In addition to hunting for value, more holidaymakers are seeking personalised and individually catered experiences when taking the steps to book their next escape.
OTAs can remove the intimacy now highly sought-after by accommodation shopping customers, and this is where the ball is in your park when it comes to offering value, more informative guidance and a hassle-free online experience to encourage booking direct.
Going forward, see how you can increase your direct guest bookings with these hotel marketing tips:
Build Your Website to Offer the Best User Experience
A website that’s difficult to navigate with inadequate information is frustrating, so if your hotel’s website is appealing, informative and easy to use, then this optimised, user-friendly experience might mean a customer choosing to book directly with you.
Include photos that highlight all the best aspects of your hotel not displayed anywhere else on the internet, optimise your website for all mobile devices and don’t leave out any pertinent information that guests want to know. With everything in one place, you're providing customers with fewer reasons to book anywhere else.
Bring Exclusive Guest Perks to the Table
Offering limited specials and personalised guest perks only available through your website is an effective strategy in encouraging your customers to book direct.
Exclusive price discounts, complimentary drinks on arrival, free breakfast, parking and late check-outs are all fantastic incentives that customers are searching for. Go further by partnering up with local establishments, such as restaurants and cafés, so your customers can be confident that they’re getting more value for their money by booking directly.
Offer Loyalty Advantages to Encourage Repeat Stays
As well as offers and perks, devise an intriguing loyalty scheme to encourage repeat bookings from all your previous guests.
Loyalty advantages offer an aura of exclusivity that guests enjoy and can feel rewarded by each time they book directly with your hotel. Make these known by sending out emails to your past guests, and along with your various specials and offers, don’t forget to outwardly promote them all both on your website and social media.
Get Blogging to Pull Customers to Your Website
To increase customer traffic to your website and booking page, make sure you're continually climbing the search rankings with a search engine-optimised blog.
By posting unique, creative content which regularly details all the best things to see and do around your location, your blog can act as an active magnet to your website. Should a visiting customer be interested in a new nearby restaurant, family attraction or upcoming event that you’ve blogged about, that could well mean a guest booking made directly through your website.
What are your methods for encouraging direct bookings? Let us know in the comments below!
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