THE FACTS:
•
OZb&b now has over
1000 registered members and growing
fast!
•
OZb&b
handled over 180 bookings and
enquires online for the months of January and February
•
We now
have a mailing list over over 850 travellers who receive regular updates and
promotions from our site
Selling?
•
Thinking of selling? Try our
B&B's For Sale section
Media Coverage:
Sunday Mail
- All you need to do is pack
Fantastic Links:
Have you had a chance to
check out all the fantastic links to other wonderful B&B sites around the
world? If not, visit our
International Links
page and find a fantastic B&B getaway overseas.
If something a little
closer to home is in order, visit our
Domestic
Links page for some
great travel related websites throughout Australia.
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Welcome to
the tenth edition of OZ-b&b News! The past few months has been
a very busy time for us here. Myself (Chris) and partner (Leah)
recently got married and have been taking a bit of a break!
OZbedandbreakfast.com has
been running smoothly with 62 new memberships in the past 90 days.
Congratulations and welcome to you all! We thank you for making us the
most comprehensive B&B directory in the country! We are also proud to
announce that we have just surpassed 50,000 visitors to the site!!!
We are absolutely buzzing about this and look forward to improving on this
in 2003.
In this
issue:
Thanks
again for you continued support as we continue to expand Australia's most
comprehensive Bed and Breakfast directory. As usual, we want to hear
from you about anything you think we should hear about. Send us
an e-mail to
info@ozbedandbreakfast.com.
Enjoy...
Chris Peck
- Director
Many professions have
organizations and associations set up to help their members move forward in
the industry, and the world of bed and breakfasts is no different. One of
the challenges for professionals is to join those associations which offer
real benefits and avoid those that don't.
There are many reasons to
join and association or organisation:
- Many associations
represent the B&B industry primarily at the Federal level on matters
relating to legislation, regulation and policy
- Many provide inspections
and ensure quality to the travellers
- Many produce marketing
material that is well beyond the means of an individual B&B
- They develop strategic
alliances for use in promoting the B&B industry
- They set an industry
benchmark for a Code of Conduct
- They develop on-going
research for and about the B&B industry
- They create an awareness
of the Australian B&B industry through generic marketing
- Many run
regular seminars, workshops and an annual conference for Bed and Breakfast
hosts
These are just a few
reasons to join an association or membership. In the words of one B&B
owner:
"When we first opened
our B&B, we were looking for a highly organized resource to go to for
questions, answers, information and ideas. We definitely went to the right
place. The PAII
is outstandingly professional, updates materials, sends out a marvelous
newsletter, and because they're always seeking to become better themselves,
they help us to be better too."
For more information
on joining an association, visit the
Australian Bed and Breakfast Council
Many B&B owners have recently asked
us here at OZbedandbreakfast.com how we are so successful in marketing our
website. Articles such as those in the
Sunday Mail and
Gourmet Traveller
attract thousands of visitor to the site.
Marketing your property can be a
very frustrating thing. The reason being is the lack of immediate
gratification. It isn't like whipping up an amazing breakfast and
serving it to a guest and getting wonderful compliments back right away.
Marketing is different. Time and effort is spent producing information and
then money is often paid without any success. Then, one day an article
will appear in Australian Country Style magazine because some wonderful
guest loved you breakfast! Marketing is a very experimental task.
Different things work for different people based many factors such as
geographic location or local attractions. Therefore,
OZbedandbreakfast.com suggests the following to those with the task of
marketing their property:
-
First, get on the internet, and
fast!
-
Second, get into guidebooks. Do
this even if you just send a brochure to all you can locate. (Of course,
being on OZbedandbreakfast.com is already helping you a lot.)
-
Attention to detail as an owner.
Love it and it comes back.
-
Become very good on the phone.
Remember, as you answer it: "This call has cost me thousands of dollars in
time and money and this person wants to rent a room at my establishment!"
-
Give yourself at least of 2-4
hours a week solely to being the "marketer". Sit down at your desk
and work at it.
-
Avoid local advertising unless
you are certain it works or you are located in a fairly large city.
-
Say "No!" to any "hurry up and
sign" advertising sales people.
-
Keep track of your marketing
results by asking guests when they book with you where they found you. Use
this info. for future marketing campaigns.
-
Develop a plan for getting your
guests to come back -- special offers, frequent sleeper programs, etc.
Repeat guests are your best market.
-
Have more than just one or two
sources of marketing. The more places potential guests can find you --
easily -- the more likely you are to get them at your inn.
Remember, one of the most important
things is to have fun at this part of the job. There is plenty of
learning that can be done and lots of creative ideas that can be used.
So, go on, get marketing!
OZbedandbreakfast.com services |
OZbedandbreakfast.com is currently working on a broad
range of services that will be of use to promoting, running and branding
your bed and breakfast. From website design, advertising, and
corporate branding to photography and graphic design, we look forward to
sharing our new service line with you in the near future. Stay tuned!
Until next time, happy days...
OZbedandbreakfast.com Team
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