Online Advertising Intelligence for Innkeepers - Everything you need in one place

Main Categories         Free Sites     States List     Tool Bars         My List     Travel Database     Top

The first column on the left hand side of the home page is a list of categories that describe what types of web sites are listed in the database.

Associations – Mostly these are Bed and Breakfast associations.  They are in the system so you can keep track of your own association’s site.  Feel free to send us your association’s web address and we will add it to the database.

B&Bs Only – These web sites list bed and breakfasts only – no hotels, motels, etc.  This is the most important category as visitors to these sites are looking for a bed and breakfast accommodation.

Broken/Duplicate – Consider this group of sites as unimportant to your advertising success.  The only reason we list them is for your benefit knowing we have already analyzed their worthiness.  If we didn’t list them, we get emails asking, “Hey, What about this site?”

City Directories – While not travel sites, these sites offer all sorts of information (including lodging) about a particular city.

COC/CVB – Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau web sites are listed here. Feel free to send us your Chamber’s or Visitor’s Bureau web address and we will add it to the database.

Consultants – Another “in progress” category, these companies are mostly marketing companies.

GDS Rep – These are companies that can connect your property to the traditional, non-Internet travel agent system called Global Distribution System (GDS).  On the home page, there is a GDS link that explains this system and displays a chart comparing the pricing of each of the GDS representation companies.

Guide Books – In this group we find Frommers.com, Fodors.com, Zagat.com and other similar sites that provide travelers insight and guidance.

Hotels/Resorts Only – Included because they are in the lodging business, these sites do not work with B&Bs, Inns or small hotels.

IDS – Internet Distribution System refers to online travel agency web sites like Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline, etc.  They make money by booking your rooms and charging you a commission.   Each of the bigger sites has hundreds, if not thousands of affiliate web sites each wanting a piece of the commission for rooms booked at your property.

Lifestyle Site – These sites are specific to a type of activity or lifestyle.  They offer some sort of lodging advertising opportunities.

Lodging Directories – These web sites list other accommodations besides B&Bs.  B&Bs may or may not have a special designation.  Subscribers to Inn Strategy will be able to find all Lodging sites where travelers can specifically find B&Bs by selecting Lodging Directories as a classification and checking the Yes for B&B Category on the search page inside.

Misc – Rather than have an exceedingly long list of categories, anything relevant but not in the current classifications goes here.

Newspapers – City newspaper sites often cater to visitors.  Feel free to send us your newspaper’s web address and we will add it to the database and evaluate its bang for the buck.

Reservation Service – If you are looking to hand over the booking of reservations to an outside party, then you may find this list of businesses helpful.

R.E. Property Mgrs – These Real Estate Property Manager sites are different than Reservation Service sites in that they allow you to be an absentee owner.  We created this category because they offer vacation properties to area visitors.

Software – Count this category as “in progress.”   While it does not involve advertising, when we get caught up, we’ll provide reviews for all the different software options in the lodging industry.

Tourism Sites – Often, these are State managed sites designed to promote travel into the state. Sometimes they just accumulate all the Convention and Visitors Bureau sites and combine the lodging data into one site.

Travel Directories – These web sites list more than accommodations – restaurants, activities, transportation, etc.  B&Bs may or may not have a special designation.  Subscribers to Inn Strategy will be able to find all Travel sites where travelers can specifically find B&Bs by selecting Travel Directories as a classification and checking the Yes for B&B Category on the search page inside.

Vacation Rentals – Vacation rental by owner web sites have recently branched out to include B&Bs. Subscribers to Inn Strategy will be able to find all Vacation Rental sites where travelers can specifically find B&Bs by selecting Vacation Rentals as a classification and checking the Yes for B&B Category on the search page inside.  If you have a cottage or other property that fits this category, then is will be a helpful resource.

Wedding/Honeymoon – These sites offer opportunities to advertise your property for destination weddings, guest accommodations and honeymoon lodging.

Main Categories     Free Sites     States List     Tool Bars      My List     Travel Database     Top 

The second column on the left hand side of the home page is a list of four Pricing types that describe the different type of free web sites listed in the database.

Free/Pay – They have a free listing option and a premium pay option.

Free – Besides entering information about your property into their system, these sites are 100% free.

Free with Link – Link swapping is required to get listed on these sites.  Link swapping means you need to place a link to their site on your web site in order to get one in return.

Free w/ link or Pay – They have a link swap option and a premium pay option.

Main Categories     Free Sites     States List     Tool Bars         My List     Travel Database     Top

On the right hand side of the home page, what does the number next to each State mean?

States List - That is how many web sites are local, not national sites in that State.  For example, visitnewyorkstate.net is only relevant if you have a property located in New York.  It counts as one of the sites in New York .  NYCTourist.com is only relevant if you have a property in New York City . It however also counts as one of the sites in New York .

We will continue to increase the number of local/regional web sites that relate to the lodging industry.

There are six links in the Gold Tool Bar at the top of the home page:

Home    Intro    About Us  Contact Us     GDS     Blog 

Home – Brings you to this main home page with logon section.

Intro – This is the Intro page!

About Us – How Inn Strategy came to be.

Contact Us – How to contact us.

GDS – Global Distribution System (GDS) Section

Blog – Commentary and dialog to improve your online advertising performance

After you log in, there are seven links in the Tool Bar at the top of your search page:

My List     Intro   Travel Database    GDS   Blog    My Account    Log out  

My List – This is your Personal List of online advertising web sites.  You can add websites to your list (presumably the ones you are listed on) by clicking “Yes” in the Add? Column. The word Done replaces the word Yes for sites added to your personal list.  You can remove sites from your personal list by clicking Done.  Click the OK button on the pop-up screen that appears:  “Are you sure you want to remove this item?”

This keeps the site in the overall list but not on your personal list. 

You can also add a site to your list by checking the Add to my Advertising Sites? Box in the upper right hand corner on each site’s detail page.  When you click on the Website link for a particular web site in the Travel Database, it brings up that site’s detail page.

** Note when you remove a site from your personal list, you lose any personal notes you have added.

Main Categories     Free Sites     States List     Tool Bars         My List     Travel Database     Top

Intro – This is the Intro page!

Travel Database – This is where you can search and sort through our entire database.  See instructions below.

GDS – Global Distribution System (GDS) Section

Blog – Commentary and dialog to improve your online advertising performance

My Account – Your basic contact information.  You can also change your password here.

Log out – Ends your session and takes you back to the Home page