While a business web site can be a very modest investment in advertising and customer service, it packs a powerful punch. The availability of your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to an unlimited audience is a valuable marketing opportunity. BUT…it’s not an overnight success. Building credibility, and search engine rankings, and repeat visitors, takes time, patience, and quality content on the site. You can’t just put up a one-page virtual business card and expect to have thousands of visitors the moment you go live. BUT, if you incorporate your site into your existing marketing plan, and are patient, you, too, may be telling a story similar to the Marathon Motel, in Marathon, Texas. This article illustrates how a web site can impact your business….

A few days ago I received a message from Daniel Self, owner of the motel:

Hey Renee, got a good one for you!
Considering the increase in my occupancy rate and the demand for more rooms
(all because of your web site :-)) The time has come put the motel on the market
in hopes I’ll find the guy that can take it to the next level!

While I am saddened by the news that the motel may be in the hands of someone new soon, I’m excited about the fact that he credits his web site for his phenomenal growth. I don’t think he’s exaggerating (much) when he says it’s “all” because of the web site…traffic stats to the site prove that the motel site is a popular destination when people are researching their travel plans to the Big Bend National Park region of Texas.

The rest of Mr. Self’s email went on to describe what he needed in terms of the web site to help promote the sale of the property. So, based on the sales brochure, we created a multi-page mini-site with a completely different look from the motel’s main page. It includes much of the information a prospective buyer would want to know: projections, current bookings, regional data, details of improvements made to the property, and more.

All of the information is quite impressive, but I wanted to touch on one point made:

… The website and word of mouth account for most of the exposure, as well as a general increase in awareness and interest in the Big Bend Region. Also on a significant increase is the number of stay-overs and repeats staying from 2 up to 5 nights. The Motel’s average occupancy rate increased 77% and had a 191% increase in income between January 2001 and end of December 2005 despite the minimal advertising and exposure. “Turn-aways” for 2005 exceeded 1452 rooms. We are booking reservations farther in advance for popular weekends/ holidays. The Motel is currently taking reservations exceeding one year in advance…

The Marathon Motel averages 100 uniques visitors per day. While that may not seem like very much to you, it’s GREAT considering the site is targeting a specialized market: travelers looking for accommodations in a small town of 600 people in rural west Texas. And these 100 visitors aren’t just coming to the site home page and leaving, they are exploring the site, checking out all that the motel offers. And the site offers them plenty to explore! They can view rooms, the beautiful courtyard, get details on RV facilities, and more, in addition to getting current rates and contact information. By the time they are done navigating through all the site offers, the visitor probably feels they

1. Know what to expect of the rooms should they decide to stay there
2. Trust the hotel since they offer so much information and provide many ways to contact the motel
3. Are better equipped to compare the motel to other accommodations the visitor may be considering

If they are considering 2 or more possible places to stay on their trip, the web site will heavily influence their decision, since they are choosing a facility site unseen. The more know about your business before hand, the more likely they are to bring their business to YOU.

Since putting up the sales brochure, traffic to the Marathon Motel web site has increased 20% per day. This is another example of putting your web site to work. Mr. Self is telling prospects where to find more information regarding the sale of the property, and they are not only viewing the information in that directory, they are reviewing everything the site has to offer. They are learning even more about the property than what is offered in the sales information.

What can you learn from this story? First, of course, is how positive an addition a business web site is to your overall marketing plan. But more importantly, you need to know that the first web site for the Marathon Motel went online in 2000. Seven years ago, the site had 1 or 2 unique visitors a month, then slowly that traffic built to a few dozen a week. After years of patient marketing and consistently offering the site with quality content, it has grown to the 100 unique visitors a day it has now.

In order for your online venture to be successful, you must be willing to stick with it for the long haul. It WILL pay off!

• Offer quality content on your web site.
• Be patient and consistent.
• Enjoy the rewards your web site will bring