Google Analytics for Vacation Rental Managers

1. ANALYTICS
Practical Application of Website Data to improve daily business
operations, decisions and performance.
Presented by: Amber Leto
TravelStorm, Inc. an Instant Software Company

2. Efficient
Website
Powerful High
Marketing Revenue
Analytics
Higher
Premium
Profit
Properties
Yield
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Analytics

3. Marketing
Owner Relations
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Analytics

4. Marketing
Get Organized
Sources Cost
Analyze your Current Marketing Initiative Performance
Traffic Quality
Analyze your Return on Investment (ROI)
Bookings Leads
Determine Future Relevancy
Performance Cost
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Analytics

5. Get Organized
1. Organize Your Marketing Campaigns into a Budget/Plan
2. Categorize Marketing Spend by Source (Text Ad, Banner, CPC, Email)
Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total
Travel Scream 6000 6000
Yahoo Local 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 720
EmeraldCoast.com/Destin.com 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 9600
DestinDirect.com 750 750
Destin-ation.com 150 350 350 350 350 350 350 350 350 350 350 350 4000
VRDW.com 80 80
Shermans Travel Online 10000 10000
TheKnot.com 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 715
US Airways 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2000 0 0 0 0 2000
Yahoo Directory 299 299 299 299 1196
Backlinks Campaign 3500 3500
VRBO 6000 6000
PRWeb Bi-Monthly Releases 700 700 700 700 2800
Sherman's Travel Eblast 0
Beachguide Eblast 500 500 500 500 2000
Atlanta Journal Eblast 2500 2500 5000
New Orleans Eblast 500 500 1000
Houston Chronical Eblast 1450 1450
WeJustGotBack.com 977.85 977.85 977.85 2933.55
Annual
Cost: 85957.55
2009 Overall Budget 150000
Monies
Still to
Allocate: 64042.45
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Analytics

6. Analyze your Current Marketing Initiative Performance
1. Log In to Google Analytics
2. Change your Dates (Right Hand Top Corner) to YTD
3. Choose TRAFFIC SOURCES from the left vertical menu bar
4. Choose REFERRING SITES from the menu
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Analytics

7. The # of
Marketing Pages the Avg. Time The Percentage of
Campaign: Click referred each Referred Clicks where
Remember that Traffic: Not guest looked referred the new guest found
each advertiser unique at before client spent your site irrelevant
may have a visitors but leaving your on your site and immediately
website URL actual click- site. The before exit. clicked out of your
different from through more pages – The higher site/exited. Premium
their publication traffic. the more the number ads should stay below
name or multiple relevant the 40% Bounce Rate.
guest found
the better.
URls
your site.
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Analytics

8. Every Marketing Campaign may have multiple A high percentage of new
sources: For example, you may have ads in visitors to your site shows
different places on their site throughout the that this marketing source
year, you may advertise in different sections brings in new clientele and
of their domain or you may post specials not web visitors that had
already found you. Premium
throughout the year. Measure each one’s campaigns should be ABOVE
effectiveness and cut out any “fat”. your Site Avg. This marketing
source is not competing with
you for your business but
bringing you a new market
segment.
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Analytics

9. Dimension Drilldown: Want to
know more about the traffic
and demographics of the
clientele that your advertiser
sent…. Visit the Dimension
Drilldown on the referring site
page after you choose a specific
source.
Analyze:
What cities
performed well?
Which did not? Is
there a reason? If
you see a particular
city outshine the
others – focus on
that market for
potential new ad
opportunities.
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Analytics

10. Keyword Analysis
1. Look at your top 50 Keywords - what percentage is paid vs. non-paid?
2. Look at your top 50 Non-Paid Keywords vs. Paid – are there any terms on both lists?
3. Are your best Keywords associated with your Company Brand? A lot of them should.
4. Branded Keywords = Repeat Guests, Word of Mouth Advertising, Strong Branding
5. Paid Keywords – what are your bounce rates, quality scores, etc.
6. Paid Keywords vs. Top Referral Traffic – should you spend more money on ads and less
on PPC?
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Analytics

11. Marketing Analysis
Who will Make the Final Cut?
Referral
Source/Keyword
Shermans Travel
Ariel Dunes Pre-
Total Cost Total Clicks Avg. Cost per Visit Bounce Rate New Clients Performance
8000 9158 $0.87 41.16 89.72 Excellent
Result
Re -sign $$$
Construction 1500 4500 $0.33 17.58 55.82 Average Renegotiate Rate
Destin Condos 12500 6500 $1.92 65.42 74.22 Poor Cancel
Vacation Rentals 7500 2400 $3.13 82.55 95.85Poor Cancel
Total 2009
Spend: 29500
Total 2010
Projected
Spend: 9500
Projected
Savings: $20,000.00
Its worth the time and money to analyze any advertising that you spend
money on. Savings will add up quickly, you can spend more on high
performance ads, cut poor performance ads, renegotiate rates on
average performance and modify your PPC campaigns.
Its not just about saving money. Its about spending smarter.
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Analytics

12. Latent Benefits of Online Ads vs. PPC
Advertising
1. Online ads create links to your website from
WARNING: other authority sites. Kill two birds with one
The following hints/tips/info stone.
may be deemed extremely 2. Using online ads on trusted travel websites,
forums, blogs, etc. allows potential consumers to
anti-establishment and
transcend their trust in the Online Publication to
rebellious. your brand/company.
3. Allows you to take advantage of the broader
audience or different audience of that online
publication.
Cross Reference your Advertisers to a Backlink/Link Report for your
Domain. Make sure that are getting your monies worth!
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Analytics

13. Owner Relations
Property Performance
Page Traffic Bounce Rate
Opportunity Analysis
Media Unit Issues
Owner Report Card
Benchmark Suggestions
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Analytics

14. Property Performance
Measuring Property Performance can help you identify:
1. Top Traffic Properties (does not always mean top performing!)
2. The most popular complexes, neighborhoods, areas, etc.
3. The most popular search results – what your guests are looking for most often
All of these lead us to choosing a better inventory mix and acquisitions campaign!
Start by navigating to the vertical menu on the left and choosing CONTENT. Once you get the
drop down menu – choose TOP CONTENT.
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Analytics

15. Top Property Page in Traffic Year-to-Date:
Is this a top performing property? Visit the link and then compare to your
PMS to see how this unit actually booked. What percentage of bookings
were online? Repeat? Etc.
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Analytics

16. # of visitors that see the
The # of visitors on your page and then click back
homeowner’s property page to see other properties.
and the source of the visitor – Is it not fitting their
Search, Direct, or Referral. needs? Or is it not
available?
The tools on the right
hand menu allow you to
go even deeper into
your traffic research –
including knowing how
the visitor got to the
page, other pages they
generally visited,
specific keywords, etc.
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Analytics

17. Decision Flow Chart on Property Performance
Property Page Traffic
High Traffic Low Traffic
Top Revenue Low Revenue High Revenue Low Revenue
Check if Media
Acquire More of this Do not take more of Feature Rental in Specific Unit Too many of the
Raise the Rates needs updating Unit Updating? Length on Program Across Unit Type?
Unit Type this unit type better position Marketing same unit types?
(photos/video/copy)
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Analytics

18. Annual Owner Report Card
Data to Gather/Consider/Compile
Property Property
Opportunities
Performance Viability
Additional
Revenue Web Traffic,
Marketing,
Comp 2009 vs. Inquiries,
Media,
2008 Bounce Rates
Feature
Offline Unit updating,
Revenue vs.
Inquiries, New Rate
Unit Type
Email Structure, Less
Average 2009
Inquiries, etc. Owner Usage
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Analytics

19. Example Property A - 2009
2009 YTD Revenue:
$36000
2008 Revenue:
$34500
Marketing Exposure
6780 Unique
The average unit Website Visitors
similar to yours
generated
$32500 210 Email Inquiries
Opportunities
46% Direct/Repeat
Guests Raise 2010 Rates by 6% across the Decrease Owner Usage by 10 nights
Your YTD board. would increase revenue by $3k
Occupancy Rate is
73% 625 Unique Guests in
Or Property A Database
189 Paid Nights
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Analytics

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21. Amber Leto (Mayer)
850-499-5504
aleto@instantsoftware.com
Facebook – TravelStorm
Twitter - AmberLeto
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