| The internet is becoming crowded. Your bed and | | | | A blog. |
| breakfast website design might look good, but is it | | | | Maybe you know something about blogs, maybe you |
| showing up where it matters - in the search engine | | | | don't. There's a lot of misinformation around. The fact |
| results? If the answer is no, or you're about to set | | | | is that a properly set up blog will vastly increase your |
| up your first site, I have a "secret" ingredient that | | | | visitor numbers at remarkably little cost. If you |
| could spell the difference between success and | | | | already have a website you could add a blog for |
| failure. | | | | free. If you're just setting up all you have to invest is |
| Stating that something is the difference between | | | | around $10.00 a month. In return you'll get a |
| failure and success is a pretty strong statement, but | | | | professional set up with everything under your |
| the effect of the world wide web on your bed and | | | | control and the most powerful tools in the business. |
| breakfast, guest house, country inn, gite or chambre | | | | What a blog gives you is a platform for you to share |
| d'hotes is going to be enormous. You might not have | | | | information with your guests - and potential guests - |
| noticed it much yet, but every day thousands more | | | | whenever you like. The problem with traditional bed |
| people use their mobile phones or gadgets like the | | | | and breakfast website design is that you get a site |
| iPad to book where they're going to stay. If your | | | | that is "finished". It changes little. Most people think |
| website isn't doing its job you're going to have a lot | | | | that's what you are supposed to do, but the secret |
| of empty beds! | | | | is, that's just what Google and the other search |
| The internet is increasingly competitive. More and | | | | engines don't want. |
| more owners realize that a website is vital to the | | | | What the search engines want is a site which is |
| future of their business. | | | | active. One that is lively and continuing to grow. One |
| Yet the majority of bed and breakfast website | | | | that is full of valuable information. A blog allows you |
| design is stagnant. Frankly, it's just not working. You | | | | to do all this, any time you like. Each short blog post |
| might spend a thousand dollars or more and still not | | | | is seen by search engines as another page on your |
| appear in the first couple of pages of search engine | | | | site, adding to your importance, your "authority". It |
| results. That's where you need to be, because most | | | | gets better. Once set up this isn't something that will |
| of the time people aren't looking any further than | | | | demand you are glued to the computer 24/7, an |
| page three. If you're searching Google for something, | | | | hour or two a week is all you need. |
| how many sites do you go through? Being in the top | | | | Don't make the mistake of confusing professional |
| 100 sites might sound good at first, but really, what | | | | blogging with those "gossip" blogs you might have |
| good is being on page four or five, let alone page | | | | come across. Most people can't even tell what is |
| ten? | | | | technically a blog and what isn't these days. |
| So how can you change that - without breaking the | | | | Traditional bed and breakfast design isn't working |
| bank? | | | | anymore so you need something else. Fortunately |
| By making sure you give your potential guests the | | | | the "secret" is not only something you can do |
| opportunity to find you in as many ways as possible. | | | | yourself, it's quite simply the most cost-effective |
| How do you do that? Using the secret ingredient of | | | | way there is to fill those beds! |
| course... | | | | |