Microsite, Brand.com or both?

Are you sacrificing your hotel’s success for the bigger picture?

You’ve poured your heart and soul into your hotel’s microsite. It’s attracting guests, driving bookings, and showcasing your unique charm. But now, corporate wants you to ditch it all for Brand.com. Before you hand over the keys to your online kingdom, ask yourself: Will Brand.com truly serve your hotel’s best interests?

Why settle for “one-size-fits-all” when your hotel has its own story to tell?

A dedicated microsite is more than a website—it’s your voice, your stage, your secret weapon. It empowers you to:

• Showcase Your Unique Identity
  Your hotel is more than just another property in a portfolio. A microsite lets you craft a compelling story that resonates with your guests, reflecting your character, charm, and individuality.
• Optimise for Search Engines
  Microsites give you the power to dominate local SEO, ensuring guests searching for “luxury hotels in [your city]” find you first.
• Offer a Personalised Experience
  Tailor offers and content to specific guest segments. Whether it’s families, business travellers, or couples, your microsite speaks directly to them.
• Maximise Direct Revenue
  By reducing reliance on OTAs, your microsite helps you control booking channels and keep more revenue where it belongs—in your pocket.

Corporate alignment comes with its own set of perks.

• Unified Branding
  Brand.com ensures consistency, presenting your hotel as part of a trusted global network. It’s ideal for guests seeking reassurance and familiarity.
• Streamlined Operations
  Managing one platform saves time and resources. Corporate handles the heavy lifting, leaving you to focus on guest experience.
• Global Reach
  With high domain authority and wide-ranging campaigns, Brand.com can expose your property to a larger audience.
• Centralised Resources
  Tap into the power of corporate tools, from advanced analytics to broad promotional strategies.

Why choose when you can get the best of both worlds?

The decision isn’t always black and white. The most successful hotels often adopt a hybrid strategy.

1. Microsite for Local Relevance
   Retain your microsite to drive local traffic with hyper-targeted SEO and offers, build relationships with niche audiences through personalised campaigns and keep control over unique revenue streams like MICE bookings, gift vouchers, and local promotions.
2. Brand.com for Scale
   Simultaneously, leverage Brand.com for its global reach and broader campaigns. A combined approach gives you flexibility, visibility, and control.

Before you decide, ask the right questions to avoid costly mistakes.

1. How will Brand.com prioritise your property?
   Will your hotel shine, or will it blend into a sea of listings?
2. Can Brand.com match your microsite’s SEO performance?
   If your microsite already ranks highly, how will the transition affect visibility? Will your property still rank as effectively for critical local searches like “luxury hotels in [city]”?
3. What’s the budget allocation and ROI?
   How will your contributions to Brand.com campaigns be used? Will your hotel directly benefit, or will funds support the broader portfolio?
4. Can you maintain control?
   Will you still be able to highlight your unique features—signature dining, MICE facilities, local partnerships, or bespoke spa packages?
5. What’s the fallback plan?
   If Brand.com doesn’t deliver, how easy is it to pivot back to your microsite?

It’s not about following the crowd—it’s about choosing what works for you.

Here’s a simple framework to guide your strategy:

• Analyse Your Current Performance
  If your microsite is thriving, identify its key strengths and assess if Brand.com can replicate them.
• Engage Corporate Teams
  Request clear answers and guarantees about how your property will be prioritised within Brand.com campaigns.
• Test the Waters
  Consider a trial period where you balance investment in both platforms and monitor the results.
• Maintain Flexibility
  If possible, negotiate the ability to pivot back to your microsite if Brand.com doesn’t deliver.

The choice between a microsite and Brand.com is not just a technical decision—it’s a strategic one that impacts your visibility, bookings, and bottom line.

Microsites offer individuality and control, while Brand.com provides scale and consistency. The trick is finding the balance that works best for your hotel, your guests, and your goals.

Your hotel’s success deserves more than a cookie-cutter approach. Let’s create a strategy that’s as unique as your property.

Contact us today to explore the path that will deliver the best results for your hotel.

With 25+ years in hotel digital marketing, Michael has driven success for Accor, IHG, and Marriott worldwide.