In the old days of the Internet (10 years ago), the first generation of hotel Web sites were a passive medium for presenting a colorful hotel brochure, hence were dubbed brochureware. Those Web sites were one-dimensional and provided your brand a destination on the World Wide Web -- but there was nothing meaningful your potential guests or existing customers could do there. They couldn't make, cancel or confirm reservations.

The second generation of hotel Web sites, now commonplace on the Web, was all about being able to conduct commerce online: searching a directory of hotels and making reservations, as well as extending, canceling and confirming reservations. These Web sites provided a full-blooded reservation system without a warm-blooded mammal to help with the process.

Now arrives the newest generation of hotel Web sites: interactive spaces that stand to replace paid advertising and public relations as the strongest means for hotels to drive brand loyalty and competitive differentiation.

Built upon Web 2.0 technology, this newly evolved Web site offers customized searches and posted guest reviews, and it might be the best way to make your hotel brand stand out as the hotel industry continues its current upward trend of growth and expansion.

Increase Brand Loyalty

In basic ...