March. Ping's experts were on hand to discuss how Ping Identity can help eliminate multi-employee passwords, increasing security. Ping uses cloud identity management solutions which will allow employees to access web-based HR applications using SSO (single sign-on), making it easier for HR managers to monitor user accounts. Pings systems are designed to be used with a wide array of products already in use. This is very interesting and will help the HR department, making their job a little easier by not having to worry about misuse of employee sign ons.
Kamini Ramsaran

Priceline takes on HotelTonight threat at global scale with last-minute service for Boo... - 0 views

www.tnooz.com/...minute-service-for-booking-com

travel technology iPhone app last minute deals min bookings Priceline Hotel Tonight Tonight- Only

shared by Kamini Ramsaran on 27 May 12 - No Cached
  • Buoyed perhaps by the launch of a same-day hotel booking service on its mobile app, Priceline has launched a similar service for its global hotel service Booking.com.
  • Booking.com Tonight with initially be available only for Apple devices via the iTunes appstore
  • and will use last-minute inventory from its portfolio of 200,000 properties in 165 countries.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The app works by giving the user a list of all available hotels in the immediate area of the device which have same-day availability, with a two-step process if the user wishes to book from the handset.
  • Booking.com says it secured $1 billion in transactions via mobile devices in 2011
  • Validation of the marketplace for same-day bookings via mobile devices was illustrated again last November when HotelTonight secured Series B funding to the tune of $9 million in a round led by Battery Ventures.
  • Kamini Ramsaran on 27 May 12
     
    Priceline has launched their online same day booking application for iPhone users.  The app will soon be available for Android users as well. Travelers are able to search for last minute inventory from 165 countries and 200,000 properties, the app shows a list of available hotels in the area of the device the user is using to search for hotels.  The quick 2 step process to booking a hotel is easy to use and user friendly, guests also get a map with directions on their display to help them find their hotel.  This technology was introduced last year and had secured $1 billion in transactions 40% of the mobile bookings were for the same day reservations. Today's travelers and consumers are looking for instant deals, bookings, and conformation, with the technology of this app and the continued improvements consumers continue to be in their favor. 
Hanlu Hu

E-Commerce for the Hospitality Industry | The Moscow Times - 6 views

www.themoscowtimes.com/...449373.html

technology

shared by Hanlu Hu on 30 May 12 - No Cached
  • E-commerce has been defined as "the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the Internet."
  • Accelerating Internet usage worldwide The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines.
  • Adding real time search functionality to your site, capability to generate user reviews, launching contests helps to build fresh content and quality links
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • Heavy graphics, animation and flash demos cause your site to perform slowly. Sites that are built keeping these guidelines in mind will deliver better user experiences, will perform better on search engines, and ultimately drive higher ROI.
  • As things stand now, mobile queries represent about 10% of all queries made on Google. People are using mobile devices to conduct searches, as well as share content, connect with friends and browse the web
  • Embracing social media. 93 percent of social media users expect companies to have a social presence. 85 percent of social media users want companies to interact with them on social sites. A well-planned social initiative can turn fans into brand evangelists.
  • The Internet has consolidated itself as a very powerful platform that has changed the way we communicate, and the way we do business.
  • The growing importance of e-commerce in the modern hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple solutions to manage companies' online presence. Now that each hotel is involved in e-commerce, why is hotel e-commerce so important today?
  • We forget that the human brain can only consume limited information. It is important to take a holistic approach and prioritize information. Good web site architecture and organized content improves site usability and its efficiency when used with search engines.
    • yan xie
      yan xie on 03 Jun 12
       
      It is true that we always forge how many information the human brain will take at once. Although the e-commerce is the good way for customers to know the new products and new service from the hotels, sometimes the hotels provide so much information to customers. It lets customers confused and does not know what the specifice products can meet their requirements. And sometimes, they feel some hard to understand your service so that they give up hotels service or new products to choose the one they are familiar. So how to make e-commerce usability and efficiency is a new point, which the hospitality industry company need to consider.
  • make sure your ad groups are made up of tightly knit keyword themes and that those keywords are reflected in your ad copy; ensure that your landing pages clearly reflect the offer promoted in the ad copy and includes clear calls to action and conversion factors.
    • yan xie
      yan xie on 03 Jun 12
       
      As the point two mentioned, the customers cannot get so many information at once, and they also cannot search lots of information at once. So the keyword themes is also another important thing for company to do the promotion and ads. This ads need to have the keywords to clearly reflect the offer promoted for customers. In this way, the customers will catch the information as possible as they can.
  • Top e-commerce sites are continually testing new things. It's the only way to achieve continual improvement.
    • yan xie
      yan xie on 03 Jun 12
       
      To do the continually testing new things is always a best development way for the developing company. If the company cannot test the new things in their e-commerce sites and e-commerce process, the e-commerce of this company will be far away from other companies. Company need to have the innovation to make some new things for their e-commerce and do the test all the time to select the best way for the business and customers' expericence.
  • hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies
  • Gerardo Collado on 30 May 12
     
    The hospitality industry along with the resourcefulness of the Internet has allowed the Russian hospitality industry to benefit and grow with the technology of e-commerce. E-commerce is defined as "the buying and selling of products and service by businesses and consumers over the Internet". This technology is significant due to its beneficial factors of lowering costs, accessibility, decision-making, and media exposure. As well, the article provides for methods and advice regards effective strategies to utilize the Internet. Primarily, the speed of the website's functionality is essential, along with providing compatibility of browsers, thus, allowing for a better experience for users. The information in the website should be efficient, allowing for real time search whether using a mobile phone or a computer. It was informative to read the multiple functionality, that social media is playing in the hospitality industry regards the exposure and marketability. E-commerce has change the market of goods and services, from a tangible experience to digital experience, through the use of online shopping estimated at $228 Billion in 2010, a third derived from the purchase of travel and flight websites, thus, demonstrating the importance of the Internet in relation to consumerism.
  • ...7 more comments...
  • Avril Emmanuel on 01 Jun 12
     
    This article talks about why hotel E-commerce is essential today and how to go about having E-commerce work for your business/hotel. The article says, "The internet has consolidated itself as a very powerful platform that has changed he way we communicate, and the way we do business." This is the reason why businesses need to utilize the internet. According to the article these are the reasons that hotel e-commerce is important today: the internet is being used worldwide, the internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking medium, the internet is used, by travelers, to research hotels and their reservations, the internet is the home of social media and hotel reviews and the internet is preferred 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines for travel information. It would be at a hotel's detriment if they do not utilize the internet and e-commerce. It isn't enough to use e-commerce for business but there must be an upkeep. It is extremely beneficial to research or monitor how customers and potential consumers are seeking information and what attracts them to a site. According to the article, e-commerce strategies that would 'help get the best from the internet world' are: 1. Search-friendly website design 2. Improving Conversion and Usability 3. Paid Search 4. Real time Search 5. Mobile Device Market 6. Social Media 7. Testing
  • yan xie on 03 Jun 12
     
    This article mentioned why the ecommerce important for the hospitality industry. And also there are more things they hospitality industry companies need to know. Although the e-commerce is the good way for customers to know the new products and new service from the hotels, sometimes the hotels provide so much information to customers. It lets customers confused and does not know what the specific products can meet their requirements. And sometimes, they feel some hard to understand your service so that they give up hotels service or new products to choose the one they are familiar. So how to make e-commerce usability and efficiency is a new point, which the hospitality industry company need to consider. As the point two mentioned, the customers cannot get so many information at once, and they cannot search lots of information at once. So the keyword themes is also another important thing for company to do the promotion and ads. This ads need to have the keywords to clearly reflect the offer promoted for customers. In this way, the customers will catch the information as possible as they can. It is true that we always forge how many information the human brain will take at once. To do the continually testing new things is always a best development way for the developing company. If the company cannot test the new things in their e-commerce sites and e-commerce process, the e-commerce of this company will be far away from other companies. Company need to have the innovation to make some new things for their e-commerce and do the test all the time to select the best way for the business and customers' experience.
  • xiyu wang on 16 Sep 12
     
    This article discusses about the application of e-commerce in hospitality industry. Internet has become a very powerful tool for customers when they are planing their travels. As the same time, it has become an important media for hotelierss to improve their businesses. Internet can provider a lot of online sources to customers when they make any dicisions. And how to make your web site become more competitive and attract more customers is the topic of this article. First of all, a good design for the web site is the most important thing for hotelierss. And the download speed is the basic factor. Quick download speed brings a good experience to users, and improves the ranking in organic search. Secondly, improving usability needs to be focused on by hotelierss. Large imformation may not be took in by users. You need to make your customers seethe most important information first. In other word, you need to prioritize your web site and make the imformation more understood. Paid search and real time search are also focused on by the author. Sometimes, paid search can make your hotel more compelling on the search engine. And some tips have been given in this articel to help the hotelierss to maximize conversions. Real time search is similar with paid search, and it needs compelling fresh content and quality incoming links on the web site. Maps, photo galleries, videos and press releases are creative ways to distrivute content on different channels. With more mobiles customers using, mobile represent about 10% of all queries make on Google. Hotels can exand the mobile market and improve the download speed of their site by avoid heavy graphics and flash, making their site is mobile compatible. Social media is in the same condition with mobile. Customers need more connections on social sites, so they want companies to interact with them through the social media. The last point is testing. Every new thing needs a lot of tests. It can provides changes and improvement for
  • Gaby Belardo on 16 Sep 12
     
    The article discusses power of internet and how different it is from magazine and television ads. "In terms of time your travel websites are available for are accessible for a longer period of time, the flexibility that the content can be changed without asking someone,if you have a content management system." Also travel websites will help your business potentially reach a wider audience. Another big advantage of having a travel website is it's availability even when your business is closed or no one is available to answer your phone. Everyone knows that there are so many time zones, and the visitors can come from any part of the world. So having a travel websites gives your travel business visibility for all 365 days of year 24x7.
  • Xiameng Zheng on 30 Jan 13
     
    In hospitality industry, customers are constantly seeking new sources of information to help them make decisions before purchasing services. E-commerce in hospitality industry is about the online buying and selling services. And it's become such an important source for the company and customer. Hospitality businesses are all involved in the trend. Smart hoteliers need to keep a sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum return on investment. This article listed several basic e-commerce strategies that will help hoteliers to get the best from the Internet world.
  • Marcos Oliveira on 31 Jan 13
     
    As new technological advances are being made, the hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies. The term e-commerce has been defined as the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the internet. Now that hotels are involved directly with e-commerce it becomes even more important today because of the accelerating internet usage worldwide,the internet is still the lowest cost channel for booking, many travelers make their travel decisions via the internet. Embracing social media, 93% of social media users expect companies to have a social presence and 85% of social media users want comoanies to interact with them on social sites. A well-planned social iniative can turn fans into brand evangelists. This article dealt mainly with a brief introduction of what e-commerce is in terms of its defining and what it means to the hospitality industry. With more and more people utilizing the internet each day, the potential to have a person book a hotel room greatly increases. Several search engines have advertisements relating to many hotel companies offering specials and customers will see these ads and book. With more technological advances bound to come into play, its only a matter of time before the practice of e-commerce is taken to another level.
  • Ling Xiang on 31 Jan 13
     
    Over the last decade the population of Internet users has increased rapidly. The hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies. E-commerce has been defined as "the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the Internet." With hotel e-commerce, the landscape of the hospitality industry is forever changed. Online sales are an important part of the business. The growing importance of e-commerce in the modern hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple solutions to manage companies' online presence. Now that each hotel is involved in e-commerce, reasons why is hotel e-commerce so important today may because the accelerating internet usage worldwide, the Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel, and social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor.
  • Panpan Xie on 31 Jan 13
     
    E-commerce has become more and more important in our daily life, because many customers today prefer to use internet to help them make decisions. In hospitality industry, e-commerce also plays an important role, as internet is a very cheap and convenient booking channel and many people use the internet intensively. There are many e-commerce strategies for hoteliers, such as making friendly web site design, embracing social media, etc. As e-commerce has so many advantages, I think e-commerce is an opportunity for hoteliers to grasp. It is important for hoteliers to use different strategies to get the best from the internet world.
  • Hanlu Hu on 02 Feb 13
     
        This article introduced the function of ecommerce and the ecommerce effect for the hospitality industry. The author listed some important reasons about why hotel ecommerce is so important:1)Accelerating Internet usage worldwide.2)The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel. 3) Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet. 4)Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor. 5) The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines. This article also listed some basic e-commerce strategies that will help hoteliers to take advantage of ecommerce from the Internet world. 1) Search-friendly web site design.2) Improve conversion and usability 3) Paid search. 4) Real time search - natural ranking.5) Mobile.6) Embracing social media. 7) Test, test, test. Top e-commerce sites are continually testing new things.      In a summary, the author suggest smart hoteliers need to keep a sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum return on investment. Moreover, hoteliers have to constantly learn and look for ways to harness the power of new developments and trends.
ravicka

E-Commerce for the Hospitality Industry | News | The Moscow Times - 0 views

www.themoscowtimes.com/...449373.html

shared by ravicka on 02 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • a list of the basic e-commerce strategies that will help to get the best from the Internet world.
  • Site download speed is one of the most important ranking factors in organic search.
  • We forget that the human brain can only consume limited information.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • ensure that your landing pages clearly reflect the offer promoted in the ad copy and includes clear calls to action and conversion factors.
  • Maps, photo galleries, videos and press releases are creative ways to distribute content on different channels.
  • 93 percent of social media users expect companies to have a social presence. 85 percent of social media users want companies to interact with them on social sites.
  • changing one word in a headline increased sales over 3 times
  • Search-friendly web site design
  • Improve conversion and usability. With the increasing volume of information that hoteliers are trying to provide travelers, it is key for hotels to focus on usability and conversion.
  • Paid search. This instantly drives targeted, qualified traffic to the web site and increases conversions.
  • Real time search — natural ranking. Building strong sites with compelling fresh content, and quality incoming links will always be essential for any site.
  • Hotels can leverage the mobile market by optimizing their site for mobile phones, improving the download speed of their site by avoiding heavy graphics and flash, making sure their site is mobile compatible, and promoting mobile sites across all platforms including paid, social and local.
  • Embracing social media.
  • A well-planned social initiative can turn fans into brand evangelists.
  • Hoteliers need to ensure that they are using the full potential of the Internet.
  • nadiatc on 02 Jun 14
     
    With the rapid growth and increased use of the Internet over the past 2 decades, industry professional Andrey Smirnov gives 7 tips to other industry leaders on maximizing their presence in e-commerce and in consumer minds: (1) make your website quick to download and easy to find; (2) organize content by prioritizing information; (3) when offering promotions, clearly reflect it with a call to action; (4) distribute 'fresh' content on different channels (i.e., photo galleries, press releases, etc.); (5) maximize on mobile marketing; (6) embrace social media; and (7) continually improve by testing new things.
  • haelidenton on 13 Sep 14
     
    The internet is constantly changing, the way we communicate and they way we do business. The hospitality industry is always quick to capitalize on new technologies. However, the e-commerce growth in the hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple changes to companies' presence online. So when every hotel is involved in e-commerce, why is it so important today? It is simple. Today, the internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel. As well as now, most travelers are searching and making hotel reservations online. Lastly, social media and online hotel reviews are increasing and have made an important decision factor. Now, hoteliers need to keep focus on what information customers are seeking and what they are looking for online. There are a few basic strategies that will help drive usage from the internet world. Some of those are: vave a search-friendly website, focus on usability and conversation taking a holistic approach and prioritize information, and lastly make websites compatible for mobile phones. If hoteliers can use the full potential of the internet, they will maximize their return on investment in e-commerce. The hospitality industry needs to constantly learn and look for ways to use the new developments and trends.
  • ravicka on 27 Jan 15
     
    Andrey Smirnov in his article "E-Commerce for the Hospitality Industry highlights how the internet has changed the way business is done not only in the hospitality industry but as a whole. He stresses the importance of e-commerce in the hospitatlity industry and why hoteliers must utilise strategies to ensure they make the most of the marketing and sales opportunties the internet provides. There are a few things that hoteliers must do to make the most of what the internet provides. They include: (1) Search Friendly Website Design - "site download speed is one of the most important ranking factors in organic search" says Smirnov therfore hoteliers must ensure that their site is properly designed and compatible across any browser, any items that causes the site to perform poorly shoud be eliminated as internet users similar to hotel guests tend to only visit sites where they can receive the best experience yet. (2) Improve conversion and Usability - content on website must be properly organised and users must not be bombaded by information. (3)Search - Hoteliers must focus on Paid searches as well as Real time search to increase traffic. Paid searches ensure that your targeted traffic are directed right to you. Whereas with a great web design with strong content that is also timely the natural ranking of the oranisation website can be increased thus increasing tracffic to it. (4)Mobile - Mobile devices have become a popular means of conducting e-business related activities for consumers therefore the hotel that ensures that their online services are accessible from mobile devices will be putting themselves ahead of the game. (5) Embracing Social Media - According to Smirnov 93 percent of social media users expect companies to have a social presence and 85 percent of social media users want companies to interact with them on social sites. With this being said one can see why a social media presence is one that cannot be overlooked. It is important that co
frank rodriguez

On Orbitz, Mac Users Steered to Pricier Hotels - WSJ.com - 0 views

online.wsj.com/...4458604577488822667325882.html

Orbitz is not what it appears

shared by frank rodriguez on 14 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Orbitz Worldwide Inc. OWW 0.00% has found that people who use Apple Inc.'s AAPL +1.91% Mac computers spend as much as 30% more a night on hotels, so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see.
  • in this case, the fact that customers are visiting Orbitz.com from a Mac—to start predicting their tastes and spending habits.
  • Orbitz found Mac users on average spend $20 to $30 more a night on hotels than their PC counterparts
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Rival travel sites Expedia Inc., EXPE +0.66% Priceline.com Inc. PCLN +2.24% and Travelocity, which is a unit of Sabre Holdings Corp., don't use a person's computer operating system when suggesting hotels, spokesmen said. Apple declined to comment.
  • frank rodriguez on 14 Sep 12
     
    Here is something interesting for you Mac users. Did you knew that you are actually being charged more to use websites like Orbitz or Priceline? Don't believe me, well check it out. Over the last year or two Orbitz has been working on what they call "predictive analytics". Meaning they are able to predict where consumers will likely book their reservations based on what computer they are using. The article states that, Mac users are 40% more likely to book a four to five star hotel than PC users. Since companies like Orbitz (who took a 37 million dollar loss in 2011) are taking big hits from the lack of travelling thanks to the economy, they are trying to create any advantage they can in order to turn the market around. One thing to point out, is that Orbitz's competitors like Priceline and Expedia said that they do not base their sales on what computers the consumers are using, Apple had no comment. Orbitz said the effort to incorporate Mac vs. PC distinctions is still in its formative stages and isn't evident across the site. Other factors have more influence over results, Mr. Liew said, including a user's location and history on the site, as well as a hotel's overall popularity and promotions. Still, he said, use of a Mac can influence results.
  • frank rodriguez on 14 Sep 12
     
    CHECK THIS OUT MAC USERS
  • Michael Anthony on 14 Sep 12
     
    The best part of the article is how it states a good POS system is one that doesn't let you waste time with the POS. Instead your attention can be turned to your customers and staff. The system will do everything for you just by a touch of buttons from the screen. All you would have to do is print out the information and it will tell you everything you need to run a sucessfull establishment.
Ruoxi Wang

[Update] Global Hospitality Accounting System Project - HFTP Connect - 0 views

blog.hftp.org/lity-accounting-system-project

accounting hospitality

shared by Ruoxi Wang on 20 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • ecognizing that operating hotels is a global industry, HFTP determined that there is not a globally accepted method that financial professionals, ownership structures, investors and benchmarking information services can use to support efficient operations. There is also not a globally accepted method to monitor investment performance from region to region without significant assumptions and data mining.
  • Currently, research is being conducted into current practices. This research will identify who is doing what in different parts of the world, with a view to establishing best practice and providing practical guidance for students, practitioners and professionals involved in the industry.
  • In order to create a global resource for the hospitality finance industry, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) began development on a global hospitality accounting system users guide this past March. Recognizing that operating hotels is a global industry, HFTP determined that there is not a globally accepted method that financial professionals, ownership structures, investors and benchmarking information services can use to support efficient operations. There is also not a globally accepted method to monitor investment performance from region to region without significant assumptions and data mining. HFTP’s Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide (GHASUG) will address this need. Where does the project stand right now? Currently, research is being conducted into current practices. This research will identify who is doing what in different parts of the world, with a view to establishing best practice and providing practical guidance for students, practitioners and professionals involved in the industry. The guidance will be formulated by industry experts, based on the research findings. To date HFTP has commitments from major information benchmarking companies, hotel corporations, hospitality associations and globally recognized hospitality schools around the world. Once completed, HFTP will make the outcome accessible online, together with analytical tools. It will be available at a minimal cost and users will have the capability to print versions if they desire. The hotel sector currently enjoys the benefits of an accounting structure developed in the USA specifically for the industry.  The Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry has been widely adopted, principally by US based operating companies, and linked to management contract terms.  HFTP has been involved in this project for many years and will continue to sponsor the 11th edition in support and via a monetary contribution.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • The Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide will provide for a wider community of information users, and demonstrate approaches to the production of alternative analysis of data for hotel performance measurement.
  • Jingjia Zhang on 20 Oct 12
     
    In 01 Mar 12 someone share a article about the global hospitality accounting system. That article talks about how the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) are in the process of making a user guide for the global hospitality accounting system. This article is an update that publish recently. It shows where does the project stand right now and what is next for the project. However, the first part of phase one- covering the UK and continental Europe- is now well in progress.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Sherine Mattison on 20 Oct 12
     
    It has been found by the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals that a global hospitality system needs to be developed. They recognized that there is no globally accepted method that can be used to support an efficient operation. "There is also not a globally accepted method to monitor investment performance from region to region without significant assumptions and data mining." The hotel sector in the USA currently has in place an accounting structure, but based on this research that is going on comparison will be made of what is happening globally and they will devise some best practices for persons involved in the industry.
  • Yuting Peng on 02 Mar 13
     
    Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals began to create a global hospitality accounting system for the hospitality finance industry. Currently, the research is being conducted into current practices. This will give a view to establishing best practice and providing practical guidance for students, practitioners and professionals involved in the industry. Once it is completed, it will provide for a wider community of information users, and demonstrate approaches to the production of alternative analysis of data for hotel performance measurement. Now, the first part is in well progress covering the UK and continental Europe. And the project will still take a further 12 months to complete.
  • Xueling Wang on 04 Mar 13
     
    HFTP's Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide will set a global method for hospitality industry.   Recently, research is being conducted into current practices. This research will identify who is doing what in different parts of the world, with a view to establishing best practice and providing practical guidance for students, practitioners and professionals involved in the industry.
  • Ruoxi Wang on 16 Oct 13
     
    Hospitality Financial and technology professionals was developing a global hospitality accounting system in the past year. Their fist step is to cover the UK and continental Europe. The second step is to do search about South and central America and cover them. The third step will begin for China and India, and the last two segments will be Russia and North America. This is quite a large program. If the program was completed, a globally accepted method that financial professional, ownership structure, investors and benchmarking information services can use to support  efficient operations will be formed, and a globally accepted method to monitor investment performance from region to region will also be formed.
vincentsalazar

Thriving online firm keeps growing its event-planning business | The Charlotte Observer - 0 views

www.charlotteobserver.com/...article38204409.html

event planning

shared by vincentsalazar on 03 Oct 16 - No Cached
  • vincentsalazar on 03 Oct 16
     
    "When you go to SignUpGenius.com, you'll find services catering to the needs of eight different groups. There are schools, looking for help with organizing parent-teacher conferences, class volunteers, and events such as book fairs. Churches and temples can get help with scheduling nursery workers and greeters. Nonprofits can organize donations and fundraisers. Other groups are clubs and groups, sports, business, family and college. The idea is to attract a range of users, from parents organizing car pools to businesses coordinating employee training schedules. "By going broad, we still haven't scratched the surface," said Angel Rutledge, who is married to Dan and is the chief marketing officer. SignUpGenius' users are 78 percent female, and 80 percent are between the ages of 25 and 54. "Our primary user is a mom with kids," says marketing strategist Kate White. "Most people tend to find us through their kids' activities." Monthly fees range from free to $49.99, where users can get additional features such as cloud file storage and access by multiple administrators. These subscription services were significant, Dan Rutledge says, "because we jumped into the organizational level, from coach to league, from teacher to school." While the Rutledges don't disclose specific financial information of the private company, other numbers illustrate its growth. Revenue in August 2015 increased 225 percent over August 2014, according to the company. Between 120,000 and 190,000 events are organized per month, with a groundswell in August and September, when the school year begins. In 2014, SignUpGenius says 1.4 million new sign-up pages were created. Traffic rose 35 percent last year, to 39.9 million visitors. And the company has grown from 13 employees this spring, to 20 now." This article illustrates the idea of on the event planning and I.T. programs working handing in handing. As an example, the article uses the company SignUpGenius wh
Nicole Spencer

Does This Tech Giant's Strategy Spell Trouble for Travel? - DailyFinance - 0 views

www.dailyfinance.com/...s-strategy-spell-trouble-for-t

shared by Nicole Spencer on 08 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • has a history of taking a service people used to pay good money for, and simply offering it up for free.
  • online travel agency (OTA) business. Investors in traditional OTAs should be worried.
  • Cutting out the middleman
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  • allows customers to book directly from hotels themselves.
  • hotels bid for this privilege, as bypassing OTAs provides significant cost savings.
  • If Google chooses to allow users to book directly from hotels without a fee to either, however, OTAs would find themselves charging a premium for no added value -- not a pretty position to be in
  • Nicole Spencer on 08 Sep 12
     
    Google, a well-known online search engine has a recent history of taking services that people pay money for and making it available for free to its users. One service in particular that has been recently launched is Google Flights, allowing users to select a travel plan and then go directly airlines' reservation system. The problem here is it has left online travel agency OTA's industries such as Expedia and Priceline.com out of the picture. Such OTA industries earn revenue by either taking a commission from hotel or charging a markup to consumers. This should be a great concern to this industry . Although there are some hurdles for Google-Google users search results are limited for flights as of its competitors; Google's competitors still have established customer relations and brand. Google can overcome these hurdles in a matter of time and OTA's should keep a close eye or find solutions to adapt.
  • Jenan Williams on 09 Sep 12
     
    Great article! I recently read that Google is taking over the travel market when searching for events using the Google search engine. Pay per click, allows companies to tie into hyperlinks when web surfers an event in the area of their business. Highlighting hotels, car rentals and restaurant conveniently located within the search engine user area.
Carl Miller

Meeting the Expectations of Last-Minute Mobile Bookers. - Wednesday, 25th January 2012 ... - 0 views

4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php

mobile software hotel

shared by Carl Miller on 29 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • “Travellers are increasingly demanding the ability to access and do anything, anywhere from any device. Their push of travel purchases towards the moment of necessity, coupled with their growing spontaneity, has created a new segment of mobile consumers
  • HotelTonight’s research shows that these last-minute mobile bookers, if not for Impulse Rates and the convenience of mobile apps, would have stayed with a friend or at home instead of a hotel.
  • Travellers no longer plan the details of their trip in advance, and instead rely on instant advice,
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • We obsess over user feedback via user emails and phone calls, app store reviews and social media.
  • Carl Miller on 29 Jan 12
     
    This article describes how a new company, HotelTonight, is attacking the market of spontaneous travelers. The company made an app for iPhone an Android users that sends "Impulse Rates" to users who have the app. Impulse Rates are heavily discounted rates on hotel rooms offered by hotels through HotelTonight for rooms that have been unsold that day. If users like the offer, they can book the room through the app in eight seconds with only three clicks.  There is also a little interview with HotelTonight CEO, Sam Shank in which he answers questions about how the company runs.  I think this is a great idea for company. It helps everyone involved - hotels increase revenue by selling rooms that otherwise would have been empty, consumers get great deals on rooms, and HotelTonight profits off of a nominal fee for processing the transactions. This is similar to the Ding! app from Southwest airlines but designed solely for mobile devices. 
  • Carl Miller on 29 Jan 12
     
    Here is a link to the company's website. I don't have the app but it looks like it would be pretty easy to use. http://www.hoteltonight.com/
  • Melissa Krajewski on 30 Jan 12
     
    A great idea. Truly a win-win for all. I'm glad that they are finding the impulse rates are not affecting the amount of regular booking guests. I would like to try this myself and live life to the fullest.
Jessica Schwec

FCC: Marriott used Wi-Fi jammers to block customers' personal hotspots - Tech News and ... - 0 views

gigaom.com/...ck-customers-personal-hotspots

Technology IT Networks Tech Marriott WiFi Wi-Fi FCC

shared by Jessica Schwec on 20 Jan 15 - No Cached
  • The FCC announced the results of its yearlong investigation on Friday, concluding that Marriott “intentionally interfered with and disabled Wi-Fi” networks at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. As a result of the investigation, Marriott will pay a $600,000 penalty to settle the complaint.
  • The investigation found that Marriott’s Wi-Fi monitoring system sent de-authentication packets to Wi-Fi hotspots. This use of radio frequencies to disrupt personal hotspots violated FCC spectrum use regulations.
  • Jessica Schwec on 20 Jan 15
     
    Follow this link to learn how a jammer works: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone-jammer1.htm Recently, Marriott was found to be noncompliant with FCC regulations that ban the use of any "Jammer"-to include cell, radio, Wi-Fi and others-by any individual or entity that is not an approved federal agent. The result? A $600,000 fine and removal of the jamming equipment from any Marriott property currently participating in the illegal activity. In a regular Wi-Fi network, a user connects to the Internet by connecting to the ISP, which could be a wired modem and separate Wi-Fi router or a combined wireless modem/router that will connect the computer to the ISP server and allow the user to launch their browser where they can search the web or access a particular URL. In Marriott's case, the company utilized a Jammer to prevent users from accessing their chosen ISP-their personal Wi-Fi networks, typically provided via cell phone companies. The jammer functioned by interrupting Wi-Fi signals that operated on a particular frequency. By placing their own Wi-Fi on a different frequency, Marriott's service was the only signal capable of connecting a user to an ISP service and the Internet and was therefore offered at a premium price. The management decision to utilize this technology was short sighted and over all a very poor decision. The decision was made based on the greed of money. By jamming competitors' signals, Marriott was attempting to force patrons into paying premium prices for Wi-Fi service during their stay, including large business accounts (meetings and events). What Marriott either failed to research or decided to ignore was the legality of such a decision. According to the FCC, Jammers of all types are strictly illegal except by approved Federal Entities and Agents. The Marriott management team made their own bed by making a poorly evaluated decision that has since come back to bite them in the rear.
galca008

Applying e-commerce principles to hotel websites | Travel Tripper - 0 views

www.traveltripper.com/...erce-principles-hotel-websites

Hospitality e-commerce tech

shared by galca008 on 29 Jan 18 - No Cached
  • If hotels want to succeed in a digital economy, hotel managers and marketers will need to embrace the key principles of e-commerce and apply them to their hotel websites. These principles include user experience, conversion triggers, and the travelers’ booking journey.
  • One of the first major principles of e-commerce for hotel websites is perfecting the user experience. This isn’t just about having a pretty website—it’s about how the user utilizes and interacts with your website.
  • Mobile bookings have increased tremendously in the last few years, making it crucial to have a mobile-friendly website and booking engine.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • The power of personalization also plays a hugely important role in improving user experience. In a study conducted by Infosys, 86% of consumers stated that personalization impacts the purchases they end up making.
  • One of the biggest things that hotel e-commerce managers can learn from OTAs is their mastery of conversion triggers, which are powerful tools used at pivotal points in the booking process that convince travelers to hit the “Book” button.
  • increasing the desirability of a product and making it appear limited in supply is a powerful conversion tactic that helps drive more bookings.
  • Consumer confidence and behavior is also heavily influenced by social persuasion. According to Econsultancy, 88% of customers look at reviews before they make a purchase.
  • From the homepage through to the booking page, reviews are clearly visible and strategically used to boost conversion rates at every stage.
  • Direct bookings are the most profitable revenue source for hotels, so having a healthy direct distribution channel through your website is an important part of any revenue management strategy.
  • bdolman on 29 Jan 18
     
    I found this article very useful because it focus on the common complaint of hoteliers when it comes to paying commissions to OTA's. In order for hotels to attain direct bookings, they need to have a deep understanding of ecommerce and digital marketing. While online travel agencies (OTAs) have continued to flourish due to their understanding of conversion optimization and user experience, many hotels still have not adapted to this mindset. Therefore, if hotels want to compete and succeed in the digital economy, it is important to acknowledge key principles of e-commerce and apply them effectively to the websites. First, mastering user experience includes creating simple yet intuitive design including a clear navigation, easy to find information and a strong call to action. Next, constant A/B testing, which is a process that compares different versions of the same page to measure with converts best, helps hotels understand how to maximize the user experience. Personalization is another useful tool to elevate user experience, since 86% of consumers reported that personalization impacts their purchases. OTA's have been efficient in this area as they have been able to amass booking data and convert this to improve the shopping experience thanks to embedded cookies and marketing automation systems. Also, employing conversion triggers are powerful tools used at pivotal points in the booking process. Just as OTA's have been able to master these conversion triggers, hotels should learn from them to increase direct bookings. For example, creating a sense of urgency on the website, such as "only 4 rooms left", will appeal to customers. Social proof, which entails social persuasion, is a decision making tool, where customers can book their stay thanks to quick access to reviews. Best rate guarantees help boost bookings as well, since customers have the peace of mind that they do not have to sure elsewhere. Lastly, understanding the travelers' booking journey, such
  • galca008 on 05 Feb 18
     
    This article researched the efficient strategies that OTA's use when getting customers to book through their site. The purpose is to give tips for improvement to hotel websites so that they can use their site appropriately to drive more bookings directly. My opinion is that the strategies used by OTA's outlined in this article are a perfect direction for a hotels' website to configure itself in the most efficient manner.
glope143

Can Disney's Magic Bands be Hacked? - MouseChat.net - Orlando News & Reviews | Disney W... - 0 views

mousechat.net/disney-magic-bands-security

technology RFID hospitality security

shared by glope143 on 11 Jun 18 - No Cached
  • While it is still certainly possible to potentially clone a MagicBand (and thereby gain access to protected resources by impersonating the original band holder), the fact that the band operates on the 2.4 GHZ frequency inherently presents some challenges to any would-be malicious users. Admission to the parks is fairly expensive (Fig. 5) and the cost of the hardware required to conduct such a cloning attack far exceeds the cost of a legitimate day pass. For the attack to even be considered economical, the malicious user must clone many passes over time.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 11 Jun 18
       
      This paragraph brings up an interesting point when it comes to the security of Disney's RFID MagicBands. The primary information on the Band itself that could be most "easily" accessed if cloned is a ticketed theme park entrance. The author believes the chances of this happening are slim to none given the amount of theme park entrances that would needed to be stolen in order to justify the cost of expensive RFID cloning hardware. For arguments sake, should a hacker clone a MagicBands individual RFID code there are still a variety of hurdles to cross before being able to walk away unnoticed. Since every RFID code is individualized, should the Band that was hacked enter the the theme park prior to the duplicate, the duplicate will be stopped and questioned by security. There are also bio-metric scanners in the front of each entrance that require the scanned fingerprint to match that on file. Should the fingerprint scanner fail, a cast member with access to the original MagicBand owner's photograph will deem the duplicate band a fraud.
  • Part of the MagicBand system allows guests to make purchases with the band at specific registers provided they have tied a credit/debit card to their account via an external process. This can be seen as a very big convenience to guests who do not wish to continually use their cards to make purchases while in the parks, or for those who find themselves wishing to buy merchandise when they had not initially anticipated in doing so and do not have their wallet/purse/money clip in their possession. Yet in order to make purchases, a user must first swipe their band against a specially designed reader (Fig. 6) and subsequently enter a matching PIN number. Even if our malicious user had an RFID token that was a working clone of a legitimate one, it is somewhat unlikely he would be able to successfully guess the matching PIN number within a reasonable number of tries in one sitting before the cashier would begin to get suspicious.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 11 Jun 18
       
      One of Disney's star features for their MagicBands is the ability to go hands-free throughout their vacation by having everything necessary stored on one device, including credit card information. This gives guests the ability to make purchases across the Resort without the additional moral barrier of having to remove their wallet from their purse or pocket. Should a MagicBand be misplaced, or duplicated as in the context of this article, a four digit code is still required to make purchases with the credit card on file. This code is not available for viewing on the band and cannot be changed though any means besides visiting the front desk with property identification.
  • While multifactor authentication certainly adds to the security of the system in a significant way, biometric  hardware is not flawlessly reliable. Florida is a rather humid place [5] which inevitably affects the performance of sensitive electronic hardware like fingerprint readers. To address this issue and counteract the likelihood of the system presenting users with false negatives, it would be fair to assume that the fingerprint readers themselves are configured to fail open (ie, when in doubt, allow entry). This gives malicious users the potential benefit of knowing that they merely need to intentionally cause the reader to malfunction to be granted access. Social engineering could also potentially play a factor in the exploitation of the MagicBand system by using Disney’s own customer-service policy against itself. Suppose our malicious user is successfully stopped dead in his tracks at the gate. He has been beaten to the entry gate by his victims and has lost the calibration race; there is no hope the machine will accept his cloned band. Yet he scans it anyway, and is denied access immediately. He knows he will not gain entry, but he continues to scan it. The employees at the gate attempt to help him, scanning his band for him, fiddling with the machine, etc, all to no avail. Yet a large line is beginning to form behind him.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 11 Jun 18
       
      This article does a great job at playing devil's advocate in the situation of MagicBand cloning and creates a sound argument at what could happen should a hacker attempt to enter a Disney park with a previously used RFID code. As someone to frequently visit's the Disney theme parks, I would not be surprised if a cast member simply waved a guest through in order to avoid a line back up, especially during peak season times.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Despite the inherent arms-race between malicious users and system security mechanisms, overall the MagicBand system seems to hold up under scrutiny and is fairly well designed. The high cost of the hardware required to compromise the system via an RFID cloning attack combined with the multifactor authentication process provides sufficient layers of systematic defenses; even the most judicious adversaries may still fail to successfully thwart system security.
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