By Mihaela Lica-Butler
Hospitality is a highly competitive business, with all kinds of players bidding for the first spots in Google search results and hoteliers pouring fortunes into advertising and marketing. Despite the wealth of “how-to” resources available to teach hotel managers how to make the best use of a multitude of tools to achieve measurable ROI, some are still crushed by competition, or lose the first spots in search results because of poor SEO, outdated website design, a cumbersome booking engine, and so on.
There are many factors that influence how hoteliers should be selecting the right hotel direct distribution channels, starting with the website architecture. Modern websites make use of HTTPS – because Google demands it, are mobile-compatible, and simplify the direct booking process. They are also highly visual, to allow potential guests to understand not only the property, but also the destination. Images trigger emotional reactions, which impact conversions. Poor visuals may lose a guest who found a site through search. Hoteliers should also understand that images of empty rooms perform less than images that include people using the space.
Modern websites also often have a blog attached serving travel tips, guides, and other news, basically acting like a virtual “concierge” that shows future guests how the hotel is situated within the local community, how they value local culture, and how much they know and are willing to share about local businesses and attractions. Blogs that deliver exceptional content are often ideal tools that drive direct bookings. There are also widgets that can make the content of a blog richer and more engaging, from displaying the latest Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter posts, to highlighting video content and other rich media and beyond. The most important widgets are those that create “urgency” for the potential guest, like “today only,” “special offer,” “super saver,” “book now,” and so on. For instance, consider featuring different types of widgets, each with a powerful call-to-action to inspire site visitors to book.
The booking engine that serves the site should boast frictionless navigation, low load times, 2-way-certified connection with other tools (PMS, Channel Manager, Revenue Management Software, CRS, etc.), and much more. In fact, it is recommended that the look and feel of the booking engine should be consistent with the overall website design of the hotel to offer seamless navigation to the potential guests.
Things get harder offsite, but hoteliers can still drive direct bookings if they know how to manage search engine advertising, metasearch ads, social advertising, and reviews. But with, or without these direct distribution channels, the one thing that still prevails is word-of-month. Industry consensus continues to be that despite the advent of the internet and online bookings being one of the biggest sources of revenue for hotels, word of mouth and reputation are still the most important factors in hotel marketing.
This means that hoteliers must focus on building strong a reputation to convert guests. In this process, nothing is left to chance. Reputation management is as important as having a great website, a flawless booking engine, and brilliant SEO. While ads are bought, reviews should be gained. So, don’t cheat, because the truth will come to light, sooner or later. Instead, satisfy your guests and you will soon discover that reputation is the strongest direct distribution channel still.
