The Biggest Tradeshow On Earth - Guest Editorial by Michael Squires - Softscribe Inc.

Tradeshows and the Internet have so much in common that comparing them is a good way to better understand each. Start by seeing the Internet as a metaphor for the universal on-line trade show. Your Web site is your booth in the on-line exhibit hall, and how successful it is at generating qualified leads depends on how much you know about Internet marketing.

The Internet is one of the most cost effective sales channels available, and when you apply the tradeshow metaphor, marketing strategies can be more intelligently planned, evaluated and executed. Nearly all buyers, whether they are shopping for flights to San Francisco or a central reservation system, use the Internet for research. And all of these buyers utilize the top search engines to find companies offering the products they want. Think of search engines and the keyword phrase combinations used by shoppers as separate 'exhibit halls;' on-line shoppers are show 'attendees,' and competitors appearing on the same search page are other 'exhibitors.'

It works this way: each search engine delivers different results from the same keyword phrases, and different phrases will always produce different results on the same search engine. Switch either the search engine or keyword phrase and you will have a completely different group of 'attendees' and a different set of competing 'exhibitors.' Every search engine, because of the way they comb the Internet, must be evaluated as if it was a unique tradeshow opportunity. Buyers who search with the keyword phrase 'hotel sales software' will likely be looking for something different than buyers who search using 'hotel point of sale software.' The distinction is a fine one, but can mean the difference between turning up in a buyer's search or being left out. Do you know where your Web site ranks in a Google search of the keywords that describe your offering?

Once you decide you want to be in a specific exhibit hall, like Google, the next question is, 'Where on the floor do you want to be?' Having your site show up at top of the first page of an appropriate key phrase search on Google is the same as having your booth just inside the front doors where all the attendees enter the exhibit hall. Shoppers meet with you first, before they enter the hall to visit your competitors. Showing up on page three of a Web search is the same as having a booth against the rear wall by the fire exit; not many attendees have the time to go all the way back there. Exhibiting companies earn their booth space at the front of the hall, and whether it is pay-per-click or committing resources to get the highest possible rankings, search engines are the same. The more you invest in the search engine optimization of your site, the better your chances of having your booth at the entrance.

The way to get your URL, or booth number, at the top of a search engine's first page is by applying the science of search engine optimization (SEO). The fine points of SEO are too complex for this article, but a good search engine consultant can help you determine which "exhibiting opportunities" will get you the most for your marketing budget; help you evaluate search engines and keyword phrases; and the competitive "attendee base" of Internet shoppers created by your decisions. They can also get your site to the top of the search page where the "attendees" enter the exhibit hall.

Without question, selecting the keyword phrases you want to link with your offering is a very important decision. The most popular search engines are Google, Yahoo, and MSN, so your positioning at the top of these sites with the appropriate keyword phrases will funnel more "attendees" to your "booth." But the size and design of your booth is important, too. Again, think of an exhibit floor; some booths provide good information for passersby, they are attractive and inviting and you want to visit them; others are small, dark and unfriendly. What kind of booth do you want? You can see that evaluating and possibly updating your Web site is an appropriate consideration. If you are going to invest the resources necessary to have your "booth" placed in the front of the hall, you will want to do all you can so attendees will be attracted to engage your reps rather than be turned off and continue walking.

If you have not upgraded your Web site in the past three years, consider doing so now. Lose the 'flash;' cut homepage content to 125 words. Ax the boring list of functionality and techno-speak -- no one cares. Ask yourself, "What makes my booth different? What is in it for the attendee?" Brochure-ware is museum-ware in the Twenty-first century.

Professional companies exhibiting at a tradeshow know how many leads they can expect from the show; they also know their lead-to-contract conversion rate. Do you know how many visitors enter your site for every person that pushes the "Request a Demo" button? You could; it is your Web site's "visitor conversion" ratio. Conversion data is inexpensive and readily available to continually help you get the most out of your Web site. The way your site is designed will make the difference between setting out a fishbowl for business cards at the Internet trade show, or giving demos to a line of pre-qualified decision-makers.

The future of the economy seems as uncertain as ever; many companies are scaling back marketing budgets and slashing spending on traditional channels like advertising. By taking a serious look at what exhibiting opportunities exist for you on the Internet, you may find you can actually spend less than your competition, while ensuring that the most qualified "attendees" find your "booth" first, and more frequently. Now if we could just take a moment to swipe that badge.

Most of the insights about Internet marketing in this article came from the team at Medium Blue (), a top Internet marketing consultancy serving companies in hospitality and other industries to provide search engine optimization, Web site design, and Internet messaging.

Michael Squires, President - Softscribe, Inc. - Michael Squires is president of Softscribe Inc., a consulting corporation that helps clients sell technology products to the hospitality industry. Contact Michael at (404) 256-5512 or at [email protected]. Squires' background includes 15 years in upper sales management positions at several large Property Management System companies, corporate and independent hotel management, and a year and a half as a hospitality industry analyst. He is a published author and writes a monthly column covering industry technology trends for the Hotel & Motel Management website.

About Softscribe, Inc. - Companies can benefit from Softscribe's in-depth knowledge of the hospitality high tech market and products, and emphasis on relationships. In public relations for both the hotel and government technology markets, companies benefit from Softscribe's results-oriented ability to consistently find a story related to your marketing and sales goals, and to tell that story to key audiences who enable the goals. Softscribe clients include Starwood Hotels and Resorts; Popkin Software; Aptech Computer Systems, Inc.; Northwind Canada, Inc.; Galaxy Hotel Systems; ScheduleMe™; FMG Technologies Inc.; Encore Business Development; Faucett New Media, and KnowledgeWindow.