Internet Marketing for Best Western Hotels

Best Western brand compliant websites can be beautiful and effective at the same time. We work to capture the feel or theme of the hotel and the local market in our website designs while building in the techniques that we know will get people to book rooms. Add to that the search engine optimization and advertising that drives traffic to the website and suddenly you have a profitable new source of revenue.

Best Western Cottonwood Inn The story: A North Star Direct Marketing partner since early 2004, this 77 room Best Western caters to both the business and leisure travelers. They have had a website since 2002, but their online business was not a top marketing priority. Then online bookings dropped 25% in 2007.   The plan: In 2008 we teamed up to reverse the trend:  • Revamp their marketing pitch (i.e., reposition the hotel in the marketplace)  • Build a new brand-compliant website  • Beef up the vacation package offerings  • Improve online advertising without spending any more advertising dollars.   The results:  • Within 30 days of launching the new website, it gained 3 new first page positions on Google.  • In the first full month since the launch, revenue jumped 93% over last year.  • We project that this hotels online revenue will be 10 times their internet marketing budget in 2008. And from our client:  “If I had known how much better our online channel could be, I would have acted much sooner!”      —  Barbara Vogl, Owner, Best Western Cottonwood Inn and Best Western Governor

Best Western Inn of Sedona The story: The Inn of Sedona is a resort-style hotel in the heart of a very competitive market. In late 2002, the Inn of Sedona's website was failing. Website traffic and revenue were both falling when the general manager fired their existing webmaster and teamed up with North Star Direct Marketing.   The plan: Reverse the falling traffic and revenue with a new brand compliant website, intense search engine optimization and improved conversion techniques. The client said market aggressively, try new ideas and tactics, and take this website to the top!   The results:  • Online revenue has increased every year since 2003, by as much as 50% in some years and will surpass $500,000 in 2008.  • The hotels website is their #1 source of revenue, producing almost 10 times their Internet marketing expense.  • The hotels net operating income has doubled since 2001.   And from our client:  ”Effective internet marketing doesn't cost ... it pays!  With a return of $10 for every dollar spent with North Star who wouldn't love 'em.“       —  John Tolliver, GM

Best Western Inn of Williams The story: Known as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon this recently purchased Best Western did not have a website other than their presence on BestWestern.com. Nor did they have a defined position in the Grand Canyon market.   Our role:   • Analyze the competition in the Grand Canyon market and develop a unique marketing position, or niche, for this hotel.  • Develop an internet strategy, including a new brand compliant website with package booking capability, search engine optimization and marketing.   The results: It is too early to tell! This website just went live. Check it out here – we think it is the most beautiful Best Western website we have ever seen!   And from our client:  “We are very excited about this new website from North Star Direct Marketing. Phyllis has done a wonderful job giving us a marketing identity we can capitalize on and we are thrilled to be able to sell vacation packages online. We are going to let North Star carry the ball and take us as far as they can.  This is going to be a win-win situation.”      — Sheryl Olson, Owner, Best Western Inn of Williams, AZ

Best Western Prescottonian Prescott, Arizona is known as Everybody's Favorite Hometown and is a community that embraces both the traveler and the residents with a down-home feeling of having arrived at just the right spot.  The Best Western Prescottonian has never had its own website and has chosen North Star Direct Marketing to build their first one.   Our role:  Capture the character of the community in the website design and develop an internet marketing strategy to support it. Design and build a brand compliant website with a package booking module, and search engine optimize it.   And from our client:  “I was very pleased with North Star's detailed approach to capture the spirit of hospitality that is Prescott and all of the packaging opportunities at our doorstep ... North Star Direct Marketing opened our eyes.”      —  Robert Schrier, GM