We are excited to be able to provide an entire day with Acorn Internet Services for our clients. Thank you to all of our clients who plan to attend for sharing your thoughts on our topics. We've incorporated your ideas into these sessions! If you are interested in attending, or haven't registered yet, you can do so at: PAII 2019 in Vegas. Save money when you register to attend the PAII conference and attend our Day with Acorn on January 14, 2019.
Please find below all of the sessions we will be providing:
Opening Session
8:30 – 9:30
Join us for our kick off for the "Day with Acorn" where we'll introduce the team, help you best determine which sessions are best for you and your team, and get the day started in style!
Session Time 1
9:30 – 10:30
ROI and the Cost of doing Business
Ballroom D
Presented by: Pam Prentice
In this session, we will explain why knowing and understanding ROI and the cost of doing business should be your top priority. We will discuss the nuts and bolts of the results you see from marketing your business, how it is tracked, how to understand the value of each marketing avenue, and how to use this data to make quality decisions about where to spend your marketing dollars. Bring your laptop and follow along as we sift through your GA data to determine ROI.
- Determining the difference between OTA and Direct, and how much is too much.
- Breaking down the cost vs revenue for each marketing avenue.
- Why and how we use Google Analytics and Search Console to make these determinations.
- Why the Advantage Plan includes annual TA reviews.
- The impact of choosing the right booking engine in relation to tracking.
- HTTPS:// and its impact to gathering proper data.
- Analyzing and customizing target audiences.
- Determine monetized marketing strategies, including spend amounts for Trip Connect, Google Ads, Facebook, etc.
- Seasonal marketing strategies.
Moz’s 2018 Local Search Ranking Factors
Ballroom E
Presented by: Lisa Kolb
This year, over 30 local marketing experts in both the US and abroad were invited to participate in Moz’s 2018 Local Search Ranking Survey. Once again, Acorn was included in this list of experts. Darren Shaw of WhiteSpark conducted the survey and held a webinar of the findings for the general public. Come to this session to learn what we, the experts, feel is the direction of local search in general. Lisa will then break down the TOP action items that you, as an innkeeper, must be doing to keep up with Google’s ever-changing local environment.
30 Minute One-on-One Sessions
Watch for the online sign-up sheet a week before the show.
Remaining One-on-One times may be scheduled at sign-in for the Day with Acorn.
Session Time 2
10:45 – 11:45
2019 – Focus on Link Building
Ballroom D
Presented by: Annie Buck
Spoiler Alert: The 2018 Search Ranking Factor experts all agree that growing your inbound links from high-scoring domains is the #1 way to ensure high placement in organic local search. We know that link building is neither easy nor fun. What’s easy, is to just ignore this very important task. However, link building is something you MUST do on a weekly basis since Google prohibits going after too many links too quickly or using a link building service. Bring your laptop to this session and we will send you an email with your Inn’s list of inbound links along with a list of one competitor of your choosing, and we will walk you through the step by step process of basic link building.
- Press and directories.
- Other top-hitting link options.
- What is a domain score?
- Discussion: How to decide which links to pursue.
- Step by step process of growing your inbound links.
Diminishing Direct Bookings
Ballroom E
Presented by: Lisa Kolb
Google has made it clear that they do not want Internet surfers going to your website. In fact, they are preventing you from using many of the GMB (Google My Business) tools that other types of businesses freely use to grow clients. In this session, we will talk about both the legal and political sides of this issue and how you can get involved. We will also discuss where you should concentrate your efforts and strategies to help keep and grow as many direct bookings as possible despite Google’s attempts to prevent you from ever making a booking on which they can’t capitalize.
- Google is still your #1 provider.
- Learn how the new Maps is using your data, and ways to keep it current.
- Learn what you can and cannot do in GMB compared to what other types of businesses can do.
- If you don’t use Trip Advisor properly, then you are basically just selling on your OTAs.
- Newsletters are still your best friend
- Strategies for OTAs vs. Direct Bookings; they go hand in hand.
- Google’s new Calendar option with available rooms display.
- Interesting new articles in 2018 from Google on Mobile – Are you blogging correctly?
- Is Video your way into GMB when Google prevents all other ways of GMB advertising?
30 Minute One-on-One Sessions
Watch for the online sign-up sheet a week before the show.
Remaining One-on-One times may be scheduled at sign-in for the Day with Acorn.
LUNCH
11:45 – 12:30
A buffet lunch will be provided in Ballroom E for all Acorn Day attendees, compliments of Acorn Internet Services, Inc.
Session Time 3
12:45 – 1:45
Current State of Your Website
Ballroom D
Presented by: Annie Buck and Mark Hall
If 2019 is your year for a new website, then this session is for you! We are sad to report that the look and feel of website design is no longer entirely in your hands. Between GDPR, ADA and Google’s current Speed and Usability Guidelines, the way a website looks and functions is beyond your control. Please join us for this session where Mark Hall and Annie Buck will introduce our new Standard Design option. You will learn how and why the new design meets the guidelines for GDPR, ADA, and Google and how it is both cost and time efficient while offering a modern look and feel. And better yet… you OWN it! Even if you never plan to choose this Standard Design option, all innkeepers should know and understand the features that go into all of our new site designs – features that a quality website requires today.
Building Synergy with TripAdvisor
Ballroom E
Presented by: Lisa Kolb
Fortunately, we have been able to establish a good working relationship with TripAdvisor’s various managers for our market’s niche. Thus, when there is a serious yet documentable issue, we are able to share that upstream and have it reviewed. As we continue to work with these points of contact, we can better assist you with any issues you might be experiencing. In addition, we offer a free annual TA business review for each of our Advantage Plan clients in advance of your renewal date. Come to this session to learn more about how you can use TA’s programs to grow your business. If you are only booking via OTAs in TripAdvisor, then you are missing out on securing potential direct bookings. We will provide plenty of Q&A time during this session so you can have your questions answered as well as to document them in order to obtain important feedback from TripAdvisor.
30 Minute One-on-One Sessions
Watch for the online sign-up sheet a week before the show.
Remaining One-on-One times may be scheduled at sign-in for the Day with Acorn.
Session Time 4
2:00 – 3:00
Blogging to Build Engagement
Ballroom D
Presented by: Annie Buck
Learn about Google’s “Interesting Finds”, a new way for your blog posts to be seen in Mobile. If Google does not find your blog posts interesting, then you are missing out on this opportunity. We will also cover what you should do about blog posts that either lack the engagement you had hoped, or that no longer receive the engagement they once did. Blogging is only beneficial when done properly. So, come to this session to learn the best ways to get Google to notice what you’re posting, and to get more engagement from new potential guests.
Advantage Plan Enhancements for 2019
Ballroom E
Presented by: Pam Prentice and Will McQueen
Whether you are an Advantage Plan client (Level 1, 2, 3, or 4) or you are still PAYG (Pay As You Go), we invite you to join us for this fast-paced session where we show you all of the benefits the Advantage Plan program provided you in 2018, as well as new upgrades and enhancements for 2019. Innkeepers can no longer just rely on their website to do the heavy lifting. A unique strategy for growing, managing, and tracking direct bookings is imperative if you want to stay ahead of the curve. During this session, innkeepers will have the opportunity to share tips and strategies on how the average one-person shop can juggle the many areas that seem to require top-priority attention!
- New Google Analytics reporting features.
- TripAdvisor Business Listing, TripConnect and Sponsored Listing Reporting and ROI.
- Using the Acorn Dashboard to your best advantage.
- A quick review of our Advantage Plan levels and what is included.
- “Are You Keeping Up” survey overview.
- How to make the best use of the Acorn Dashboard “Action Items” feature.
30 Minute One-on-One Sessions
Watch for the online sign-up sheet a week before the show.
Remaining One-on-One times may be scheduled at sign-in for the Day with Acorn.
Session Time 5
3:15 – 4:15
2019 – ADA / GDPR and Other Legal Nightmares
Ballroom D
Presented by: Lisa Kolb and Mark Kolb
Did you know that innkeepers across the country are being sued? Have you taken the necessary precautions? Mark and Lisa have invested hundreds of hours studying and implementing ADA compliant features for our clients’ websites. However, both lawyers and plaintiffs have upped the ante. They are interpreting the ADA requirements and filing lawsuits based on their interpretation; therefore, we must make adjustments. Join us for this session to make sure you are ready for a potential lawsuit. While we cannot guarantee that you will not be sued, we can help you take the necessary steps with your website and your reservation system to decrease the likelihood and to help you respond to any complaints.
Revenue Management Q&A
Ballroom E
Presented by: Pam Prentice and Will McQueen
Are you ready to NOT lose money in 2019? With the OTAs and Google striving for a piece of every booking you receive, you must have a plan and be ready! Do you have your revenue management plan in place and loaded online now? You do not want to be selling rooms a year out for too little. You can always adjust the pricing as you get closer to the actual date. Have you organized your rate groups to help you better handle the OTAs and TripAdvisor? Take the time now to create and implement a plan for the next year (or two) to prevent losing out on potential revenue. Pam Prentice and Will McQueen of our Advantage Plan MarketWatch Team will walk you through the basics and provide you with the necessary tools to be ready for 2019. Bring your questions and receive answers during this session!
30 Minute One-on-One Sessions
Watch for the online sign-up sheet a week before the show.
Remaining One-on-One times may be scheduled at sign-in for the Day with Acorn.
Closing Session
4:30 – 5:00
Final Q&A with the entire team and What’s New with Acorn in 2019?
A Day With Acorn is being brought to you by:
- Lisa Kolb, Co-Founder and President
- Mark Kolb, Co-Founder and Vice President
- Annie Buck, Education and Local Manager
- Pam Prentice, Client Services Team Leader
- Will McQueen, Client Services Project Manager
- Mark Hall, Lead Developer
