While traveling, we've met incredible locals who've offered one of a kind services - like a driver who knows all the local spots, a hotel manager that anticipates your every need, or a guide going out of their way to show you an authentic cultural experience. We love telling the world about these amazing people but our website can only go so far; TripAdvisor however, is a platform that can give these businesses the reach that they deserve.
TripAdvisor is a travel behemoth, with 455 million unique visitors every month. Each visitor is looking for a business to help them make the most of their trip, and that business could be YOU!
Today I'll be showing you how to set up your business on the TripAdvisor platform, then I will go over how to increase your odds of being found. With these tools, you can boost your visibility and achieve long term success.
How to Set Up Your Business on TripAdvisor
Step 1:
Visit https://www.tripadvisor.com/GetListedNew and select your business type. You will notice that there are only 4 options: Hotels, Restaurants, Attractions, and Vacation Rentals. For many smaller businesses, the correct choice is Attractions and you will list one or more services you offer. (More on that in Step 4).
Step 2:
Enter your business information - keep in mind the more accurate you are, the easier it is for people to find you.
Step 3:
Continue filling out all fields provided. If relevant to your business, make sure to enter your Phone, Email, Website Address, and Facebook Page. Your customers can't hire you if they can't reach you!
Step 4:
Select the type of attraction you offer by clicking on Category. You will then be offered a long list of options - make sure to select 3-5 choices that best fit your particular business. The more accurate you are, the more likely it is you will be located by people looking to hire you.
Step 5:
Add a Recommended Time, your Price, and a Description in English for your tour. This is your chance to shine so take your time and write something amazing! If you know multiple languages, translate your description - the more people can read about you, the better!
Step 6:
Submit a photo to represent your business. This is crucial, do not skip this step! People love photos and you are much more likely to be hired if you add a photo of your business. Find your best photo of the tour you offer and make sure you have permission to post it. Once you've completed that, you're all done, check the box and click Submit! From there, a TripAdvisor staff will review your business submission and email you once approved.
How to Get Found on TripAdvisor
Congratulations, TripAdvisor has approved your business listing! Now what?
The key to TripAdvisor success is positive reviews - the more you have, the more likely people are to find you while searching. Your customers already love you, all you need to do is remind them to share their rave reviews on TripAdvisor to help promote what you do!
After every encounter with a client, ask them to review you positively on TripAdvisor - the best way to do this is to send a follow up email/WhatsApp/Test Message with a link to your TripAdvisor page. If you don't have their contact info, print business cards with your info so they know how to easily find you.
If you have a Facebook page, a Website, or an Instagram, add a link to your TripAdvisor page - this will give existing customers a chance to review you and new customers a chance to see your amazing reviews.
The key here is consistency - the more satisfied customers you remind to review you on TripAdvisor, the more positive reviews you will get, and the more likely it will become for people to find you. More people = more business!
Once you've received an approval email from TripAdvisor, check out the TripAdvisor Management Center to start responding to clients, managing your page, and taking your advertising to the next level! At this point you're up and running and the remainder of your success is up to you! Best of luck!