Your website is your hotel’s biggest and best selling tool, or at least it should be. If you want to beat the OTA’s, showcase your property and drive more direct bookings than ever before, it’s important not to lose your guests just when you get them where you want them – on your website looking to engage with you further.
Here are 3 easy to implement strategies to boost bookings made directly through your resort’s website.
1. Make Mobile Your Priority
Guests want to conduct their travel research and book on the go, at a time that suits them. It’s this convenience that often encourages travellers to go ahead and book their room on the spot, rather than putting it off to return to later.
If your website is not optimised for mobile, you can bet your guests will be quick to bounce once they land on it. Mobile travellers need to be able to find all the information they need within a few simple swipes and taps – make sure your website looks good and performs optimally across devices or lose out to hotels that offer a great mobile experience for guests.
2. Tell Your Hotel’s Unique Story
If you want to convince travellers that you’re the best choice for them, you’ve got to tell your hotel’s story and show off everything that’s unique about your property and its surroundings.
Questions to ask when presenting your story include:
- Who are your hotel’s ideal guests?
- What makes your hotel better than the competition?
- What do guests like about your hotel?
- What would excite you to hear about as an online travel shopper?
An “Attractions” or “See and Do” page highlighting all the great sights and activities in the local area will help your guests fall in love with your location. Is your hotel situated just a short stroll from one of the region’s best concert venues? Do excellent local transport links provide quick and easy access to the city centre? Don’t forget to include it. Focusing on your unique location and features will help convey an anticipated experience that sets your hotel apart from your competitors.
3. Your Website Should Be Image-Focused and Easy to Navigate
The hospitality industry is driven by emotions and experiences, and the best way to take advantage of this fact is through visuals. High quality, professionally composed images can have a far greater emotional impact than words ever will, serving to really excite your guests and inspire them to book.
An eye-catching, carefully chosen homepage image will capture your audience’s attention immediately. It’s also a good idea to include a photo gallery of your rooms and the local area on the homepage. Travellers want to be able to get a feel for your hotel at a glance, without having to dig around too much for information.
As well as letting images do the selling for you, it’s essential that your website is simple to navigate and provides a clear path to booking. Ideally, this means including a “Book Now” button in a prominent position on every page. If your guests like what they see (and hopefully they do) you don’t want them to hesitate or have to search around to take the next step and book.
If your guests stumble upon your hotel as part of their travel planning journey, it’s up to your website to convince them to stick around and book.
What are you doing to drive more direct bookings made through your hotel’s website?
Let us know in the comments section below!
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