As with many websites in our industry today, Select Registry has moved to a secure HTTPS:// server. Their new site went live at the end of January 2017 as HTTP:// but recently has moved over to a secure HTTPS:// server.
We only need to go back to March of 2016 when TripAdvisor did the same thing, and caused tracking from TripAdvisor to be lost. This same change is now affecting our Select Registry clients to no longer receive their Google Analtyics Traffic, including their E-Commerce booking data, from the Select Registry website.
Google Analytics data has now gone missing from Select Registry website referral tracking.
Please refer to the image below.
This missing data prevents Select Registry members from validating their ROI (Return on Investment) from bookings being generated by their Select Registry website listing. With session traffic from Select Registry showing ZERO (0), some Select Registry members may even think the new Select Registry website isn't sending any traffic AT ALL to their Inn's website. Bad data such as this can result in bad renewal decisions in the future.
A bit of history.
Mark and Lisa Kolb have been reaching out to Mark Jaronski, Select Registry Chief Executive Officer, since early summer 2016. They have offered their services to assist with a review of the new site, etc. Most recently, when the site went live at the end of January, Lisa shared via an email and then in person at the Innspire Summit Conference in Long Beach California, that there were some issues she wanted to share regarding the new site, and would be available to discuss as Select Registry found appropriate. To date, that meeting has not taken place.
So, we are now at the point where Select Registry members have a decision to make.
As a Select Registry member, especially if your own Inn's website is still on an HTTP:// non-secure server, you will want to contact Select Registry and request that they update the new Select Registry website based on information that Mark and Lisa Kolb of Acorn Internet Services, and Scott Crumpton of White Stone Marketing have both shared regarding the Select Registry's website move to an HTTPS:// secure server.
This is the same information that White Stone Marketing shared with TripAdvisor last year, though sadly TripAdvisor decided not to take action in order to maintain Google Analytics Tracking, forcing the Innkeeper to do the work on their end.
And again, this is the same information that Acorn Internet Services shared with BedandBreakfast.com, who did decide to take action when they moved the BedandBreakfast.com website from an HTTP:// server to an HTTPS:// secure server so that the Google Analytics tracking from BedandBreakfast.com continued seamlessly.
Select Registry Member Action Items
If your Inn’s website is already being hosted on an HTTPS:// secure server
You (or your marketing firm) will need to log into your Select Registry Account and verify that all the links to your various Website pages are installed with HTTPS:// in the appropriate fields. If you do not update these links, your Google Analytics Tracking will no longer track your traffic and booking data from the Select Registry website.
If your Inn’s website is NOT already being hosted on an HTTPS:// secure server, you have 2 choices.
1 – Encourage Select Registry to update their new Select Registry website so that there is nothing you need to do to continue receiving your Google Analytics tracking from the Select Registry website, until you too choose to move your own Inn’s website to an HTTPS:// secure server. At which point you will need to follow the instructions above.
2 – Should Select Registry follow in TripAdvisor’s footsteps, and not update their new Select Registry website to support ongoing tracking, you will need to follow the instructions provided by Google to code your Website links to include custom campaign tracking code.
These instructions are similar to the TripAdvisor instructions that were provided in March of 2016.
Need help? Employ your webmaster for assistance. Acorn Internet Services client? Contact support@acorn-is.com or call 719-329-0977 x 1
On a Side Note --- How you can Learn More about HTTPS://
If you are a Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) member, we just recently taught a Webinar for their educational series called: So What's the REAL DEAL on HTTPS:// You may access the recording for this webinar by logging into the PAII Members Only Section. It was a webinar designed to clearly explain HTTPS:// with great attendee generated questions.
