PAII Innfo Newsletter December 2015
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Executive Director‘s Welcome<br />
<strong>December</strong> <strong>2015</strong><br />
B2B – Business to Business – and seeing I2I – Innkeeper to Innkeeper is the <strong>PAII</strong><br />
approach to membership and to conference planning.<br />
In this issue of Members Monthly, you’ll see the complete list (well, almost!) of<br />
educational sessions to be presented over our days together in Austin, January 10-14.<br />
As the committee and I conversed with the industry partners representing the businesses<br />
essential to your B&B Inns, we’ve come away with real appreciation for their<br />
commitment to both <strong>PAII</strong> and to the success of your innkeeping business. And, what<br />
goes around comes around.<br />
Although the term ‘share economy’ has taken on a new meaning of late, you – as<br />
innkeepers of properties operating ‘by the rules’ - can rightly claim to be the original<br />
‘share economy’ – we’re fond of noting that we don’t compete with each other, rather<br />
we share and cooperate. That is certainly evident by the innkeepers who will be<br />
sharing their experiences and nuggets for success when we meet in Austin.<br />
Here’s a special shout-out to those of you who are in positions of B&B association leadership: you are invited and heartily<br />
encouraged to forward this Members Monthly to your association members. Together – again, through sharing &<br />
cooperation – we can provide a package (tied with a bow!) to our member innkeepers to enhance and strengthen their<br />
businesses. And, isn’t that what we all want?<br />
Safe travels to you – during the upcoming holiday season, and as you make your way to Austin! ‘See you there!<br />
~Kris Ullmer, <strong>PAII</strong> Executive Director<br />
Happy Holidays<br />
From <strong>PAII</strong>,<br />
the <strong>PAII</strong> Staff and<br />
Board of Directors<br />
Professional Association of Innkeepers International (<strong>PAII</strong>)<br />
295 Seven Farms Drive, Suite 236-C<br />
Charleston, SC 29492 Phone: (856) 310-1102<br />
http://www.innkeeping.org
2016 <strong>PAII</strong> Innkeeping Show<br />
Sunday January 10 thru Thursday January 14, 2016<br />
All sessions and events are at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas<br />
Reward yourself with a break from your innkeeping routine.<br />
Refresh your hospitality outlook.<br />
Renew your innkeeper friendships … mingle with your peers.<br />
Re-tool your management methods.<br />
We welcome you!<br />
January 10, SUNDAY:<br />
9:00-5:00 Future Innkeeper Seminar<br />
Developing a Business Plan, Navigating Regulations, Website Essentials to Promote your new<br />
Business, Evaluating Property Management Systems, Characteristics of a Successful Innkeeper, B&B Insurance Basics ... presented by experienced<br />
innkeepers and industry experts!<br />
9:00-5:00 Taking WordPress to the next level (add’l fee) Trent & Kristen Blizzard<br />
Do you want to learn more about how to use WordPress? Maybe you already have a WordPress website already and want to learn how to update<br />
it? Or, how to help it rank better in search engines? Do you want to learn more about WordPress so you can build your own site? In this class,<br />
innkeepers will learn how to manage their WordPress site. Topics include: plugins, widgets, blogging, media, SEO, security, backup and<br />
more. Special attention will be given towards making your website more usable by your guests and optimizing it to rank higher in Google. Trent<br />
and Kristen Blizzard will be teaching the class and providing lots of one-on-one personalized attention. Make sure you bring a laptop!<br />
4:00-7:00 Association Leaders’ Seminar<br />
January 11, MONDAY<br />
8am-11:30am, hosted by<br />
Palmer Events Center, Austin Texas (Breakfast will be served from 8-10am)<br />
We - bedandbreakfast.com - are very excited to have <strong>PAII</strong> back in our hometown of Austin, Texas! Join us for a morning of learning, networking<br />
and great local food! The location of the conference this year is just 10 minutes from the airport and in downtown Austin. If you remember the<br />
<strong>PAII</strong> Party from 2010 then you’ll remember the amazing view from the venue. The Palmer Events Center, home to the 2016 <strong>PAII</strong> Conference is<br />
right next door to the 2010 party location. Attending this conference puts you in the center of all things Austin. To learn, to grow, to reconnect<br />
with your Innkeeping Family. We look forward to seeing you in January!<br />
8:00am-8:30am: Meet and Greet Breakfast Begins!<br />
8:30am-9:15am: What's new at BedandBreakfast.com?<br />
9:30am-10:15am: Five Greatest Marketing Challenges - Practical Solutions<br />
10:30am-11:30am: Top trends in technology and travel and what's new at RezOvation Software<br />
‘Brunch and Learn’ is free for BB.com members and is included in conference registration for conference attendees!
11:45 Opening Keynote : Katherine Lugar, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Hotel<br />
We’ve invited Ms Lugar to open your Innkeeping conference, and we realize you may be asking: what issues do B&B<br />
Inns – small, independently owned properties – have in common with hotel properties? Both <strong>PAII</strong> and AH&LA have<br />
the shared mission of education, advocacy, and communication. AH&LA currently represents nearly 2.5 million<br />
rooms, and serves as the sole national association representing all segments of the U.S. lodging industry.<br />
1:15-4:00 Hospitality Marketing Summit (HMS)<br />
Acorn Internet Services and White Stone Marketing have joined forces to create the Hospitality Marketing<br />
Summit. Their faculty is focused on improving your bottom line – through technological innovation, marketing trends,<br />
and all the tips and tricks you need to stay one step ahead of the competition.<br />
During the 3 HMS blocks of time Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning, and Tuesday afternoon, the inn-marketing<br />
topics listed below will be explored using two educational tracks: the Executive Track and the Technology Track.<br />
Executive Track<br />
Looking to Make More Revenue in 2016? We’ll Show You How…<br />
Everything You Need to Know About the OTA’s and More….<br />
Increase Your Inn’s Sex Appeal and Sell More than Before<br />
Increase Your Profits Through Aggressive Revenue Management<br />
Technical Tracks<br />
Social Media Marketing Trilogy<br />
Getting On The Map<br />
Protect Your Reputation<br />
What Google Wants<br />
1:15 – 2:30 Break Out Sessions<br />
Healthy Habits for Successful Innkeeping<br />
Exiting Innkeeping: Mapping Your Strategy<br />
2:45 - 4:00 Break Out Sessions<br />
Enhance Your Profit with Partners: 1 + 1 = 3<br />
Effective Advocacy: Partnering With AH&LA in Your State<br />
4:00 TRADE SHOW GRAND OPENING!<br />
AH&LA President & CEO Katherine Lugar<br />
5:30 – 7:00 TRADE SHOW Reception<br />
Welcome to the <strong>PAII</strong> Innkeeping Show, Welcome to the Trade Show, Welcome to Austin!<br />
7:00 - ? The evening is yours to explore Austin and sample the Texas dining and music scene
January 12, TUESDAY<br />
8:00 – 8:30 General Session: <strong>PAII</strong> and Hospitality Marketing Summit<br />
8:30 – 9:30 General Session: Hospitality Marketing Summit (HMS)<br />
Bed And Breakfasts - The Battle for Hospitality, Distribution and Profits, Vikram Singh, CEO Evision Worldwide,<br />
writer of the popular hotel and travel marketing strategy blog www.wordsofvikram.com.<br />
9:45 – 11:30 Hospitality Marketing Summit (HMS)<br />
LIVE Website and Web Presence Reviews: the Visual & the Technical<br />
10:00 – 11:15 Break Out Sessions<br />
BATTER UP: Come Take a Swing at Creating the Perfect PR Pitch, Maria Coder & Jay Hassler, BedAndBrunch<br />
PR<br />
Should You Say I Do To Weddings?, Cheryl Bailey, Wedding Industry Rescue (WEDDINGS TRACK)<br />
11:30 – 3:30 TRADE SHOW & LUNCH<br />
3:30 – 5:45 Hospitality Marketing Summit (HMS) Executive & Technology track presentations continues<br />
3:30 – 4:30 Break Out Sessions<br />
It's all in the FOLD - Towel and Napkin folding., Twyla Sickmiller – Turkish Towel Company<br />
SEO for your Wedding Business - What Google Wants, Shea Bailey, Wedding Industry Rescue (WEDDINGS<br />
TRACK)<br />
4:45 - 5:45 Break Out Sessions<br />
Setting Expectations to Avoid the ‘Zilla!, Cheryl Bailey, Wedding Industry Rescue (WEDDINGS TRACK)<br />
6:30 – ? Kick up your heels - whether in cowboy boots or birkenstocks - and we'll PARTY Texas Barbecue<br />
style! Music? Most likely! And remember,<br />
Austin proudly proclaims "keep it weird"!<br />
January 13, WEDNESDAY<br />
8:00-9:00 Vendor Intensive – join us for wakeup<br />
coffee & muffins<br />
THINK RESERVATIONS<br />
9:00-10:00 Vendor Intensive – join us for<br />
wake-up coffee & muffins<br />
CLOUDBEDS<br />
9:00-10:00 More Guests, More Bookings,<br />
More Sunrises: Automate & Integrate<br />
Brandon Dennis, Cloudbeds
10:15 – 11:30 Break Out Sessions<br />
Elevate your Game and Get Rave Reviews!, Ruth Ann Hattori, Educator & Consultant<br />
The Power of Asking the Right Questions: Your Web Presence, Lisa Kolb-Acorn Internet Marketing<br />
THE PEOPLE’S COURT: 3 Ways to Avoid Litigation, Rob Schenk, Wedding Lawyer & Editor of WeddingIndustryLaw.com (WEDDINGS<br />
TRACK)<br />
Payments Intelligence – The confusing world of credit card processing explained…at last!, Wynn J. Salisch, CCM, CHS, MBKS, Founder and<br />
CEO of Casablanca Ventures LLC<br />
Online Marketing Playbook: Attract the Guests YOU Want, Thereasa Roy , VP Marketing, InnRoad<br />
11:30 – 3:30 TRADE SHOW & LUNCH (Trade Show closes at 3:30)<br />
3:30 – 4:30 Break Out Sessions<br />
Work Smarter & Grow Your Business Using Your Whole Brain! Ruth Ann Hattori, Educator & Consultant<br />
SKIN IN THE GAME: Innkeeper and Venue Liability for the 21st Century Event, Rob Schenk, Wedding Lawyer & Editor of WeddingIndustry-<br />
Law.com (WEDDINGS TRACK)<br />
Universal Analtyics Workshop - R U Ready?, Lisa Kolb-Acorn Internet Marketing, Staff & Consultants<br />
How to Prepare for an Interim Innkeeper, Rebecca Whisnant, Interim Innkeepers, Hospitality and Tea<br />
4:45 – 5:45 Break Out Sessions<br />
Food Costing 101: Make or Break Profits, Heather Turner, Chef Forfeng<br />
Cost Effective Nuggets to Increase Your Revenue Today, Rachelle Jamerson-Holmes, Thee Matriarch Bed & Breakfast, Meeting and Special<br />
Events Venue<br />
Before B&Bs: From Cottage Rooms + Food to Gourmet Breakfast at the Inn, Old Rittenhouse Inn<br />
Look like a billion dollar resort on a ramen noodle budget: Lessons from<br />
Mavericks, Mavens and Madison Avenue<br />
Leighton Collis, Bespoke.house<br />
6:00 – ? The evening is yours to explore Austin and sample the<br />
Texas dining and music scene<br />
January 14, THURSDAY<br />
8:00 – 10:00 TBA<br />
10:15 – 11:30 Break Out Sessions - - more sessions to be announced<br />
soon!<br />
How to make more money with a channel manager<br />
12:00 ADJOURN … Explore Austin!
Waste Lists and Why Bed and Breakfasts Should be<br />
Using Them<br />
What is a waste list? A waste list is generally a clipboard of paper, or a log book stored in the<br />
kitchen that tracks what food products are thrown away on a daily and weekly basis.<br />
This list should include any food that is returned from a guest’s plate. not just food product overages<br />
and expired products, it should include anything noted at all that’s extra on a plate when it’s<br />
returned to the kitchen, extra sauce, extra butter, etc. I know some Bed and Breakfasts who utilize<br />
waste lists, but not many that actually carry it one step further and analyse them on a monthly and<br />
yearly basis.<br />
Why keep track of what comes back on a guest’s plate? $$$$$$ Yes it’s time consuming, but<br />
the time it takes it to track, more than makes back what you save on costs.<br />
A real life example from a B&B:<br />
A five-room B&B has 40% occupancy or (39.45% if you want to nitpick) with 720 out of the<br />
1,825 available room nights they have available booked for the year. 8 single travelers and 52 couples<br />
(104) = 112 people on average per month as guests.<br />
A pineapple throughout the year ranges in price seasonally from $2.00-$5.00, so on a yearly average we will call it $3.50 per pineapple. Each pineapple<br />
yields an average of 10 slices, coming to .35 per slice<br />
Each plate has a garnish of a slice of pineapple, two strawberries and another piece of assorted fruit in season.<br />
112 people a month<br />
40 of them don’t eat the pineapple<br />
40 X .35 = $14.00 per month = $168 per year<br />
Because we are costing by the slice and not by utilized product we are not going to take into account unusable product (the peel and stem).<br />
$168.00 per year could have been spent on a couple of sets of sheets for guest rooms.<br />
Another real life example from a B&B:<br />
A 10 room Bed and Breakfast has 55% percent occupancy, So 2081 room nights sold out of the 3650 available a year. This B&B is primarily a romantic<br />
destination, so 99% of their guests are couples, so 2060 of the rooms have couples (4120 people) and 21 single travelers, primarily male.<br />
4141 guests, appropriately 2100 are males.<br />
The B&B placed on every two top (table for two) a 6 oz. small pitcher of high-grade maple syrup. (As of this past June, the National average price<br />
of maple syrup was $37.40 per gallon. In the case of this B&B in CT, maple syrup was about double that. We will take the national average in this<br />
case for the example. http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England_includes/Publications/0605mpl.pdf) 6 oz of maple syrup at .29<br />
cents an ounce = $1.74 per table.<br />
Statistically, women used 2 oz of the maple syrup and the men used the rest of the 4 oz of maple syrup, overpouring on their plates more syrup than<br />
needed or used. The B&B started using a waste list and started noting that the vast majority of the men’s plates would be returned to the kitchen<br />
with an excess of syrup on them. They switched over from one 6 oz. pitcher per table to 2, 2 oz. pitchers per table, in the course of a year, they only<br />
had 2 people ask for additional syrup.<br />
2100 people wasting 2 oz of syrup each previously. 4200 oz at .29 = $1218.00 a year.<br />
These are only a couple of examples, but if you have 15 small things like this that are small amounts and small costs on average, they add up.<br />
Once you start keeping a waste list you’ll start to pay attention to the small things that don’t pop out at you on a daily basis. Pay attention to the<br />
plates! And write it down.<br />
The average restaurant has on average over 250 small things they can do to reduce food costs, I’ll put B&Bs on an average of 15. But even that 15<br />
adds up.<br />
To use the pineapple as a low-end of the spectrum example, $168.00 per year X 15 small things= $2520.00.<br />
To use the high (and I’m going to half the 10 room B&B to a 5 room) Maple syrup, $609 per year X 15 small things = $9135.00<br />
That’s a lot of bed sheets that could have been bought……………...
THANK YOU!!!<br />
Thank you so much to the vendors who<br />
have taken time to do webinars with<br />
<strong>PAII</strong>, we very much appreciate the time<br />
spent this year so far, both speaking at<br />
the webinars and answering questions as<br />
well as the time it takes to put together<br />
such informational presentations!!<br />
Acorn Internet http://acorn-is.com<br />
Cloudbeds https://www.cloudbeds.com<br />
BedandBreakfast.com<br />
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com<br />
Little Hotelier<br />
http://www.littlehotelier.com<br />
LivingSocial<br />
https://www.livingsocial.com<br />
Legare, Bailey and Hinske, LLC<br />
http://lbhcpas.com<br />
Peter Billard Photography<br />
http://www.peterbillardphoto.com<br />
Q4Launch http://q4launch.com<br />
Rez Stream http://www.rezstream.com<br />
WebDirexion http://webdirexion.com<br />
Xotelia http://www.xotelia.com
Association Corner<br />
Recommended Reading:<br />
The Decision to Join: How Individuals Determine Value and Why<br />
They Choose to Belong<br />
by James Dalton and Monica Dignam<br />
A person’s decision to join an individual membership organization is not<br />
a cost-benefit analysis a conclusion of this study that does not fit the<br />
conventional wisdom. After all, the membership appeal should be what s<br />
in it for them, or so many think. Turns out, it isn’t that simple. The reality<br />
of this finding opens the door to insight, refined strategies, and a new<br />
look at what s valuable to association members.<br />
The Decision to Join compiles data gathered from 18 individual membership<br />
organizations and nearly 17,000 survey responses to paint a<br />
clearer picture of what people value about membership in an association.<br />
The strategic implications of the study include abilities to<br />
• Improve an association’s value proposition<br />
• Create and execute more effective strategies<br />
• Target member and prospect segments and tailor offerings to appeal to those segments.<br />
Comprehensive data and analysis paint a clear picture of topics such as affiliation and involvement, generations and career<br />
level, gender, employer type and level of support, and world location, offering insights that can lead associations to<br />
focus on the programs and initiatives that matter to members and thus improve their overall value proposition. Bonus features<br />
of this report are practical guides to discussing and adopting the findings of the report and conducting similar studies<br />
to identify specific topics of importance within individual organizations.<br />
Recommended Blogs to Check Out:<br />
Yes, I’ll Handle It<br />
http://www.associationnews.com/<br />
yes-ill-handle-it/<br />
Tell Your Member’s Stories<br />
http://associationsnow.com/<strong>2015</strong><br />
/12/monday-buzz-tell-yourmember-stories/<br />
7 Association Blogs You Need to<br />
Be Reading<br />
http://blog.memberclicks.com/7-<br />
association-blogs-you-need-to-bereading
Are you a member with news,<br />
helpful information,<br />
ideas and recipes to share?<br />
Please send your articles to<br />
marketing@paii.org<br />
Deadline is the 10th of every<br />
month. Photos welcomed!*<br />
*Please make sure photos are yours or<br />
you have permission to use.<br />
2016 Innkeeping Conference & Trade Show<br />
Austin, Texas January 10 – 14, 2016<br />
Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road, Austin, Texas<br />
http://www.palmereventscenter.com<br />
<strong>PAII</strong> has put together a list of area lodging options at<br />
http://www.innkeepingshow.com/lodging-information<br />
We look forward to seeing you in Austin!
Interested in<br />
advertising in<br />
the monthly<br />
newsletter?<br />
Please send<br />
inquiries to<br />
Marketing<br />
@paii.org
<strong>PAII</strong> Photo Contests<br />
Gwenn Eyer, Innkeeper<br />
Blessings on State<br />
Bed & Breakfast<br />
www.BlessingsOnState.com<br />
Joyce & Frank Stewart, Innkeepers<br />
The Richmond Victorian Inn<br />
www.richmondvictorianinn.com<br />
Inn photo credit to goes to Paul O. Boisvert
B&B’s Going Blue<br />
Summer Fogle is the owner of Clear Creek Bed & Breakfast in Nevada, Missouri, and she is calling on innkeepers nationwide to join<br />
her in supporting our nation's law enforcement by participating in the program she started, B&Bs Going Blue. She is also the wife of<br />
a Missouri law enforcement officer, so showing appreciation to law enforcement is not only important to her, but it is a part of her<br />
daily life. B&Bs Going Blue was started as a way to give back to those that give so much for our communities and our country. She<br />
is asking that innkeepers join in the program by offering a free night to law enforcement on National Law Enforcement Appreciation<br />
Day on January 9, 2016.<br />
To find out more information about B&Bs Going Blue, you can visit<br />
their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bandbsgoingblue.<br />
A current list of participating inns can be found on B&Bs Going Blue<br />
website at: http://www.clearcreekbedandbreakfast.com/#!blank/j7cgj<br />
Innkeepers that are interested in joining in the program can send a message<br />
on either the Facebook page or website with any questions. Free<br />
night listings can also be added directly to the B&Bs Going<br />
Blue Facebook page at anytime.<br />
Look for more information about the program in the upcoming Winter<br />
issue of <strong>PAII</strong>’s Innkeeping Quarterly magazine!
Google Analytics Explained in Plain Language<br />
by Brandon Dennis, VP of Marketing, Cloudbeds<br />
Google Analytics is a free tool that tells you all sorts of things about your website traffic. It is important that innkeepers learn how to use it because it tells<br />
you where your guests come from. Use it to learn if your marketing strategy is working, and to help diagnose problems with your business.<br />
This guide is basic. It is for innkeepers who have heard a lot about Google Analytics, but who have never used it and don’t understand it. I will briefly explain<br />
how Google Analytics should be used, and then I’ll show you how to perform some basic, vital functions. Once you finish reading, you’ll know everything<br />
you need to get Google Analytics installed on your website, and to start producing reports (and, most importantly, understanding them).<br />
Create an Account<br />
If you have never created a Google Analytics account before, you need to. Go to analytics.google.com and create your free account. Google will ask you to<br />
create a “property”. A property is just another word for your website. Your account can have many properties, which means that you can manage the analytics<br />
for many websites using your one account.<br />
Tracking Code<br />
Google Analytics works by tracking your website visitors. It does this using a special code that you install into your website. WIthout it, Google Analytics<br />
does not function.<br />
Google Analytics gave you this code when you first created your property. To find this code again, log into Google Analytics. In the top right-hand corner<br />
of your screen, click “Admin”. Then, navigate to your property, and click “Tracking Code”. Then, copy the script you find there.<br />
You’ll need to give this code to your website manager to install for you. If you know how to do it yourself, then make sure that you install it before the<br />
closing on every page of your website.<br />
Sit Back & Relax<br />
Once the tracking code is installed, then you’re all done! Google Analytics works tirelessly behind the scenes collecting data about your website visitors.<br />
All you have to do now is wait a few days or weeks until Google Analytics has collected enough data for you to work with. Then, you can start producing<br />
reports.<br />
Look Around<br />
When you open up Google Analytics for the first time after having installed it, the tool automatically sends you to the Audience > Overview page. This is a<br />
great place to start, because it tells you a lot about your visitors in one quick snapshot. Your best bet is to look around and see what you find there. Don’t<br />
worry, it’s hard to break anything, so feel free to click around, exploring.<br />
It’s impossible for me to explain everything you will find in this short space. Instead, learn about the tool by using it. Google Analytics comes with lots of<br />
hover-over tooltips which will explain the object you are examining when you hover your mouse over it. Use these frequently to learn how to use the tool.<br />
I’ll just show you a few things you need to know to understand what you’re seeing.<br />
Date Range<br />
The data you see depends on a date range. If you have the wrong range of dates selected, then you will be looking at the wrong data. This can get confusing.<br />
Before each session, make sure that you are examining data collected over the exact days, weeks or months you are interested in.<br />
In the top right-hand corner, you will see a range of dates. Click on it to open up the interactive calendar. The first date you select will start the beginning of<br />
the range. The second date you select will set the end of the range, and you will see all dates that fall within that range highlighted blue on the calendar.<br />
Click apply, and everything in Google Analytics will change to reflect the data from only the dates within the range you selected.
Sources<br />
I want to point out one section of Google Analytics that I think will be helpful for innkeepers to understand. In the left-hand navigation, click on Acquisition<br />
> Overview. Here you will see a breakdown of your website traffic by source. This tells you where your guests come from. Google Analytics divides<br />
your traffic up into channels:<br />
Direct: These are guests who went directly to your website by typing in your address manually, or visiting a bookmark. Google sometimes labels traffic<br />
they can’t source as “direct”.<br />
Referral: These are guests who visited your website from browsing other websites. If you click on the “Referral” link, you can see a nice list of all the<br />
different websites that sent you traffic.<br />
Organic Search: These are guests who found your website on search engines like Google.<br />
Paid Search: These are guests who clicked on one of your search engine ads to arrive on your website.<br />
Email: These are guests who clicked on a link in an email to arrive on your website.<br />
Display: These are guests who clicked on one of your image ads around the internet and arrived on your website.<br />
Social: These are guests who found a link to your website on social media like Facebook, and then visited it.<br />
Goal Tracking<br />
One final thing I want to hit on is goal tracking. Use goal tracking to learn whenever a guest books a room directly from your website. To start, you need<br />
to create a goal.<br />
In the top right-hand part of the screen, click Admin. Then navigate to View > Goals and click the red button that says +New Goal.<br />
In the goal set-up, choose the “Reservations” template and click continue. Under Goal Type, click “destination” and click continue. Finally, in the Destination<br />
section, make sure it is set to “equals to”, and then type in the URL that guests visit when they have successfully completed a reservation. This is<br />
typically a “Thank you for booking!” page.<br />
Note that this will only work if your booking engine exists under your website’s domain. If it doesn’t, then you need to reach out to your booking engine<br />
developer to learn how to enable goal tracking with it.<br />
Once done, click save. Wait a few days to see your goals start to accrue. Now that you have goal tracking enabled, you can filter all the wonderful metrics<br />
within Google Analytics by your goals. This will give you valuable insights, including which referring websites lead to more direct reservations,<br />
whether or not your organic search strategy is leading to reservations, and so on.<br />
Keep Learning<br />
This was a basic primer on Google Analytics, sharing just enough information to help you get started. Once you’re all set-up, I encourage you to learn<br />
more about Google Analytics, either by reading or exploring. You’ll be amazed at the kind of things you can learn about your guests using this free tool--<br />
things that will help you make your bed and breakfast more profitable.<br />
Contributed by: Webdirexion, LLC<br />
4400 NE 77th Ave. – Suite 275<br />
Vancouver, WA<br />
http://webdirexion.com
Happy Holidays from<br />
Chadsworth & Haig.<br />
Offering luxury robes that make the others<br />
feel….. well just ordinary.
An Interim Innkeeper is a person or couple who has developed<br />
the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary to successfully<br />
operate a Bed & Breakfast, Country Inn, Boutique Hotel, or<br />
Family Resort during the absence of the owner-operator or<br />
resident innkeeper. An Interim Innkeeper keeps abreast of new<br />
trends and practices through involvement in industry associations,<br />
training programs and seminars.<br />
What services do Interim Innkeepers perform<br />
Interim Innkeepers perform similar duties that are part of the<br />
daily routine for owner-innkeepers themselves. They may include<br />
full or continental breakfast menu planning, shopping,<br />
preparation, service and clean-up; guest hosting; afternoon tea,<br />
snacks or evening wine & desert service; answering of telephones,<br />
fax transmissions, regular and email response; checkin<br />
and check-out procedures; daily inquiries and reservations;<br />
bookkeeping, banking and other financial responsibilities; supervising<br />
room attendants or optional housekeeping; pet, plant<br />
and garden care; building security and maintenance. Interim<br />
Innkeepers provide full surrogate innkeeper service while you<br />
are away.<br />
Who needs an Interim Innkeeper<br />
Unless you operate very large inn and have capable and<br />
trusted employees who are trained to function as the innkeeper<br />
or owner, virtually every hospitality business has few effective<br />
options to assure their business can continue operating uninterrupted<br />
during their absence.<br />
How can I justify the cost of an Interim Innkeeper<br />
Simply put........uninterrupted business flow. Interim<br />
Innkeepers are trained and experienced to operate<br />
your inn as if you were there yourself. You can be<br />
assured of an uninterrupted flow of guests while<br />
maintaining the continuity of your style of guest services,<br />
comfort and enjoyment as established by your<br />
inn. Interim Innkeepers are also trained to handle all<br />
prospective guest contacts with promptness and<br />
professionalism, converting inquiries into reservations<br />
and immediate cash flow. While you are away,<br />
your business is operated smoothly, efficiently, and<br />
profitably as if you were there yourself.<br />
Interim Innkeeping Network<br />
www.interiminnkeepers.net<br />
facebook.com/Interim.Innkeepers.Network<br />
When to use an Interim Innkeeper<br />
Just as with any business or employment, every innkeeper<br />
needs to take personal time away from their operation. It may<br />
be for family outings or gatherings, emergency medical leave,<br />
meetings or conferences, and more importantly, regularly<br />
scheduled vacations or sabbaticals. When the day arrives to<br />
take that needed time off, the options are clear.......temporarily<br />
closing your inn and halting "business as usual" or retaining an<br />
Interim Innkeeper who will operate your business as if you<br />
were there yourself.<br />
"and there is not a<br />
better feeling than<br />
returning from a<br />
vacation and finding<br />
the Guest Diaries full<br />
of 'praises' and a<br />
stack of bank deposit<br />
slips from advanced<br />
reservations secure<br />
while we were away!"
<strong>Newsletter</strong> Ad Rates<br />
Monthly Rates<br />
Quarter Page Ad**<br />
(4 1/4 W X 5 1/2 H) inches<br />
Full Page Ad<br />
(8 1/2 W X 11 H) inches<br />
Member Non-Member<br />
1/2 Page Ad Vertical**<br />
(4 1/4 W X 11 H) inches<br />
Or<br />
1/2 Page Ad Horizontal**<br />
(8 1/2 W X 5.5 H) inches<br />
Full Page Ad**<br />
(8 1/2 W X 11 H) inches<br />
Yearly Rates (12 issues)<br />
Quarter Page Ad<br />
(4 1/4 W X 5 1/2 H) inches<br />
1/2 Page Ad Vertical<br />
(5 1/2 W X 11 H) inches<br />
Or<br />
1/2 Page Ad Horizontal<br />
(8 1/2 W X 5.5 H) inches<br />
$300 $500<br />
$600 $800<br />
$1200 $1400<br />
$3000 $3200<br />
$6000 $6200<br />
Ads can be submitted in JPEG or PDF format,<br />
at least 300 DPI.<br />
Please email ads to marketing@paii.org.<br />
The deadline for ads is the 10th of every month for<br />
publication on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.<br />
Find <strong>PAII</strong> online at:<br />
https://www.facebook.com/Innkeeping<br />
Have questions about <strong>PAII</strong>?<br />
Email questions@paii.org<br />
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+InnkeepingOrg<br />
https://twitter.com/innkeeping<br />
https://www.pinterest.com/Innkeeping/
Upcoming Webinars (more dates and topics coming soon!) Free for Members!<br />
Register at http://www.innkeeping.org/?page=webinars (you must login to your account to register)<br />
Wednesday, <strong>December</strong> 16, <strong>2015</strong><br />
Bring in more guests and increase RevPar with Off Season<br />
Booking Promotions<br />
Many inns are fully booked during the high season but have<br />
trouble filling openings in mid- week and off-season. Extending<br />
your season by several weeks or getting a few more mid-week<br />
bookings can dramatically increase your RevPar. This webinar<br />
will show you how to use the power of unusual holidays and<br />
special events to create booking promotions that will attract and<br />
delight your guests. It will include live examples of successful<br />
promotions implemented by innkeepers.<br />
-Fully Booked Inn<br />
Wednesday, <strong>December</strong> 20 & 30, <strong>2015</strong><br />
(Happy Holidays Webinar Break)<br />
Check http://paiiinnkeepers.blogspot.com/p/upcoming-webinars.html<br />
for more webinars already scheduled!<br />
Already Lined up for next year!<br />
BATTER UP: Come take a swing at creating the perfect PR pitch<br />
Google Universal Analytics<br />
Reputation Management, Responding to Reviews Best Practices<br />
How to convert your visitors into bookers?<br />
Association Webinar: The Future of Member Involvement in the Electronic Age<br />
B&B Photography DIY Tips & Tricks Part Two<br />
Social Media Crisis Management<br />
Association Webinar: Turning Millennials Into Members: How to Engage A New Generation
Innkeeping Word Search<br />
GREEN<br />
BLACK<br />
WHITE<br />
OOLONG<br />
LAPSANG SOUCHONG<br />
DARJEELING<br />
SENCHA<br />
HOUJICHA<br />
GYOKURO<br />
MATCHA<br />
TAI GUAN YIN<br />
SILVER NEEDLE<br />
KEEMUN<br />
YUNNAN
CALLING ALL GOOGLE ANALYTICS GEEKS!<br />
BlizzardMetrics is a new product in pre-beta. It’s a powerful<br />
analytics benchmarking platform that grows in relevance as<br />
users join the network.<br />
Have you ever wondered:<br />
• How your WordPress site compares to other WordPress<br />
sites – is it faster, does it get more traffic?<br />
• How your website’s analytics data compares to other companies<br />
in your same industry, of the same size?<br />
• Agencies – how your client website analytics compare to<br />
one another?<br />
• Consultants – how your work is launching your client<br />
over their competition – or – where you need to focus<br />
more energy in the online marketing mix?<br />
Check it out at:<br />
http://www.blizzardmetrics.com/data/register
Technology Corner Focus On<br />
Social Media Design<br />
Tool Canva!<br />
Need a new Facebook or Twitter Header,<br />
Youtube Channel art and more?<br />
Check out one of the easiest to use (and free)<br />
tools out there that Innkeepers can use to beef<br />
up their social media appearance!<br />
Easily create beautiful<br />
designs +<br />
documents<br />
Use Canva's<br />
drag-and-drop<br />
feature and<br />
Professional<br />
layouts to design<br />
consistently<br />
stunning graphics.<br />
Millions of Images, Photo Filters<br />
Free Icons & Shapes, Hundreds of Fonts<br />
http://www.canva.com<br />
Stay Tuned:<br />
Maria Coder of Bed & Brunch pr has<br />
launched a free monthly resource newsletter<br />
for B&Bs called the The Innthusiast: PR tips<br />
for innkeepers! The Innthusiast is loaded with<br />
tips with tips on how to get your property into<br />
the news.<br />
Maria realized there wasn't a dedicated publicity<br />
resource just for innkeepers So, they<br />
thought they would change that.<br />
They would love to hear how they can better<br />
tailor each issue to best fit your publicity<br />
needs.<br />
Maria Coder and Jay Hassler<br />
(646) 559-8530<br />
http://www.BedAndBrunchPR.com