[Venue Finder Guide] Are You Sure They're Bringing You More Bookings?

Are you a customer of online business providers? Or are you seriously considering it? You should definitely read this article very carefully!

WHAT IS A BUSINESS PROVIDER?

A reference business provider on a website for establishments with a group and event activity. On this website, event organizers will thus be able to easily find a selection of places corresponding to their expectations.

Then the organizer is put in contact with the establishment (s) selected = you.

The business provider will therefore reference your location on the internet and “bring” you new customers. In exchange, they will ask you for remuneration: subscription, commission on sales, commission on the volume of people...

The purpose of registering your establishment on a provider site is therefore to make it known to new customers looking for places like yours.

So far so good.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME

Now think of all websites as roads that take you to destinations.

You generally have a website for your establishment. Your website is therefore a road that you have built for your customers to access your establishment (and long live online booking!).

At the same time, the business provider is also building a route for you (when creating your establishment file on his site). So the provider's customers can also access your establishment.

At the time we say to ourselves: “Nice these providers to build a new route for new customers”. Yes because let's keep in mind that business providers are supposed to bring you NEW CUSTOMERS!

Now that you have fully understood how business providers and websites (routes) work: attention decryption!

TWO ROUTES MEANS TWICE AS MANY CUSTOMERS

That's what you often tell me... Well no, and not at all, at all.

Two roads (or more, the principle is the same) are simply two ways to get to your home and not twice as many people. Let me explain:

Imagine that with route “D” (Direct = your website) you have 100 customers per day. You therefore decide to open a new “A” route (Business Provider). With your two routes you will not have 200 customers per day but rather 120 customers per day.

And the real problem is that no one can control which route a customer takes. Not you, not the contributor...

So you will surely end up with 80 customers on your “D” route (instead of 100 before) and 40 customers on the new A route.

You will thus see customers who already knew you go through the route of the business provider because that is the route that they will have found.

So why?

YOUR ROADS ARE COMPETING

Yes, quite simply.

As soon as several roads (website) are online, only one of the roads can arrive in first position... Sometimes it is yours, sometimes it is that of others.

If it is that of the business provider, then in this case he gets a lot of customers who already know you.

And the problem is that you are now paying fees to the business provider for customers you used to have for free.

But in addition, the business provider will offer your loyal customer other establishments on its platform and put you in competition with other establishments.

But there are worse...

Some business providers have even more aggressive practices to pick up all customers and ensure that everyone goes by their route.

They will advertise your brand name (= the name of your establishment), using appealing vocabulary:

“Book ESTABLISHMENT for free”

And so they always get to the top of the results. They are sure to be the first route, but also the most appealing.

You become dependent on their route because it brings you the most bookings and pay more and more money without knowing how to get out of there...

And then what happens if the business provider decides overnight to double its prices?

But don't worry, I'll show you how to make sure you're the most visible route.

YOUR BRAND NAME IS YOUR TREASURE

Your brand name is the business name of your establishment. The one that customers use to name you and therefore search for you on the internet.

Now open your eyes because this point is an absolute, indispensable, vital priority!

You must be THE only one to use your brand name on your website and to be able to advertise with it otherwise you may quickly go out of business...

So you must refuse business providers who use your brand name and blacklist those who advertise!

In addition, the law provides for this kind of problem and advertising your brand name is prohibited in France.

This ensures that your “road” is always the main one.

Supporters who respect your brand name exist. For example, look at the site of the business provider Bird Office which does not use the names of the establishments it references:

Obviously you must install on your site, Google and your social networks an independent and free reservation form such as that of BookingShake for example to receive reservations.

And that's it:

you are the only one using your brand name online,

you have an online reservation form,

you will naturally retrieve all online requests/reservations directly!