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Digital Marketing

BOOST DIRECT BOOKINGS WITH DIGITAL MARKETING FOR HOTELS

You invest a lot of time and money in sales and marketing, but are they getting you the results you want?

Your marketing efforts as a hotelier are focused on obtaining direct bookings. Because, even if you have bookings from online travel agencies, the reality is that direct reservations generate greater money.

Cookie-cutter hotel marketing strategies will not be enough to increase direct bookings in the face of fierce competition in the hotel business and customers moving to other accommodation options.

In this piece, we’ll go over some efficient hotel marketing tactics for increasing direct bookings:

Make A Responsive And User-Friendly Website

A user-friendly website can mean the difference between someone clicking the Reserve Now button and someone leaving your site permanently.

Because, let’s face it, if your website looks like this, how can you expect customers to reserve a room?

Your website is your conversion engine, which means you can’t afford to be sluggish. You’ll find generic themes that might work for your hotel, but you won’t be honouring your brand or meeting your guests’ needs.

Consider it this way: when visitors visit your website, you want to make sure they’re in a setting that encourages them to make a reservation. It should be simple for customers to book, with photographs of your hotel and all of the information organised in a way that does not overwhelm users.

However, user-friendliness and aesthetics are only one piece of the puzzle. They are linked by responsiveness. You’re probably aware of the influence mobile technology has on consumer behaviour. Customers no longer wait till they discover a desktop computer to book a hotel; instead, they use their smartphones to look for and book rooms. So, if your hotel’s website isn’t mobile-friendly, you should get started right away.

Incentives on your website are a great way to get people to come to your site.

Customers don’t just look at your rooms or facilities when looking for a place to stay during their holidays or business travels; they also look at the various services you have to offer. Incentives may be a powerful motivator, whether it’s a free breakfast, free room service, or a room upgrade, and they underline the value clients receive when they use your service.

Remember the “Stop Clicking Around” and “It Pays to Book Direct” campaigns from Hilton and Marriott, respectively? When it comes to rewarding their loyal clients, these hotel behemoths know how to play their cards. You may do the same thing as well.

What role do incentives play in your hotel’s marketing plan? One option is to draw attention to these benefits in a creative way.

CTA button, similar to this:

An Optin popup that appears when they land on the website is another approach to promote your offer.

Place an ad on Facebook

Facebook is a veritable wealth of potential clients. Not only because it’s where the majority of your clients reside, but also because advertising on Facebook is less expensive. The best part about utilising Facebook is that you can choose from a variety of ad types and formats to match your goals, allowing you to target the appropriate people at the right time in the conversion funnel.

If you advertise on Facebook, there are a few things to bear in mind:

  1. Segment your audience: The type of demographic you’ll be targeting will determine the type of ad you create. You may personalise your audience on Facebook and target them using hyper-specific parameters. You can also omit certain traits to ensure that your adverts are directed at the correct people with the proper goals. When the goal of your ads is brand recognition, for example, you’ll only be squandering money on ads if you target those who are already following you.
  1. Use remarketing: Remarketing works on the simple concept that the more your adverts appear in front of your customers, the more likely they are to convert. If you want to promote a special offer, you may use Facebook remarketing to target people who have visited your website but haven’t made a booking.
  1. Experiment with other targeting options: The beauty of Facebook advertising is that you can layer different targeting options on top of each other to narrow down your target audience even further. To get a more particular, relevant target audience, use demographics, interests, and behavior.

Utilize Customer Reviews And Star Ratings

Customers are constantly seeking confirmation. They want to ensure that they get the finest possible experience. They want to be sure they’re making the best selection possible. And the majority of them believe in reviews and star ratings, whether they come from a friend or a reliable source.

Customers want to have a good time, so keep that in mind while making a hotel reservation. As a result, harnessing favourable evaluations is an important aspect of a solid digital strategy for hotels.

To begin, go to TripAdvisor, Agoda, and other high-authority hotel directories and claim your company listing. These sites allow clients a channel to resort to when they need to authenticate the level of service that you deliver. Furthermore, TripAdvisor bestows specific badges on establishments that frequently receive high ratings and good reviews, such as “Certificate of Excellence” and “Traveler’s Choice.”

You’ll gain bonus points for your hotel business if you have these badges, reviews, and star ratings on your website.

However, positive feedback is only one side of the coin. You must also address the negative ones, as leaving problems unsolved might give your consumers an unfavourable impression. And if you work in the hospitality sector, you know how important it is to pay attention to your customers’ demands.

When responding to reviews, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Maintain a professional demeanour: You are representing your company. You can be lighthearted and chatty in your responses, but always retain a professional demeanour.
  1. Respond fast: Responding quickly to unfavourable reviews demonstrates your receptivity and efficiency in dealing with their problems.
  1. Get to know your customer: You can’t always be right, so you have to get to know your customer’s point of view. Determine the best course of action for resolving the problem based on this information.

Any comprehensive hotel marketing strategy should include review monitoring. You’ll have a better idea of how to proceed with your marketing activities if you know what your customers are saying about your company.

It’s All About The Customer Experience

As a hotelier, your job is to give every visitor the greatest experience possible. However, excellent service is insufficient. The customer experience starts even before they arrive at your hotel—it begins with their first visit to your website.

You can motivate customers to continue with your service by providing them with an outstanding experience from the time they access your site. And combining this experience with your digital approach might yield benefits that go beyond marketing exposure.

Contact us to see how digital marketing may benefit your hotel!