Accommodation Guru Continues to Conquer the World! More Licenses Purchased Across the Globe
And our worldwide expansion goes on! Accommodation Guru is thrilled to announce the purchase of licences in the following countries:
Mexico
Bermuda
Luxembourg
Andorra
Spain
France
Portugal
USA
We'd also like to extend a hearty "congratulations" to Marcus & Janet Hooper at GrampiansVictoria.com.au. Based on their considerable success over the last year, they have decided to purchase another licence for Tasmania. Well done, guys! Read their inspiring story below.
I've been running a successful holiday property in Halls Gap, The Grampians, Victoria for three years called Halls Gap Escape www.hallsgapaccommodation.com.au. Back in January 2008, I was looking for some booking software to integrate into my website. I came across Accommodation Guru and Dave Upton. After reading about this unique business opportunity, I thought it might be "too good to be true." But I decided that I may as well complete the enquiry form and see if I would actually be contacted as was promised.
To my surprise, I received a phone call the following day from Dave, who was on leave and travelling in the remote outback of Australia at the time. After speaking with him at length, I analysed Dave's presentation and offer and worked through the pros and cons. I concluded that a larger opportunity had presented itself, beyond my original intent. That opportunity was to provide an online gateway for not only my property-but for all the properties in Halls Gap - the Grampians.
With some apprehension mixed with excitement, I decided to take the next step and purchase an Accommodation Guru licence for the Grampians area. By May 2008, www.grampiansvictoria.com.au was launched. I started by just listing my own property and developed a "hit-list" of target properties that I wanted to feature on the site. Slowly but surely, I worked my way through the list, trying to persuade other property owners to subscribe.
Whilst waiting for Google to index my new website, I focused both on driving traffic to the site and ensuring that I had great properties to offer visitors. I executed this approach by complementing the launch with a Google AdWords campaign. But to my delight, Google quickly recognized www.grampiansvictoria.com.au based on the SEO recommendations of Dave and ItByUs. By June, the site was fully indexed on Google and receiving significant traffic.
I can recall the first day that the Grampians site took a booking. The feeling of success brought a smile to my face. After that, I was able to confidently approach more establishments, knowing the great potential the system offered suppliers.
The momentum of www.grampiansvictoria.com.au continued to build, with more properties listing and more booking requests flowing in. I began modestly with one or two requests a week. Now, twelve months down the track, that rate has grown exponentially to far exceed my expectations. The site is indexed on page one of Google for all keyword search phrases.
I now have over 35 suppliers in what was a very well-established market and I am competing with the "big guys" of online accommodation. My suppliers that keep their availability up-to-date agree that I have been instrumental in their business growth.
Not one to rest on my laurels, I still look to improve the content on my site, grow my supplier portfolio and work with existing suppliers to maximize the site's output. I really love the fact that I can watch my favourite football team play and come home to see that my site has generated revenue (it feels even better if my team has won!). I now only need to spend a couple of hours a week on my website to maintain its current momentum.
Having been so successful with the launch of the Grampians site, I began talking to Dave about further opportunities in other tourist areas. Assessing different options, I took on the larger project of the entire state of Tasmania. www.booktasmaniaaccommodation.com.au was registered at the beginning of June 2009.
A few late nights later, I had shaped the content and look of the site using the simple CMS software. Within 7 days, I was approaching suppliers and offering them the opportunity to list on the newly-created site. On night one, I sent out a little over one hundred emails and the following day, the phone did not stop ringing with suppliers interested in listing. Four weeks into the project and forty suppliers later, the booking requests have already begun.
My "success story" is not yet over. In fact, it has only just begun. With some strategic planning and focus and by following the steps and principals provided by Dave and Accommodation Guru, I am confident that the www.booktasmaniaaccommodation.com.au site will replicate and hopefully exceed the success that I have had with the www.grampiansvictoria.com.au site.
To anybody looking for a home-based business with genuine income potential, I suggest you stop and take a look at what can be achieved from an Accommodation Guru licence. Like everything in life, you get out what you put in. But with some hard work, the rewards are there. I am proof!
Alexandros Argyris Tells All to Franchise Deal Magazine Read the Exclusive Interview!
In last month’s issue of Franchise Deal magazine, Alexandros Argyris talks about the unique marketing concept behind Accommodation Guru, what makes a successful licencee, and what he’s doing to fuel the growth of this unprecedented franchise opportunity throughout Greece. Alexandros calls Accommodation Guru “an ultramodern reservations tool which, in combination with persistence and great care, is transformed into a profitable business with almost no risk – one which indeed can be managed from the licensee’s computer.”
The SEO Corner Tips and Tricks for Better Search Engine Visibility
Get Your Suppliers to Add This Cool New “Widget” to Their Website-and Reap the SEO Benefits
Accommodation Guru has created a “supa-dupa useful” widget or tool that you can ask your suppliers to add to their website. The widget will benefit their site visitors by displaying the following information:
Local Time
Local Weather
Local Climate
Local Map
What’s in it for you? By providing a link back to your site, the widget will enhance your Search Engine Optimization efforts. The more suppliers you can get to add it to their site, the better!
How You Can Improve Your Search Engine Visibility Did you know that over half of the live Accommodation Guru sites are on the first page of Google results in their category (see a report of actual page rankings)? Those that are not are generally either new or have not been optimized. As Search Engine Optimization is very important in striving for a higher ranking on Google, we recommend the following SEO options:
Do-it-yourself – Just follow the video tutorials in the training section mentioned previously. All it costs is your time.
SEO Companies – Use your own preferred company. The cost on this usually varies between Euro1000 (A$2,000) to Euro5000 (A$10,000) ongoing.
Accommodation Guru In-house option: Euro500 (A$990) Relax: We do all the work for you and implement the do-it-yourself strategy in Option 1. (Please allow additional for your copy to be rewritten/revised/de-duplicated on your home page by a professional copywriter.)
Accommodation Guru Enhancements & Updates
PayPal’s New Split Payment Feature Getting Rave Reviews
I’m getting lots of great feedback from licensees who are excited about PayPal’s new split payment feature. Now you can send instant payments to multiple recipients instead of having to send funds individually.
What’s in it for you?
You save loads of time as a result of less administrative work
You no longer hold client funds, which prevents many licensing issues
You “score points” with your property suppliers, as they get paid instantly
The best part is that PayPal’s split payment capability incurs absolutely no additional cost to you or your suppliers.
Dave Recommends
Are You Using Mailoutguys Yet?
MailoutGuys.com combines everything you need to start and manage a successful email newsletter campaign, including list management, bounce handling, fast automated sending, forms and personalization. This powerful, all-in-one email marketing software is incredibly easy to use and offers the following benefits and features:
Benefits:
Personalize your customer relations
Send any type of email communication: Newsletters, special offers, follow-up emails, member notices, customer service announcements and more
Improve sales and increase revenue
Build trust with your subscribers
Unlimited number of subscribers and lists
Features:
On-queue autoresponders
Advanced tracking and reporting
Guaranteed "clean" subscriber lists
One-to-one personalization
Create emails in text, HTML or "multi-part" (text and HTML) formats
Latest News - July 2009
More Licenses Purchased Across the Globe
by Marcus Hooper of 
