Search engines are investing a lot of effort into promoting their local search results. Google has recently take their local search to new levels, and this has implications for hostels with Web sites.
Tracking your Web traffic can be highly useful in your marketing efforts. If you are using a good hosting company, they will provide server-side statistics programs like AWstats.
There are many hosting companies out there and it's hard to know which one to choose.
I've used many Web hosting companies over the years and wanted to offer a few suggestions here.
If you search Google, Yahoo and MSN for a query like "hostels in [your city]" does your hostel Web site come up on the first page?
Three giants of online travel are teaming up:
Three global internet giants for online travel booking, mapping and editorials, Travelocity, Google and Lonely Planet, will partner with Fairfax Digital to create four travel websites for Australians.
A recent article at ChinaDaily.com writes about youth hostel promotion in China.
An article in the State Hornet talks about hostels near Sacramento, California:
©Peter Main - 2002. Reprinted with permission — HighlandHostel.co.uk.
A news article covers WRI's plans "to revolutionize online travel":
Dublin internet firm Web Reservations International has set itself an ambitious task: to revolutionise online travel and join the ranks of the internet giants.
Hostels in Waikiki are covered in the mainstream news:
Three hostels sit nearly side by side along Lemon Road, a small street in Waikiki.
