TripConnect – freetobook

TripAdvisor at 12 percent

Posted on October 8, 2015October 9, 2015 by craig

Own the bookings on your TripAdvisor page

Twelve Percent commission on TripAdvsior

More and more bookings are being made on TripAdvisor, we have some information and friendly advice to help ensure you are not losing out. In the last week we have seen a 400% increase in TripAdvisor Instant Bookings. If you use the freetobook direct connection these are now available at 12% commission.

All across the world Instant Booking is becoming more widely available, you will have noticed a change to your TripAdvisor page. Now visitors to your page are asked for their dates of stay and your availability only shows if you’re connected, if not, TripAdvisor lists availability of nearby properties.

Getting a direct connection to Instant Booking is easy and will save you commission. To take part you just need a freetobook account and a TripAdvisor account.

Six advantages of a direct TripAdvisor connection:

1) Lower commission, you can pay as little as 12%
2) You only pay commission on completed bookings
3) No upfront costs, no signup costs, no fees from freetobook
4) You receive all of the customer’s direct details, including email address
5) Simple to do, just login to TripAdvisor and connect
6) You don’t need a Business Listing to get these TripAdvisor bookings

The connection simple, just activate it in your TripAdvisor account to enable direct bookings on your TripAdvisor page.

Freetobook has always believed in great technology for direct bookings as well as offering the highest quality connections to world’s biggest sources of bookings. We all know some providers are not universally popular with accommodation owners but it remains a fact that they have access to the world’s online bookers. We try to advantage our customers (property owners) by offering these connections at better value. It is certainly better to get a booking through TripAdvisor at 12% than one through another big source at higher commission!

This year a freetobook customer was awarded TripAdvisor’s “Best B&B in the World,” yes, number 1 out of 300,ooo or more listed on their site. The Millgate in Masham is certainly a fantastic B&B and for us what stands out is their great attitude to using new technology to maximise sales and free up time to get on with taking care of customers. See what the Millgate has to say about getting to the top on TripAdvisor.

To become the best B&B in the world you certainly need to be fabulous but you also need to have fantastic reviews and as many of them as possible. Here again freetobook can help you rise up on the TripAdvisor rankings. A Review Express connection on your freetobook account can automate review requests for your customers and dramatically increase the number of reviews you receive. Find out more about Review Express.

Most of freetobook’s benefits are free with a few optional charged services, find a complete list of our charges on our pricing page, what does freetobook cost ?

View our helpful TripAdvisor Instant Booking video for a quick recap of how to increase bookings on your TripAdvisor page, click play below.

TripAdvisor direct bookings TripConnect explained

Posted on April 29, 2015June 19, 2015 by craig

Many accommodation businesses are confused about TripAdvisor’s direct bookings, are you one them? Let’s try to explain, so find a nice quiet spot to sit down with a glass or mug of your favourite drink.

In the last year TripAdvisor has changed its business model a number of times leaving many potential customers confused and even locked out. We have created a couple of videos to help you understand these changes (skip to these at the foot of the article…if you like) but it’s probably worthwhile seeing some of the basic facts first. Like them or not, here they are;

TripAdvisor is a booking website used to book accommodation online.
Accommodation businesses can receive bookings directly from the TripAdvisor website using a booking engine i.e. Freetobook.
If you are already working with an OTA (Online Travel Agent) like Expedia or Booking.com you may find that the OTAs advertise your availability on TripAdvisor. These bookings will come through the OTA (not directly from TripAdvisor) and look like any other OTA booking and you pay your agreed commission to the OTA, as usual.
The OTA pays to advertise on the TripAdvisor website, each OTA decides if they want to advertise your availability. You have no control over this.
TripAdvisor lists availability and prices prominently so properties that don’t have online rates will be more difficult to find and if they are found they’ll be surrounded by images and popups directing customers to nearby available properties.
Available to accommodation owners worldwide except if you have a holiday rental on HolidayLettings or FlipKey

In short, if you don’t have online rates you will receive less traffic and fewer bookings than in previous years.

If you do want bookings this way then you choose your route, direct with TripAdvisor or through an OTA – either way there is no requirement for any fixed upfront costs, no subscriptions or annual fees.

To get bookings direct you will need an account with TripAdvisor and an approved booking engine (or connectivity partner i.e. freetobook). Simply login to your TripAdvisor account and setup your direct advertising via their TripConnect service. Most approved booking engines charge for this service but with us it is completely free.

To advertise directly on their website you will need to pay TripAdvisor. In their wisdom they have created two models for payment (hence our two videos mentioned earlier).

Model One: Pay Per Click
Here you pay TripAdvisor a click fee each time a customer clicks on your advert, on a Cost Per Click (CPC) basis. However, you DON’T pay for a search, you only pay when the customer searches AND then clicks on your available price. If you are not available on the dates the customer searches or they don’t click the price then you don’t pay.

Cost Per Click model facts:
You pay when a customer clicks on your available price.
TripAdvisor sets the click costs and from feedback they are generally quite low (but we can’t see or know the cost, they are only visible in TripAdvisor).
You can vary what you pay per click (your bid). If you bid too low then TripAdvisor will remove the advert and you would have to increase your bid to show again.
If you work with an OTA they might also advertise alongside your CPC advert.
You set the budget and pay TripAdvisor and can switch it on/off as you please.

In this model you pay for the advertising and you measure the bookings that come from the clicks. Bidding higher for clicks will make you show at the top of any adverts on your property and bidding too low will mean you don’t show. You make the judgement as to the cost effectiveness of your advertising by totalling up the bookings versus the click costs. Ideally that return has to better than any other booking options i.e. OTA commissions.

Enjoy the youtube video on the Cost Per Click model.

Model Two: Pay Per Booking model (Instant Booking)
In this model you only pay TripAdvisor for bookings. There is no cost for each click, instead you pay a commission amount on realised bookings. You set this up by logging into TripAdvisor account and activating an Instant Booking campaign. You pay TripAdvisor a commission fee only after the customer has completed their stay. At the time of this blog Instant Booking is not available to all properties. Use the Instant booking link below to check.

Pay Per Booking model facts:
You pay either 12% or 15% commission after the customer has stayed.
If you bid 12% then TripAdvisor will show your advert 25% of the time.
If you bid 15% then TripAdvisor will show your advert 50% of the time.
No other OTAs will show if your advert is showing.
There is no payment/commission due on bookings that cancel.

Enjoy the youtube video on the Pay Per Booking model

By now you are either asleep or completely up to speed on direct bookings from TripAdvisor….. that is before it changes (only joking!) As always, please share your experience of this service or any other relevant news, let us know how it has or hasn’t worked for you.

Other relevant pages:
List of premium partners (booking engines) with TripAdvisor
TripConnect CPC on freetobook
TripConnect Instant Booking on freetobook
TripAdvisor TripConnect on their site
TripAdvisor Instant Booking on their site

World's Best B&B 2015 — World’s Best B&B 2015

Millgate B&B was awarded the best B&B in the World 2015, why not have a little read about how Sue did it along with a few tips to learn from.

If you’re a historian or an online booking nerd and want to see some old blogs on how TripAdvisor has changed since we first started reporting and connecting way back in July 2013

TripAdvisor Just for You

Posted on October 30, 2014October 30, 2014 by craig

TripAdvisor’s “Just for You” personalised hotel choice

TripAdvisor “Just for You”

News has just come out on new hotel selection functionality for the TripAdvisor website, adding to the booking experience for TripAdvisor’s customers. Selecting accommodation will be more personal with the TripAdvisor “Just for You” feature. Millions of customers using the site could be directed towards hotel selections customised for them by TripAdvisor’s personal data.

Selected hotels will be based on a TripAdvisor customer’s individual profile, this may include, travel style, brand, amenities and location etc. Customers will be able to “tag” preferences, you can see the tags live on the new hotel pages when you login as a customer (see example below).

TripAdvisor Tags — TripAdvisor tags used in “Just for You” personalisation

Just for You is highly adaptive and learns from favourite hotels and destinations. At freetobook we can easily imagine more in-depth personalisation which could include search history, review sentiment, pages visited, hotels liked, along with facebook or other data merges.

TripConnect Premium Partner

The new selection tool follows the deep vein of booking friendly usability that includes TripConnect and Instant Booking. There can be no doubt that TripAdvisor is continually adapting and improving their booking functionality with a view to increasing the number of bookings taking place on their website.

The importance of being bookable on the TripAdvisor website will continue to increase. Right now hotels can do this in one of two ways, they can use TripConnect with pay per click or connect via an OTA which will advertise for them.

All freetobook customers can take advantage of the TripConnect direct booking platform as freetobook is a premium partner with TripAdvisor. We are also the first booking engine in the world to certify on the soon to be launched TripConnect instant booking platform, where customers transact the booking without leaving the TripAdvisor website.

More information and further reading on the TripAdvisor possibilities with freetobook see below.

What is TripConnect ?

Make the most of TripConnect Mobile bookings

How to get more TripAdvisor reviews automatically

TripConnect instant booking a global first for freetobook

TripConnect Mobile Optimisation

Posted on October 14, 2014October 14, 2014 by craig

Make the most of TripConnect Mobile bookings

As TripAdvisor focuses on Mobile customers we think you should too. Earlier this year they reported there had been 100 million downloads* of their free mobile app. These customers use mobile phones to research holidays and some make bookings. If you are promoted on TripConnect you will convert better with freetobook’s mobile booking platform.

To optimise your freetobook mobile booking system simply login and select the TAB ”Plus” then “Mobile Booking”. The “Deluxe Mobile Search” option will work for TripConnect or why not get a discount on the Full Mobile Package which includes a great mobile website.

Freetobook’s mobile booking works on all mobiles and includes multi language booking. The mobile services work for all customers, not

just those on TripConnect, this means customers visiting your website using a mobile will also be able to use the optimised booking process.

We don’t charge for a connection with TripConnect….and that includes multi language booking in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.

Our mobile optimised website and/or mobile deluxe search provide great value.

Watch the video below to see how great your mobile website and mobile optimised booking process can be with freetobook.

freetobook mobile booking engine for tripconnect and your website (youtube)

Find out more about mobile booking and mobile websites for accommodation businesses

On mobile it’s all about the booking experience, see some examples below.

A mobile website for guest house.

Mobile booking pages for hotels.

*TripAdvisor press release 15April2014

Google Hotel Finder doesn’t find many hotels

Posted on October 17, 2013October 17, 2013 by craig

Google Hotel finder needs to catchup with TripConnect

I recently wrote an article on tnooz the travel technology news magazine. (link here) All about how TripConnect is far better than Google PayPerClick for independent hotels and Bed and Breakfasts.

A reader replied to tnooz suggesting the article was ALL wrong ! Claiming I had confused Google CPC (CostPerClick) program with Hotel Finder bidding program and that Google was the first Metasearch engine to connect to hotel’s CRS.

Google PayPerClick vs. TripConnect — TripConnect PayPerClick vs Google

He makes a fair point in that there are two systems but I have certainly not confused them. The article is about independent hotels and guest houses and Google Hotel Finder is only available to OTAs and hotel chains. Google have not connected to the properties directly so independent individual properties cannot use their Hotel Finder. The equivalent product on Google is therefore straight CPC campaign.

There is therefore no confusion, TripConnect advertising has to be compared to Google standard CPC for independent properties because Hotel Finder is not available to these properties. (in some senses that is the point of the article) TripConnect connects hundreds of thousands of independent properties with plans to connect millions. These properties currently have no way of participating in Hotel Finder. Why is Google ignoring this market ?

The complainer ends the complaint suggesting that Google post a response. I for one would certainly welcome a response from them, I think there are some major advantages to the Hotel Finder system if only they would connect more broadly. Google are missing an enormous opportunity to earn click revenue and I welcome a reply as would millions of property owners that would be delighted to hear a response from Google Hotel Finder.

What is TripConnect ?

Posted on October 17, 2013November 18, 2013 by craig

TripConnect now live World-Wide for Hotels, B&Bs and Guest Houses

TripConnect Premium Partner

As of today independent hotels, bed and breakfasts from all corners of the world can advertise directly for bookings on TripAdvisor. Owners will be able to drive direct bookings with zero commission from their TripAdvisor pages. They will be able to bid for clicks on a PayPerClick basis.

This is nothing short of a revolution in the way TripAdvisor promotes accommodation, a new way to get direct bookings.

TripConnect video

If you are a property owner you can use the TripConnect system to show real-time rates and availability with a booking button for the customer to complete the booking.

What will you need for TripConnect to work ?

1. An approved Internet Booking Engine (IBE) like freetobook.

2. A business listing with TripAdvisor

3. A TripConnect account to pay for your clicks

When you have all three of the above you can set your PayPerClick budget and get started. You will be able to set a daily cap on your spend and you can do it for as long as you want. TripAdvisor will give you a forecast for monthly spend so you get an idea of costs.

What is TripConnect ? — TripConnect Premium Partner

As each booking comes in freetobook will show you that it came from TripConnect. You will also get a report from TripConnect showing your click costs and the booking revenue you achieved. This way you will be able to analyse the return on your advertising spend.

Freetobook is a Premium partner of TripConnect and can offer the service worldwide. If you already have a freetobook account you just need to contact TripConnect to setup your account. If you don’t yet work with freetobook this is an ideal time to signup.

More information on TripConnect click here

To signup with freetobook click here

To register with TripConnect click here

TripConnect PayPerClick vs Google

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013 by craig

Hotels will switch adverts from Google to TripConnect

Google will lose PayPerClick advertising revenue to TripConnect.

In the real world of limited marketing budgets one company’s gain will be another’s loss. The much awaited TripConnect system is a new way for properties to spend advertising money. (previous blog What is TripConnect ?)

Here at freetobook we are predicting Google will lose advertising revenue from property owners. We are already getting a significant number of property owners telling us they plan to switch their Pay Per Click budgets onto TripConnect. It makes total sense to us when you look at the logic, if your money is limited it is probably better spent on TripAdvisor’s new TripConnect system.

Why is Google Pay Per Click inferior to TripConnect ?

1.Google Pay Per Click is wasteful : TripConnect will not show adverts when the property is unavailable. The TripConnect system checks availability and rates with the properties Internet Booking Engine (IBE) before showing the advert. By comparison Google Pay Per Click adverts are not “availability dependent” and will always show, costing clicks when a property is unavailable.

2.Direct into the booking process: TripConnect puts the customer directly into the booking process cutting out wasted time spent browsing, you have all the information to make the purchase…. price, price comparison, availability and a quality ranking. A Google advert provides none of these.

3.Customer purchase point: When a potential customer is searching on TripAdvisor they are beyond the simple Google search “London Hotels” they are looking for “Which London hotel” where would you rather put your money ?

4.Easy ROI Tracking: TripConnect has built in tracking to show bookings completed alongside the costs so properties can easily tack their Return On Investment (ROI). Yes, Google has their analytics but they can require some specialist knowledge TripConnect tells a property what they want to know booking revenue vs. advertising costs.

5.Content rich : A TripAdvisor TripConnect advert is on the property’s TripAdvisor page, content and context rich.

TripConnect Premium Partner

The battle for Pay Per Click advertising revenue from accommodation owners is going to get more interesting with the launch of TripConnect. The freetobook Internet Booking Engine (IBE) is a premium partner of TripConnect so all our customers will be able to participate in TripConnect right from the start.

Our guess is that Google Hotel Finder will be watching TripConnect with their data microscope, after all not even Google wants to see their click revenue start to shrink. However, the lack of connectivity to the world’s property owners, their booking engines and inferior review data are three weaknesses they would need to rectify before a realistic chase can commence on TripConnect.

TripConnect premium partner with freetobook

Posted on October 9, 2013October 9, 2013 by craig

TripConnect and freetobook Worldwide Premium Partners

What is TripConnect ?

TripConnect Premium Partner

TripConnect is a new service, not yet live, offered by TripAdvisor (due to launch late 2013). If a property is using freetobook they will be able to advertise rates, availability and receive bookings on TripAdvisor.

The main points about TripConnect.

You need to have:

1. An Internet Booking Engine (freetobook) with Premium Partner status. (If you don’t have a freetobook account register here today)

2. An active business listing with TripAdvisor

What will happen when I have a freetobook account and a business listing with TripAdvisor ?

You will be able to advertise on a Pay Per Click basis with TripAdvisor using TripConnect.
Pay for clicks so your advertisement with show and TripConnect will report which clicks have returned bookings.
TripConnect will show you the value of the bookings and your costs so you can calculate your ROI (Return on Investment).
Click costs will be determined by the TripConnect system, you will be able to login to TripConnect and see the costs, switch the advert on or off, cap the amount and the period the advert runs for.
The email address of all customers that have made a booking will be added to the Review Express system, all guests that book will automatically receive an invitation to add a review to TripAdvisor.

What happens next ?

You will need to wait for the TripConnect system to go live (late 2013). If you don’t yet have a booking system this would be an ideal time to register and start using freetobook.

If you don’t have a freetobook account you can register here today !

We will continue to post updates on the TripConnect system on this blog, our facebook page, twitter and by email newsletter. You can also find out more about TripConnect from TripAdvisor themselves – for their latest info go to TripAdvisor Insights

article 6 Things to know about TripConnect