Normally we provide purely educational content on our blog, but periodically we like to highlight customers and their real-world results. Learn how we helped Laura & Wicker Park Inn generate 54% more traffic from search engines while improving the bounce rate by 48%!
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Meet Laura Yepez, Owner/Innkeeper at Chicago’s Wicker Park Inn
Even with a job in advertising, Laura Yepez, owner of Chicago’s Wicker Park Inn, was having trouble adjusting to the world of digital marketing. Laura works in media at an advertising agency and considers herself well-versed in social media, search engine optimization (SEO), and other online marketing techniques. Yet, without a specialization in digital advertising, she admits she still lacked a clear understanding of how to apply these to her own B&B’s website. That’s where Odysys stepped in.
The Challenge for Laura
As any busy innkeeper knows, the world of digital hotel marketing never stops changing. You may adopt one new method for online marketing or switch to a new booking engine only to find that it becomes obsolete. It can be frustrating and overwhelming trying to keep up with it all.
“The media landscape is ever-changing,” says Laura, “So I am always looking for ways to improve direct bookings and guest experience.”
The Wicker Park Inn is located on a lovely, tree-lined street near some of Chicago’s best restaurants, shops, parks, and of course, historic architecture. By the time Laura started with Odysys, she had already changed her website several times to adapt to the many new ways travelers research and book trips and to better meet their hospitality expectations before, during, and after their stay.
The Solution: Odysys
Laura was inspired to sign up with Odysys after participating in one of Odysys’ free online webinars, where she learned new methods for improving direct bookings.
“The Odysys team fully understands the challenges B&B and small hotelier businesses face and offers easy solutions to meet these challenges,” says Laura.
Switching to Odysys has helped Laura improve the look, speed, and search engine visibility of her website.
Laura also enlisted professional services from Odysys to launch Adwords and a successful retargeting campaign. She uses the Odysys platform to write and post on her blog and takes advantage of Odysys’ reporting system to track the reach and effectiveness of her social media presence. Last but not least, she switched to the Odysys booking engine.
“This way it looks seamless from website to reservation,” she explains.
The Results
Since starting with Odysys, The Wicker Park Inn has seen a 52% increase in website traffic, with a 54% increase in traffic from organic searches (SEO). They have also seen a 48% drop in bounce rate. This drop in bounce rate indicates a huge improvement in the visitor experience.
Odysys focused on getting analytics setup correctly to improve website tracking. This allows for a better understanding of marketing efforts are driving traffic and bookings. This helps innkeepers make real, data-driven marketing decisions. It also allows the Odysys team to provide real marketing advice to innkeepers. Wicker Park Inn didn’t have the capability to measure where their direct bookings were coming from previously. Since the switch – Odysys is now providing Wicker Park Inn with Analytics that show her which online marketing techniques are resulting in bookings.
“One of our primary goals when working with a new customer is to improve the site’s underlying technology and on-page SEO to boost its effectiveness in search engines,” explains Ben Lloyd, Odysys’ VP of Customer Success. “We design, test and optimize our website templates to influence visitor behavior and maximize conversions.” This approach has paid off for Laura and Wicker Park Inn.
How Does AirBnB Impact Her Business?
As for competition with the new world of AirBnB and luxury vacation rentals, she feels that this trend has actually helped her business.
“Like me, AirBnB is about providing unique traveling experiences,” Laura says. “I am a local resident opening my doors to travelers ready to experience my neighborhood and live like a local. But, as a B&B owner, I go beyond offering keys to an unknown guest.”
About Laura & the Wicker Park Inn
Laura Yepez was born and raised in Chicago. After graduating from Brown University with a degree in Urban Studies, she moved home and fell back in love with the city, especially the Wicker Park neighborhood She opened the Wicker Park Inn in 2004 to share her love of the neighborhood with travelers. The Wicker Park Inn is the perfect example of a passionate resident opening her doors to guests from all around the world and providing a first-rate hospitality experience with a local’s insider touch.
Laura’s Favorite Travel Destination: Crete, Greece.
Where’s Laura Going Next?: Paris, France.
Learn more about the Wicker Park Inn: