What do I need to know about TripAdvisor ?

TripAdvisor is one of the worlds largest independent guest review websites offering trusted advice from real travellers. Operating in 30 countries worldwide, TripAdvisor publicly displays over 60 million reviews and opinions on accommodation and more around the world.

TripAdvisor is definitely not a site that you can ignore, as it will often feature in Google search results when people search your resort. It's great when you have lots of positive reviews, but it can be expensive when there's too many negative reviews.

So how do I control this?

Well, technically you have no control over what is posted about your resort, however you can encourage your guests to go and place positive reviews. The positives should always out way the negatives, so of course, the more positive reviews listed the better.  A great way to do this is to email your guests with the link to your TripAdvisor page and ask them to leave comments about their experience after their stay.

If you do not already manage your own TripAdvisor listing, you should claim your property as the manager here: http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Owners.

As the manager,  you will be able to add images and update property and contact information.  You will also receive notification of reviews being posted - good and bad - giving you an opportunity to respond.  It is always a good idea to respond to these reviews as it shows your guest, and any potential  guests, that you are involved and value their opinion. However, obviously when dealing with negative reviews - tread carefully; remember, not to argue with the guest even if they are wrong.  Be positive and invite an offline conversation.

Should I have a TripAdvisor Widget on my website?

We often get requests to place the TripAdvisor widgets on our customer’s websites. Although we encourage you to embrace this website, we do not recommend placing the widgets on your site.

We don’t agree with placing content on your site that you have no control over; especially if you use the widget to automatically display the latest reviews. The other major point to consider is that you are sending people to TripAdvisor where they are directed to book on 3rd party websites. More often than not, these websites will have high commissions; so essentially, you are being charged for sending your guests to book elsewhere.

Also, these widgets will often have 2 or 3 links to the TripAdvisor website and not actually provide any direct links back to you or your property listing.

At the end of the day, it is important to manage and embrace your reviews, however if a guest wants to read reviews about you, they will purposely go and find your listing on TripAdvisor .