H&C News meets with suppliers regularly to keep up to date with the latest product and service innovations, aiming to get the inside track on what companies offer to the market and how it is delivered.
This week, we met with Tom Beasley, CEO of Wired Media to gain a better understanding of the business. Wired Media work with hotels delivering online marketing strategies that increase revenue.
You’ve been around for 13 years so why doesn’t the hotel industry know about you?
Well, although our first ever client was a hotel, we spent our first 10 years specialising in technical ecommerce websites. We learnt a lot about how to get more visitors, how to increase sales and basket values working across many industries/sectors. Which, at the end of the day, is what everyone wants from their website, particularly hotels. Two years ago we decided to change direction and put all this experience into hotels. It was a risk, but we’ve got a great team of industry experts working at Wired Media so I wasn’t surprised when it paid off.
What are the most challenging and rewarding experiences working with hotels?
Every hotel is different and they tend to be run differently which can be both rewarding and challenging. We need to adapt our processes to match each hotel we work with. It is great to watch properties develop, getting busier, to see reviews improving and the general managers happy reaping the rewards of their investment. Take Longleat Hotels, for example, they have changed so much from the properties we first starting working with in November 2011, both physically in the décor but also how they have grown commercially as a result of our involvement.
What is the most frustrating thing about working with hoteliers?
Hoteliers, by and large, don’t like leaving their properties. This being said, the fact we get to go to see our clients, instead of them coming to see us, is also one of the best things about working with hoteliers. It means we get to travel to lots of interesting and often beautiful places, see some amazing properties and taste some lovely peppermint teas.
What would change about the hotel industry?
Booking engines. If you went online today and bought a pair of jeans, from any website whether its Marks & Spencer or Armani, you’d know what to expect from the buying process; basket, checkout, confirmation email. Hotel booking engines are infinitely varied, which makes it a challenge to apply learnings; but here at Wired Media we relish a challenge.
Where do you see the business heading in the next 12 months?
Working with more happy, relaxed and, most importantly, profitable hoteliers.
Wired Media will be providing a series of three hints and tips features in the months ahead with H&C News to help hoteliers develop online business further.
Comment from H&C News: We enjoyed meeting with Tom and his experience in helping hotels with their online business was insightful, so we look forward to the forthcoming features building on this interview.
For Wired Media website click here
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For further information contact
Tom Beasley
tom.beasley@wiredmedia.co.uk
0117 930 4365