ARTICLE:
New
Ways to Market Online
Partner
with Amazon.com!
Whether selling your own unique gift
items, or reselling items that relate
directly to your inn and locale - don't
be shy to sell more than rooms on your
web site! Let's say there's a great
book about the history of quilt making
available for sale on Amazon.com. If
you offer a direct link for buying this
book to your web site, Amazon.com will
pay you for any "clicks" from
your web site to theirs! If you are
re-selling other items, such as robes,
towels and other specialty items - you
may be able to reap other benefits from
providing leads to those vendors. If
they are items your guest want - and
they remind them of YOUR property and
web site - you can't lose on any of
these deals. To try out Amazon.com's
affiliate marketing program visit http://www.associates.amazon.com
and learn how to earn up to 15% per
referral.
Become
an Online (re) Seller!
If your B&B is a popular romantic
getaway - go to http://affiliate.1800flowers.com/
and sign up to become a referral for
flower deliveries or http://www.wine.com/affiliate/
to sell fine wines. If you're already
reselling these items from your B&B,
why not do it from your web site too?
You can create a "wine recommendation"
page, and offer links to purchase your
favorites! These are only a couple possibilities.
Whatever your area of expertise, share
your advice and receive commissions
for the sales that result!
Other Online Partners
Not every online "partnership"
results in direct sales. Linking with
map and weather sites adds value to
any B&B web site by providing pertinent
travel information to your guests. You
can post up-to-date weather information
by signing up for the free Weather on
your SiteÒ program. If you don't
offer weather on your web site, you
can sign up for this program at http://oap2.weather.com/oap/
. You can also obtain map images from
www.mapquest.com After entering address,
city and state - you will see a map
displayed. By clicking on "Save
Map" you will create your own map
page that can be linked to your web
site. MapQuest will maintain this page
as long as your map is accessed at least
once every 90 days.
Link
to Local News!
Does one of your regional newspaper
or radio stations have an active web
site? Oftentimes banners on these kinds
of sites are much less expensive than
a "radio spot." If your property
is one that receives a lot of "weekend
getaway" visits from the surrounding
locale -web sites for regional/local
news organizations are great places
to advertise. You could go even further
and form a partnership between your
B&B organization and the news organization
site. Your B&B could offer a link
to local news and events, and in exchange
offer a local B&B listing to the
news site!
