Many establishment owners, especially those new to online marketing, advertise and market blindly but are baffled when very little is achieved. A fatal mistake that many make, is to ignore the competition and consequently focus their attention in the wrong direction. In order to be successful, it is vital to know who your establishment's competitors are and what it is they do online.

Here are a few simple tips to get you started.

1. Identify who your competitors are – Brainstorm your known competitors. Look up their websites and make a note of their web addresses.

2. Create keyword lists – Compile a list of keywords your clientele would use to find an establishment like yours online. Incorporate your geographical location into your list – many travellers will choose destination before establishment.

3. Search online – Using your keywords list, execute some searches on the major search engines – Google, Yahoo and MSN. The results most commonly shown to your target market, will be listed on the first page. Make a note of the web addresses of the top 10 results. Going forward, consider these your top competition, along with the local “colleagues” you already knew about.

4. Analyse offerings, usability and functionality – Visit each of these competitors’ websites and analyse their offerings. Are your competitors’ sites easier to navigate compared to yours? Determine the strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of your target market – How does your website compare? This analysis will facilitate a clear definition of your competitive advantages.

5. Your strongest competitors - Online Accommodation Directories
While searching the internet using your keyword list, you will come accross a large number of Online Accommodation Directories, must likely taking up the first positions or even the complete first page in the Search Engine's Search Results. You should consider to list your establishment on those pages showing up for your keyword list.

6. Keep records – Often, the most helpful way of keeping track of your findings, is by listing them in an electronic spreadsheet. Simply update the spreadsheet each time you gather new information and at the same time you are building a record that you can always refer to.