Wedding photographers have the skills to capture the strongest positive images of the joy of life! Potential guests might not be getting married, but an image of joy & love captures the feelings most of us want to feel.
You can have these wedding photos for free to use on your website and in your social media. Here’s how.
Look at these pages on Hermann Hill’s website.
32 Wedding Photographers Attributions with links We asked the wedding coordinator, a Hermann, MO native, Freyja Stroup, “How do you get all these beautiful, free wedding-related photos?”
Her answer? “We just ask them.” Here’s HOW they ask;
“If we credit and showcase your work on our website and social medial channels could we use your photos? The photos will give you inks and tags wherever used”.
Of course, those who say yes also get implied endorsement when they are included on HermannMoHill.com.
So if you need photos ASK. Good photographers with current marketing moxie will send you photos you can use.
3 More Tips to Get Less Expensive Photos for your Website.
Spam ATT Alert – Don’t Believe It or You Could Lose Thousands
Last week we sent out an alert about the newest Google release that is causing a lot of valid emails to go to Spam. (See below.) After reading it a Texas innkeeper sent us this,
“Guys, can you spread this word? Here’s a different twist on the same issue. I have LOVED the “ATT Protect” app that labels incoming calls as “spam” or “telemarketer” or whatever.
For 3 years, I have been eager to ignore all calls labeled spam like that. As busy as I am, I resent bogus calls.
But recently I accidentally answered one which turned out to be real: a guest wanting a room that night!
Grudgingly I began to answer all of the calls labeled Spam, just to experiment.
To my horror easily half of the calls labeled SPAM are real business.
Guests in the inn with a TV problem…guests trying to find us….guests wanting rooms, weddings, events, and gift certificates have all turned up. No telling how much real business I have ignored, wasted, or whatever.
So ya’ll, do your own experimenting, but…don’t trust that app! Something is dreadfully wrong with it.” Cathy
Check Your Spam, Check Your Spam
In an effort to control spam, Gmail has been making some major changes. But in the process of seeking spam control, they have been causing major problems for users.
Lately, innkeepers, friends & office staff are complaining about Gmail blocking legitimate emails. We are also hearing that the other email giants are making their own tweaks and implementing additional spam controls.
The problem for inns is that when something goes to spam, it might be a reservation request made by email or a cancellation.
Be aware and monitor your junk folder. There could be a reservation hiding there.
The Technical – The technical reason is that Google and others are starting to quarantine messages that they don’t pass DMARC tests.
Those messages are typically sent with return domains that don’t match the sending domain. This can happen when a message is generated on a form, like a contact form, and sent from the website with the guest’s email as the return address. Since that will be different from the sending source domain the email fails one or more DMARC tests.
In the past those failures have only been monitored, now email companies are starting to drop those failures into quarantine status or outright rejection.
Here is a good article that explains the issue
Here is a link to google’s support page
Deadline July 18.
Did You Get This GoDaddy Message?
“Your site’s version of PHP will be updated on July 18, 2022
Several inns have contacted us about this GoDaddy situation – here’s what the message said.
“In order to boost your website’s security and performance, we’ll be updating your site to PHP 7.4 on July 18, 2022.
This update may cause issues with older plugins and themes. To ensure your website will work as expected, you can use our staging feature to test this update in advance…
Go Daddy Offers a Help Article Here Notice at the bottom it says if you’re not sure what version etc. you have to contact your webmaster.
Don’t have a fast-acting, quick-responding webmaster? Get one here. DRingler@iloveinns.com.
7 Ways A Webmaster Will Keep Your Business Humming
1) Update WordPress Plugins,versions of software and replace discontinued software and plugins.
2) Keep Up With Google & Gmail – Constant updates seem to be mandated by Google. Think of what’s happened in the last 5 years (1) First sites needed to have at least a stand alone mobile application or they’d be penalized in Google searches THEN that was no longer acceptable and you needed your site to be responsive or you would be penalized. 2) All sites needed to update the protocol to HTTPS in order to be considered secure. 3) Everyone had to get their sites ADA Compliant or possibly be hit with lawsuits 4) Changes to SEO algorithms hit constantly. Things that were once acceptable were no longer acceptable.
3) BIG Tech Changes — Such As Voice Activated Searches….they are here & gaining traction.
4) Daily Tech Problems – These challenges can pop up at any time: Here’s what we hear from innkeepers: My email isn’t working. I made a change and all my photos are gone. I think I was hacked. I changed reservation systems. I need a blog.
5) Weekly Situations – I need to add photos, make corrections, start promoting weddings, add a blog, add a popup, remove a room/add a room, change prices, remove breakfast service, update the site due to Covid, etc.
6) Keeping Links Correct – When Articles and links on your site no longer work, you’ve got to get those bad links off the site or suffer the wrath of Google AND annoying your visitors.
7) You are hacked…
Keep Your Webmaster On Speed Dial – If you aren’t a highly technical and proficient I.T. professional, you need a webmaster on speed dial.A maintenance contract can save you money and reduce website downtime and keep reservations coming in. 949-481-7276
