Orlando, Florida, home to dozens of rollercoasters, seemed a fitting setting for TripAdvisor's most recent master class given the disruptive impact online reviews have had on the travel industry in recent years. Fortunately, we’re on steadier ground now, and instead of screaming to be let off more hoteliers and travel operators are looking for ways to enjoy the ride.
I’ve given presentations at twelve TripAdvisor master classes to date, and they’re always packed with helpful tips for managing reviews and reputation. Here are a few highlights and other recent news from TripAdvisor.
1.
TripAdvisor just keeps getting bigger. Despite the proliferation of travel sites and social networks, TripAdvisor still reigns as the world’s largest travel site. According to Brian Payea, head of industry relations, the site now welcomes 56 million unique visitors per month across 30 domains in 21 languages. Page views of US accommodations alone have grown by 69% in the past year.
2.
It’s not just for accommodation. TripAdvisor lists an ever-expanding array of accommodation types, attractions, tours, nightlife and shopping. Not listed yet? Search for your company in the Management Center and then click “Tell us more about it”. Be sure to have your house in order first, though—listings and reviews can’t be removed unless your business closes or changes ownership or brand.
3.
Expand your reach. If your business is located in a small town or village that is commonly recognized as belonging to a larger, better-known city or municipality with a distinct name, you can now request to be listed in both areas. Click here for details.
4.
Choose your words carefully. Reviewers now receive a notification from TripAdvisor when a management response is posted. All the more reason to take the time to thank your advocates—and to be careful not to provoke detractors by being defensive or combative. Reviewers can’t reply to your response, but they can take their gripes to other review sites and social networks.
5. It's never too late to respond. At Vancouver’s master class Glenn Eleiter, general manager of #2-rated l’Hermitage Hotel, shared an insightful anecdote. When concerns about parking security kept coming up from reservations callers, he tracked the source to a review posted in August 2008. He posted a response to say the matter had long since been resolved, and hasn’t heard about the issue since.
6.
Destinations just got prettier. TripAdvisor recently reformatted its destination pages with bigger photos and easier navigation. For destination marketing organizations that want to jazz these pages up further, paid Tourism Sponsorship now allows you to link directly to your website, social networks and special offers. My vote for most improved? Toronto.
7.
But our reviews are better. Popularity Index rankings can be a source of bewilderment for travel operators. Now the Management Center allows you to compare review volume with a competitor of choice. Since review volume is a key ingredient in the algorithm, this might give you insight into why you’re being outranked. You can also see the top five countries that visit your page.
8. Reviews on the go. TripAdvisor is the second most downloaded mobile travel app next to Google Maps, and the benefits of upgrading to paid Business Listings now extend to mobile devices. This includes Special Offers and direct contact points on your mobile listing, including the all-essential click-to-call option.
9. Ready for total transparency? More economy and midscale brands are showing the confidence to integrate TripAdvisor reviews on their websites, and yet many upscale and luxury brands remain reluctant. The latest is Wyndham, which includes Days Inn, Super 8 and Howard Johnson. Best Western will soon launch a revamped website with integrated TripAdvisor reviews, and La Quinta now lists reviews on its mobile site. Who’s next?
10. Climbing the Pop Index. For Rod O’Connor, general manager of Orlando's Floridays Resort, maintaining #1 ranking is a team-wide effort that involves recognizing individual achievements, using reviews to evaluate training programs and role-playing difficult guest situations. Best of all: cake and champagne to celebrate successes. The hotel can afford it—each year revPAR has increased proportionally with TripAdvisor ranking.
11. In friends we trust. Over 100 million members have linked their personal TripAdvisor and Facebook profiles, which gives higher prominence in search results to the reviews, likes and activities of Facebook friends—and friends of friends. According to Payea, these members are 27% more engaged and share twice as much content.
12. Exercise your bragging rights. Speaking of Facebook, have you updated your business’s Timeline with a TripAdvisor tab? Click here for instructions.
13. Reach TripAdvisor by phone. Can’t find answers in the Management Center? Now you can call TripAdvisor. And yes, a real live person answers—I tested it. Call 1 617-431-5424 in the US and Canada or +44 203 318 5019 in the UK, Australia and India.
14. And just for fun. What’s the #1-rated hotel in Kissimmeee, Florida? Cypress Cove Nudist Resort. Gives whole new meaning to the word transparent. According to a recent review, fishing is a popular sport—though a perilous one, I would think. I could go on, but I won’t.
Check out How to Optimize Your TripAdvisor Listing and Search Just Got Even More Social on TripAdvisor. And see WIHP Hotels’ article, TripAdvisor “Show Prices” Advertising: Is It Worth It?
Rollercoaster photo credit: OrlandoSentinel.com