Running head: THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN 1

The Dandenong Crest B & B E-Marketing Plan

Name

Institution
THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
2

Introduction

The Dandenong Crest B & B is an exceptional bed and breakfast (B & B) business which

offers a multi-cuisine menu for its customers, operating in the breathtaking Dandenong ranges in

Melbourne. The business targets couples who seek to indulge in a memorable romantic

experience under the renowned cool climate gardens of the Dandenong ranges and spectacular

collection of rare plants exploding with their seasonal coloring(Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges,

2020). Couples targeted by the business include empty nesters or parents whose children are

grown up adults, parents who wish to have a holiday experience without their children, and

young couples. Couples are confident of experiencing an authentic nature thrill, driving through

the majestic trees or cycling under the trees and naturally manicured meadows.

The business thrives on its carefully selected and strictly followed core values that

include offering genuine hospitality and care, openness, honesty, respect for diversity, simplicity,

and respect for environment. Few people know about the business and therefore, an effective

marketing strategy will be an inevitable business strategy. As such, considering the most

effective marketing strategies when targeting local and international clientele, the internet wins.

An e-marketing strategy will come in handy in reaching the target audience, considering its wide

penetration, interactivity, instant feedback, chance to view reviews, and quick in presenting

offers and communicating services at a low cost(Sigauke&Erdis, 2018). The business will not

solely depend on e-marketing since some of the target people will be accessible through other

modes of marketing, necessitating the development of a broader marketing strategy and

objectives.

1. Overall Marketing Goals and Objectives

THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
3

To ensure continuous uninterrupted business throughout the year, Dandenong Crest B & B

will adopt the following overall marketing goals and objectives;

i. To become a leader in customer service experience in the region, this will attract

repeat reservations and recommendations through word of mouth marketing. This

will happen through how the customers are welcomed to the facility, being offered a

premium experience of the stay, and rooms decorated with the theme of the moment.

Cards upon departure will be given to customers listing sites where they can leave

their honest review of the experience.

ii. To utilize various print bed and breakfast guides, and having the business listed and

hence increase the number of customer every year by 30%. The guides must be one of

the most popular in the region. Data on where the guests learnt of the establishment

will determine the effectiveness of the guides as a marketing tool.

iii. To increase revenue through marketing the business through sponsoring of local

events, this will be a means of gaining exposure for the bed and breakfast business.

Some of the events may be the circus performances in the Tesselaar Flower Fields

which allows visitors to experience a breathtaking view of the extraordinary millions

of colorful flowers(Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges, 2020). Other games involved are

the treasure hunt, egg hunt, and the obstacle course. This is a onetime event that

comes every autumn.

iv. To use E-marketing through social media, website development, and bulk mail,

affiliate marketing, paid internet marketing, news groups, newsletters, and chat room

to increase traffic, gain positive reviews, and ultimately increase revenues for the

business.
THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
4

2. E-Marketing Goals and Objectives

The following will be the e-marketing goals and objectives of the Dandenong Crest B &

B business;

i. To ensure that prospective customers understand the quality of services offered by

the facilities and their enquiries are responded to in a professional manner through

means such as email marketing. The email marketing strategy will ensure that the

emails sent are relevant and offer targeted information, customized to excite the

customers and make the want to read them(Sigauke&Erdis, 2018).

ii. To appeal to the prospective customers in search of a holiday stay through stories

and articles of the experience customers have enjoyed and the expected experience,

with a historical account of the events around the area and sites to view through

blogging(Sigauke&Erdis, 2018). Blogging is a marketing strategy that will keep the

customers glued to the sensational stories offered, genuine stories that will attract the

customers to visit and create a memory.

iii. To market various offers and new perks through social media sites such as Facebook

and Twitter detailing the unmatched customer service that our guest experience. The

social media sites will offer engaging content, increasing traffic to the accounts and

comments which are responded to on time(Pride & Ferrell, 2011). The social media

audience will be engaged to convince them to visit, offer spectacular photos of the

sites they can visit and the establishment, exciting promotions, and offer important

information on transport to the regions among others.

iv. Increasing the number of potential customers through increased traffic to the

websites. All other internet marketing strategies such as email marketing, blogging,
THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
5

and social media will be targeted to drive traffic to the website of the business.

People who take their time to view the website often translate to potential customers,

which will turn around the return on investment for the business.

v. Using referring websites to increase traffic to the establishment’s website such as

local businesses, state associations, and various trip advisors websites. Such sources

increase the website visitors, gradually increasing the conversation rate with positive

reviews.

3. Key Stakeholders

The key stakeholders in the establishment will be categorized as internal and external

stakeholders. The internal stakeholders include;

i. The shareholders who have invested their money in ensuring the business meets its

capital needs. These are people who shared in the business planning phases of the

business.

ii. The senior managers of the business are the ones who will be tasked with the role of

overseeing the day to day operations of the business and making some of the crucial

decisions.

iii. Employees will be integral in realizing the goals of the business, since they will

execute the plans set out for the business to realize success in the B & B industry.

External stakeholders for the business will include;

i. The customers who are the cornerstoneof the success of the business. The customers

will be treated with utmost care, professionalism, and honesty. The business will
THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
6

ensure that it offers unmatched quality in all of its service to maintain its customers

and realize referrals.

ii. Suppliers are also external stakeholders who will be supplying the resorts with

various consumables. It is imperative to maintain good relationship with suppliers to

avoid cases of inefficiencies when supplies are interrupted. Suppliers can also be a

marketing tool for the business.

iii. Business alliances also from another category of external stakeholders, where the

business will liaise with tours and travel companies for referrals, trip advisors,

taxi/cab companies, as well as institutions which can refer customers to the business.

iv. The Melbourne community living near the establishment will also be a crucial

stakeholders, since this community plays a role in conserving the environment and

offering the native or local experience that guest enjoy. The community also hosts a

number of festivals that guest will crave to experience. Locals are therefore a

significant marketing tool for the business.

v. The government agencies such as the agency tasked with conservation of forests will

be essential in providing access to the forest and guards for guests. Government

administrator will also be important in providing license for the business and other

regulationsincluding security within the region.

4. Target Audience

The business through its e-marketing strategies will focus on targeting the following

groups of potential customers;

i. Parents who will be seeking a spectacular, memorable holiday experience without

their children for a weekend.

THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
7

ii. Young couples who will be focused on exploring the beauty of nature through the

blossoms of the incrediblycolorful flower gardens of the Dandenong ranges.

iii. Empty nesters who will be parents whose children have already grown up and left

their parental homes. These nesters will also include retired couples who will be

exploring ways to spend their free time creating memories and experiencing the

beauty of nature as they interact with the community of the Dandenong region.

iv. Couples on honeymoon who seek to have a colorful background for their photo

sessions, creating lasting memories of their unforgettable event when they tied knots

and said their wedding vows. They will be presented with an experience they will

never forget as they say their marriage wishes under refreshing landscape.

5. E-Marketing Strategies

i. To increase the number of customers through a number of electronic marketing tools

such as social media, emails, and company website(Sigauke&Erdis, 2018).

ii. To increase revenue for the business through increased traffic, exposure, and ease of

paying for services offers.

iii. To expand the market of the business through affiliate marketing, referralwebsites,

and international reach through various social media sites and search engine

optimization.

iv. Increase the diversity of customers visiting the site to accommodate international

customers from different social, economic, racial, and religious backgrounds through

different offerings and themes which will advertised through the e-marketing

tools(Sigauke&Erdis, 2018).
THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
8

v. To be the leading B & B business in the region through offering best services to the

visitors, which will be evident through the reviews customers will make on the

company website, social media sites, and affiliate websites.

6. Rationale: Benefits of e-marketing to the business

i. E-marketing will help in nurturing and improving the relationship with guest, which

will last longer even after the stay of the guest hence attracting returns and referrals.

ii. E-marketing will extend the online presence of the B & B business, through

variousonline tools that allows guest to interact with the company and request for

various travel packages.

iii. Improve the guest feedback which will help the company to improve on its reputation

and offerings(Sigauke&Erdis, 2018).

iv. Improves the user experience where guests have a chance to employ most of the

functions available with e-marketing such as viewing the rooms offered by the

establishment, the cuisines, the themes, days to visit, associated activities such as the

walks, among others(Sigauke&Erdis, 2018).

v. Ease of booking for the stay where they can easily pay for their desired packages

through online managed payment options.

7. Strategies to Identify and Reach the Target Audience

Employing the e-marketing marketing tools, the following are the strategies which will

be used to reach and target audience;

i. Differentiation, through the use of blogs to give stories of the unique services,

experiences, and cuisines offered by the hotel. This strategy to reach

THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
9

customerslooking for a unique experience will work since such customers often target

the why you are selling story and not what you are selling story(Laroyenne, 2020).

ii. Registering the hotel with the online travel agencies that the target audience is using

such as booking.com, expedia.com, traveladvisor.com, and hotel.com.

iii. Employing Search Engine Optimization to rank the company’s website high when the

key words that target customers use are searched on Google(Laroyenne, 2020).

iv. Posting targeted promotional messages in the website and social media sites, and

linking with pages that target customers often use to attract the to visit the company’s

website.

v. Using targeted emails to reach target customers.

8. Key e-marketing tools

The key e-marketing tools that will be used include;

i. Affiliate marketing

ii. Company website

iii. Bulk mail

iv. Newsletters

v. News groups

vi. Blogs

vii. Social media

viii. Paid internet marketing

ix. Chat rooms

x. Referral websites

9. Legal and Ethical Requirements

THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
10

i. There is need to adhere to the rules and regulations outlined by the government on

data collection and the invasion of privacy. This is because marketing requires the

collection of data, but this process should not invade the privacy of those from whom

data is being collected from. Consent is important(Pride & Ferrell, 2011).

ii. It is unethical to distribute data pertaining to someone without approval of that

person, especially private information(Pride & Ferrell, 2011). Such information

includesimages of guest on the facility and their contacts.

iii. Distribution legal issues also entail the channels to distribute the data such as

telemarketing and emails. Some of the unsolicited emails may raise legal issues(Pride

& Ferrell, 2011). It is thereforeimperative to be updated with legal issues pertaining

distribution of data for marketing purposes.

iv. Avoiding misleading claims is crucial to ensure that clients do not sue or demand

refund for information that mislead them on the services they were to experience.

10. Estimated Budget for e-marketing

Website development -$2000

Website maintenance per year -$2000

Affiliate marketing -$1500

SEO -$800

Social Media advertising -$1000

Newsletter -$300

Total e-marketing expense -$7600

THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
11

11. Action Plan with Evaluation Measures

Month Activity

January Development of the overall Marketing plan and the e-marketing

plan

February Development of the business website

March Development of the blog page for the business

April Development of the social media sites for the business and linking

them with the blog page and the website

May Investing in Search Engine Optimization and linking with the

referral websites
June Developing a newsletter for the customers to view and distributing

through emails
July Conducting an analysis of the marketing techniques employed to

analyze the return on investment, which will inform the investment

that the company will make on the other half of the year in

marketing.
THE DANDENONG CREST B & B E-MARKETING PLAN
12

References

Laroyenne, N. (2020). 7 Advantages of Digital Marketing in Hospitality Industry. Retrieved 5

February 2020, from https://blog.wikhotel360.com/digital-marketing-in-hospitality-

industry/

Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges. (2020). Visit Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges - Official Site.

Retrieved 5 February 2020, from https://visitdandenongranges.com.au/

Pride, W., & Ferrell, O. (2011). Marketing express. Mason, Oh.: South-Western Cengage

Learning.

Sigauke, J., &Erdis, C. (2018).The Role of the E-Marketplace as a Marketing Channel for Bed

and Breakfast Enterprises in South Africa. Retrieved 5 February 2020, from

https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_28_vol_7_3__2018.pdf