We’ve recently added a new website for the Zero Inn Motel in Nhill. It uses a simple template system with links to check availability.
The Zero Inn is a Comfort Inn and they want to build up their direct branding so that guests can book direct. We’ve found the same need for many chain motels. Both Best Western and Comfort Inn have good website marketing, but they tend to drag all guests in through their corporate systems which can delay cashflow as payments go through the group. Costs can also be higher for bookings processed by the Groups.
Previously, Zero Inn had no website at all. After the website was turned live, we updated their Local Business Centre in Google and found generic searches like motel in Nhill displayed them immediately at the top of results based on maps…. Got to love that!
It will be interesting to see how the website goes. They have already received bookings. Accommodation in Nhill Victoria is not the most competitive term.
About Mark
Founder of
Web Reservation Systems, focused on helping businesses in the Australian Accommodation travel sector get more value from Internet Marketing.
Originally, we opened up in 2001 as a supplier of Front Office Software linked to Online Booking facilities. That allowed motels and hotels to add booking buttons to their websites as well as sell through Global Distribution Systems. You could say this was an early 'Channel Manager' because it allowed the property manager to simply control price and availability for a diverse array of wholesale and retails websites.
Next, we started building websites to profile our customers (
Australian Holiday Guide). That lead to building websites for customers as a favour. Now do about 80 websites a year using BurgundySky and Joomla.
For small businesses I recommend using BurgundySky as it is very easy to start and manage. Joomla is also great, but harder to install and maintain for a small business. For a large website, Joomla is great - here's what we did for
Golden Chain Motels, Australia largest accommodation provider with over 335 locations.
Our business is based in Byron Bay, NSW. Byron Bay is a great place to live and work. I have 2 kids (12 and 14) who are both born here and my wife,
Shobhan Oliver)is a successful artist.
