Upcoming webinar: Learn more about your TripAdvisor popularity ranking this Thursday

What is the popularity index ranking on TripAdvisor, where does it come from, and how does it influence travelers during the decision-making process? Discover the answer to the most common questions we receive from properties around the globe Thursday at 2 p.m. EST.

In this presentation, we’ll discuss:

• The key factors that impact your ranking
• TripAdvisor policies and procedures
• Steps you can take to improve your ranking

Have any specific questions about your popularity ranking? There will be a 15-minute Q&A after the 35-minute presentation.

Click here to register for the “Popularity Explained” webinar.

How to improve your popularity ranking on TripAdvisor

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The TripAdvisor Popularity Index is based on traveler feedback and reflects how a property ranks compared to competitors within a geographic area. The closer you are to the top of the list, the more likely it is that travelers will see your listing when they search for properties in the area. In addition, research shows that travelers are drawn to places that are highly praised by other travelers.

Our popularity ranking algorithm is based on three key components: quantity, quality and recency of reviews written about the property.

• Quantity: Ask your guests to write reviews, and use our management center tools to remind them after they check out.  Offering incentives for reviews is against the rules, though – take a look at our policy to make sure you understand what is and isn’t okay.
• Quality: Guests who enjoyed first class hospitality and a memorable experience are more likely to write positive reviews. Monitor what previous reviewers have written to see what worked and did not work best for your property so you can maintain and improve your service.
• Recency: Recent reviews factor more strongly on your popularity rankings and older reviews have less impact on a hotel’s ranking over time. Once again, encourage guests to write reviews to keep fresh content rolling in.

All reviews must be authentic opinions of real travelers. We take content integrity very seriously and screen every review. If you are caught breaking our guidelines, it can take a big hit on your popularity ranking. Please review the guidelines to learn more.

The key to building a successful business and a higher popularity ranking is stellar hospitality and paying attention to your customers needs. Encourage customers to write reviews, learn from them and watch your hard work pay off.

Encourage reviews the right way, without incentives

If your business is listed on TripAdvisor, it is important for you to understand our incentives policy. While we encourage you to ask guests to write reviews, giving out incentives in exchange for reviews is against TripAdvisor’s policy.

Incentives are rewards or preferential treatment given in exchange for reviews. This can be in the form of drawings, raffles, discounts, special treatment (i.e. upgrades, coupons, free amenities, gifts), etc. We strictly prohibit incentives because they can impact the legitimacy of reviews; guests who receive incentives may be more likely to write reviews that don’t match their true experience.

TripAdvisor penalizes properties that offer incentives. All reviews in question are removed and further penalties, which range from a warning to a red badge on your property page, are given out on a case-by-case basis.

There are many acceptable ways to encourage reviews. To begin simply ask! Showing that you appreciate your guests’ feedback can go a long way.

For on and off-line tools to help remind guests, look no further than the Management Center. You can add widgets to your website or Facebook page, hand out reminder cards and much more!

Log in to your Management Center to access all of these helpful tools, and to contact TripAdvisor if you have any questions regarding incentives.

To read more about our incentives policy, see this guide.

TripAdvisor Master Classes debut in India!

TripAdvisor will host two Master Classes in Mumbai and New Delhi.  With over 750 attendees signed up, we are looking forward to great events.

Our Master Classes offer free educational seminars, exclusively for hospitality professionals. Join us to hear from industry experts as we discuss marketing solutions to some of today’s most pressing business challenges—including essential online marketing strategies and tools to help you reach TripAdvisor’s 50 million unique monthly visitors.

Topics covered will include:

• Global and India-specific travel trends
• Enhancing your TripAdvisor listing
• Increasing direct booking traffic to your property site
• Enhancing your website with free TripAdvisor tools
• Maintaining a positive online reputation
• Responding to guest reviews on TripAdvisor
• Implementing strategies to help get more reviews on TripAdvisor

We will be in:

• Mumbai, April 10, 2012
  Morning Session: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm, Afternoon Session: 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
  JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai, Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai 400049
• New Delhi, April 12, 2012
  Morning Session: 9:30 am -12:30 pm, Afternoon Session: 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
  The Taj Mahal Hotel New Delhi, Number One Mansingh Road, New Delhi, 110011

For more information, please visit: www.tripadvisormasterclass.com/India/
For more upcoming events, visit: tripadvisor4biz.wordpress.com/webinars/

How to sign up — and get verified — with the Management Center

If you’re registered with TripAdvisor’s Management Center, you can access our new management dashboard, track how you’re doing against competitors, upload photos and videos to your property page, submit management responses, and more. The best part? All of this is free! If you registered prior to December 2011,though, and haven’t yet completed the verification process, you no longer have access to these great tools.  We introduced verification to help us connect you to your property and control access to your account. It’s an important step.  Fortunately, it’s also an easy one for you to complete.  For a quick overview on how to register and get verified, watch our new animated video then head to your Management Center.  There’s no time like the present!

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Visit Us at ITB Berlin!

TripAdvisor will be at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show, on Wednesday, March 7^th, to Sunday, March 11^th.

The annual event has more than 170,000 visitors from 180 countries and we are excited to meet everyone! We will be set up in Hall 25 at booth number 127.  Come by to see us and learn more about maximizing your presence on TripAdvisor, our new Review Collection Solutions, and more.

TripAdvisor executives will also be presenting at the event:

“How TripAdvisor is transforming travel via social media” with Adam Medros

• Location: Hall 7.1c, eTravel Stage
• Date & Time: Wednesday, March 7^th at 2:30 p.m.

“Mobile and Hospitality – Improving Guest Interaction” with Nathan Clapton

• Location: Hall 7.3 Auditorium Europa
• Date & Time: Wednesday, March 7^th at 2:55 p.m.

“Mobile Travel Trends, Forecasts and Prediction” with Nathan Clapton

• Location: Hall 7.1c, Auditorium eTravel Lab
• Date & Time: Thursday, March 8^th at  11:45 a.m.

If you are attending ITB Berlin, please come visit us at our stand!

How Travelers Interpret Reviews: Get The Facts

Want to know how travelers assess and react to reviews of your property on TripAdvisor? You’ll find real insight in research findings conducted by three independent professional bodies*.

Fact 1: Today’s traveler places growing importance on independent customer reviews

The growing sophistication of travel marketing has created more sophisticated travel consumers, who cut through the hype and seek out independent opinions and reviews. In a survey¹, 81% of travelers said reviews were important when deciding which hotel to book, and almost half said they wouldn’t book a hotel unless it had reviews.

Fact 2: Fifty million travelers value TripAdvisor reviews

Did you know that TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel website, attracting 50 million unique users every month²? This user loyalty testifies to the usefulness of our traveler reviews and opinions.  According to a recent PhoCusWright study commissioned by TripAdvisor³, 98% of respondents found TripAdvisor reviews to be accurate of the actual experience; and 89% of respondents agreed that TripAdvisor hotel reviews “Help me plan a better trip”.

Fact 3: Travelers turn to the ‘wisdom of the crowds’

Recent research supports what we at TripAdvisor have always maintained: travelers form an educated view based on the opinions of many. A survey conducted by Forrester Consulting¹ found that 77% of travelers usually ignore extreme comments about properties and base their assumptions on a general assessment of customer responses (as well as property photos and descriptions).

Fact 4: Travelers appreciate a Management Response

While no single hotel review may be decisive for a traveler, we’re aware that the reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor are important to properties listed on the site. Ensuring the honesty of all reviews – and preventing fraud – is our top priority. While no system is perfect, and the anonymity and open access of the Internet offers its own challenges, TripAdvisor has adopted an extremely detailed, sophisticated and frequently updated process to screen review submissions.  Hoteliers also have the right to dispute any comments (contact Customer Services: 1-617-431-5424 (US, Canada) or +44 203 318 5019 (UK, Australia, India)), as well as the right to reply – in a Management Response. When an owner responds promptly and professionally to a review, addressing any specific complaints as well as the positive comments, a Management Response can be very effective. In fact, 71% of surveyed travelers¹ª found them to be very persuasive.

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*The three research companies were Forrester Consulting, comScore Media Metrix and PhoCusWright
¹ “TripAdvisor Custom Online Survey 2010”, conducted by Forrester Consulting, commissioned by TripAdvisor
¹ªQuestioned in relation to a specific review from an official hotel rep. Survey by Forrester Consulting, as above.
²Source: comScore Media Metrix, Worldwide, August 2011
³According to a July 2011 PhoCusWright survey of 3,641 respondents. Participants for the study were solicited at random through a pop-up invitation link on TripAdvisor.com.

One in Two UK Accommodation Owners/Managers Expect to be More Profitable in 2012

TripAdvisor’s Industry Index 2012 survey results were released today in the UK, U.S., Spain, Italy and France. The Industry Index survey is one of the world’s largest hotel business surveys incorporating responses from more than 9000 accommodation owners and managers from around the world, of which 1,100 were from the UK.

The Index gauges the industry’s outlook for the year ahead. From the survey results, we discovered that:

• 85% of UK accommodation owners report being profitable in 2011, making the UK the third most profitable region surveyed
• 50% percent of UK respondents are also optimistic about their businesses’ profitability in 2012, expecting their business to be more profitable this year, as compared to a global average of 58%
• Only 12% of UK respondents are planning to create new jobs due to the current economy

UK accommodation owners were less optimistic about the general economy with only 19% of respondents believing the economy will improve in 2012, with 65% of respondents stating that concerns about the economy have influenced financial planning for 2012.

In addition, less than 50% of the UK’s hospitality industry plans to engage with travellers using mobile devices in 2012, one of this year’s emerging travel marketing trends, putting them behind the global response of 53%.

“The TripAdvisor Industry Index reveals scepticism among UK accommodation owners. Despite being one of the most profitable regions in 2011, they are cautious with their business plans for 2012 due to concerns over the country’s economic recovery,” said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business.

See the coverage of this on Tnooz, Caterer and Hotelkeeper and MSN Money.

For more data from the TripAdvisor Industry Index, please download the report here.

U.S. Accommodations are Industry’s Most Optimistic about the Economy and Profitability in 2012

TripAdvisor’s Industry Index 2012 survey results were released today in the UK, U.S., Spain, Italy and France. The Industry Index survey is one of the world’s largest hotel business surveys incorporating responses from more than 9000 accommodation owners and managers from around the world, of which 1,276 were from the U.S.

The Index gauges the industry’s outlook for the year ahead. Among the survey’s key findings, we have discovered that:

• 65% of U.S. respondents are optimistic about the prospect of an economic recovery in 2012, which is 27% higher than the global average of 38%
• 76% of the U.S. respondents expect their businesses to be more profitable in 2012 than they were in 2011
• 27% of U.S. respondents are planning to create new jobs in 2012

In addition, the TripAdvisor Industry Index also reveals the hospitality industry’s top trends, ranging from hotel representatives’ economic outlook and plans to engage travelers using mobile devices to property investments and the top deals hoteliers plan to offer their guests.

“The TripAdvisor Industry Index reveals an economic optimism among U.S. accommodation owners which reflects data showing one-third of U.S. travelers are planning to increase travel spending in 2012***,” said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business.

For more data from the TripAdvisor Industry Index, please download the report here.