Online Marketing Plan
For
Villa Bidadari
Prepared by:
Linnea Anderson
Ranvir Khosla
Andrea Krtinic
Jenelle Ross
Calvin Yiu
MRKT 3311 – Marketing in a Digital World
April 11, 2011
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
3
Background
4
Description and Analysis of Key Issues 6
Discussion of Possible Solutions
10
Recommendations
13
Proposed Plan: The Free Plan
14
Paid plans
18
Conclusion
21
Works cited
22
Appendix
24
Page 2 of 29
Executive Summary
Team BAM has been asked by Margaret Mockler to help her villa, Villa Bidadari, with online
promotions. Margaret wishes to at least break even in operating expenses with this plan.
The villa is located in Nusa Dua, Bali, and consists of 3 houses plus 1 main house. A stay at each
house is priced $200 US per/night, while renting out the entire villa costs $650 US per/night.
Nusa Dua is known as a more isolated, luxury resort/hotel destination in Bali. The primary
foreign visitors to Bali in 2009 were from Australia (20%), Japan (14%), and China (19%).
There are roughly 23 hotels/resorts and 24 villas in Nusa Dua competing against Villa Bidadari
with hotels/resorts capturing an estimated 93% of the lodging market.
There are no major issues with Villa Bidadari’s product, price, or location. The primary issues
are from its promotional efforts. The biggest problem is that Villa Bidadari is not listed with
enough online agents. Villa Bidadari’s current promotional efforts are failing because they
cannot be found on current channels when searched using terms normal people would use.
Other online promotional problems include the lack of credibility, poor website design/content,
no search engine optimization (SEO), and no social media strategy.
A SWOT analysis discovered that the most unique strength of Villa Bidadari was that it is
operated by Caucasians. The biggest opportunity was growth from Australia tourists. The
major weaknesses affecting plan execution include the management’s lack of time, capital, and
online marketing knowledge. They also suffer many weaknesses in their online promotions but
most can be addressed with minimal spending. The biggest threat comes from anticipated
growth in competition and battle for market share amongst current competition.
Many possible solutions were examined. The most likely possibilities included adding more
online agents, display and pay per click advertising, SEO, social media, group purchase sites,
geolocation sites, and website redesign.
It was determined that the most suitable target market is tourists from English speaking
countries and Indonesian wedding planners (who target foreigners). To help Villa Bidadari
break even and receive at least 60 bookings for the year, it is recommended that Villa Bidadari
increase visibility, position itself as more “Caucasian” friendly, and improve credibility.
To position itself as more Caucasian friendly, it is recommended that Villa Bidadari change the
name of the villa and include the owners in its marketing materials.
To improve credibility, Villa Bidadari should increase its reviews on websites, make itself “look”
busier, make all web content about the villa consistent, make minor changes to its website, add a
social media presence, use group buying promotions, and audit its customer sales tactics.
To increase visibility, Villa Bidadari should list with more online agents, make slight changes to
their advertised listings, conduct basic SEO, and increase presence with wedding planners.
If Villa Bidadari chooses to invest money into their marketing, it is recommended that they add
an online booking system to their website, launch a Google Adwords campaign, hire an SEO
specialist, and provide incentives for influential bloggers.
Page 3 of 29
Background
Current Situation
Margaret Mockler has owned and operated Villa Bidadari in Bali, Indonesia since 2007. She is
struggling to generate sales with income equaling 44% of costs. She has promoted the villa
online, though most bookings are from personal networks. For this job, Team BAM must help
Margaret select a target market and develop a promotional plan using online/offline methods.
With this plan, Margaret hopes to at least break-even. Proposed budgets are $200, $500, and
$1,000 US dollars.
Basic Information about Villa
Villa Bidadari employs a total of seven people with the exception of occasional part-time staff.
The villa charges $200-$250 USD per villa per night (total of 3 villas and 1 main house) or
$650-$750 USD per night for the entire property. Services include pick up and transfer to/from
the airport and the villa, daily breakfast, fresh towels, a fruit basket, and full daily service.
Basic Information about Nusa Dua
As well as a host of luxury hotels and spas, Nusa Dua is home to the most popular golf course in
Bali and the main convention centre on the island. Beaches here are beautifully famous and
many water sports activities are available. Nusa Dua is a more isolated area in Bali, where
public transport is far from regular. Nusa Dua does not have much of a night-life as it is known
more as a place for relaxation with its luxurious 5-star resorts. There are not too many quality
restaurants outside of the luxury hotels and most accommodation is luxuriously priced.
Bali Tourism Industry Trends
The following Bali tourism trends were found:


Including board, average daily spending by foreign visitors is estimated to be US$74
(Bayes, 2007)
Impact from the global financial crisis has negatively impacted Bali tourism business
(Tourism Indonesia, November)
Market Size & Share of Foreign Tourist Visits to Bali
Bali’s main tourists are as follows (Bali Tourism Board, 2010):

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
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Australia: 446,042
Japan: 319,473
China: 199,588
South Korea: 123,879
France: 110,241
The English speaking market (Australia, United Kingdom, USA, Canada) brought in 635,856
tourists in 2009 for roughly 29% of the foreign tourist market. Please refer to Table 1 and
Page 4 of 29
Figure 1 in the Appendix for a more detailed breakdown of the market size and share of foreign
tourist visits to Bali.
In terms of growth, Table 1 below presents the countries that showed the most growth for
January 2011 compared to January 2010 (Bali Tourism Board, 2011):
Table 1
Australia
China
Malaysia
Russia
Singapore
USA
Tourist Visit Growth Rate for Key Growth Countries
Visits
59,160
17,102
10,267
11,499
6,983
5,792
% Growth
33%
8%
41%
26%
123%
27%
Key Competitors
Competitors include all rental lodging in Nusa Dua. Villas are the primary competitor with
resorts and hotels the secondary competitor. The estimated competitive market for lodging in
Nusa Dua is as follows (Trip Advisor, 2011):


Hotels and Resorts: 23
Specialty Lodging/Villas: 24
Based on rates calculated from Trip Advisor (2011), the average price per night for Nusa Dua
hotels & resorts is roughly $200-$300 US. Average price for villas is roughly $100-$200 US per
night. Please refer to Table 2 in the Appendix for more detailed competitor pricing information.
Looking at reviews from Trip Advisor (2011), 4,918 reviews were counted for resorts/hotels
versus 369 for villas. Using these review counts, the market share of lodging by category is
estimated as follows:


Hotels/Resorts
Villas
= 93% (4,918/ 5,287 reviews)
= 7% (369/5,287 reviews)
Based on this information, we can estimate that of the 2.3 million non-Indonesians that visited
Bali in 2009 (Bali Tourism Board, 2010), roughly 161,000 of these visitors stayed in villas.
Page 5 of 29
Description and Analysis of Key Issues
Product Analysis
Compared to many of the competitors, the product offering is not really at a major disadvantage
as most of the features offered by the more successful competitors (ex. Villa Kayumanis) are also
offered by Villa Bidadari (Trip Advisor, 2011). Some of the key features that Villa Bidadari does
not have that others do are hot tub, spa, private restaurant, and private beach. However, based
on bookings, there are competitors who are doing better (Holiday Lettings, 2011) than Villa
Bidadari that offer the same amenities and higher/similar pricing (ex. Villa Nagasutra, Jasmine
Villa). Based on this finding, it is hypothesized that the problem does not lie with the product
offering.
Pricing Analysis
Villa Bidadari prices its villas at roughly $200/night for each individual villa and $650/night for
the entire property. Compared to the other villas in Nusa Dua, it would be ranked in the higher
end of the “middle range” as the mode villa rental price is about $120-150 per night. However,
given the quality of Villa Bidadari, the price of $200 per night is considered fair and does not
appear to be a major issue. The only major concern is that Villa Bidadari advertises the rental
price of the entire property ($650 US), which may turn off many potential visitors.
Place Analysis
Villa Bidadari is in a very secluded region of Bali, which gives it an entirely different experience
compared to the more popular Bali tourist sites (ex. Kuta). Due to this reason, Villa Bidadari is
definitely targeting a more “niche,” “long-tail” visitor, looking for seclusion and a peaceful
getaway. Because most of the villas in Nusa Dua have this same problem, Villa Bidadari is not at
a significant disadvantage compared to major competitors offering the same experience.
Perhaps one of the key problems with the location is that it is a 20 minute walk to the beach,
which may deter some as beachcombing is one of the major activities for Bali visitors.
Promotion Analysis
Based upon analysis of various promotional channels used, it was discovered that the primary
issues lie within its promotional tactics. Below are the key issues that need to be addressed:
Use of Online Travel Agents
The primary method that is being used today to book vacations is through online agents
(ex. Expedia). To be successful in getting bookings, it is absolutely crucial to have the
property listed with as many agents as possible. Most travelers trust booking thru these
online agent sites more so than booking directly thru the owner, especially in this case
since Indonesia is viewed as a third world country where trust may be an issue. As of
this moment, Villa Bidadari can only be booked directly on Agoda and
BaliVillaManagement.
In terms of online travel agents, these two sites are not that popular and will unlikely
generate many bookings for Villa Bidadari. Lack of distribution by online travel agents is
the most important issue Villa Bidadari must address.
Page 6 of 29
Credibility
Given that most villas are not operated as big name companies, it is absolutely crucial to
develop credibility for the villa so that people trust booking the property. As of this
moment, Villa Bidadari has difficulty establishing credibility for the following reasons:


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Villa not talked about on many sites (5 sites in total)
Minimal reviews (ex. only 1 review on Trip Advisor, none on Google…)
Too much availability (only 2 dates booked in next 6 months)
It is necessary for Villa Bidadari to look more “popular” as people do not want to stay at a
place that nobody else wants to go to.
Website Audit
Based upon looking at the Villa Bidadari website, the following problems were identified:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Minimal text content, lacks description
Layouts are not consistent among webpages
Too difficult for customer to get info and book
 Must call, no email contact
 No online booking or reservation checking
Fails to establish credibility by not linking to other sites (except HolidayLettings)
Designs and photos do not properly execute luxurious image of villa
No use of testimonials or evidence to prove popularity and quality of villa
Fails to deliver updated content
Website only available in 1 language, ignores vital non-English markets
Provides inconsistent information (ex. price only for whole villa, does not
mention price per villa)
If budgetary concerns are an issue, major overhauls to the website can be delayed.
However, updating of the information to make it consistent with the info on other
channels (ex. Trip Advisor) and adding email contact information is absolutely crucial.
The website made by the management company is far superior to the official website.
Designs look more luxurious, you can book online, it links to chatting services, layout is
easier to use, pictures are more abundant, and information is more complete and
detailed. Site functionality is far easier to use and it also utilizes the Facebook “like”
button. The only noted problem with the site is it has a fold and it does not link to other
sites Villa Bidadari advertises on. Other than that, the site is done quite well and its
layouts and navigation can be replicated if Villa Bidadari decides to upgrade its website.
Advertisements on Other Websites
The following problems were found on other websites that Villa Bidadari advertises with:
Trip Advisor
o Cannot find villa if search “Bali Villa” or “Nusa Dua Villa”
 Problem is poor word choice as title only says “Villa Bidadari”
 Does not state can rent by day, only by the week
 Lack of reviews
 2 different listings, one that has price by week, other by day
 Official page has 16 pictures, unofficial page has 2 pictures
 Unofficial page adds no useful info other than review
Page 7 of 29
Holidaylettings
No major weaknesses. Villa appears first if search “Bali Villa” or “Nusa Dua Villa”
BedandBreakfastRooms
 Cannot find villa if search “Bali villa” or “Nusa Dua Villa”
 Can only find if search “villa” which generates 170 results
 Cannot book reservations
 “Bali Villa” search only yields 2 results, NO NEED to be on “premium” listing
 Did not add YouTube video (which is an available option)
Agoda
 Cannot find listing at all
Balivillamanagement
 Does not list price per night
 Site lists links to sites that promote competitors but not Villa Bidadari
Overall, other than on HolidayLettings, it is virtually impossible to find Villa Bidadari on
any of the sites it is listed on. Villa Bidadari must put “Bali,” “Nusa Dua,” and “Villa” in
all of its listing titles to be found. This is one of the most important mistakes Villa
Bidadari made and is the number one reason why the current marketing efforts are not
working at all. Solving this problem should triple inquiries given that Villa Bidadari can
only be found on one of the five sites it is listed on.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Villa Bidadari is virtually impossible to find using relevant key words the average traveler
would search in a search engine for the following reasons:








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Limited written content on the website
Failure to update the website regularly
No backlinks directed to the site (top villa sites have over 300 backlinks)
(opensiteexplorer.org, 2011)
No site submissions to Google, Bing, Yahoo, or Ask
Unnamed pictures
Inconsistent use of “description” and “headings” tags
Minimal use of “longtail” keywords (ex. Bali villa rental Nusa Dua)
No use of social media to keep content fresh
Non descriptive URL names
Overall, the SEO is very weak and could use lots of improvement as Villa Bidadari does
not show up in the first 5 pages. However, if budgetary concerns are an issue, SEO is not
a major priority as most people will not be booking through the website.
Social Media
Use of social media is virtually non-existent, with exception of unused Facebook page.
Page 8 of 29
Miscellaneous Issues
The following issues are problems that were also discovered:


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Name is difficult to remember for Non-Indonesian speaking people
Name may be confused with:
o The Bidadari Luxury Villas and Spa
o Villa Bidadari located in Seminyak
o Bidadari Private Villas & Retreat
Inconsistent information across various channels (ex. daily vs. weekly rates)
No email address for official “Villa Bidadari” website
SWOT Analysis
Table 1 below presents a SWOT analysis of Villa Bidadari’s Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats.
Table 1
Villa Bidadari SWOT Analysis
Strengths

Beautiful villa

Strong on HolidayLettings website

High profit margins

Services and rates are competitive

Owned by English speaking ex-pats 
Opportunities




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Strong Aussie dollar (vs. USD)
Growth of Chinese and Australian tourist visits
(www.etravelblackboard.com, 2009)
Overall Bali tourism market growing from last year
(www.marketresearch.com, 2011)
Government providing tax refunds to tourists for purchases
(www.bernama.com, 2009)
Rise of emerging tourism markets (ex. China, India) 
Weaknesses
Threats

Limited spacing, not effective for huge groups

Terrorism fears

Not on enough travel agent websites (2 only)

Fears of disease contraction (ex. Legionnaire)

Cannot book from official Villa Bidadari website

Fear of tsunami and earthquake 

No barriers to entry

Decline in Japanese tourists (Tourism Indonesia, 2010)

Minimal reviews about villa found on web



Villa Bidadari site not search engine optimized
Rising oil prices causing higher airfare 
Supply outstrip demand, Bali hotel occupancy at 55%
(www.marketresearch.com, 2011)

Limited time available from management staff

Minimal social media presence

Info inconsistently presented on various channels

Site does not portray “luxurious” design

Very limited budget 

Limited marketing knowledge of plan executioner

Villa in very isolated area, minimal shopping

Management staff not multilingual (English only)
Page 9 of 29
Discussion of Possible Solutions
Only the most relevant pros/cons of each solution are presented. ONLY solutions yet to be
effectively used by Villa Bidadari and solutions that fit the budget requirements (ex. no
discussion of rebranding) will be discussed.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Pros
If Villa Bidadari can get website traffic organically, it limits spending on online ads and
provides a huge visibility advantage for their website. Receiving bookings direct from
their site also eliminates commission paid to agents. Also, many of the SEO tactics are
fairly easy to implement without professional help and will generate traffic.
Cons
Given Villa Bidadari’s budget and minimal website content, it is unlikely they will be able
to rank high. Competition for key words (ex. Bali Villa) is fairly high. Competing against
management companies and travel agents will be difficult (though not impossible) given
that they will likely have more content (due to having more properties) and site updates.
Also, upgrading their site and adding more content will be necessary and will further
raise the costs. To bring Villa Bidadari to the first page of Google will likely require a
minimum of a one-time $1000 US investment plus monthly maintenance costs.
Pay per Click Advertising (PPC)
Pros
PPC is a great way to generate traffic without having to rely on SEO. Using PPC to test
the ability of the Villa Bidadari website to convert clicks into bookings is a lower risk
investment for testing the efficiency of the website. With the ability to key in on specific
search terms and geographic regions, all clickers are potential “high quality” prospects.
Cons
The main problem with PPC is the cost per click is expensive at a suggested price of
$2.50 per click (Google Adwords, 2011) due to high competition for main keywords.
Given Villa Bidadari’s margins, it is necessary to have a booking rate of over 1/172 clicks
to breakeven using PPC. Please refer to “PPC Cost Breakdown” in the Appendix for
calculations.
Online Agents/Affiliates
Pros
Online agents are the primary source for receiving bookings for most lodging providers.
These sites have great audience and reach capabilities and operate on a commission
based system. Also, being listed on these sites greatly increases credibility of the villa in
the eyes of the consumer given that consumers trust these sites due to their brand name.
Page 10 of 29
Cons
Listing on these sites requires paying a commission (usually 10-25%) for bookings. Also,
many of these sites have very strict requirements in order for you to list with them.
Display Advertising
Pros
Display advertising is a viable way for generating visibility and awareness for Villa
Bidadari. However, awareness is not the goal and will not provide much help for the
Villa given that it does not provide any really unique benefit its competitors don’t have.
Therefore, paying for impressions will not be used. However, use of PPC based display
ads (ex. Facebook) is possible given its return on investment will likely be higher due to
its payment structure and excellent target marketing capabilities.
Cons
Facebook ads are costly ($2.50 per click), requiring a booking rate higher than 1/172 to
breakeven. Please refer to “PPC Cost Breakdown” in the Appendix for calculations.
E-Mail Marketing
Pros
This is a very low cost method of online marketing.
Cons
Email marketing is rarely effective unless the mailing list is self generated. In this
situation, the client does not have access to this sort of list.
Social Media
Social Networking (ex. Facebook, Twitter)
Pros
Pros include:
 Free to use
 Allows Villa Bidadari to upload whatever information it sees fit
 Most of the Villa’s target market is likely to be on Facebook
 Twitter is a great way for announcing information to followers
 Linking social media to the Villa Bidadari website is great for SEO
 Having lots of Facebook “likes” and “fans” and lots of Twitter “followers” is a
great way to build credibility and visibility
 Great way to address customer questions and problems
 Great for collecting target market statistics and information (use analytics)
Cons
Cons include:
 Unlikely will have big following in initial stages of marketing plan
 Unlikely to receive immediate bookings
 Will require daily maintenance to be successful
Page 11 of 29
Geolocation (ex. Foursquare, Gowalla)
Pros
Pros include:
 Free to use
 Having lots of “check ins” is a great way to build credibility and visibility
 Customers can write reviews in “comments section”
 Does not require much time to maintain
Cons
Cons include:
 Tourists may be reluctant to use “data charges” on cell-phone in Bali
Group Purchasing Sites (ex. Groupon)
Pros
These sites are great for encouraging trial and creating brand awareness as most
of these sites have a wide audience interested in making purchases. They all
operate on a commission basis, requiring no initial investment cost. You also
have the option of dictating the minimum number of transactions needed (not
true for all sites but most of them) in order for the “purchases” to be valid,
providing safety measures for earning a profit. Most of these sites also rely on
members sharing the deals thru social networking, increasing the viral effect of
the deal.
Cons
Purchases on these sites usually are discounted for 30-50% and commission paid
to the site is usually at 30-50%. Expect to rent the villa out at 50-75% below
listed value. Also, it is unlikely to receive a listing with these sites as most of
these sites only offer “local” deals. However, some of these sites do offer hotel
stays and “vacation” sections on their site.
Website Upgrade/Redesign
Pros
A website rebrand can improve the credibility and image of the villa. Making it
easier to book and communicate with villa management will also help turn leads
into prospects
Cons
The Villa Bidadari website is not horrible so a rebrand is not necessary. Costs
would likely be $500-$1000 US and having a new website is useless if nobody
visits it. Focusing more on driving traffic to the current site (which is adequate)
would be a more effective use of funds.
Page 12 of 29
Recommendations
SWOT Analysis Summary
Based on the SWOT analysis, the key growing markets Villa Bidadari can take advantage of are
Australian and Chinese tourists. These markets are continuing their growth in 2011 and the rise
of their currency to the US dollar will further encourage tourism from both markets.
After auditing Villa Bidadari’s marketing plan, it was determined that no MAJOR changes are
needed as the prices are competitive, the product is competitive, and the location of the villa
isn’t too much of a problem. The primary weaknesses lied within the promotions due to the fact
that finding Villa Bidadari online was almost impossible for the AVERAGE tourist. Minor
changes made in this aspect will greatly improve Villa Bidadari’s results.
One of the unique strengths of Villa Bidadari is that it’s owned and managed by Caucasians from
Westernized countries. This attribute will appeal to many tourists entering a “foreign” and
“unfamiliar” country as they may perceive this villa as more “trustworthy” and “credible” given it
is operated by people who speak fluent English, are familiar with a Westerner’s perspective in
Bali, and are more likely to share similar values and experiences.
Objective
The objective is to break even on expenses for July 2011-July 2012 and have at least 60 nights
booked for the year (average 5 nights a month), with at least 70 inquiries per month.
Target Market
Based on the SWOT analysis summary, it has been decided that the most suitable target markets
are as follows:
Primary Target Market
The primary target market for this plan is tourists from English speaking countries aged
25-50 from middle to upper middle classes. The most likely countries targeted will be
Australia, United Kingdom, United States, and Canada, accounting for roughly 29% (Bali
Tourism Board, 2010) of the Bali foreign tourism market.
Secondary Target Market
A secondary target market will include Indonesian based wedding planners catering to
foreign tourists.
Key Marketing Strategy
To increase customer leads and visits, the following 3 strategies (done in order) are suggested:
1. Position villa as a comfortable, familiar place to go for English speaking tourists
2. Build credibility of Villa Bidadari
3. Increase visibility of Villa Bidadari
Page 13 of 29
Proposed Plan: The Free Plan
The following plan is the plan Team BAM recommends to Villa Bidadari as it is free to
implement. It is suggested that Villa Bidadari implement this plan, gain more customers, and
then re-evaluate their marketing strategy after this new set of data is collected. With this data, a
more calculated plan can be constructed to limit the risk of capital spending.
Based on the audit, it was determined that people are not going to Villa Bidadari because they
CANNOT find Villa Bidadari online. This major problem can be solved without spending any
money at all. The recommendations below outline tactics to achieve the key marketing
strategies without any monetary investment to Villa Bidadari.
Position Villa Bidadari for English Speaking Audience
Change Name of Villa
Changing the name of the villa to a more English sounding name would greatly increase
memory with English speaking markets and it would provide a greater perception that
the villa was operated by English speaking people. It would also be beneficial as there
are 3 villas in Bali with similar names. A legal name change may not be necessary
(unless specified by Indonesian law). All that is required is that the general public sees
an English Name. If a name change is conducted, it is imperative that the English name
is on ALL promotional materials used (ex. travel agent websites, review sites, website).
Include Owners in Marketing Materials
To further increase perception of an ex-pat operated villa, the owners can incorporate
themselves into the marketing. Pictures of the owners in the villa can be plastered on all
the online channels that allow pictures. For instance, post pictures of the owners in the
villa on the villa website, on channels advertised in (Trip Advisor), and on various agent
sites (ex. Expedia, Travelocity).
The owners can also include their story of why they decided to open up a villa in Bali and
how they did it as Westerners in a foreign country on the company website.
Increase Credibility
Increase Villa Reviews
In the online world, credibility is often perceived based on ratings and feedback from
others. The more positive reviews you have, the more likely it is that people view you as
credible. Villa Bidadari must encourage all visitors to write reviews on various travel (ex.
Trip Advisor, Expedia, Travelocity) and directory sites (ex. Google Places, Yelp) offering
reviews. An incentive should be offered for guests to do this before they check out.
Possible incentives include free meals, discount, future discount, or souvenirs. Also,
make it easy for guests to do so by having a computer on hand where they can do it and
having the URL in place so that the customer does not have to find the link.
Page 14 of 29
It was also noticed that there are 2 listings for Villa Bidadari on Trip Advisor. Claim both
listings and delete one of them to consolidate reviews and avoid confusion for site
visitors. Having more reviews will make the listing appear higher on these review sites.
Make Villa Look Busier
On all travel booking sites, you can see the availability of the villa. With minimal dates
booked, potential visitors may be turned off because if nobody is booking the villa,
people may perceive something is wrong with it. Therefore, it is recommended that
some dates on these calendars be marked as “unavailable” even if it is not. This will
make the villa look busier, providing social proof that others are staying at this villa,
giving the perception that nothing is “wrong” with the villa.
Make All Web Content Consistent
Much of the content on the various online channels currently used are providing
inconsistent information. For example, some sites list the price of the villa as $650 per
night whereas others list it as $200. It is recommended that both prices are listed.
Having all channels include consistent content will improve credibility.
Website Changes
It would be helpful to include the following changes to the website:
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Add testimonials with pictures of guests (if guests allow)
Add company email address (no gmail, hotmail, etc.) in contact page
Include more pictures of luxurious shots and if possible, include guests in pictures
Add a YouTube tour video of the villa to website to further prove that the villa does
exist and is operated by English speaking people
Include logos of the other sites advertised on (ex. Expedia, Agoda) to prove that if
these sites are your agents, the villa must be 100% legitimate and credible
Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites are great for proving a brand is popular via Facebook “likes” and
Twitter “followers.” If possible, build a following on both mediums and link these
channels to the Villa Bidadari website after a strong following (at least 50 Facebook fans,
at least 100 Twitter followers) has been built so the Villa is perceived as “popular.”
Engage Twitter followers with announcements, cool things happening in Bali, and other
neat pieces of information they may be interested in.
Group Buying Sites
These sites are great for generating trial due to the discounts offered. There are versions
of these sites that cater specifically to travel. This is beneficial for Villa Bidadari given
that reviews are severely needed to build credibility and this is a fast way to accomplish
this. However, these sites must be used in caution as the product is usually sold at 3050% off and the site usually takes a 30-50% commission. Therefore, expect to receive
only 25-50% of the normal selling price. Please refer to Table 4 in “Group Buying Sites”
in the Appendix for a list of these sites.
Page 15 of 29
Audit Villa Customer Service
It was mentioned that there was difficulty by the villa staff to convert leads (1/15 rate). It
is recommended that the villa marketing team audit how the prospects are being
communicated with and figure out why the conversion rate is so poor. Once the
problems are discovered, a new “sales/conversion” protocol should be implemented to
provide a more persuasive message to the prospect.
Increase Visibility of Villa Bidadari
Increase Number of Online Agents
When booking vacations online, most tourists prefer to book from trusted travel agent
websites rather than directly from owners due to the credibility it offers. All the major
online travel sites operate as agents and only charge commission. All that needs to be
done is a submission form needs to be filled out and certain criteria have to be met.
There is nothing to lose (except for commission) for Villa Bidadari to be on these sites as
they will greatly increase visibility and credibility, resulting in more leads. Please see
Table 3 in the Appendix for a list of all the major sites that cater to various English
speaking countries. Please note that aside from these sites, all travel agent sites possible
should be applied for given that they are only commission based. It is also absolutely
crucial to have the exact same listing across all sites to maintain consistency.
Adjust Title of Current Listings and Monitor Listings
This simple problem is the primary reason why Villa Bidadari’s current marketing is
failing. Aside from holidayletting.co.uk, it is almost impossible to find Villa Bidadari on
the other online sites Villa Bidadari advertises on due to the fact that when people search
“Bali villa” or “Nusa Dua villa,” Villa Bidadari does not appear due to the fact that the
title of Villa Bidadari’s listing is only “Villa Bidadari.” By adding the words “Bali Villa” or
“Nusa Dua Villa” to the title, which is the most likely search term someone looking for a
villa in those regions will search, Villa Bidadari should appear in the listings.
To increase search rankings, it is recommended that the following terms are added into
the title for these listings. These terms were determined based on popular searched
word combinations in relation to “Bali Villa” on Google (Google Adwords, 2011).

Rental, luxury, private, cheap, new, Nusa Dua, Bali
Once these listings are changed, it is imperative that the marketing staff at Villa Bidadari
constantly search and monitor these terms on each website it is on to ensure its listing
appears (hopefully on the first page).
Basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Strategies
If capable, it is recommended that the marketing team at Villa Bidadari conduct basic
search engine optimization strategies on their website to increase its search rankings.
The benefits of basic SEO would increase their website ranking on search engines,
providing increased visibility and greater credibility (higher ranked sites are perceived as
more credible). Please see “Beginner SEO Tactics” in the Appendix for basic SEO tactics
that the average person can accomplish.
Page 16 of 29
Wedding Planner Incentives
Find prominent wedding planners in Indonesia that cater to foreigners using sources
such as Google and LinkedIn. Wedding planners are a good target because their
customers will go with their suggestions. Befriend these planners and offer them a free
venue for holding wedding ceremonies. In exchange, wedding planners will book those
who just had a wedding at Villa Bidadari a suite to stay at Villa Bidadari. Offer wedding
planners a commission if necessary.
Using this method, the following goals are meant to be achieved:




Build relationship with wedding planners so they refer business in future
Receive room rental revenue from the bride/groom
Receive reviews from bride/groom to build credibility
Strengthen brand as a place for foreigners to enjoy Bali
If this method is successful, it is recommended that advertising targeted specifically to
this market is purchased via career social networking sites (ex. LinkedIn) to generate
awareness of this promotion.
Page 17 of 29
Paid Plans
$200 Investment Plan
In addition to utilizing the suggestions to the “free plan,” the following recommendations can be
made with a $200 investment.
Website Booking Software
It is recommended that Villa Bidadari offer the ability to book directly from their website
for the following reasons:





Add credibility to the villa/website as most “bigger” companies have this feature
Save on commissions paid to agents if can get people to book direct
Provide convenience for customers (many prefer to book online, avoid long
distance phone calls, save time)
Time saving benefits brings convenience to villa operators
Allows customers to see villa availability
The software that is recommended is Webervation as it allows for bookings plus many
other features. Please look under “Webervation Features” in the Appendix for features
of the Webervation software.
The cost of this software is $8.99 USD per month, or if paid for per year, $102.49 USD.
For the purpose of this budget, we will assume a cost of $105 USD.
Google Adwords Campaign
This tactic is very risky as Villa Bidadari only has 38 clicks to generate a sale to break
even with this method (based on the $95 budget at $2.50 per click). However, it is worth
risking because if Villa Bidadari can generate a conversion rate of greater than 1/40 sales
per click, Adwords will produce a positive return on investment and prove to be a viable
channel for Villa Bidadari to advertise on. It is suggested that this campaign run in April
when people begin to plan their summer vacation. It is also suggested that ads be
written for target keywords along the lines of “Bali Villa Rental,” “Luxury Bali Villa
Rental,” or “Luxury Private Bali Villa Rental.”
Table 2 below breaks down how this $200 budget will be allocated.
Table 2
Breakdown of $200 Budget
Webervation
Adwords Campaign
Total
Cost
$105
$95
$200
Page 18 of 29
$500 Budget
In addition to the $105 USD for Webervation, it is recommended that Villa Bidadari add the
following service:
Advanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Advanced SEO tactics will help Villa Bidadari increase their web presence even further.
Advanced SEO is recommended for the following reasons:




Will generate more unpaid traffic to their website, leading to more leads
Will provide more web presence and increased visibility
Ranking high on search engines increases brand credibility
Advanced SEO will clean up the Villa Bidadari website coding and provide easier
functionality for visitors (ex. better tags, friendlier links)
SEO is usually quite expensive. After running a search on E-Lance (2011), a lower cost
SEO expert was found at an average job of $368 USD.
Please view Table 3 below for a breakdown of the $500 budget.
Table 3
Breakdown of $500 Budget
Cost
Webervation
$105
SEO Specialist
$368
Total
$473
$1000 Budget
In addition to the $105 USD for Webervation, $368 for SEO specialist, and $87 for Google
Adwords, it is recommended that Villa Bidadari add the following:
Incentives for Blogger Influentials
With $440, Villa Bidadari can offer two free stays to two influential bloggers with a big
audience in Australia. It is suggested that Villa Bidadari contact these bloggers and offer
a free stay at the villa (at a cost of $220 US per night to Villa Bidadari). In return, ask
the blogger to provide an unbiased review of the villa and post it on their blog. This
tactic is recommended for the following reasons:




Influencers have a big audience
Influencers can persuade their audience based on recommendations
Adds value to your SEO if they link to your site
If both bloggers combined can generate one booking, Villa Bidadari almost
breaks even with this tactic ($650 - $440 - $220 = -$10)
Please look in “List of Bloggers” in the Appendix for a list of the top bloggers in English
speaking markets. Try to search for one from Australia with lots of blog posts about Bali.
If this method is successful, it is recommended that advertising targeted specifically to
this market is purchased via career social networking sites (ex. LinkedIn) to generate
awareness of this promotion.
Page 19 of 29
Please view Table 4 for a breakdown of the $1000 budget.
Table 4
Breakdown of $1000 Budget
Webervation
SEO Specialist
Google Adwords
Blog Influencer Incentives
Total
Cost
$105
$368
$87
$440
$1,000
Page 20 of 29
Conclusion
Due to the limited number of bookings Villa Bidadari has received since inception, it may be
perceived that there are major problems with the marketing at Villa Bidadari. However, this is
not really the case as its lack of inquiries/bookings is due to the fact its marketing is not being
executed properly.
Margaret mentioned that they were receiving a fair amount of inquiries from the “Holiday
Lettings” website. This is primarily because when searching for terms that a normal person
would search for when looking for a villa in Bali (ex. “Bali Villa”) on each of the websites it
advertises on, Villa Bidadari only appears on the Holiday Lettings website. By making a simple
change to the title of the Villa Bidadari listing (include words such as Bali, Nusa Dua, private,
luxury), Villa Bidadari should be able to at least triple its number of inquiries with this minor
alteration.
Team BAM does not recommend spending any money on marketing until all the
recommendations that can be done for free are used. The first thing Villa Bidadari should do is
build the brand position of being a “Caucasian friendly” villa. Afterwards, work on establishing
more credibility for the villa. Once these two steps are complete, Villa Bidadari should
dramatically increase its visibility.
Doing these three things in order should greatly increase the number of bookings for Villa
Bidadari. By having everything in order internally and then increasing the number of
promotional channels Villa Bidadari is on, inquiries will be flowing in on a regular basis.
Page 21 of 29
Works Cited
Bali Tourism Board. (2011). On Your Mark, Get Set. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from
www.balidiscovery.com: http://www.balidiscovery.com/messages/sendmessage.asp?Id=6834
Bali Tourism Board. (2010). Statistic_Nationality_By_Month_2009. Retrieved March 21, 2011,
from balitourismboard.org:
http://www.balitourismboard.org/files/Statistic_Nationality_By_Month_2009.pdf
Bayes, R. (2007). Beautiful Bali . Travel Weekly Australia , 24-25.
Dot Info Tech SEO, Web Design, PHP. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2011, from elance.com:
http://www.elance.com/s/guaranteedseo/10183/
Google Adwords. (2011, March 19). Retrieved March 19, 2011, from adwords.google.com:
https://adwords.google.com
Gretchen. (2009, March 27). 99 best travel blogs. Retrieved March 23, 2011, from
travelblogs.com: http://www.travelblogs.com/round-up/99-of-the-best-travel-blogs
Holiday Lettings. (2011). Villa rental in Nusa Dua with swimming pool. Retrieved March 17,
2011, from www.holidaylettings.co.uk: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/nusadua/84258
Nusa Dua travel guide. (2011). Retrieved March 19, 2011, from Wikitravel.org:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Nusa_Dua
opensiteexplorer.org. (2011). OSE Link Analysis for www.kayumanis.com. Retrieved March 17,
2011, from opensiteexplorer.org:
http://www.opensiteexplorer.org/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.kayumanis.com/a!links
Tourism Indonesia. (2010, November 7). The Impacts of Global Financial Crisis to the
Indonesian’s Tourism Receipts. Retrieved March 17, 2011, from www.baliedutours.com:
http://www.baliedutours.com/the-impacts-of-global-financial-crisis-to-the-indonesian’stourism-receipts.html
Tourism Indonesia. (November, 7 2010). The Impacts of Global Financial Crisis to the
Indonesian’s Tourism Receipts. Retrieved 19 2011, March, from Baliedutours.com:
http://www.baliedutours.com/the-impacts-of-global-financial-crisis-to-theindonesian%E2%80%99s-tourism-receipts.html
Trip Advisor. (2011). Kayumanis Private Villa & Spa at Nusa Dua (Nusa Dua, Indonesia) Villa Reviews. Retrieved March 23, 2011, from tripadvisor.com:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297698-d572368-ReviewsTrip Advisor. (2011). Nusa Dua Hotels: Read Nusa Dua Hotel Reviews and Compare Prices.
Retrieved March 19, 2011, from tripadvisor.com: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g297698Nusa_Dua_Nusa_Dua_Peninsula_Bali-Hotels.html
Page 22 of 29
Under, E. (2010, November 10). The Impacts of Global Financial Crisis to the Indonesian’s
Tourism Receipts. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from Bali Edut Tours:
http://www.baliedutours.com/the-impacts-of-global-financial-crisis-to-theindonesian%E2%80%99s-tourism-receipts.html
www.bernama.com. (2009, December 23). Indonesia To Provide Tax Refund For Foreign
Visitors . Retrieved March 20, 2011, from bali-holiday.com: http://baliholiday.com/news/?p=1913#more-1913
www.etravelblackboard.com. (2009, December 21). Bali named by Expedia as most luxurious
for Australians . Retrieved March 20, 2011, from bali-holiday.com: http://baliholiday.com/news/?p=1909
www.marketresearch.com. (2011, February 3). Indonesia Tourism Report Q1 2011. Retrieved
March 18, 2011, from www.marketresearch.com:
http://www.marketresearch.com/product/display.asp?productid=6122435
Page 23 of 29
Appendix
Market Size and Share of Foreign Visits in Bali for 2009
The following table and figure is sourced from the Bali Tourism Board (2009).
Table 1
Foreign Visits to Bali in 2009
Country
Australia
Japan
China
South Korean
France
United Kingdom
USA
Netherlands
Germany
Russia
Canada
Switzerland
India
Other
Total
Figure 1
# Visitors
446,042
319,473
199,588
123,879
110,241
92,898
74,010
74,409
74,678
56,974
22,906
25,025
30,813
579,059
2,229,945
Percentage
20%
14%
9%
6%
5%
4%
3%
3%
3%
3%
1%
1%
1%
26%
100%
Foreign Visits to Bali in 2009
Australia
20%
Australia
Japan
Other
42%
South Korea
Japan
14%
China
France
United Kingdom
UK
4%
France
5%
South Korea
6%
China
9%
Page 24 of 29
Other
Key Competitors
Table 2
Competitor Lodging Prices in Nusa Dua by Category
Price per
Night
$777
300
250
480
175
200
Hotel and Resorts
The St. Regis Bali Resort
The Laguna
Conrad Bali
Grand Hyatt Bali
Melia Bali Villas & Spa Resort
Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa
Specialty Lodging/Villas
Kayumanis Private Villa and Spa
Bali Tropic Resort and Spa
Peninsula Beach Resort Tanjung Benoa
Bali Desa Suites
Villa Bidadari
The Villas At Bali Golf And Country Club
Villa Diamondstar Hill
Bali Desa Boutique Villas
Lemongrass Villa
Jasmine Villa
Frangipani Villa
Penthouse Ruby Nusa Dua
$500
150
n/a
150
200
450
100
200
120
120
120
150
PPC Cost Breakdown
The following costs are known:




Cost of Ads
o Average cost per click on Google Adwords: $2.50 US
o Average cost per click on Facebook Advertising: $2.50 US
Profit Margin per stay at Villa Bidadari
o Price of a stay per night at Villa Bidadari (for entire villa): $650.00 US
o Average expenses incurred per nightly stay at Villa Bidadari: $220.00 US
o Net Margin per nightly stay at Villa Bidadari = $650-$220 = $430
Breakeven cost of running Google Adwords campaign
o Formula = Profit Margin Per Nightly Stay / Average Cost per Click
 $430.00 / $2.50
 172 clicks
Summary
o Villa Bidadari needs to generate one booking per 172 clicks to its website to earn a
profit with Google Adwords
Page 25 of 29
Online Travel Agents
Table 3 below is a list of all the major online travel agents catering to English speaking markets.
These sites also own an umbrella of other sites, whereby receiving a listing on the site below will
automatically place your listing in the site’s subsidiary sites as well.
Table 3
List of Online Travel Agents
Agent Name
Needitnow.com
Asiarooms.com
Booking.com
Expedia.com (hotels.com)
Flight Centre Head Office
hotelclub.com
Hotelscombined.au
hotwire.com
Orbitz.com
Travelocity.com
Wotif.com
Link
https://secure.needitnow.com/NeedItNow/Admin/NIN_register.asp
http://www.asiarooms.com/en/add-hotel
https://admin.bookings.org/hotelreg/index.html?lang=en
https://joinexpedia.com/
Phone #: 61 7 3170 7979
http://www.hotelclub.com.au/HotelRegForm.asp
http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotelier/Signup.aspx
http://www.hotwire.com/enrollment.jsp
http://corp.orbitz.com/supplier/contact-us
http://www.travelocity.com/mediakit/tvl-contact.html
https://supplier.wotif.com/Registration.jsp
Beginner SEO Tactics
The following are simple SEO tactics that can be implemented to increase search engine
rankings for a website:
1. Submit your URL to various search engines
 www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl
 http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html
 http://www.bing.com/webmaster/SubmitSitePage.aspx
 http://www.dmoz.org/add.html
 submit your site to Ask
 http://www.alexa.com/siteowners/claim
2. Submit your site to Google Places
 places.google.com/business
3. Setup an account on various social media sites (ex. Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare,
Gowalla, LinkedIn)
 Link Villa Bidadari URL to these sites
4. Try to get as many links as you can to your site by submitting your site into various
directories
 Ex. Yelp, Craigslist, Various travel sites
5. Rename all the images on your site with words that include “Bali,” “Villa,” “Private,”
“Luxury,” “Nusa Dua”
6. Make sure your website content is rich with “Bali,” “Villa,” “Private,” “Luxury,” “Nusa
Dua”
7. Try to include words “Bali,” “Villa,” “Private,” “Luxury,” “Nusa Dua” in meta title and
meta description
Page 26 of 29
Group Buying Sites
Below is a list of group purchase sites. The “travel” sites are the best bets as it will be unlikely to
land a listing with the other “group purchase” sites. However, they are worth trying as they
occasionally do offer hotel stays. Also, some of the sites offer a “vacations” section, such as
Living Social Escapes.
Table 4
Group Buying Sites and Contact Info
Jet Setter
Snique Away
Trip Alertz
Voyage Prive
Tablet Hotels
Spreets
Stardeals
Deals.com
Jigocity
Saletime
LivingSocial
Groupon
GoLowDeal
Livingsocial
Groupon
CityBlossom
Tippr
Crowdsavings
Groupon
LivingSocial
Outlet
Deal Singapore
Travel Group Purchase Sites
http://www.jetsetter.com/contact-jetsetter
partners@sniqueaway.com
http://www.tripalertz.com/signup/supplier/
http://www.voyageprive.com/aide/contactForm
http://www.tablethotels.com/hoteliers/Selection/en/0/0
Australia
http://spreets.com.au/page/for-businesses
b2b@stardeals.com.au
info@deals.com.au
http://www.jigocity.com.au/cooperation
http://www.saletime.com.au/business.html
Canada
http://livingsocial.com/getfeatured
http://www.groupon.com/merchants/login
info@golowdeal.com
UK
http://livingsocial.com/getfeatured
b2b@groupon.co.uk
http://www.cityblossom.com/vendor/register
USA
http://www.poweredbytippr.com/contact-us/
http://www.crowdsavings.com/get-featured
http://www.groupon.com/merchants/login
http://livingsocial.com/getfeatured
Asia
http://outlet.com.sg/
http://deal.com.sg
Page 27 of 29
Webervation Features
Webervation (www.webervation.com) offers the following features:













Reservation requests
Real-time reservations
Availability calendars
Availability pushed to group websites
Automatic availability uploads via GMS / PMS
Custom messages
E-mail notifications of new reservations
Integration with major statistics programs
Ability to sell gift certificates
Easily add last minute specials
Free phone support
Free e-mail support
Ability to upsell items and add-on packages
List of Bloggers
When selecting a blogger to approach, it is necessary to evaluate a blogger based on the
following first:



Does the target audience of the blog fit your targeted audience
o Figure this out by reading the blog postings
o Figure this out be seeing if the blog content talks about things relevant to Villa
Bidadari
Does the blog have a big following
o Figure this out by searching the URL on www.alexa.com
Does the blog review various properties
The following is a list of bloggers taken travelblogs.com (Gretchen, 2009). Please note that this
list is not absolute as there are many different bloggers out there.
Flashpacking Life – Curtis and Lindsie are on a round-the-world flashpacking
adventure through Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe.
Jamie Sinz – Jamie and her boyfriend Nik left their cushy life in America to live abroad
in Thailand. They both blog about sojourns around Thailand and other parts of Asia.
The Little Travelers – Angelina is a gutsy mum who’s taken her two young daughters
on trips to Japan, Bali, the British Isles and, most recently, Iran.
Write Away! – Lauren is an award-winning writer with a love for travel and a keen eye
for the familiar and unfamiliar.
Cool Travel Guide – Cool Travel Guide is the blog of Lara Dunston, a professional
travel writer who has penned guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Dorling Kindersley and
Thumbnail Guides, and written articles for many other publications. She is currently in
her third year of perpetual travel with her husband Terry, a writer and photographer.
Page 28 of 29
Travelvice – In December 2005, Craig sold most of his possessions and took off for an
extended travel adventure around the world
Song of the Open Road – Wade has been on the road for the past 8 years, in which
time he has visited 25 countries on 5 continents.
The Art of Nonconformity – Chris Guillebeau’s blog is all about living life in an
unconventional way. One of his major personal goals is to do as much international
travel as possible, and he plans to visit every country in the world.
Hobo Traveler – Andy is the Hobo Traveler. For the past 11 years, he has traversed the
globe endlessly, taking in 77 countries around the world. He has no intention of
returning home.
The Asian Traveler – The Asian Traveler is June, an Asian women on a mission to
explore the world. Her blog is a colourful exposition of Asian destinations, well known
and little known.
The Professional Hobo – In 2006, Nora Dunn decided to trade in her comfortable
life as a financial planner to travel the world with her partner, Kelly. Their travels have
taken them through the United States, Canada, Thailand and Australia, amongst other
places.
Nomadic Matt – Matt turned nomadic halfway through 2006 and has been on the road
ever since. He’s planning trips through Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America,
but anything can happen: he’s a nomad, after all.
Page 29 of 29