Acronyms, Naivety, and Deep Pockets

This week will mark our 5 month anniversary for owning the Mansion.  Every single day, I am reminded about the saying “you are never too old to learn”.  That has certainly been the case as I learn something new each and every day.  Today marks the national #bookdirect day.  Needless to say, I had never heard of this national holiday before – a day set aside to educate past, present, and future guests about the importance to #bookdirect with the property instead of using the OTAs.  OTAs, you say?  That acronym was a new one for me but during my first week of training I learned so much about this acronym that was said by all people with disgust in their hushed undertones.  OTA in the B&B (I did know what this meant) world stands for Online Travel Agent.  These are the AirBnB, Booking.coms, Travelocities, and Expedias of the world.  They are there to help us drive bookings, put heads in beds, and showcase our property by SEO (search engine optimization – another new one for me).  What I didn’t know is that every step along the way with their “help”, it takes a percentage out of our pocket.  There is cost per click,  commision cost for each booking, cost per the transaction, and the list goes on and on until eventually we, as a small business, have to take a look to see if we are breaking even.  This was my biggest naivety in the last 4 months – just the actual cost of doing business. 

The good news is we have partnered with some very nice OTAs and are moving forward with a positive future.  Nonetheless, we want to encourage all of you to #bookdirect from our website or call us in person to book.  This helps us be able to provide you with the best amenities and experience that is truly special and memorable.  And in honor of this national holiday, we are offering a 15% discount for any future stay if you #bookdirect with us until February 19th.  So…..please come see us and help me learn more and more about you and this business of ours.  

TTFN,

Leslie

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