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Ashland Daily Tidings By Damon Fouts Web sites on the information super highway have replaced billboards on the highway as a way to attract travelers to one Ashland inn. Duane Smith, owner of the Lithia Springs Inn in Ashland, said he drew 30-35 percent of his guests from the Internet this year. That's up from 5 percent the year ago, he said."People get a feel of what the place looks like and what the rooms look like. That's no surprise to Ed Taylor. Taylor is an Internet marketing consultant, who does all of his business over the Internet from his Ashland home. Taylor markets a brochure, a newsletter, and his consulting and lecturing skills over the Internet. "What makes the Internet such a valuable resource is just how big it is, just its sheer size and numbers," Said Taylor. Almost any business that sells products or services can profit from the Internet, said Taylor. The key is to create a unique, eye-grabbing web site, he said. If you don't know how, hire a consultant to help - such as Taylor. A cheaper way is to study sites that have proven track records, he said. Here, imitation is not only a form of flattery - it can be profitable, said Taylor. Another key is to offer something that is difficult to get somewhere else, Taylor said. Examples are Ashland-made products sold outside the region, or crafts made from Mount St. Helens ash. "Products that lend themselves particularly well (to the Internet) are ones that you can't go down to the local mall to buy," he said. Taylor suggest offering something free and useful to lure browsers. For example, a properties to people outside of Oregon could offer a free list of mortgage companies and the interest rates they charge, he said. Smith offers prospective guests access to the web sites of other local tourist spots, such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. That way, browsers get an Internet tour of the Rogue Valley, free of charge. Also, travelers can access Smith's site from many of those same sites, he said. This way, local tourist spots team up to attract business. Taylor said offering free services and networking with other sites spreads you around various search engines - such as Web Crawler and Alta Vista. That way, more people become aware of your site, he said. Despite the bookings, Smith considers himself only "moderately successful" at aiming the information superhighway at his inn. "I've run into people (who lodge guests) doing 70 percent of their business over the Internet," he said. "Its going to totally revolutionize the lodging industry, I think."
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