Smartphones have all but destroyed landlines, and they’ve struck a serious blow to desktop too, with mobile searches overtaking those made on a laptop or PC for the first time in 2015.
There’s no longer any argument that the future of content marketing is mobile. That doesn’t mean you should completely drop the kind of longer form content that desktop users gravitate towards, but if your hotel’s strategy doesn’t contain a healthy portion of mobile-friendly content, your booking rates are going to suffer.
To take advantage of all those guests browsing travel deals from smaller screens, it’s important to understand how consumers use their mobile devices and tweak your website’s content accordingly.
So here it is. The three golden truths you need to remember for an engaged and lucrative mobile audience.
1: Your Guests Are Browsing In Between Other Stuff
Think about when you tend to reach for your phone the most. First thing in the morning for a quick email check? Sure. But also in those idle moments when you’re sitting on a bus, waiting to get called in a dentist’s waiting room, or boiling the kettle.
Most of us don’t turn to our phones with the thought of settling down for an hour’s quality reading time. We’re practically expecting to be interrupted or distracted.
Since your guests could put their phone away at any time – you should put together your content with a short attention span in mind.
- Put the value at the forefront. There’s no room for mystery when it comes to mobile marketing. The opening paragraphs should clearly lay out why it’s in your guests’ interest to keep reading.
- Keep It Short. Unsurprisingly tests reveal that short, bite size content is favoured by mobile users, while mid and long form content performs better on desktop.
- Don’t be coy with your call to action. Don’t forget, no matter how carefully you craft it; many of your readers are simply not going to read your content all the way through to the end. Include a prominent CTA early on to drive results.
2: Your Guests Are Impatient
It’s safe to say that the internet age has made all of us less patient. We want to find what we’re looking for, and we don’t expect to have to wait for it. On mobile, this effect is only amplified.
Google data has shown that most people are ready to bounce if a mobile site hasn’t loaded within just two seconds, which means two things:
- Your page speeds must be on-point
- Your page must be engaging enough to capture attention within a tiny window of time
Show guests your hotel’s content is worthy of their attention.
- Add visual interest with optimised, bold images.
- Make your headline concise and enticing. Tell readers why they should keep reading before they even get to your copy.
- Use subheadings to break up content. Since mobile readers like to consume content in small chunks, make sure each section of your content stands alone. That way, your guests can come back to it later when they have a few more moments to spare.
3: Your Guests Want A Streamlined Mobile Booking Process
Although online consumers previously preferred to browse their breaks on mobile and book on desktop, these days, over half will start and finish the whole travel shopping process on their phones.
Don’t fall down at the last hurdle: a simple, stripped down and intuitive online booking system that works perfectly on small screens is essential. Have you tested yours across devices?
Mobile Is Changing Travel: Don’t Get Left Behind
Your guests are planning and booking their holidays on mobile. If you want their custom, serve them content suited to the medium: lean, engaging content that looks great, leads with the value and loads quickly. Don’t give travellers any unnecessary reasons to bounce and they’ll stick around long enough to make a booking.
Does your hotel stick to these three golden rules to keep your mobile audience engaged? Let us know in the comments below!
RELATED PAGES AND BLOG POSTS:
- 5 Tips For Driving More Mobile Bookings
- Is Your Hotel’s Content Mobile Friendly? 3 Key Areas To Check
- 3 Steps to Creating a Perfect Mobile Experience For Your Guests
