All businesses need to have an effective staffing strategy in place. This is especially important for hotels, as their requirements are going to change throughout the year. Needless to say, during peak season, you are going to need a lot more helping hands; in fact, over 142,000 people in hospitality and tourism are employed in seasonal, fixed-term, or temporary contracts. So, how do you deal with this? Read on to discover some top tips and practices for staffing your property across different seasons.
Turnover costs can become extremely high if you end up hiring too many people during your low season, which can often be the case. You may find that some staff also quit because they are not getting enough shifts. Equally, your employees may resign if you do not hire enough people during the peak seasons, as they may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you are placing on their shoulders. All of this results in more turnover costs. You need to manage this effectively. The best approach is to decipher the ideal mix of seasonal and permanent employees. You can do this by looking at previous demand and calculating your revenue and demand numbers. You can also look at alternative ways to cater to high demand, for example, implementing an affiliate program or outsourcing certain tasks to a third party.
Annualized contracts
Annualized contracts whereby workers do fewer hours in the winter and more hours in the summer should be considered. This removes the uncertainty for the worker while also dealing with turnover costs, as mentioned above. It’s much easier to manage, and while some employees will leave, you won’t have to train seasonal staff every year only for them to move on after a few months.
Incentives for seasonal workers to return
You should also consider incentives so that your seasonal workers return. PGL, a company specializing in school trips and education activity courses, is a good example to follow. They employ roughly 2,700 seasonal staff per year, and approximately half of them return every year. They achieve this by actively engaging their seasonal staff by offering them training no matter their contract. They provided all staff with a programme accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management, meaning they benefitted from a course that could help them in the future, whether they returned or not.
Focus on increasing bookings during the slower seasons
Finally, it is important to look at your staffing strategy from all angles, and one way to make sure you can have more permanent staff than seasonal staff is to increase your bookings during the slower months. You will need to assess your marketing strategy carefully to achieve this. Loyal customers are especially important for this time period. Encourage them to make repeat bookings with special discounts. Also, set up a referral program whereby your current business customers are rewarded for referring new people to your hotel. This can also be very profitable.
To conclude, if you follow the strategies mentioned above, you should be able to get a better grip on staffing at your hotel. High turnover rates and incorrect staffing calculations can be highly costly to any hotel, so it is important to get on top of this sooner rather than later.
It is always a challenge for non-technical clients to pick the right technology for their web or mobile applications. They are highly dependent on the software development service providers to select an appropriate technology mix for their projects.
While they approach an agile software development company, they used to share references for what type of applications they want to develop. But, they have no clarity which technologies are the best for their future web or mobile application in terms of cost, time, and performance.
Are you one of such entrepreneurs who is facing the same challenge? Then, this post will help you to understand the difference between different technologies, which technology you should consider, what type of company you should work with, and how much does it cost to hire the developer having the right skill set.
Difference between Front-end, Back-end & Full Stack
There are different types of technologies that serve different purposes.
Front-end: It contains a set of technologies that develop front-end functionalities where users interact with your application.
Back-end: It comprises a set of technologies that store, manage, and process the data entered by users from the front-end.
Full stack: It contains a technology mix of UI/UX, front-end, back-end, API, database and testing for app development.
In short, if you hire front-end developers and back-end developers, you will get access to the limited skill set. But, by selecting full stack developers, you can adopt and implement almost all the advanced technologies.
Stages of Full Stack Development
Presentation Layer
In the presentation layer, full stack developers create the client-side app where users interact with the app’s interface. They focus on creating highly functional and responsive applications so it would be available across all devices. To develop functionally smooth mobile or web applications, full stack developers use their knowledge of HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstraps, Angular JS, and React JS.
Business Logic Layer
This layer focuses on server-side programming languages and allows to develop application back-end using PHP, .NET, WordPress, NodeJS and other technologies. In this stage, full stack developers write the code to create a dynamic connection between the presentation layer and the database. The business logic layer transmits user inputs to the database and brings back the output.
Database Layer
Database layer is a huge warehouse of information. It contains the data that works as a repository, storing, and capturing information from the front-end, using the back-end. Skilled full stack developers excel in planning how the data will be fetched, optimized, and stored in the business logic layer or back-end.
Key Technologies of Full Stack Development
Front End – JavaScript, Angular.js, React JS, HTML5
Back End – Node.js, PHP, .NET, Magento, WordPress
Design – HTML5, CSS, Bootstrap, jQuery
Databases – MongoDB, MySQL, MS SQL Server, Redis, Hadoop
Server - Apache, IIS, Nginx, AWS
Mobile App Development – Java, Kotlin, Objective-C, Swift, Ionic, React Native, Cordova
Why Consider Full Stack Developers Over Front-end and Back-end Developers?
Proficiency in Multiple Technologies
As we discussed, full stack developers have a profound knowledge of both front-end and back-end technologies. So, they can easily switch between client-side tech stack & server-side technologies and address issues without any dependency. It saves a lot of time and cost of your project development as the same developer is capable to address complex technical requirements and deliver the exact solution to generate the accurate outcome.
Design Structure
Full stack developers are not just responsible to write code for your mobile or web applications. They look into the design structure of your app and address any requirements. Professionals from an experienced full stack development company also know how to tackle the user interface design and the code to build seamless applications using the varied front-end and back-end technologies.
Cost Effectiveness
If you hire separate developers for front-end and back-end development, it will increase the overall cost of your project. Selecting full stack developers, you can get access to a wider skill set that involves client-side, server-side, design, server, database, and mobile proficiencies. It will cost you least as you need to hire a single developer rather than hiring independent professionals for each technology. Thus, you can generate the same output with fewer resources.
On-time Project Delivery
Hiring fill stack developers for your project, you can leverage the least dependency on different resources. It speeds up your application development cycle and increases the chances of on-time project completion. A team of full stack developers divides the responsibility amongst the team members and coordinate effectively with the client and internal resources to produce the expected results faster and in-time.
Full Stack Application Development Processes
Consultation
Selection of full stack development approach depends on your project requirements. An experienced full stack development company understand your project requirements at first and then suggest you the full stack development if it builds cost-effective and highly efficient mobile and web applications for you.
Design
Full stack developers take care of the design structure and different design elements of your application. They can address any design related issues and develop highly intuitive and interactive UI/UX using the latest design tools and technologies.
Development
Hire full stack developer from a renowned full stack development company who have proven experience of working with varied industry domains and expertise to build applications with the latest front-end, back-end, design, server, mobile, and database tools and technologies.
Testing
After the completion of application design and development, it is very essential to apply different automated and manual testings to build high performance & bug-free solutions and deliver best in class experience to the end users. Make sure, all functions work perfectly before launching the application for public use.
Deployment
A leading full stack development company provide end-to-end services that involve application deployment too. Once you are sure about the functional efficiency of your mobile or web app, deploy it on the targeted server and make it available to users.
Maintenance and Support
Under support and maintenance services, you can leverage maintaining, troubleshooting, enhancing and modifying your legacy systems. It keeps your application compatible with the latest technology platforms and devices.
How Does It Cost to Hire A Full Stack Developer?
Costing always depends on your project requirements. If you have a small project, then you can hire one or two developers. But, for a large scale project, you need to hire more full stack developers to complete the project within a tight deadline. If we talk about the market rate for hiring skilled full stack developers, it is 65$/per hour.
Wrapping Up
Make a smart decision by picking full stack developers for your next web or mobile solution. They will always enable you with more benefits than regular app developers in terms of project cost and delivery time. They can easily handle client-side and server-side app development by utilizing their wide and comprehensive knowledge of various aspects and technologies.
Chatbot is one of those technologies that
seems to be awkwardly stuck in a loop of hype and experimentation but never
quite makes it to mass adoption. It’s been now years since chatbots are talked
about as a powerful new emerging technology but for the most part, hasn’t taken
off. But the very fact that those expectations and subsequent development have
been persistent over such a long time is a testimony to their underlying
potential. And if you are interested in their future, here is a detailed
outlook for 2019:
Centralized
ecosystem
Up until recently, the roadmap of chatbot
development and subsequent adoption was largely fragmented- possibly one of the
reasons it struggled to take off. That is, like web and mobile applications,
businesses were moving ahead with their own bots. But now as we know from
experience, consumers don’t like or want to talk to fifty different bots! They
rather prefer one or two bots that can act as a central hub to manage all
different tasks. And that’s the kind of shift we will witness in the coming
year
Absence
from messaging platforms
In late 2016 to early 2017 messaging platforms
like Messenger, Skype, Telegram, and others witnessed a massive influx of
chatbots ranging from service discovery to product based. And though it created
much hype and excitement at the time, it soon began to falter. Moving ahead in
2019, we do not expect any reversal in this trend. Not only the existing bots
on these platforms will continue to remain in oblivion but new bot development
for messaging platforms would continue to be off the priority list for most
businesses.
The siege
on customer support
This is one area where chatbots have had the
most visible impact and continue to prosper. In fact, we would be surprised if
you haven’t already come across those bots. The most famous example is, of
course, the chatbots you would find on Amazon customer support. Given the
significant benefits in terms of cost and customer satisfaction, the shift from
the human interface to AI-powered chatbots is possibly the most immediate trend
that we can expect in the coming year.
Much
improved NLP
The successive failure of chatbots in the last
few years had been one silver lining- developers acquired vast amounts of
high-quality relevant data. Since bots use Machine Learning and Neural Networks
to improve their performance, this data has helped them learn and evolve to
better respond to human languages. So if you recall a chatbot from a few years
ago that couldn’t understand what you were trying to say, they are long past
that stage and 2019 may possibly be the year when tech companies may finally
claim to have cracked the NLP.
Data
privacy
In the last couple of years, we have had an
extensive and quite productive debate on the outreach of digital products and
services along with security and privacy risks they bring along. There have
been numerous data and privacy-related regulations enacted across of the globe
of which GDPR remains the most notable. This is both good and bad news for
chatbots as they move forward. The good news is that there is now a
well-defined framework for future developments and would encourage consumers to
use these products with more confidence. On the downside, keeping up with all
those regulations is going to be an uphill task.
Though we can’t say 2019 is going to be the year when chatbots would finally explode to mass adoption, there would nonetheless be some very crucial breakthroughs. Be it their integration with a larger number of services, background improvements in NLP and security, or their popularity in customer support, app development services are going to have some really exciting projects in this domain that would set the stage for its wider adoption in future.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a systematic process of increasing the performance of your website.
It is a process that is designed to increase the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action when on your site. This desired action may be as simple as filling out a form, subscribing to a service or becoming a customer by clicking ‘confirm order.'
Building a fully working website is one thing, but making it work for you is a completely different task. In order to find out how to optimize your website to its full potential, you should use Convertica optimization specialists. They will walk you through the whole process of CRO making your website very profitable.
CRO is a method that relies on user feedback and analytics to improve any metric on your website that will be beneficial to business.
It turns your visitors into active consumers, which is a great way to attract traffic and help increase your profits online.
What is CRO Useful For?
Conversion rate optimization can be used on various online platforms to improve the performance of certain aspects of your business.
Some of the most popular uses for CRO include:
Downloads
Online surveys
Registrations
Acquiring new customers
It is a process that is designed to figure out what your customers are looking for when they visit your website and finding ways to give it to them.
CRO will encourage customers to continually use your website and services.
What is a Conversion Rate?
The conversion rate of your website is the figure given to the number of times a user does what you want them to.
The number of times a user completes a goal that you have set to increase site traffic, such as filling out a form or signing up to mailing lists, will contribute to the conversion rate of your website.
Conversion rate optimization occurs after someone simply visits your site.
People will be drawn to your website based on what you offer them, and it is their reaction to this that makes all the difference.
What is Conversion Rate Optimization used for?
CRO is a vital business tool that can help make you more money and attract customers.
The higher conversion rate you have on your site, the better return on investment you will be making from this platform.
It is considered to be a much more cost-effective plan to convert the percentage of visitors you already have into a profit, rather than trying to attract new ones.
CRO can also be beneficial to customers as it gives them what they want quickly. This is essential when being faced with the competition from other online platforms and the short attention span of customers.
Examples of CRO
There are a variety of different ways you can apply conversion rate optimization to your website.
Micro Conversion
These are smaller actions that you can get your customer to do, such as:
+ Signing up to mailing lists
+ Adding something to the cart
+ Creating an account
+ Filling out a survey
Macro Conversion
These are bigger actions of your customers that can directly result in a profit, such as:
The new year 2019 is fast approaching us. If you happen to be a small business or start-up organization looking to make it big in the industry this year, then you have your work cut out for you.
For small businesses and start-ups, the task is especially difficult due to the limited financial and other resources that you have at your disposal. You can have a very tough time in successfully implementing your various marketing strategies. This is because the onus is solely on you to diversify and expand your business.
Thus, there is also the time factor as you need to do both all at once. This can be quite arduous, to say the least. So, you have to design the perfect marketing plan and implement the same effectively.
Thus, if you want your business to make major head ways and inroads in your industry in 2019, please check out the following marketing ideas. These are designed by keeping in mind the specific requirements of hardcore professionals. If you can follow them diligently, then success is guaranteed. These marketing ideas are:
Give maximum priority to only the most premium and effective channels of marketing
You have options galore when it comes to promoting your business interests in the form of different types of marketing channels or mediums.
It could be a blunder of epic proportions on your part if you go for each and every available marketing channel. The net result will most likely be zero in such a scenario.
All your marketing efforts will prove to be a futile exercise in such a case.
You can explore various options when it comes to marketing channels. But this should only be for gathering the requisite knowledge which enables you to select only the best ones.
The very fate of your business depends on your choice of marketing channels. If you can successfully execute this crucial strategy at the very outset, then lucrative dividends are inevitable.
Select your marketing channel based upon the type of your organizational activities. A certain type of business organization will require a certain online social media platform for effectively highlighting and promoting their business interests etc.
The most appropriate marketing channel will also make your customers aware of the latest developments regarding your organization etc. It will greatly help you in generating maximum user traffic and expand your target customer base etc.
You have to adopt the most viable marketing channel based on the type of your business, your core customers etc. The trick is to opt for the most feasible online social media and search engine optimization platforms and strategies etc.
If you can do this properly, then you will get the desired results without over-exerting yourself. You can achieve your business goals by coming up with marketing ideas that are the best in the business but require the least work on your part. You just have to be clear about what exactly you want from your business.
As a professional marketer, you simply cannot ask for more in this context.
Take the help of online marketing techniques to establish long-lasting bonds with your target audience
With effective online marketing strategies, you can interact with and contact your customers through e-mails etc.
It has been found that the overwhelming majority of customers prefer this medium of communication over others. So, you can successfully promote your business interests and build a formidable brand name in your industry through this.
Be sure to use the proper tools to get to know your visitors and win over and retain their loyalty. Various such options are available nowadays which will maximize your return on investment.
Moreover, you can win over their trust by providing them with incentives like special or bonus offers etc. That way you can easily get access to more personal information from them. They are much more likely to initiate and share the same with you.
This will make it way easier for you to expand and create a huge customer base. You can use various effective strategies like marketing campaigns etc to cement your association with your customers. They will always give your business maximum priority after this.
The various types of online marketing campaigns can immensely enhance your brand value and customer conversion rates. Use the latest technology to make them function automatically. Make use of only the best marketing tools to divide your online customer contact list properly.
This will assist you in choosing the most relevant marketing campaign for a particular occasion etc. Also, make sure to design all your website features like the home pages etc according to the personalized requirements of each different customer group.
Choose only the most ultra-premium website features like the highest-quality web content etc for promotion
Even though your financial resources are limited, but it should never come in the way of promoting your business interests.
You must take care to use only the best and most viable social media platforms and online marketing campaigns in this regard. Make sure that the content which is viewed by your visitors herein is the best in the business.
Then you can harness the power of the most effective marketing campaigns etc to highlight the best features of your online website content. This will bring you the desired outcomes even if you are in a tight financial position.
Then you have to regularly stay updated about all the latest industrial developments in terms of customer preferences etc which are ever-changing. This will enable you to devise the best possible marketing strategies and invest in projects which will maximize your ROI.
If you can promote and highlight the best part of your website content, then it can maximize your user traffic in all possible online platforms.
Create your own distinct brand identity by reaching out to and informing your customers about your brand backstory or history
Use all the proper marketing channels and come up with the perfect content promotional strategies.
It can be in the form of a tale that lets your visitors know various things about your brand like how it came into being etc. It should be relevant to and should connect to your target audience on a personal level.
It should be attractive and engaging. It must have a relevant central theme or message that your visitors will find extremely useful. Given the cut-throat competition in this field, you can team up with and promote your business with other firms whose area of operations are similar to your own.
To sum it up, market your business in such a way that it is able to stand way above the rest in the industry. It must enable you to create your own trademark brand identity which is a league apart from the others in this field of activity.
Use attractive website features like visual imagery, promotional videos etc to upgrade and make your content crystal clear to your target audience
This is an extremely vital marketing idea especially for start-up firms.
Design your visual imagery and promotional videos etc in such a manner that it connects with your consumers on an emotional level. If you can effectively do this, you will win half the battle as you are catering to the exact needs of the target market.
You can use all the latest apps and gadgets to update the content of your videos and visual imagery etc. Do this in such in a way so as to create flawless content and structuring of your videos, images etc.
This way, you can engage your target audience on a consistent basis and get your intended message across to them just like you wanted to.
This will multiply your user traffic manifold and enable you to achieve all your organizational goals.
Make optimum use of the latest search engine tools to further your business interests
Nowadays, search engine giants like Google are offering a certain tools absolutely free of cost that can help to maximize your user traffic.
This particular tool regulates the various user opinions and feedback regarding your business. It engages with your customer so effectively on your behalf that your organizational goodwill is enhanced by leaps and bounds.
With the help of this tool, you can share all your organizational information with your clients and get complete access to all sorts of customer feedback. You can use this invaluable information to rectify any possible errors which you might have made.
These and another recent feature can enable you to share and put forward your website details to your customers. Thus, it can play a key role in improving aspects like your search rankings on all fronts.
With this, you will never lose contact with your customers and act accordingly to serve their interests and thereby further your own business prospects.
So, put these simple marketing ideas into action right at the onset of this new year 2019. Rest assured, this new year undoubtedly will take your business to new horizons of glory.
Author Bio
Justin Kemp is working as a Jr. content writer and blogger with Ranking By SEO. He can be seen blogging about digital marketing, SEO, SMO, PPC, etc.
