First, ensure your content is up to date and be aware that without relevant content, search engines will not be able to find your business, says Mark Forrester.
Make sure seasonal breaks and offers are available and that your business segments like weddings, conferences and a spa are also adequately represented.
A good online booking system is becoming a prerequisite to maximising return. Ideally, your booking engine will integrate with your property management system, allowing users to book real time inventory.
If not, consider using an online distribution management tool so you can manage your own website inventory and selected third-party sites like Expedia and Lastminute.com.
Online distribution management products (Rate Tiger and Channel Direct by Travel Click, for example), save you time and allow you to manage your rates more effectively.
Rate parity is essential to achieving a good proportion of direct, non-commissionable bookings via your own site. Ensure your team is making same or best rates available to book online. Consider offering a best rate guarantee to encourage more direct bookings.
Review your approach to online marketing. Include organic website optimisation (for non-paid search engine results), paid search (Google AdWords), e-mail marketing and affiliate marketing (generating sales and traffic from relevant travel portals). Remember, you should be able to measure returns accurately from internet marketing activity.
Finally, offer consumers the chance to interact with your site. Consumers are increasingly interested in features like sharing photographs, videos, stories and reviews.