We’ve made it to late January and you all deserve a pat on the back for the amazing accommodation and hospitality experiences you have provided to travellers during what is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year.
As we head into a new year, know that team Seekom has your back. We’ve got some exciting developments planned for 2024 – many suggested by users – and we wanted to share a few of the most exciting.
Coming soon, we have a major upgrade to our SMS functionality that will provide lower rates and add a whole lot more options for the ways you can communicate with guests before, during and after their stay. We’re also redesigning and improving the look and feel of the bookings calendar found within Seekom, plus adding some enhancements to make it more user friendly and better optimised for mobile devices
We know how important it is for Seekom to load quickly when you are checking someone in or trying to create a report during a team meeting, so you can expect to see ongoing improvements to the speed of our system throughout the year.
Looking further ahead, we’re exploring the possibility of extending our automated messaging options so you can reach guests via WhatsApp, and adding an option that would allow you to offer refund protection to your guests as an ‘opt in’ when they make a booking, to mitigate the financial impacts for you and your guests of any bookings that need to be cancelled.
We’re also looking at introducing an ‘Industry Dashboard’ that would make benchmarking your property’s performance against key industry metrics easy. We think artificial intelligence has potential too, so we are starting the process of investigating whether adding AI into Seekom might make life easier for you and improve the guest experience. We will of course keep security front of mind and seek your views on AI throughout.
These are just a taste of what’s being considered for the year ahead, thanks in large part to the feedback users have provided via our Seekom Community. If you haven’t yet sent us your ideas, now’s a great time to do so.
With your insights and continued support, Seekom will remain ahead of the pack and continue playing its small but important role in the ongoing success of your business. Here’s to the future!
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One of our amazing business development managers will be in touch to showcase our product to you and talk you through how we can help grow your business.
Contact Us
PO Box 9300, Marion Square, Wellington 6141
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2022 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
In the fiercely competitive hospitality industry, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for success. One powerful tool that can significantly boost the online presence of hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and short-term rental properties is Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
In this article, we’ll explore the key benefits of SEO for businesses in the hospitality sector, focusing on optimising the meta titles, meta description and main headings (H1 tags) on your website pages. By doing this, you will give your pages the best possible chance of appearing in the search results when a potential guest is using Google, Bing or another search engine to look for accommodation.
There are some simple but effective steps you can take to improve the meta titles, meta descriptions and h1 tags on your website. These are all quick wins and will help improve how well your website is optimised for search engines.
Reviewing your meta titles, meta descriptions and h1 tags is about more than just improving your search results. It can also provide for a better user experience. Keep these key considerations in mind when doing your SEO optimisations.
One way to differentiate your property is to target a specific niche of the accommodation market. You can really get your niche targeting humming by tailoring your meta titles, meta descriptions and h1 tags to the niche you have identified.
Most search engines will prioritise content that is clearly marked as being in the vicinity of the location a guest is looking for when they search online, or close to the area they are physically conducting their online search from. The meta titles, meta descriptions and h1 tags on your page can play an important role in helping search engines understand the geographic locations your accommodation property’s pages are most relevant to.
When it comes to length, a good rule of thumb for the meta titles, meta descriptions and H1 tags on your website is as follows:
Note: Something you may not know, is that we also build websites. Many of our customers have Seekom built, fully managed websites which we maintain, including SEO management. If you’re interested in finding out more about this, get in touch.
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One of our amazing business development managers will be in touch to showcase our product to you and talk you through how we can help grow your business.
Contact Us
PO Box 9300, Marion Square, Wellington 6141
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2022 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
Owners: Max and Robyn Reelick
Nelson’s Palazzo Motor Lodge is revelling in a run of recognition, reaping a range of awards due to the welcoming, customer-focused approach of owners Max and Robyn Reelick and star back-office support from software MVP Seekom.
The luxurious five-star motel offers 16 spacious apartments, including 10 with their own private spas, making it a popular choice for guests who appreciate Italian style and a touch of class.
Max says it was a “no brainer” to choose Seekom’s iBex management software when he and Robyn bought the motel four-and-a-half years ago.
“Seekom is one-stop shop which not a lot of providers offer – the whole platform is really user-friendly and they’re always tweaking it with useful bits and pieces.”
Palazzo Motor Lodge was included in Tripadvisor’s illustrious Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Hotels list for 2023, joining an A-list of legendary establishments that have received such consistently brilliant reviews that Tripadvisor ranks them in the top 1 per cent of hotels worldwide.
Having garnered such outstanding recognition, it’s no surprise Palazzo Motor Lodge recently won the New Zealand’s Best Motel – Under 25 Rooms at Hospitality New Zealand’s Awards for Excellence for the second year in a row.
Max says Seekom software takes care of all the bookings, stores guest bookings in one place and manages all the little details behind the hotel’s operation, allowing it to rightfully claim the title of “employee of the year”.
“Every hotel operator’s nightmare is having a double booking when the town is full, and you don’t get that with Seekom – it helps you sleep better at night.”
Seekom cloud-based software also plays a role in boosting the lodge’s bookings because the platform is user friendly for customers as well as staff and managers, he says.
“It has a great customer portal.”
Max and Robyn rely on motel minders to take time out from the demands of running a high-end establishment and enjoy a well-deserved holiday. Max says Seekom makes it simple for the minders to step into their shoes because it’s so easy to train them up on the software.
“As soon as you say ‘Seekom', they say ‘fantastic’. Last year I trained someone up on Seekom who had never had any experience in hotel management - we left them for two weeks and there wasn’t a problem. It’s an easy system to use and Seekom’s support team is readily available to contact if you have any questions.”
In contrast with another property management system he used in the past, Max has found Seekom to be proactive in adapting to the needs of its users.
“Seekom comes and offers new tools on a yearly basis that are beneficial to users, and their channel manager encompasses everything. They built such a good product years ago and have tweaked it organically to make it seamless.”
The elegant Italian-styled motel aims to cater for everything the discerning guest might require, offering a concierge service, wireless chargers and fast internet access to suit the requirements of corporate guests, as well as a handy deliver-to-your-door laundry service.
Nestled in the heart of the city, its location is hard to beat, with Max describing it as a “five- minute walk or 10-minute stumble” to anywhere in central Nelson’s vibrant arts, culture and restaurant scene.
He says he’s thrilled Palazzo Motor Lodge has been recognised as one of the world’s premier accommodation providers and recognises Seekom’s role in securing the awards that take pride of place in the motel’s reception area.
“We’re proud to have an association with Seekom – we find their synergy and ethos to be the same as ours. Winners surround themselves with winners.”
Note: Something you may not know, is that we also build websites. Many of our customers have Seekom built, fully managed websites which we maintain, including SEO management. If you’re interested in finding out more about this, get in touch.
One of our amazing business development managers will be in touch to showcase our product to you and talk you through how we can help grow your business.
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
Contact Us
PO Box 9300, Marion Square, Wellington 6141
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2022 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
There are no secrets at Seekom. That’s why we want all our customers to know about a handy hack for accommodation providers that can set your business up with free booking links on Google. Yes you read that right: free booking links!
Our Channel Manager’s integration with Google Hotel Ads allows you to display your hotels’ direct rates and availability via free hotel booking links shown to prospective guests when they are looking for accommodation in your area on Google search.
This can be done by enabling the feature on the ‘Channel Manager’ page of Seekom iBex, increasing visibility of your accommodation and ensuring you can manage your rates, availability and room information in one place.
Even better, our behind-the-scenes API means rates and availability are updated in real time, ensuring the information displayed in your Google listings is always the same as in your ‘single source of truth’ Seekom system.
Millions of travelers around the world search for accommodation on Google every day, so taking advantage of Google Hotel Ads free booking listings is an easy choice to make.
Check out our Google Hotel Ads Free Listings Set Up guide to find out how to enable the free listings direct from Seekom iBex.
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
Sign Up For Updates
One of our amazing business development managers will be in touch to showcase our product to you and talk you through how we can help grow your business.
Contact Us
PO Box 9300, Marion Square, Wellington 6141
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2022 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
Site Manager: Sunny Han
Ōrere Point TOP 10 Holiday Park is looking forward to a busy summer season boosted by a commitment to modernisation from its owners, including upgrading its facilities and using a smart software system that keeps customers singing its praises.
Site Manager Sunny Han says the holiday park is a paradise of tranquil parkland surrounded by forest and bathed in birdsong, with a river wandering gently through on its way to the sea just five minutes’ walk away.
“It’s a classic yet unique slice of Kiwi paradise.”
Nestled on the edge of the Firth of Thames, the holiday park boasts an array of accommodation options, from humble campsites and cabins to motel-style self-contained units. Running the park is made easier by Seekom’s iBex property management software, which powers the bookings calendar, extras, pricing and availability, making it simple for customers to secure bookings and for the holiday park’s staff to manage them.
“Since we started using Seekom in July 2020, it’s made life much easier,” Sunny says.
“We’ve never had a complaint about the booking process.”
Her team of six staff all use Seekom to manage the smooth operation of the holiday park. The flexibility to instantly introduce short term or long-term rate changes, or minimum stay periods, means she can tailor the park’s rates to target peak periods and drive maximum occupancy.
Sunny says she appreciates Seekom being simple for new staff to learn and pick up, and its ability to handle both online and in-person or phone bookings in one place. One particularly helpful feature of the booking system is the option of excluding accommodation units from being booked online, if a room or cabin is undergoing maintenance or a large annual group booking is expected but hasn’t yet been paid for and completely confirmed.
As a cloud-based software solution, Seekom can be accessed on any device connected to the internet - gone are the days of clunky installation disks or hardware requirements that restrict access. In addition, Seekom is self-updating and maintains industry-standard data security to safeguard its customer’s information.
New owner Daniel Yi took ownership of the park in 2008. Since then, a modernisation programme has been underway and the park now boasts a conference room, refurbished games room, enhanced mini golf course, giant chess, a trampoline, spa and sauna, 2GB of on-site Wi-Fi for each guest and just about everything else required for a heavenly holiday.
The 5.29 ha piece of paradise also operates as Daniel Christian Camp and specialises in welcoming church groups, school camps, sports groups and families. It has a history of hospitality, having welcomed guests since 1964, and is looking forward to a bright future with the peak holiday season just round the corner, Sunny says.
“The seasonal break is just round the corner and we’re all really excited about celebrating Christmas with various different Christian groups who will be staying with us.”
Note: Something you may not know, is that we also build websites. Many of our customers have Seekom built, fully managed websites which we maintain, including SEO management. If you’re interested in finding out more about this, get in touch.
One of our amazing business development managers will be in touch to showcase our product to you and talk you through how we can help grow your business.
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
Contact Us
PO Box 9300, Marion Square, Wellington 6141
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2022 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)