internet marketing plan for wedding venue

Daniel Brady Lauren Armes

Neelam Sharma Gabrielle McKay

Seachange Technology

9/28/2007

Internet Marketing Plan

Maria Elena Hernandez Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo puestadelsolsobreelarroyo.com

October 28, 2010

Marketing Plan: Outline Page ii

Executive SummaryExecutive Summary

Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo, an outdoor wedding venue in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley, requires an Internet marketing campaign to reach its target audience that continues to grow online. The marketing plan reviews the venue’s online objectives, its target audience, and the state of the wedding industry. Tactics to improve Puesta Del Sol’s branding, search engine optimization, social media presence, and online partnerships are recommended. In addition to this, an implementation timeline for these suggestions is included.

Marketing Plan: Outline Page iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 4 1.1. Organization and product............................................................................................. 4 1.2. History........................................................................................................................... 4

2. STRATEGIC PLAN AND FOCUS ............................................................................................... 4 2.1. Mission Statement ......................................................................................................... 4 2.2. Overall Goals and Objectives....................................................................................... 4 2.3. Marketing and Product Objectives ............................................................................... 5 2.4. Revenue Models ............................................................................................................ 5 2.5. Target Market ............................................................................................................... 5 2.6. Brand Strategy .............................................................................................................. 5

2.6.1 Brand Components – brand name, brand identity, tagline........................................ 5 2.6.2 Brand Messaging – brand story................................................................................. 7

3. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................... 10 3.1. SWOT Analysis............................................................................................................ 10 3.2. Industry Analysis......................................................................................................... 12 3.3. Competitor Analysis.................................................................................................... 13 3.4. Company Brief ............................................................................................................ 17 3.5. Customer Analysis ...................................................................................................... 17 3.6. Internet Marketing Context......................................................................................... 19 3.7. Legal analysis – legal considerations & mitigation strategies................................... 20

3.7.1 Privacy Policies ....................................................................................................... 20 3.7.2 Terms of Use ............................................................................................................ 24

4. INTERNET MARKETING PROGRAM STRATEGY AND TACTICS .............................................. 26 4.1. Buyer Personas & Customer Roles............................................................................. 26 4.2. New Media/Viral/Social Media................................................................................... 27 4.3. Mobile ......................................................................................................................... 31 4.4. Website........................................................................................................................ 34

4.4.1 Website Conversion Goals ....................................................................................... 36 4.4.2 Landing Pages ......................................................................................................... 36 4.4.3 Home Page............................................................................................................... 38 4.4.4 Funnel Navigation ................................................................................................... 41

4.5. SEO ............................................................................................................................. 43 4.6. Pay Per Click/Paid Placement.................................................................................... 44 4.7. Email Marketing/Customer Messaging ...................................................................... 46 4.8. Affiliate Marketing/Partnership Development............................................................ 46 4.9. Integration with Offline Marketing............................................................................. 49 4.10. Communications/PR Plan......................................................................................... 49

5. FINANCIAL DATA AND PROJECTIONS .................................................................................. 51 5.1. Projections .................................................................................................................. 51 5.2. Budget ......................................................................................................................... 52

6. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ..................................................................................................... 53 6.1. Sequence and Timeline ............................................................................................... 53

7. EVALUATION AND CONTROL .............................................................................................. 55 7.1. Measurement and Testing Plan .................................................................................. 55

8. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 55

1. Introduction

1.1. Organization and product

Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo is an outdoor venue available for weddings, receptions, and other special events. It is located in the outskirts of Harlingen, Texas, which is part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The amenities include a pond and swimming pool. Unlike many other venues, Puesta Del Sol does not offer packages with additional services. It simply offers the ability to rent the location. The venue’s website does not currently provide visitors a way to make appointments or make deposits. All scheduling and transactions are conducted offline.

1.2. History

The Daniels family built Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo, which in English means “sunset by the creek.” It was their home, but they also had a residence at the apartment buildings they owned and managed. The family hosted events, like fundraisers for the Ronald McDonald House, at Puesta Del Sol. It was eventually rented out for other events. The Daniels considered selling the home, but they decided to keep it and continue offering it as a venue.

2. Strategic Plan and Focus

2.1. Mission Statement Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo has no mission statement. The following is a recommended mission statement: The mission of Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo is to create cherished moments on a couple's special day that they can enjoy for years to come by providing a romantic, private outdoor wedding venue that surrounds the couple with the natural charms of the Rio Grande Valley. This statement shows that Puesta Del Sol is an outdoor wedding venue. It also mentions the venue's role in the wedding is to create memories and surround the couple with the area's natural beauty.

2.2. Overall Goals and Objectives The goals of the Puesta Del Sol marketing plan are to build brand awareness and generate leads for offline sales.

2.3. Marketing and Product Objectives The Internet marketing plan aims to increase brand awareness by increasing visits to the Puesta Del Sol website by 50% in 3 months and increasing the number of leads from the website by 30% in 3 months. The website’s traffic is too small to be tracked by sites like Compete.com, Alexa, or Quantcast. However, Puesta Del Sol’s competitors have enough traffic to appear on these sites, so the potential audience is online. The 50% increase in website visits is an achievable goal. This plan also strives to establish Puesta Del Sol as a reputable business that is current with trends needed to reach customers on multiple platforms and quickly provide them the highest level of support.

2.4. Revenue Models Puesta Del Sol earns revenue with rental fees paid for the use of the location. Clients or their wedding planners deal directly with the venue’s owners.

2.5. Target Market Puesta Del Sol's target market consists of engaged females in the Rio Grande Valley, who are 18-34 years old, mostly college graduates, regular Internet users, and have an annual income of at least $38,000. They are conventional achievers, who are social and eager.

2.6. Brand Strategy

Puesta Del Sol is essentially a blank slate in terms of any branding strategy. The venue must create strong branding elements in order to meet its goals of increasing brand awareness and lead generation

2.6.1 Brand Components – brand name, brand identity, tagline Brand Name Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo is the name of the venue. The Spanish name translates in English to "sunset over the creek." The location is on the outskirts of Harlingen, Texas. As the name indicates, the venue is adjacent to a creek. The Rio Grande Valley is along the U.S.-Mexico border and largely influenced by the Mexican culture. Using Spanish names is very common. In fact, Puesta Del Sol's competitors also include Spanish words in their names - Casa Los Ebanos and Rancho Viejo Country Club. The venue does succeed at not being a common name, which is one of Ries and Ries’ branding laws (2002). Aside from that, the venue's name is at a disadvantage. First, it is a long name. This is repeatedly discouraged in The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding (Ries & Ries, 2002). When the name appears on wedding vendors' blogs, it is often shortened to Puesta Del Sol.

Second, unless you are a native Spanish speaker or have had some practice, it is a rather difficult name to say. Trying to remember how to spell it is another challenge, since its website address is puestadelsolsobreelarroyo.com. The venue should consider simply shortening the name to Puesta Del Sol. Puesta Del Sol does not appear to have a logo. The image used on its website is simply the venue's name with what appears to be a fleur-de-lis on both ends. However, neither the font nor the fleurs- de-lis are part of the sign outside the venue. There is not a consist look for the brand. However, Puesta Del Sol lends itself to a horizontal design, which is recommended in the Law of Shape (Ries & Ries, 2002). The name alone creates a long horizontal shape. This is true whether the entire name is used in two lines or simply the words “Puesta Del Sol.” Brand Identity The venue could continue to follow the branding Law of Shape by having a horizontal logo featuring an image of a sun setting over the horizon. For illustrative purposes, Figure 1 is a reworked version of a sunset logo featured on the Mind's Eye Design (http://www.mindseyedesign.co.uk/). It incorporates a sunset and the words "Puesta Del Sol" in Helvetica font. FIGURE 1. Mock-up of recommended Puesta Del Sol logo

As there is no logo to review, there is no color to review either. The mockup logo in Figure 1 is orange. It is one of the five basic colors the Law of Color recommends (Ries & Ries, 2002). The branding law suggests using the opposite color of a business' competition. In this case, competing venues - the Inn at Chachalaca Bend and Rancho Viejo Country Club & Resort -use green. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding states, "Orange is more like red than blue. Green is more like blue than red” (Ries & Ries, 2002). For this reason, orange was selected for the mockup. The Law of Color states creating a separate brand identity is more important "than it is to use the right symbolic color” (Ries & Ries, 2002). Fortunately, in this case, orange is also an appropriate color for a sunset. For its branding identity, Puesta Del Sol should attempt to own the word "charm." It

currently does not own a word. “Charm” is a reflection of the venue’s appealing environment. None of Puesta Del Sol’s competitors are or would likely target the term, since their primary functions are not venues. In addition to not owning a branding word, the venue is a blank slate in many other branding aspects. It also does not have a tagline. A suggested tagline is "providing outdoor country weddings with a touch of charm." The recommended tagline includes the venue's function and incorporates the brand word. Once a tagline is approved, it needs to be included in Puesta del Sol’s business cards. Puesta del Sol can emphasis its horizontal logo by creating a 3-in. x 1-in. business card. The horizontal logo, which includes the name, can be placed on one side (Figure 2.). The opposite side should include the venue's tag line and contact information. The card should continue to incorporate the brand's color as well.

FIGURE 2. Mock-up of recommended Puesta Del Sol business card

2.6.2 Brand Messaging – brand story Brand Archetype Puesta Del Sol's falls under the magician archetype. The magician archetype's goal is "to make dreams come true” (Brandhouse, n.d.). As a wedding is a lifetime milestone, couples work hard to make their weddings very special, memorable events. They are looking for people to help make their wedding dreams be realized. Micco Gronholm (2010) wrote, "A magician brand is characterized therefore by its power to open new horizons or opportunities for customers. " There are few new horizons in life as marriage. It is a life-changing event, and magician archetypes deal with transformational services and products. Puesta Del Sol's close association with the act of marrying is another example of why it falls under the magician archetype. Magicians often make "use of rituals and

affirmations... which seems to set the transformation in motion" (Jansen, 2006). Puesta Del Sol is where a marriage takes place, as such "it can be perceived as that which casts a magical spell" (Jansen, 2006). Magician archetype brands need to capitalize on this perception. In the case of Puesta Del Sol, testimonials from previous clients can be used to build its magical image. This would be in accordance with the Law of Credentials (Ries & Ries, 2002). The branding term targeted, "charm," is also connected to the magician archetype. As a magician archetype, Puesta Del Sol's goal is to charm, to attract, to beguile, and to enchant. The branding term can now describe the venue’s appeal as well as its archetype.

Brand Story Below is a story that conveys how Puesta Del Sol can live the recommended brand: When Eloisa thought about exchanging vows with her fiancé, she knew she wanted be in quiet, beautiful surroundings with fresh air, where she can relax and take in the moment. And she pictured all her loved ones there, so the place had to be close to home. But the Rio Grande Valley does not have gardens or outdoor museum grounds available. There are nature centers. However, they are not often available for rent and are targeted for birdwatchers and educational tours, not brides. Public parks were available. But Eloisa did not see old graffiti-filled tables and a playground set in her vision of her wedding. If a friend offered a home, Eloisa had concerns about bathroom facilities, parking, and noise from traffic and neighbors. Nothing fit the peaceful environment she wanted for her wedding. While talking about her situation at a family get-together, a relative mentioned attending a wedding at a private place on the outskirts of town. She suggested it might be the peaceful atmosphere Eloisa was looking for. Eloisa got the contact information. It seemed odd she had not heard of Puesta Del Sol. But as she continued checking on photographers and other wedding vendors, she noticed Puesta Del Sol was mentioned on their websites. Several beautiful photos had been taken at the venue. She found the venue's website and finally decided to see the place herself. Eloisa drove to the outskirts of town. Only a few homes were scattered along the road. Any concerns she had about noise from neighbors at the venue disappeared. Heading down the long curved driveway, Eloisa realized the venue would also be free of any noises that might happen along the road. She also noticed the trees and the pond around her. When she finally reached her destination, she realized the place had already

transformed her state of mind. She was experiencing the peaceful, soothing feeling she wanted to have on her wedding day. She knew Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo was the wedding venue for her. Promotion Plan Puesta Del Sol's primary promotion is through word-of-mouth. And most wedding vendors are found through recommendations from family or friends (The Wedding Report, 2009). However, the venue needs to take a proactive promotional approach and utilize Internet marketing. While Puesta Del Sol does have a website, it is not search-engine friendly. Someone would specifically have to type in the entire venue's name, which is not necessarily an easy task. In addition to this, the site lacks content. Puesta Del Sol desperately needs to update its website. Since “one in two couples say they use Facebook... to share details about their wedding with others” (The Wedding Report, 2009), the venue should promote itself on that social network. Facebook ads will allow Puesta Del Sol to target people with profiles that match its target audience by city, age, and marital status. Puesta Del Sol should also take advantage of free vendor listings on wedding-specific social networks, like onewed.com, and online wedding directories, like ValleyWeddingPages.com. In addition to that, it should advertise in local wedding directories. "At a national level, brides buy over 7.5 million bridal magazines per year," and bridal magazines are typically passed on to an average of eight to 10 people (National Mail Order Association, n.d.). Puesta Del Sol is too small to need (or to afford) an ad in a national magazine. But it can take advantage of local wedding directories, which directly targets its audience.

2.7. Points of Differentiation & Positioning

Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo is the only private outdoor location in Harlingen, Texas and neighboring cities that serves exclusively as a venue. Competing venue Casa Los Ebanos is just one part of the Los Ebanos Preserve, a nature park. As its name applies, Rancho Viejo Country Club & Resort, another venue, is a country club, which offers real estate, membership, a golf course, a swimming pool, and space for meetings and events. The Inn at Chachalaca Bend is a bed-and-breakfast, which targets birdwatchers. Since these competitors have more than one focus, its staff will be attending to needs of other people not connected with the wedding at the location. This competitive differentiator shows Puesta Del Sol's dedication and focus on its customer's event. With such a milestone occasion, that type of attention is a huge asset, but it is currently not promoted. The venue should highlight this benefit to become the area’s dominant outdoor wedding venue.

In addition this, Puesta Del Sol’s website shows the potential of another competitive difference. Even with the scarce content on its site, the venue includes a short listing of preferred vendors for photography and catering. None of its competitors had a similar list on their websites. Puesta Del Sol can build on this list to create a mutually beneficial relationship. This would also build on the magician archetype, since the archetype is known for finding win-win relationships (Brandhouse, n.d.).

3. Situational Analysis

3.1. SWOT Analysis Below is an overview of the venue’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These items are later explained in-depth.

Table 1: Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo SWOT Analysis

Strengths • Combined ceremony/reception site cuts

wedding costs

Weaknesses

• Website lacks content • Website difficult to find • Business lacks branding (logo, tagline,

mission statement)

Opportunities

• Perception of exclusivity • Only outdoor wedding site solely used as

venue • Social media networks • Free vendor listings on wedding sites • Relationship with preferred vendors • Competitors also weak in Internet

marketing

Threats

• Couples cutting back on wedding costs • Large Catholic population prevents

large number of outdoor weddings

Strengths The venue functions both as a ceremony and reception site, which saves couples the costs of renting two separate locations.

Weaknesses

Puesta Del Sol does not have a branding strategy, a word to target, a mission statement, a logo, a color, or a tagline. The website needs to be redesigned, be optimized for search engines, and include much more content. The business’ website address is its entire name (puestadelsolsobreelarroyo.com). This is very difficult to remember. However, anyone using search engines to try to find the venue online will not have much luck either. Currently, anyone looking for the website must type in the venue’s entire name (Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo) to find it in search engines results. Opportunities Puesta Del Sol is largely a blank slate in reference to branding, but it has a lot of advantages to position itself competitively and create a strong brand. The lack of promotion has made Puesta Del Sol almost a secret venue. As such, it gained the perception of exclusivity. This creates an opportunity and also strengthens the venue's magician archetype. "For the brand that wishes to draw upon the Magician archetype, the creation of a mysterious atmosphere is an important element" (Jansen, 2006). Building on the perception established will assist Puesta Del Sol in creating its brand. Obviously, the venue needs to be promoted, but it should not chip away at its perception as an exclusive entity. One suggestion is to keep traditional promotion very vague about the venue and direct people to an improved website. Puesta Del Sol should follow the example of other magician brands' use of magazine ads. Apple's iPod ads included a silhouette of a person listening to an iPod and a very few words about welcoming people to the digital revolution. There was no mention about the device's buttons, its integration with iTunes, or even where to buy one. Like Apple, Axe's magazine ad had a photo taking about 90% of the space. It featured a Turn-O-Matic, also known as a Take-a-Number system, attached to an apartment door. The only other elements on the page were a small image of the product and the tag line. Puesta Del Sol should take a similar approach. Its print ad should not include specifics about size, guest accommodations, or even directions. A single image should take up the majority of the ad. There could be a quick testimonial and the website address. Having to register to see a website is a turn-off for many web visitors. But if Puesta Del Sol can make only one web page (even an unimportant page) on the site registration required, the venue could still maintain that aura of exclusivity. In addition to that, the owners should continue giving viewings of the site on an appointment-only basis. Much to Puesta Del Sol’s advantage, it is the only outdoor wedding venue that operates solely as a venue. Its competitors double as places for bird watching, a nature preserve, and a country club. Puesta Del Sol should promote its sole function as a benefit to potential clients who need a vendor’s entire focus.

A key component for brides (and couples) in selecting vendors is building a relationship and gaining a sense of trust. This is a perfect reason why Puesta Del Sol should utilize social media. Social media is about building relationships. "Once you build a trusting relationship there will be a better chance of gaining new customers" (The Wedding Report, 2009). Facebook especially is where users are connecting with friends and family, and “most couples find vendors based on friend or family recommendations” (The Wedding Report, 2009). With a Facebook fan page, it will be easier for people to recommend Puesta Del Sol as a venue to other Facebook users. Puesta Del Sol could also take advantage of several opportunities for free vendor listings on wedding-related sites, such as WeddingWire.com. Along with increasing exposure to potential clients, this will also build inbound links to the venue’s website. Another opportunity the venue has involves its short list of preferred vendors on its website. None of its competitors had a similar list on their website. Puesta Del Sol can build on this list to create a mutually beneficial relationship. This would also build on the magician archetype. Since the archetype is known for finding win-win relationships (Brandhouse, n.d.). Fortunately, no competitor has shown any strength in Internet marketing, so the venue could still dominate this area. Threats The economy’s impact on wedding budgets is a threat for all wedding vendors. While venues are the most expensive item, couples are cutting back on smaller items first. If Puesta Del Sol emphasizes its double duty as a ceremony and reception site, it could advantageously position itself to budgeting couples. About 86.3 percent of the Rio Grande Valley's population is Hispanic (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008); however, that majority would not likely be reflected in Puesta Del Sol's clientele. While the most of the population is Hispanic, the majority is also Catholic. Catholic wedding ceremonies are required to take place in a church (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, n.d.). This means this large segment of the population is not part of Puesta Del Sol’s target audience.

3.2. Industry Analysis Weddings are a competitive, multibillion-dollar industry. In 2008, weddings in the Rio Grande Valley accounted for more than $21 million (The Wedding Report, n.d.). Some associations and wedding insiders used to consider the industry recession-proof (National Mail Order Association, n.d.). While it might not be affected by an economic downturn as fast as other industries, the wedding industry is far from recession-proof.

Fortunately, a venue is one of the first wedding items selected, and wedding cutbacks are often made in the later stages of wedding planning. These cutbacks often include number of guests, photography or videography services, and DJ services. Since venues are booked months to years in advance, it would be difficult to make a change to a venue after booking it. The region where Puesta Del Sol is located includes hundreds of competitors. However, outdoor weddings are less common in the Rio Grande Valley, so there are only a handful of outdoor venues.

3.3. Competitor Analysis Three of Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo competitors are The Inn at Chachalaca Bend, the Rancho Viejo Resort & Country Club, and Casa Los Ebanos. Like Puesta Del Sol, the three offer outdoor receptions. The locations are in neighboring cities. Each of the four locations is within a 40-minute drive of another. The paragraphs and tables below provide information and a quick analysis of each of the competitors. Competitor sites are graded on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest grade possible. The Inn at Chachalaca Bend The Inn at Chachalaca Bend is a bed-and-breakfast in Los Frenos, Texas. It has seven rooms and a lodge available for rent. Its revenue comes from renting these facilities. There are no online transactions. Birdwatchers are among the inn’s targeted consumers. The inn has a 14-acre hiking trail, birding stations, and a private 27-acre prairie. It is also located near the area’s largest wildlife refuge. The bed-and-breakfast is the only one of the venues to include a virtual tour and testimonials. The site itself (chachalaca.com) contains useful content; however, more information could be added and some problems need to be addressed. There were issues trying to use the virtual tour option. Also, the map shown only gives directions for people coming from one direction. The site uses keywords effectively in titles and descriptions, but these keywords are more focused on birdwatchers.

Table 2: Analysis of The Inn at Chachalaca Bend’s website

Website Features Grade

URL Chachalaca.com will catch the eye of birdwatchers, but not brides-to-be.

5

Richness Photos and Flash photo slideshow included. But slideshow is on auto play and the gallery view option is not easily found.

4

Interactivity Site includes a virtual tour, but not all the cameras worked. And the tools to take the tour are not quickly understandable.

5

Personalization/Customization The site did not provide a way to personalize or customize it.

0

Website Design Grade Functionality The page loads quickly. But there are

problems with part of the virtual tours available.

8

Informational There were photos and videos, but no information on pricing or facility size. A generic image of a map does not allow zooming or an easy way to print.

6

Ease of Use Wedding information section is clearly displayed. The options on the virtual tours were not quickly understood. The order of the navigation bar was unusual, with the home page listed as the last item.

6

Multi-Browser Functionality The site appeared the same on multi-browsers, but the browsers also had the same problem with part of the virtual tours.

10

Simple Graphics The site included simple graphics to enhance the site; however, the map to the location should not have been made a simple graphic.

8

Legible Text Most the text was easy to read. The font color on the testimonials page should stand out more from the background and not be italicized.

9

Keyword Utilization The site uses keywords for bird watching and its location effectively. This is not the case for weddings.

4

Incoming Links According to backlinkwatch.com, the site has only one incoming link. It is from a blog.

1

Page Indexing Google appears to have indexed all of the site’s pages and a log file (or error page)

9

Rancho Viejo Resort & Country Club The Rancho Viejo Resort & Country Club is located in Rancho Viejo, Texas. Real estate is available on the property. The club also sells memberships and golf packages. There is a 22-room hotel and a clubhouse for dining. This can be rented for weddings and banquets. The club also rents out 12,000-sq. ft. of flexible event space.

Off all the competitors, PlayRancho.com has the most website traffic. However, the website does not put any emphasis on its function as a wedding venue. If backlinks are any indication, much of the web traffic is due to the location’s use as a resort and country club. The only online purchase option is for hotel reservations, not wedding packages.

Table 3: Analysis of Rancho Viejo Resort & Country Club website

Website Features Grade URL PlayRancho.com is not a term couples

are likely to search for when looking for a venue or even for existing club members to search for.

3

Richness The site includes many static pages with a few images.

2

Interactivity No interactivity is offered. 0 Personalization/Customization The site did not provide a way to

personalize or customize it.

0

Website Design Grade Functionality The page loads quickly. 8 Informational There were very few photos and

information about the facility but not much else.

4

Ease of Use The navigation could be clearer. Wedding information is under a section named Catered Events, and the side navigation is on the right side of the page.

4

Multi-Browser Functionality The site appeared the same on multi-browsers.

10

Simple Graphics The site included simple graphics to enhance the site.

4

Legible Text The black body text on a white background is very easy to read. But the side navigation has thin white text on a brown-orange background that is difficult to read.

8

Keyword Utilization The site does not include keywords or a meta description on its Catered Events page. The home page includes keywords referring to golfing and resorts.

3

Incoming Links According to backlinkwatch.com, the site has 174 incoming links. Most are

4

in reference to golf and resorts. Page Indexing Google appears to have indexed 81

pages, which is most, if not all, of the site.

10

Casa Los Ebanos Casa Los Ebanos is part of the Los Ebanos Preserve in San Benito, Texas. The reserve is an 82-acre private nature park. The home itself was built in 1937. It is available for events all year long. CasaLosEbanos.com redirects to a page on LosEbanosPreserve.com. The Casa Los Ebanos site (page, really) includes a few photos of the home, but not much else. Despite this, this venue had the highest keyword density for “wedding” and “weddings” than the other local competitors mentioned. It is the only website that details what the wedding or special event package includes. It lists a starting price and the maximum number of guests.

Casa Los Ebanos is also the only competitor advertising on Google AdWords. However, it uses the preserve’s website, not Casa Los Ebanos specifically. Also, the ad was found only in very specific searches. Table 4: Analysis of Casa Los Ebanos website

Website Features Grade URL CasaLosEbanos.com is only easy to

remember if someone is familiar with the venue. But it does not include any wedding-related keywords.

5

Richness The site includes many static pages with images and a few small photo galleries.

4

Interactivity A Bing map is embedded for directions on the visitor information page.

1

Personalization/Customization The site did not provide a way to personalize or customize it.

0

Website Design Grade Functionality The page loads quickly. 8 Informational The site includes elements and pricing

of a wedding package. 8

Ease of Use There is a simple, obvious left navigation bar; however, some elements should be renamed to better describe the link.

5

Multi-Browser Functionality The site appeared the same on multi-browsers.

10

Simple Graphics The site included simple graphics to enhance the site.

5

Legible Text The black body text on a white background is very easy to read.

10

Keyword Utilization The site does have wedding-related keywords on its home page, but not the page with wedding package information. They have a Google AdWords ad that appears to only target anyone searching for a reception location in one city.

4

Incoming Links According to backlinkwatch.com, the site has 5 incoming links. They are from local chambers of commerce.

2

Page Indexing Google did not index CasaLosEbanos.com. Instead, it indexed 9 pages of LosEbanosPreserve.com, which is where the venue’s website redirects.

5

3.4. Company Brief Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo is one of the companies owned by the Daniels family. As such, it does not get their full attention and does not have a dedicated staff. Their larger businesses require more of their time. In addition to that, the owners may end up dealing with a wedding planner, instead of the couple directly. If wedding planners are bringing in more clientele than directly dealing with couples, the venue should consider making wedding planners the target audience of their marketing campaign.

3.5. Customer Analysis The first and main consumer segment for Puesta Del Sol is people searching for an outdoor venue in the Rio Grande Valley. This audience will mostly consist of engaged females living in the Rio Grande Valley, who are planning their wedding. The remaining portion of this audience is likely made up of friends and family (possibly even wedding planners) helping the engaged couple find information. Puesta Del Sol is one of the pricier venues in the area, so the consumer most likely has an annual income of at least $38,000. As the potential client is planning a wedding ceremony and reception, she is a social person. This consumer segment appears to fit the achiever psychographic group. “Achievers are work-oriented people successful in their field who get satisfaction from their jobs and families” (LeapFrog Interactive, 2009). Puesta Del Sol is a private venue. Its current lack of marketing has earned it a sense of exclusivity. This fits the achievers’ goal of using services and products that “help show off their success to their peers” (LeapFrog

Interactive, 2009). Currently, the venue’s website does not relate to or target this audience. However, if Puesta Del Sol aligns itself with TheKnot.com and other well-established wedding entities in the way of vendor listings on their site, that move could raise its vendor status and increase credibility. In turn, the venue would be more appealing to achievers. Sean D’Souza wrote the first step to pinpointing a target market is to start with the psychographic (2005). The consumer audience is looking for an outdoor venue in the Rio Grande Valley. This is what Puesta Del Sol is. D’Souza’s next step in finding a niche market is to hammer the message home. In this case, Puesta Del Sol is the only venue among local competitors that is strictly a venue. This focus can be pushed as an advantage, in addition to the privacy and amenities the location offers. The third step is to sharpen a business’ demographics – age, income, education, religion (D’Souza, 2005). Location was already included in the original psychographic. D’Souza’s process for identifying a target market includes continued sharpening of the psychographics. Curiously, Puesta Del Sol’s small size and specific audience achieves the microsegmentation that provides better results than 1-to1 marketing (Tianyi & Tuzhilin, 2006). Its audience falls under the “low-volume transaction customers” that achieve optimal results when marketing the product. This is encouraging news for the venue’s Internet marketing plan. The second consumer segment identified for Puesta Del Sol was people who specifically search for the venue. These visitors may be past clients, friends and family of clients, wedding officiants, or a potential client who was referred to the venue. This group needs immediate confirmation that they found the correct venue. While they may just be looking for directions to the location or viewing a friend’s wedding photos, this is an opportunity for Puesta Del Sol to build a relationship with them. Visiting the site because of a friend or family member’s recommendation shows a strong relationship with family and friends, which is a characteristic of belongers. “Belongers are very loyal to a brand once they have bought into what the brand has to offer” (LeapFrog Interactive, 2009). The venue’s website should try to get this consumer segment to participate in some way to connect with them. This could be in the form of leaving a testimonial, posting a congratulatory message to a couple, or rating a photo. The second consumer segment identified is a small portion of the audience; however, it would be a waste of an opportunity if the venue did not try to build a relationship with them in some way. This is especially true since current clients would rarely become a repeat customer. While Puesta Del Sol is focused on a B2C relationship, there does exist the possibility of a B2B relationship in reference to its preferred vendors. Area vendors may be interested in becoming a preferred vendor. Information on how they can do so can be valuable and help Puesta Del Sol build its vendor listings. This can assist the venue in increasing credibility and link-sharing. This is especially important, since Puesta Del Sol does not provide packaged services, like other wedding venues.

3.6. Internet Marketing Context Mobile vs. Traditional Internet Context Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo is targeting people living in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley. Its presence on the mobile web hits an immediate challenge with its long, unfriendly URL - www.puestadelsolsobreelarroyo.com. A FairWinds Partners report states mobile web users will utilize search engines or go directly to a known site (2007). It is unlikely web users would type in the Puesta Del Sol URL. The venue should consider purchasing a shorter domain name, such as puestads.com, for mobile users. In either case, it would benefit the site to improve its search engine optimization and purchase search advertising. “Search advertising can be another effective way to reach consumers who intend to take action right now, such as making an appointment with a service provider over the phone or looking for directions to the business” (Fairchild, 2009). The actions mentioned in the prior statement – contacting staff and getting directions - are the exact items Puesta Del Sol mobile users will likely need. On the traditional Internet, visitors on a wedding venue site are typically looking for a list of amenities and photos. On the mobile web, these become secondary priorities. This is especially true of photos, which may take long to load. However, the list of amenities could be optimized for a mobile environment by using a quick list of bullet points. Renting a wedding venue via a mobile phone may be years away (if ever); however, Puesta Del Sol could create a positive relationship with consumers, by accommodating their on-the-go information needs with a mobile site. Cultural Uniformity (Differences) Within a Country vs. Cultural Variation within your Country There are cultural differences within the United States that marketers need to be aware of. Language is one difference. For example, there is the “coke” vs. “soda” vs. “pop” vs. “soft drink” debate. Other cultural differences in regions include religion and interests.

FIGURE 3. Traditional Internet access vs. mobile access

Internet marketers targeting specific ethnic groups in the United States should become knowledgeable in the culture. Spanish-speakers will receive ads and messages in Spanish. However, there are different Spanish dialects spoken across the United States, even within Texas. So Internet marketers would have to be sensitive to these differences. One example showing the importance of this is the Chevrolet Nova. “Nova” in Spanish literally means “doesn’t go.” Puesta Del Sol’s target audience is too small to further fragment it.

3.7. Legal analysis – legal considerations & mitigation strategies Trust is a strong factor in making decisions, especially for couples choosing wedding vendors. As an outdoor wedding venue, Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo must strive to develop and maintain trust at each touch point with clients. This includes its website. The venue must inform visitors what information its site is gathering from them, how the data collection is happening, and why the data is being collected. “Privacy policies are about transparency and are key to building trust between a business and its customers” (Dixon, 2010). This information, along with its terms of use, should be explained in clear, easy-to-understand language. For many, legal jargon gives the impression of a company trying to protect only itself, instead of its visitors.

3.7.1 Privacy Policies Puesta Del Sol should insure it has a privacy policy posted to address any concerns from visitors about the information collected. While Puesta Del Sol may not be conducting financial transactions on its site, people still want to know the information they are submitting on the site is secure. The venue should strive to clearly explain what information is collected and how it is used. In addition to that, the privacy policy drafted aims to explain how the information is gathered. The explanations should attempt to avoid technical jargon and refer people to others sites for more in-depth descriptions.

FIGURE 4. Cultural aspects and variations

Along with not including technical lingo, the policy should also try to avoid legalese. Web users have come to interpret legalese in privacy policies as protecting the business and plain language as protecting the consumer. As one writer warned people online, “If you can't find a policy or the policy is so full of legalese it's impossible to understand, it's probably in your best interest to keep shopping (elsewhere)” (Dixon, 2010). Puesta Del Sol must work to earn and keep the trust of its web visitors, by keeping its privacy policy in plain, easy-to-understand language. Better Business Bureau OnLine Inc. offers a privacy policy outline for businesses. The organization recommends privacy policies cover:

• a notice about what information is collected • visitor options on how that data is used • visitor access to their data • security of data collected • a visitor’s options if the privacy policy is not met

Using these guidelines, along with wording and tips from other sites, the privacy policy below was drafted for Puesta Del Sol.

Privacy Policy Updated: October 12, 2010 Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo respects the privacy of its visitors and works to protect any information gathered. This privacy policy discloses the venue’s practices with respect to information collected on its website. This does not apply to personal information collected by the venue's offline business activities. Puesta Del Sol reserves the right to modify this privacy statement at any time. Any changes to this policy will be posted here, so you are encouraged to periodically review the page to see the most up-to-date policies and practices.

Collection and Use of Personal Information Personal information is data that can be used to uniquely identify or contact a single person. Mailing Lists The Puesta Del Sol website will provide a form where you may choose to enter your email address to sign up for its mailing list. The venue will use the email address for the sole purpose of sending you announcements and news bulletins. Each email sent contains information on how to unsubscribe from the mailing list.

Information Requests, Feedback, and Email The Puesta Del Sol website will provide forms where you may request more information, offer feedback, or contact Puesta Del Sol (or a staff member). If you choose to provide information about yourself using these forms, Puesta Del Sol will not use the information for any purpose other than to respond to your inquiry or to act on your suggestion or comment. Public Forums This site may make available forums, message boards, and comments. Please remember that any information you disclose in these areas becomes public information and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information. Children’s Personal Information Consistent with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act: This site does NOT collect, use, or disclose personal information (including online contact information) of children under the age of 13. In the event that a child posts personal information in a public forum, Puesta Del Sol will attempt to delete that information once the staff becomes aware of it.

Collection and Use of Non-Personal Information

Puesta Del Sol also collects non-personal information. This is data in a form that cannot be used to identify a specific individual. When you visit the Puesta Del Sol website, the site automatically gathers and stores certain technical information about your visit. This information, which includes browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request, never identifies who you are. The information is only used to help Puesta Del Sol make its site more useful for you. Puesta Del Sol never tracks or records information about individuals and their visits. Cookies When you visit our site, the pages that you look at and a short text file called a cookie are downloaded to your computer. A cookie is used to store small amounts of information. This information is collected for web traffic analysis only. The cookie does not contain personal details. Depending on the browser that you use, you can set your preferences to refuse cookies and/or notify you before they are placed. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of this site will not function properly when you view them.

For more information about cookies, visit the following websites: Federal Trade Commission - Internet Cookies AllAboutCookies.org Web Beacons (or Web Bugs) Puesta Del Sol may include web beacons in e-mail newsletters in order to count how many newsletters (or particular articles, links, etc.) sent were actually opened. Web beacons are typically very small (generally 1-by-1 pixel) graphics invisible to the user. They allow Puesta Del Sol to monitor and collect certain limited, non-personal information about the viewer of the e-mail message (such as the type of browser downloading the web beacon, the IP address of the computer that the web beacon is sent to and the time the web beacon was viewed). You may choose to have your e-mail program block web beacons by blocking remotely-hosted images. (Link: Blocking web bugs) Note this will also block some images that are not web beacons. For more information about web beacons, visit the following websites: Web Beacon Definition from PC Magazine Encyclopedia Web Beacons/Web Bgs/Clear Gifs & Other Tools Explained

Disclosure to Third Parties Puesta Del Sol does not sell, rent, exchange, or otherwise disclose any information the site collects about its visitors. The venue will, however, comply with lawful requests from law enforcement that follow appropriate legal standards and procedures.

Security of Your Personal Information Puesta Del Sol takes precautions to protect your information. The venue employs security measures, consistent with standard industry practice, for information collected through its website. Puesta Del Sol also uses internal protections to limit access to users' personal information to only those employees who need the information to perform a specific job. In spite of these measures, there is still a chance factors outside Puesta Del Sol’s control may result in disclosure of data. If you become aware of such an issue, you should contact the staff immediately via telephone at (956) 423-3628 or via email at [email protected].

Your Access to and Control Over Information You may opt out of any future contacts from Puesta Del Sol at any time. You can do the following by contacting Puesta Del Sol at (956) 423-3628 or via email at [email protected]:

• See what data Puesta Del Sol has about you, if any. • Change/correct any data Puesta Del Sol has about you. • Have Puesta Del Sol delete any data it has about you. • Express any concern you have about Puesta Del Sol’s use of your data.

Links

This website contains links to other sites. Please be aware Puesta Del Sol is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these other sites. You are encouraged to be aware when you leave the Puesta Del Sol site and to read the privacy statements of any other site that collects personally identifiable and non-personal information.

Expressing Concerns about Privacy Policy If you feel that Puesta Del Sol is not abiding by this privacy policy, you should contact the staff immediately via telephone at (956) 423-3628 or via email at [email protected].

3.7.2 Terms of Use Currently, Puesta Del Sol does not have a terms of use policy on its website. The inclusion of one is strongly recommended. The example below is a collection of boilerplate text. If the venue decides to include a terms of use, it is recommended the language be reviewed by legal counsel.

TERMS OF USE. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS THROUGH USE By using PuestaDelSolSobreElArroyo.com, you (“User”) signify your agreement to these terms and conditions. If you do not agree to this Agreement please do not use this site. Please check this Agreement periodically for changes as the owner of this site. (“PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO”) reserves the right to revise this Agreement and your continued use of this site following the posting of any changes to the Agreement constitutes acceptance of such changes. PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO reserves the right to terminate a User’s use of this site at any time without notice and may do so for any breach of this Agreement by User. LICENSE TO USE THIS SITE Upon your agreement to this Agreement, PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO hereby grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable limited license to use this site in strict accordance with the terms and conditions in this Agreement and as permitted via instructions on this site. You agree not to make any false or fraudulent statements in your use of or to gain access to this site. You acknowledge and agree that the content and services available on this site are property of PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL

ARROYO and are protected by copyrights, moral rights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, and other proprietary rights and laws, in the U.S. and internationally. Any exceptions to this will be explicitly noted next to the content or service. All rights not expressly granted herein are fully reserved by PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO. LICENSE RESTRICTIONS USE Except as may be explicitly permitted through this site, you agree not to save, download, cut and paste, sell, license, rent, lease, modify, distribute, copy, reproduce, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, publish, adapt, edit, or create derivative works from materials, code or content on or from PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO. Use of the content or materials for any purpose not expressly permitted in this Agreement is prohibited.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ABOUT THIS SITE, STABILITY OF WEB SERVER, OR UP TIME OF WEB SERVER(S). ALL INFORMATION AND USE OF THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE CONTENTS OR ANY INFORMATION RECEIVE THROUGH THIS SITE ARE ALWAYS ACCURATE, RELIABLE OR CORRECT, OR THAT ANY DEFECTS, INCOMPATIBILITIES OR ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED. YOUR USE OF THIS SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR RISK. USER AGREES THAT IT HAS RELIED ON NO WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS OR STATEMENTS OTHER THAN IN THIS AGREEMENT. BECAUSE SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT PERMIT THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, THESE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU BUT SHALL APPLY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW OF YOUR JURISDICTION. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM, OR ARISE OUT OF THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS SITE, THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON OR RECEIVED THROUGH USE OF THIS SITE, OR ANY SERVICES OR PRODUCTS RECEIVED THROUGH THIS SITE. THIS LIMITATION APPLIES WHETHER THE ALLEGED LIABILITY IS BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER BASIS, EVEN IF PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. BECAUSE SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO’S

LIABILITY IN SUCH JURISDICTIONS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW OF YOUR JURISDICTION. INDEMNIFICATION You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO and its employees, contractors, officers, agents and directors from all liabilities, claims, and expenses, including attorney's fees, that arise from your use of this site, all services, information or products from this site, or any violation of this Agreement. PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, in which event you shall cooperate with PUESTA DEL SOL SOBRE EL ARROYO in asserting any available defenses.

4. Internet Marketing Program Strategy and Tactics

4.1. Buyer Personas & Customer Roles Competitive Competitive brides-to-be know exactly what they want. The site should offer them the following:

• Quick list of the venue's features and amenities • Thumbnail page of featured photos • Calendar showing dates available, and • Frequently Asked Questions page

Methodical Tracking keywords used to find Puesta Del Sol site could identify methodical customers. They would more likely use the term "venue" for finding the site. Other customers search for casual terms like "rental" or "location." These customers should be offered the following on the website:

• Complete list of venue features • Printer-friendly venue comparison chart with the Puesta Del Sol's portion filled

out • Categorized photos of the venue (bridal portraits, place settings, etc.) • List of preferred vendors • Detailed map to the location, along with approximate travel times, and • Timeline of a typical wedding day (set up time, guest arrival, etc.)

Humanistic The humanistic brides-to-be should be directed toward the photos and testimonials from previous clients and vendors. As they value human contact, a contact us page (with photos of their contacts) should be prominent for them.

Spontaneous The spontaneous customer would be a very small percentage, if any, of the visitors. A venue is a significant part of a wedding and a wedding budget. It is unlikely it would be a quick decision. The possible case is a frustrated customer who just wants the decision over with. In this case, the customer should be directed to the following:

• Calendar with dates available • Handful of featured photos, and • Contact information

4.2. New Media/Viral/Social Media The purpose of a social media campaign for Puesta Del Sol is lead generation. Social media channels will be utilized to engage potential clients, raise brand awareness, and increase traffic to the website. A key component for brides (and couples) in selecting vendors is building a relationship and gaining a sense of trust. This is a perfect reason why Puesta Del Sol should utilize social media. Social media is about building relationships. "Once you build a trusting relationship there will be a better chance of gaining new customers" (The Wedding Report, 2009). As a venue, Puesta Del Sol is only part of the wedding experience; however, tapping into a larger part of the experience through social media marketing can garner potential clients' attention. TheKnot.com is the most popular wedding website, according to the Online Wedding Market 2009 report. The site includes a 24/7 community section with blogs, message boards, and member web pages. In addition to that, it has a presence on multiple social media platforms. While Puesta Del Sol is very small in comparison to The Knot (and even most the vendors listed on that site), the venue can benefit by following its example of using social media to reach its audience. Social media networks are places friends and family share news like engagements and weddings. As “one in two couples say they use Facebook… to share details about their wedding with others” (The Wedding Report, 2009), the social media campaign should focus mainly on that social network. However, there will be some additional recommendations for utilizing specific wedding-related social networks. Facebook is now the second most popular website in the United States (Prebluda, 2010). With that size of audience, Puesta Del Sol has to have a Facebook presence. It should create a fan page. They are free, build a community, and gather advocates for a company (Gregory, 2010). Puesta Del Sol can post status updates, promote events, invite people

to tell their proposal stories, and upload an unlimited amount photos and videos. Users can also post fan photos and videos. The Knot’s Facebook fan page already has over 40,000 fans, and Facebook accounts for 22.37% of referrals to TheKnot.com (“Site profile for theknot.com,” n.d.). Even companies without thousands of fans have an impressive number of referrals from Facebook. Onewed.com is the ninth most popular wedding website (The Wedding Report, 2009). With less than 300 Facebook fans, it still gets 31.97% of website referrals from Facebook (“Site profile for onewed.com,” n.d.). Along with the sheer size of the audience, Facebook is where users are connecting with friends and family, and “most couples find vendors based on friend or family recommendations” (The Wedding Report, 2009). With a Facebook fan page, it will be easier for people to recommend Puesta Del Sol as a venue to other Facebook users. The person making the recommendation could already be a fan of the venue or they could do a quick search without leaving Facebook. Puesta Del Sol should also purchase Facebook ads. Unlike general search engine PPC campaigns, the Facebook ads can be targeted to people with profiles that match the target audience. Puesta Del Sol could schedule its ads to appear for women in Harlingen (and other Rio Grande Valley cities), who are 18-34 years old, and list their profile marital status as engaged. CM Photographic ran a similar campaign with Facebook Ads. “Of the Facebook users who were directed to CM Photographics’ website from the ads, 60% became qualified leads and actively expressed interest in more information” (“Facebook Advertising,” n.d.). Facebook also provides its own set of metrics. Facebook pages get Insights ratings and a Post Quality rating. These are based on exposure and activity on the page, as well as how fans gauge the posts made. The number of fans will also be a way to measure the campaign’s success.

FIGURE 5. Facebook referrals to popular wedding-related sites

While Facebook is the current leader in social networks, there are many other social networks and white label networks that specifically target couples and brides-to-be. As mentioned, TheKnot.com is the most popular wedding site. It utilizes Pluck for its community section. My.weddings.info and Offbeat Bride Tribe are Ning sites. Some other social networks sites are bridalfever.com, getmarried.com, WedQuarters, WeddingWire, and wheretogetengaged.com. None of these sites appear to have an equivalent to Facebook’s fan pages; however, most offer a free vendor listing. Puesta Del Sol should take advantage of that offer. Onewed.com was one of the few sites that included any vendor listings for the Rio Grande Valley. However, the list appeared to only include local hotels. The website is one of the top 10 wedding websites, and Texas is third state with the highest amount of visitors to OneWed.com (Quantcast, n.d.). Because of this, Puesta Del Sol should make sure to be included in that site’s vendor list. If any of these sites provide a significant amount of referrals to Puesta Del Sol’s website, the venue should consider purchasing a premium vendor listing. These listings usually allow vendors to post more content or improve ranking on the site. It is important to note Puesta Del Sol already has some social media presence due to blogs and posts made by others. Other local vendors who have covered a wedding at the venue often make these. Puesta Del Sol should keep current on these mentions. Staff could keep track of them by signing up for Google Alerts for the venue’s name, checking sites like Addict-o-matic, and signing up for TweetBeep. TweetBeep can search Twitter for mentions of the venues. As a venue, Puesta Del Sol in general has a stronger presence than other wedding vendors. Venue cost typically dominates the wedding budget (The Knot Inc., 2010). According to many of the most popular wedding websites, choosing a venue is often one of - if not the - first buying decisions a bride should make. The venue is often booked in the earliest stages of wedding planning, and engagements average a little over 13 months (The Knot Inc., 2010). It is time that can be used to build the relationship between the client and venue. But it also time to reap the benefits of the venue’s social media campaign. A bride-to-be will be telling all her friends online about her wedding. She will be sharing the news, which includes the venue location. And she will be doing this until her wedding day. After her wedding day, friends will be posting photos taken at the venue. The bride will later join in. Still later, an engaged friend or relative will seek out vendor recommendations from the now newlywed. The former client can then quickly make a recommendation via Facebook or another social network. The social media cycle continues.

Another social media tool Puesta Del Sol can utilize is the creation of videos that can be shared via social networks. Instead of just focusing on a wedding's location, Puesta Del Sol's videos should cast a wider net in reference to wedding topics. In the example video created (http://www.viddler.com/explore/malena_/videos/3/), the topic was general advice on what brides should avoid. Viewers are invited at the end of the video to share their own stories by visiting the Puesta Del Sol website. (Note: The example video includes the venue's current website address. The overall recommendation for the site includes changing to a simpler URL and including a logo, tagline, and branding color.) Hopefully, response to the video would create more content for future videos, which would continue the call out for more feedback. As the venue is one of the more expensive local locations for outdoor wedding and receptions, the message of the videos should target brides who have more money to spend on venues. Instead of simply funny advice for brides, videos could also explain the history of wedding traditions. They could also concentrate on the region. This could include videos about what native flowers can be used in bouquets. The videos would be short but informative. By dealing with a specific region, the content has a stronger connection to potential clients in the area. While greater brand exposure outside the area is not necessary a negative, it is not likely any of those visitors would become clients of Puesta Del Sol. In either case, the video tag line, which invites viewers for their input, should remain. It is a push to Puesta Del Sol’s website and resource for future video content. Ideally, the website would not only be an area to submit stories and advice. It could also include the collection of videos and visitor-generated content, which might include videos of their own. Videos that include information from past visitors are more likely to be shared online, since the submitters would send the videos to their friends and family. In reference to videos, Puesta Del Sol should utilize TubeMogul.com. It is a free site that allows a single video upload to be distributed on multiple sites, such as MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook. It can also include an alert to a Twitter account. TubeMogul.com collects statistics, which can help track trends and discover the best referral sites. Once again, as the first of its competitors to start social media marketing, Puesta Del Sol has a greater chance of winning all the potential clients utilizing social media networks.

FIGURE 6. Still from sample Puesta Del Sol video

4.3. Mobile The Online Wedding Report 2009 notes the increase of mobile devices and recommends businesses have a mobile presence where clients can easily access information about them. Puesta Del Sol should create a mobile website and a mobile application in order to keep up with consumers that are constantly on the go. “At some point, mobile devices may be the only communication device consumers use” (The Wedding Report, 2009). Engaged women are looking for a quick, easy way to get vendor information through their phones. My Wedding Concierge launched in September 2009. It is a free iPhone app focused solely on getting or requesting wedding vendor information. Founder Phyllis Cheung says, “Since launching, we have had over 6,000 downloads and consistently get 100-150 brides downloading our app daily” (Cheung, n.d.). Brides-to-be are looking for vendor information, and it is a need no one in the target market is filling. In the application, Cheung intentionally “forgoes traditional wedding planning tools such as seating charts and to-do lists” (Cheung, n.d.). However, that was done to distinguish the app from other wedding-related applications.

Puesta Del Sol should include these features, along with its venue information. Its app is not intended to compete with national companies. It should be created to increase the venue’s brand awareness and allow Puesta Del Sol to stand out from other local venues. Also, by including more information on the app, it will continue to be a resource to the user even after vendors are selected. Since not everyone has an iPhone or other smartphones that include applications, Puesta Del Sol should also create a mobile site. The site should be mainly text, so it is quick to load. It should also be easy to navigate.

An important recommendation for the Puesta Del Sol mobile site is the creation of a simple to type URL, such as puestads.com.

As none of its local competitors have a mobile site, this will help Puesta Del Sol reach an audience that can get frustrated trying to view less mobile-friendly sites. “The amount of scrolling and panning will annoy even the most patient mobile site visitors” (“9 Reasons,” n.d.).

One website advocating the creation of mobile sites points out, “Even if you offer a small mobile webiste[sic], you will be appreciated by your customers” (“9 Reasons,” n.d.).

FIGURE 7. Mockup of Puesta Del Sol mobile site

In addition to this, Puesta Del Sol should make sure it has a presence on popular mobile applications, like Yelp and YPMobile. These services allow a free listing. They may also be one of the first places potential clients search for a venue, which is why Puesta Del Sol should have at least basic information listed there. Creative Concept

Puesta Del Sol’s mobile site should be mainly text. It should be as simple as possible to accommodate even phones which are the least friendly for web browsing. However, a small banner image with the logo in rich colors should be included at the top of the page to maintain the venue’s branding. (Note: These mockups were created with the images currently on the web site. The logo does not reflect the one suggested in the branding strategy.) The site should have a very simple, clean look. The font used should be sans serif. It should be black text over a white background. However, text links will be in blue, which web surfers have come to expect. On a mobile application, Puesta Del Sol needs to use the same branding. The top bar should include the venue’s logo in the same rich colors used in the mobile website banner. A bar below the banner, which will be used for quick access, should be in a color complementary to the top banner. (This purpose of this bar will be explained in the content outline.) The application’s menu and content will maintain the simple look of black sans serif font over a light-colored background. A menu bar on the bottom of the app will be the same color as the logo banner at the top. Yelp and YPMobile do not allow for customization of font. Items allowed on listings vary with the advertising package purchased. But at most, a platinum listing on YPMobile allows a customized graphic and a slogan text line. If Puesta Del Sol can afford this option, the customized graphic should be the same one used on the mobile site and app banner. Content Outline

The Puesta Del Sol mobile application should include:

• general information

FIGURE 8. Mockup of the Puesta Del Sol mobile application’s main page

• a calendar • photos • lists • wedding facts • a place for notes

Under the applications banner, two buttons will be displayed on every page of the app. The buttons are to provide quick access to call the venue’s staff and to get directions to the location. The directions button will be a link to a Google Map of the location. The general info page will include an overview of the venue, such as capacity, preferred vendors, and payment options. This is static information provided by the venue staff. Another page on the app would include a calendar of upcoming events. It will provide visitors a quick glance to see if a date has already been booked. This is dynamic information that will change, as the venue is booked. Photographs showcasing the location will be another page on the app. This should be updated on a regular basis. This will be dynamic information. Users should be invited to send their photos taken at Puesta Del Sol. To become a resource to clients and potential clients, the Puesta Del Sol apps should expand its focus to helpful information for its target audience – brides. The lists would include content, such as local vendors, wedding emergency supply kit, gift ideas for their wedding party, and suggestions for wedding toasts. Most of this is general information that can gathered online. However, to add some dynamic content to this part of the app, a list of advice from local brides can also be included. That list would, of course, invite local brides to submit more advice. The next page on the app is also not venue-specific. Wedding Facts provides interesting information on wedding traditions and history. It includes items, such as the etymology of “honeymoon” and the reason wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger. This is static information, which can be found with an online search. It could become dynamic content, if visitors are allowed to submit questions and explanations of their own. If possible, the application should also include a notes section where brides can store information about their upcoming wedding. This would especially make the app more valuable to clients and

FIGURE 9. Mockup of Puesta Del Sol mobile application’s secondary sections

increase its use. The Puesta Del Sol mobile site will contain the same information as the mobile application; however, it will be a simpler version to accommodate phones that have a very basic web browser. Both the app and mobile site should be promoted on Puesta Del Sol’s website, social media sites, the venue’s e-mail newsletters, and the venue’s offline marketing efforts. Puesta Del Sol’s mobile marketing can be measured with the mobile site’s web traffic and the number of times the mobile app has been downloaded and accessed. Referral statistics will help determine the effectiveness of Puesta Del Sol’s presence on other mobile applications, such as YPMobile and Yelp.

4.4. Website The current Puesta Del Sol website has very little content, lacks any use of search engine optimization techniques, and resides on a long, complicated website address. Recommendation 1 Puesta Del Sol needs to add more content to its website. The site should have at least the same amount of information its competitors offer on their site. This includes:

• rental policies • descriptive tag lines • testimonials • types of packages • virtual tour (alternative: categorized photos of location) • map with directions • forms of payment • call-to-action buttons with links to submission forms (example: Schedule an

appointment button)

This last item is especially important, since one of the site’s goals is lead generation. A second goal is brand awareness. For this to happen, people and the search engines they use need to find the site. This leads to the second recommendation. Recommendation 2 The website must include effective keywords, titles, and descriptions. Section 4.5 details the keywords and keyphrases to include. Recommendation 3 Puesta Del Sol should continually test its site to discover what users consider the most important content, users’ expectations, and problem areas. Initial testing on mock-up of a revamped Puesta Del Sol website revealed the following:

• Photos were of high importance • “Venue” is not a term users are familiar with • Phone number must be prominent • Customers felt more comfortable with phone number that online submission

forms • Testimonials are not a high priority • Short online forms are appreciated/preferred

Future testing should continue to include members of the target audience. To avoid confusion, usability tests should be done in a computer platform participants are familiar with (for example, PC vs. Mac). The site should be tested quarterly and whenever additions are planned. Below are examples of the suggested changes to the Puesta Del Sol website:

FIGURE 10. Screenshots of recommended website changes

4.4.1 Website Conversion Goals The goal of the Puesta Del Sol website is to increase brand awareness and lead generation. In reference to conversion, the focus is on lead generation. The site’s goal should be for a visitor to use a form on the site (or a phone number exclusively posted on the website) to schedule an appointment to view the venue or request more information. While technically it is possible to add the ability to book the venue and place a deposit online, venues are often one of the most expensive items in a wedding budget. Most couple prefer to make such a purchase in person. The Bridal Association of America 2006 Wedding Report indicates that only 14 to 16 percent of couples that research venues online purchase them online. An additional website conversion goal to aim for is to increase the number of testimonials submitted through the site.

4.4.2 Landing Pages Prospects For prospective clients, Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo should offer a free download of the "10 Things You Need to Know for an Outdoor Wedding in the Rio Grande Valley." The list should be in a printer-friendly format and include Puesta Del Sol's contact information. The offer should be announced on PPC campaigns and the venue's listings on wedding sites and online guides. These are part of the broad market, targeted market, SEO campaigns, and intention-based paid strategies, which are discussed in Section 5.1. Prospective clients will need to click on the link to visit the offer page, where they can download the free PDF. The purpose of the offer is to increase visitors to the website. (Please note: As a wedding venue is a large purchase rarely done online, none of these special offers directly affect a revenue metric such as average transaction value or repeat conversions.) The offer's success can be determined by the click-thru rate to the offer page from PPC ads and referrals from other sites and online guides. And, of course, the number of times the file was downloaded would indicate the offer’s success. The cost for creating the PDF, if any, would be minimal. It is simply a collection of the general tips found in magazines and online with some additions from local brides and vendors. Puesta Del Sol could build on the prospects' interest by asking them to include their own tips and even vote on which tips should be the top 10 listed.

New Visitors New visitors should be invited to sign up for Puesta Del Sol's e-newsletter. The visitor would be required to enter basic contact information, such as name, address, and e-mail address. The purpose of this offer is lead generation (to increase the e-newsletter subscribers). The e-newsletter would include wedding announcements, helpful wedding links, and possibly a featured vendor. This could help build relationships with potential clients and even other vendors. The e-newsletter would also be an opportunity to expand the venue's branding. Depending on the hosting package Puesta Del Sol has, the owners may already have the opportunity to send e-newsletters without any additional costs. This offer can be a part of the broad market and SEO campaign marketing strategies. Returning Visitors Puesta Del Sol could offer returning visitors the opportunity to win time at the venue for a photo shoot. The offer could be announced through the e-newsletter, which is part of the customer/subscriber marketing strategy. The potential client would have to click on the link in the e-newsletter to enter the contest. The purpose of the special offer is to increase return visits. The promotion's impact would be tracked by the number of click-thrus to the offer page from the e-newsletter. In addition to that, more contact information would be required for the contest (example: phone number, date of birth). This means the subscriber information would increase, which is another way to track the offer's impact. Offering this only to returning customers builds on their connection with the venue. Ideally, the winner would book the venue, if she had not already, after the photo shoot. But even without doing so, the photographs would generate conversations about where she took them and help promote Puesta Del Sol. Since the owners are only offering the time at the venue for the photo shoot, they can set the day and time, so it does not conflict with any other obligations. It would not cost them anything. If they wish to partner with a local photographer to take the photos, it still would not cost them anything. Existing Customers Puesta Del Sol could offer existing customers the opportunity to be the website's featured wedding. Unlike the general wedding announcements, the featured wedding would be shown on the home page and have its own page on the site.

Customers would be asked to submit photographs and/or videos. The venue's owners can select the winner. (Or they can ask visitors to vote, which could help increase web traffic.) The purpose of the offer is to increase visitors and time on site. The offer should deepen the existing relationship with the client. The cost is simply the time to gather and write up information for the featured wedding page. The customer would have already sent the photographs and/or videos. This would also be part of the customers/subscribers marketing strategy. It can be promoted through an e-mail newsletter.

Primary Landing Page Assumptions to Test

The following items should be determined through multivariate testing:

• Most effective offer summary • Most effective wording for call to action button • Most effective photo for increasing time spent on site • Most effective placement of offer summary, call to action button, and

photo

4.4.3 Home Page

Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo’s website (http://www.puestadelsolsobreelarroyo.com/) is in need of major changes.

The site has a splash page with the page title “Splash.” The page has a large image with the word “Enter.” It has the web designer’s information, which might be confused for the venue’s contact information at a quick glance. The page provides no information about what Puesta Del Sol is. The photo shown

FIGURE 11. Screenshot of Puesta Del Sol home page

is of a sign. It could be interpreted as a ranch, a bed and breakfast, a subdivision, a dance hall, or a dozen other places.

In addition to this, the image is centered on a fixed web page size. Many browsers cut off part of the image and visitors have to scroll horizontally if they want to see the entire picture. Clicking on the Enter button takes visitors to a page titled “Home.” The page’s URL is http://www.puestadelsolsobreel arroyo.com/mainmenu.html. Like the splash page, the information is centered on fixed width, so visitors must scroll horizontally to see the entire page. Also like the splash page, there’s no information on what Puesta Del Sol is. Aside from a still ambiguous photograph, the only content is the web designer’s contact information.

FIGURE 12. Screenshot of Puesta Del Sol page called Home

FIGURE 13. Screenshot of Chachalaca.com

The Inn at Chachalaca Bend is one of Puesta Del Sol’s competitors. While its home page (http://www.chachalaca.com/) could use improvements, it provides much more content than Puesta Del Sol. The site has a tagline next to the logo, as well as the location. It has several photos, a description of its services, contact information, a prominent navigation bar, and even methods of payment. These are all items Puesta Del Sol could and should include on its home page. One of the first recommendations for the Puesta Del Sol home page is the creation a navigation bar placed near the top of the page and the addition of a search box. The Puesta Del Sol logo should be placed in the upper left side of the page, along with its tagline. This is where most people expect to see a company’s logo. The space on the right of the logo can include photos. Immediately under this, the navigation bar should be placed. Contact information should be quickly available and prominently posted on the left side of the page. In the mockup, next to the phone numbers are two call-to-action buttons and a map. The buttons are for users who want quick access to booking the venue or scheduling an appointment to view it. The buttons should be in a color that stands out from the rest of the page. The small map, which links to a larger map, is to provide potential clients with a quick point of reference to the venue’s location. FIGURE 14. Screenshot of recommended home page changes for Puesta Del Sol

General information, including amenities, should be made available. In the mockup above, it was placed in the top section in the center column. The text with general information ends with a link to a page with more information about renting the venue. Test users for the site indicated a great preference for photos. Under general information, the center column should include a large featured photo and smaller ones linking to galleries for property photos, decoration photos, and reception photos. The large featured photo should link to the featured photo gallery on the site. The last section on the home page should display testimonials. As Puesta Del Sol is not listed with the Better Business Bureau, testimonials can be used instead to build the venue’s credibility. The testimonial should include a link to a page with more testimonials.

4.4.4 Funnel Navigation Note: Conversions are potential customers who submit information to be contacted by Puesta Del Sol staff to schedule a visit to the venue or request more information.

Incoming Link Business’ objective: Directs potential customers to website and toward conversion Customer’s objective: Triggers desire for more information about service. Examples:

• PPC Ad • Facebook Ad • Listing on wedding site

Action needed to continue: Click on advertisement

FIGURE 15. Flowchart illustrating potential lead’s path to conversion

As the target audience is planning a wedding, the majority are well aware of the need for a place to host their upcoming wedding and reception. The venue can add to its potential customers’ awareness with a PPC campaign and Facebook ads. Facebook allows the venue to target engaged females in the area. Search engines will play a major role once a consumer is aware of a need (Smyth, n.d.). Puesta Del Sol should also utilize a PPC campaign for this stage of the decision-making process. More importantly, this stage is also when potential customers learn about products and start comparing features and benefits. In the online wedding industry, this is often done on popular sites,

Landing Page Business’ objective: Supplies potential customers with information mentioned in ad and next step needed toward conversion Customer’s objective: Learn more about offer mentioned in ad. Call to action button:

• Schedule an appointment to see Puesta Del Sol • Learn more about Puesta Del Sol • Book Puesta Del Sol for your wedding Action needed to continue: Click on call-to-action button

Submit Contact Information Business’ objective: Collect information for leads Customer’s objective: Get opportunity to visit venue to see and decide whether to book it Call to action button:

• Schedule an appointment to see Puesta Del Sol • Learn more about Puesta Del Sol • Book Puesta Del Sol for your wedding Action needed to continue: Fill out form and click submit

like TheKnot.com and GetMarried.com. Puesta Del Sol can purchase paid vendor listing on these sites. This step of the process can be tracked by clicks and site referrals. The venue can also utilize free listings on sites specifically for brides-to-be to find vendors. These include WeddingWire.com, onewed.com, and, locally for Puesta Del Sol, Valley Wedding Pages. Referrals to the venue’s site can also be used in this step to track the effectiveness of using these sites.

The next step is reached when the potential client arrives on the Puesta Del Sol landing page. A call-to-action button should be on this page. The page’s effectiveness can be monitored by the number of visitors who continue to the final step by clicking on the call-to-action button.

The “purchase” step in the case of Puesta Del Sol may more appropriately be called the “action” step. The venue’s website should provide the option for a visitor to schedule an appointment with the staff, so they can view the location. Additionally, the site can also include the option to book and pay for the venue. But it is highly unlikely for someone to make such a large purchase, without having visited the location first. The “action” step can be measured by the number of leads generated.

4.5. SEO Puesta Del Sol does not use keywords on its current site. There is also very little content for a search engine spider to crawl. Because of this, the only way to find Puesta Del Sol on Google is to search for the venue by its entire name – Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo. The venue must start including keywords in its site.

Below is a list of recommended descriptions and page titles.

Section Current Page Title Suggested Change Site description None Beautiful Rio Grande Valley location

available for outdoor wedding receptions and special occasions

Home Page Home Outdoor Receptions - Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo - Harlingen

Photo Gallery Slide Show Wedding Reception Photos - Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo - Harlingen

Contact Page Contact Request Rental Information - Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo - Harlingen

Links Page Links Wedding Vendor Links - Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo - Harlingen

TABLE 5. Recommended page titles for current Puesta Del Sol site

Below is a list of recommended keywords and keyphrases to add to site:

• Outdoor wedding • Harlingen wedding • Wedding venue • Outdoor reception • Outdoor wedding receptions • Puesta Del Sol

• Puesta Del Sol reception • Wedding reception • Bridal shower receptions • Reception rental • Outdoor wedding venue • Harlingen

The keywords and keyphrases can also incorporate keywords related to the venue’s location. This would include Harlingen, Rio Grande Valley, RGV, and South Texas. One of the most important keyword-related suggestions is changing the site’s URL. PuestaDelSolWeddings.com or PuestaDelSolHarlingen.com would be easier to remember and each includes a very important keyword related to the venue. Another part of the site with a notable absence of keywords is the photo gallery. Currently, the photos are in a directory called Slideshow, and the individual photos are #.jpg. This tells search engines nothing about the website. The directory should reflect its content. A suggested name replacement is WeddingPhotos. Also, by including alt and title tags in the photos, Puesta Del Sol will be able to build a keyword-rich environment. In addition to this, when the site content is updated, Puesta Del Sol should be certain to distinguish important content by using heading tags with keywords. Fortunately, none of Puesta Del Sol’s competitors are effectively using keywords either. By utilizing the recommendations above, the venue could quickly gain the upper hand by strengthening its online presence.

4.6. Pay Per Click/Paid Placement Puesta Del Sol is not utilizing any PPC/paid placement campaigns; however, few local wedding vendors are. No Google, Yahoo, or Bing ads appear for searches of “Harlingen weddings.” Only two Google ads are displayed for “RGV weddings” and “Rio Grande Valley weddings.” In a general Google search for “wedding,” a local banquet hall will sometimes have the fifth Google AdWord position. Puesta Del Sol still has time to gain a strong footing in Google AdWords for its target keywords. The few local vendors utilizing Google Adwords rank below irrelevant ads from other locations. This hints at a low Quality Score, which is a Google measurement that determine an ad’s quality and relevance to a search based on various factors. With few local vendors (none of which are direct competition) using Google AdWords, Puesta Del Sol could realistically aim for top ranking for its PPC campaign.

Because Puesta Del So does not currently have PPC campaign, it can test variations of an ad to determine the most effective one. Companies with current PPC ads do not have this option. Their current ad already has activity history, which can effects its Google Quality Score. Any new ad the company tries would already be at a disadvantage because it lacks any type of activity record. Conversion rates for wedding vendor websites aren’t easily found. But here are two wedding vendor PPC examples. A DJ in Houston obtained 90% of his 128 leads from search engine referrals to his website (Perez, 2009). In her blog, he adds the disclaimer that his website is not the most professional-looking site. Nonetheless, his search marketing strategy is working. MarketingToBrides.com had one customer get seven clicks on their Google Ad before noon on a single day (Jaeger, 2010). One of those clicks lead to a $700 job. The total cost for that lead was reportedly $12. Puesta Del Sol’s PPC campaign should also focus on lead generation. In an article about forecasting return on investment (ROI), the conversion rate for a lead generation site was estimated between 3% to 5% (PPC ROI Calculator, 2009). Using a more conservative 2% conversion rate, Puesta Del Sol PPC ads could still bring in a significant amount of business. However, this is dependent on the amount of exposure the PPC campaign receives. Google Insights for Search shows the venue’s targeted keywords each get less than 1,000 searches a month in the targeted region. Using industry averages, Puesta Del Sol’s PPC campaign must get at least 4,550 exposures a month to make a single conversion. Because of this, Puesta Del Sol’s PPC campaign must include not only Google but also Bing, Yahoo, and Facebook, in order to get enough exposure to make a PPC campaign profitable.

Fortunately, as Puesta Del Sol’s top competitors (or even more than one or two local wedding vendors) are not utilizing PPC campaigns, the cost for these ads is extremely affordable. It is often less than 10 cents per click. Google and Microsoft (Yahoo and Bing) offer a dashboard to easily monitor these campaigns if costs need to be adjusted. It is recommended that Puesta Del Sol avoid Google content network campaigns. With such a hyper-local audience, it is unlikely the sites in the content network would provide any amount of return on investment. While there’s little competition now, Puesta Del Sol needs to take the lead and optimize its website to make it easier for couples planning a wedding to find. With proper testing and a high Quality Score, Puesta Del Sol could make the most of Google AdWords in a way other local vendors are not.

4.7. Email Marketing/Customer Messaging Puesta Del Sol does not utilize any type of e-mail marketing at this time; however, an e-newsletter is a feature that can attract new visitors. The e-newsletter can be utilized to build a stronger connection with potential clients and existing customers and gather additional content for the website. News, contests, wedding tips, and appointment confirmations can be sent through the venue’s e-mail marketing efforts. Customers can be invited to submit photographs, videos, and testimonials. The e-newsletter can be promoted on social media sites, like Facebook. It can also be mentioned on the Puesta Del Sol website. In addition to mentions on these sites, e-mail auto-replies confirming an upcoming appointment or event can also invite people to sign up for the e-newsletter. The venue should also follow up a booking with a congratulatory e-mail with a featured photo. Adding some personalization may encourage the client to share the e-mail with others.

4.8. Affiliate Marketing/Partnership Development

Online Partner: WeddingWire.com Revenue Generation As a featured vendor, Puesta Del Sol would have access to a lead generation system. The WeddingWire About Us page states the site offers a “guaranteed ROI.” However, a representative would only release the information to an actual vendor (personal communication, April 28, 2010). Traffic WeddingWire has a strong online presence as a wedding portal. Puesta Del Sol’s listing on the site would gain the venue credibility and help improve search engine ranking. The StoreFront feature offered to vendors on the site is SEO-friendly. Content WeddingWire allows vendors to get reviews from clients and endorsements from other vendors. This information can then be publicized on the Puesta Del Sol website.

FIGURE 16. Mockup of Puesta Del Sol e-newsletter

More content may be available indirectly. WeddingWire offers an education center. This includes tips on writing press releases, using e-mail effectively, and examples of effective online advertising. Trust and Authority WeddingWire is known for its extensive vendor lists, which allows potential customers to learn more about the vendor and see reviews from past clients. These reviews can add to Puesta Del Sol’s credibility. In addition to this, other vendors can also endorse the venue. Technology In a press release earlier this year, the company called themselves “the nation’s leading wedding technology company.” With online checklists, free wedding websites, an iPhone app, and Facebook application, the site is earning the name. Vendors listed on the site can access technology, such as the “Pros I Know” tool to network. Forums are also available, as is the previously mentioned lead generation system.

Online Partner: GetMarried.com Revenue Generation The purpose of the partnership is lead generation, driving traffic to the Puesta Del Sol website. GetMarried.com offers vendors a basic or advanced member lead list. (Note: This is an additional feature requiring a yearlong contract.) Traffic GetMarried.com benefits by having two separate channels push traffic to the site. Viewers of GetMarried on WE tv and readers of the GetMarried magazine are continually directed to the website to find local resources. More traffic to the site can result in more potential customers finding the Puesta Del Sol vendor listing on GetMarried.com. Content Like WeddingWire, GetMarried.com has a place for client testimonials. They may later be publicized on the Puesta Del Sol website. GetMarried.com does not offer content the venue can place on their website. However, if Puesta Del Sol considered starting a blog on wedding trends or sharing wedding-related links on its site or e-newsletter, GetMarried.com could be a source of information. Puesta Del Sol could also build on its relationship with GetMarried on its own website. It can create a forum on its website to discuss the latest episode of the GetMarried television show. This could bring in new traffic, add returning visitors, and increase time on the site. Trust and Authority

A connection to a reputable company, which includes a wedding-related television show and magazine, can add credibility to Puesta Del Sol as a vendor. Also, testimonials collected on the GetMarried.com vendor listing can enhance the venue’s image. Technology As a vendor, Puesta Del Sol can get a mini website and sales brochure on GetMarried.com. The vendor listing allows brides to e-mail the Puesta Del Sol staff directly. The staff is also able to update and change photos on the vendor listing at their discretion. As mentioned earlier, Puesta Del Sol can have access to a basic or advanced member lead list. An eblast campaign, with templates, is also available for purchase.

Online Partner: TheKnot.com Revenue Generation Lead generation is the main goal of the partnership. Traffic According to its website, The Knot Wedding Network “has the Largest Bridal Audience, Bar None. We reach more brides, more often, more effectively than any other bridal media property.” This is a large audience Puesta Del Sol needs to reach. Content Aside from linking to articles on TheKnot.com, the content available from the partnership is indirect. TheKnot.com offers vendors market research, webinar recordings, monthly newsletters on industry happenings, and articles. This information may inspire a blog post or lead to a source of content that is available for posting on the Puesta Del Sol website. Trust and Authority According to the Online Wedding Market 2009 report, almost 80 percent of couples used TheKnot.com for their wedding. This is a well-established, credible wedding site. Puesta Del Sol would benefit with a connection to it. Technology TheKnot.com’s Vendor Dashboard allows vendors to check ads statistics and see how they compare to other vendors. It can also be utilized to change contact information and update photos and text on ads. The online wedding market includes established sites but continues to develop. Fortunately for Puesta Del Sol, this means the venue can connect and learn from the large, popular websites to further develop its own online presence and marketing plan.

4.9. Integration with Offline Marketing Puesta Del Sol utilizes very little offline marketing. The venue’s efforts appear limited to small, color print ads in local wedding guides and an occasional booth at a local wedding fair. In order for the branding to remain consistent, the offline marketing methods must use the same branding as the online strategies. The print ads and any other offline marketing materials should include the venue’s website. At public appearances, such as a wedding show, staff should also encourage people to sign-up for the e-newsletter or to receive the list of tips for local outdoor weddings. Staff could also promote the mobile site and iPhone application.

4.10. Communications/PR Plan Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo needs an Internet public relations strategy to increase lead generation and offline sales. To do this, it must increase brand awareness and traffic to its website. Below is a list of recommendations to achieve this goal:

• Establish an online newsroom. • Include a press kit in the online newsroom. • Submit press releases to PRLog.com, OneWed.com, Valley Wedding Pages, and

RGVWeddingVendorsBlog.com. • Post updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Wedding Wire. • Post and tag photos on Flickr. • Create a blog. • Monitor the Internet for mentions of Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo.

Online Newsroom The Puesta Del Sol website needs a place to post its latest news. Staff members need to update the newsroom with press releases for upcoming weddings, updates to the website, changes to the venue, and other related announcements. These posts should include photos and contact information. They should allow visitors to easily share them with others via a Share This link (http://sharethis.com/) and a Facebook Like button. The post should allow users the ability to comment. The post should also have an RSS feed that visitors can subscribe to. This new content will hopefully attract more visitors and it will also be more content for people who already visit the site to see. This increase in traffic is intended to increase leads and offline sales. Online Press Kit The online newsroom should include a press kit for Puesta Del Sol. This should include contact information, company history, frequently asked questions, various formats of the logo, and photos. This information should always be easy available. Visitors should be informed the information on the page is free to use for news and information. They should be encouraged to link back to the Puesta Del Sol website when using the information. This is intended to build links and increase web traffic. More traffic to the site can help increase brand awareness.

Distribute Press Releases In addition to posting a press release on its online newsroom, Puesta Del Sol should distribute it to other publishers. PRLog.com is a free wire service. Its reach is far beyond the local target audience, but it could spread news about Puesta Del Sol to wedding industry leaders. OneWed.com accepts pitches for featured weddings. The site has a wide reach and could draw a significant amount of attention and traffic to Puesta Del Sol. Valley Wedding Pages and RGV Wedding Vendors Blog both lack content and may take advantage of free content for their respective sites. They both target the same geographic area that Puesta Del Sol does. The distribution of Puesta Del Sol news would help increase brand awareness and traffic to its website. Post Updates on Social Media Sites Puesta Del Sol would benefit from being an active member on online communities popular with its target audience. The 2009 Online Wedding Report states 52% of couples used Facebook to share information about their wedding. Puesta Del Sol currently has a private Facebook page. This is a severe limitation. The venue should make a public fan page, where it can post news and communicate with fans. This is intended to raise brand awareness. The fan page, along with a Twitter account, should also be a place to post links to press releases located on the Puesta Del Sol website. Wedding Wire is a site that gives vendors a page to post information about themselves. This space should also be used to post press releases. The purpose of these links is to increase traffic to the Puesta Del Sol website. Post Photos on Flickr Puesta Del Sol relies on wedding photographers for photos to use on its own site. This brings limitations on sharing them with others. The venue should instead take photos itself to share on Flickr and invite others to share their photos. A Flickr slideshow can be added to the Puesta Del Sol website. This is adding content to the site. The venue should also allow others to embed the Puesta Del Sol slideshow to other pages. The venue’s staff should regularly add more photos to Flickr. Create a Blog A blog would allow the Puesta Del Sol staff to share more information and give their opinion on wedding industry news not necessarily related to the venue. It would be preferred if one of the owners wrote the blog. The tone of these posts would be more casual than the new releases. It could also invite feedback for insight into their audience’s views. The blog should keep a regular schedule for updates, whether it is monthly or weekly. Ideally, it should be updated at least twice a week. An RSS feed of the blog should be available. Once again, this is providing more content for the site, building backlinks, attracting traffic to the Puesta Del Sol site, and building brand awareness.

Monitor the Venue’s Online Reputation Staff should subscribe to Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/reader) and Social Mentions (http://www.socialmention.com/) of Puesta Del Sol Sobre El Arroyo. This will allow them to keep tabs on what others are saying about the venue. The staff would also benefit from keeping tabs on industry news and its competitors’ activities online. Along with catching negative comments, monitoring could reveal potential opportunities. This may be in the form of topics for blogs or upcoming industry events. Each of these suggestions is meant to build brand awareness and increase traffic to the Puesta Del Sol website. This is then expected to lead to an increase in lead generations and offline sales.

Puesta Del Sol should strive to post some new content at least twice a week. While local events might not provide much to promote or review, national wedding events can also be a source of news for the venue. The first two quarters of the year should be especially active with content to attract potential clients. Most engagements happen during the holiday season up to Valentine’s Day (Massie, 2009). This is also the time of the year that a local wedding expo is held. The second quarter of the year includes the unofficial start of the wedding season and the spring Bridal Fashion Week. The third quarter of the year includes another local wedding expo. The final quarter includes the fall Bridal Fashion Week and a look at the upcoming year’s fashions. The venue should continue to track wedding industry trends to help plan ahead for these and similar events.

5. Financial Data and Projections

5.1. Projections Puesta Del Sol does not have any online advertising in place. Below are projections based on standard conversion rates. Broad market placement refers to web sites, such as local television and newspaper sites. Target paid placement includes wedding-related sites, such as TheKnot.com and GetMarried.com. Intention-based paid placement involves pay-per-click campaigns that would run on sites like Google and Bing. The SEO campaign refers to search engine optimization efforts. This would include link building. Customers/subscribers involves lead generation efforts through e-mail marketing. TABLE 6. Projected return on investment for Puesta Del Sol Internet marketing

Broad Paid Placement

Intention-‐Based Paid

Targeted Paid Placement

SEO Campaign

Customers/ Subscribers Totals

Conversion Rate 0.75% 2.00% 1.50% 3% 5% 2.71% Average Transaction Value $2,500.00 $2,500.00 $2,500.00 $2,500.00 $2,500.00 Traffic Metrics Exposures 150,000 100,000 72,600 75,000 5,000 402,600 Click-‐Thru Rate (CTR) 0.10% 1.00% 0.15% 3% 10% 1.00% Branding/View-‐Throughs Rate 0.15% 0.10% 0.20% 0.10% 0.15% 0.14% Paid Visitors 150 1,000 109 2,250 500 4,009 Brand/View-‐Thru Visitors 225 100 145 75 8 553 Total Visitors 375 1,100 254 2,325 508 4,562 Ad Budget $200 $500 $550 $600 $150 $2,000 Cost Per Click $1.33 $0.50 $5.05 $0.27 $0.30 $0.50 Cost Per Visitor $0.53 $0.45 $2.16 $0.26 $0.30 $0.44 Revenue $7,031.25 $55,000.00 $9,528.75 $174,375.00 $63,437.50 $309,372.50 Total Conversions 3 22 4 70 25 124 RPV $18.75 $50.00 $37.50 $75.00 $125.00 $67.82 MPV $18.22 $49.55 $35.34 $74.74 $124.70 $67.38 Ad Spend/Revenue Ratio 2.84% 0.91% 5.77% 0.34% 0.24% 0.65% Discounting Percent 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Total Cost/ Revenue Ratio 2.84% 0.91% 5.77% 0.34% 0.24%

5.2. Budget Puesta Del Sol does not have a budget for Internet marketing. The projections listed in Section 5.1 are based on a $2,000 monthly budget. In order for these estimates to be realized, the site would need a revamp, an e-mail distribution service would need to be purchased, and a staff member (or freelancer) would need to be employed. A rough estimate of these additional monthly costs require an extra $5,000 in the budget.

6. Implementation Plan

6.1. Sequence and Timeline

1st Quarter WEB SITE • Gather and prepare content for new site:

o List of amenities, package information, map, Google Voice number (for phone number exclusively posted on the website)

o Press kit information (photos, history) o Tips for local outdoor weddings (This will be used later in the e-mail

marketing campaign.) o Start blog (This can begin on a third-party site, such as WordPress)

• Create new website • Add keywords and keyphrases to new site • Test new site for function and usability

SOCIAL MEDIA • Create Facebook fan page

o Invite people to send photos and post testimonials o Post list and links of preferred vendors (to strengthen partnerships) o Promote upcoming weddings and wedding-related events

• Begin uploading images to Flickr account • Monitor business’ online reputation

o Get permission to use positive remarks as testimonials on the website o Respond to any negative comments. If necessary, use company blog to

respond to them. PARTNERSHIPS • Open accounts on wedding-related sites that offer free vendor listings

OFFLINE MARKETING • Prepare offline marketing methods to match branding of new website and

promote new site 2nd Quarter

WEBSITE • Launch new site • Include press kit • Migrate blog • Embed Flickr slideshow • Test site again for function and usability • Prepare landing pages for planned PPC campaign

• Begin creation of mobile website PUBLIC RELATIONS • Send press release about new website • Post press release in online newsroom • Publicize any upcoming weddings or events

EMAIL • Use new branding for auto-replies to information requests submitted via the

website • Include option to sign up for quarterly e-newsletter

SOCIAL MEDIA • Begin Facebook Ads • Promote new site on Facebook/request feedback

OFFLINE MARKETING • Start using marketing materials with new branding

3rd Quarter

WEBSITE • Test ability to sign up for e-newsletter

MOBILE • Test and launch mobile site

PUBLIC RELATIONS • Send press release about new mobile website and video promotion • Post press release in online newsroom • Publicize any upcoming weddings or events

EMAIL • E-mail quarterly e-newsletter promoting new mobile site and upcoming events

SEO • Launch PPC campaign targeting prospects and new visitors • Check effectiveness of SEO efforts on search engines

SOCIAL MEDIA • Launch video promoting content on new site • Post video on Facebook and YouTube • Promote mobile site on Facebook/request feedback

PARTNERSHIPS • Check if referrals from partners sites warrant purchase of a premium vendor

listing

4th Quarter

WEBSITE • Check site for errors • Conduct usability tests

MOBILE • Begin search for mobile app developer • Test mobile site for usability

EMAIL • E-mail quarterly e-newsletter promoting upcoming events

SEO • Launch PPC campaign targeting existing and returning customers • Determine conversion rate of previous PPC campaigns; amend campaign as

necessary • Check effectiveness of SEO efforts on search engines

PARTNERSHIPS • Check if referrals from partners sites warrant purchase of a premium vendor

listing

Website testing, keyword optimization, e-mail marketing and checks on potential partner site would be a continuous effort.

7. Evaluation and Control

7.1. Measurement and Testing Plan As the Internet marketing campaign begins, web traffic should be monitored on a monthly basis. The goal of increased brand awareness can be reported with a web analytic program, as well as metrics from social media sites, like Facebook. Lead generation can be tracked through online forms requesting more information and calls from a web-only listed phone number.

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internet marketing plan for wedding venue

Documents