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Over the past few years, hoteliers have adapted to various sources to get hotel bookings. Although various studies suggest that more than 20% of hotel’s revenue is sourced from OTA’s (Online Travel Agents), bookings can come from any where. It could be from online travel agents, hotel’s own website or even the hotel’s Facebook page. Thus, eZee has accumulated a guideline of do’s and don’t that will help hoteliers receive more booking from the online world.
Below are a few of the do’s of online distribution in hotel industry:
Dazzle your guest with lucrative Visual Content: To enhance online visibility, online reputation and increase instant gratification, upload various high definition images and descriptive videos displaying the best features of the hotel.
Accurate and compelling Room Description: It is essential that you provide a compelling room description, that will extensively describe the room and amenities offered by the hotel. The detailed room and hotel description will enable the guest to make quick and informed booking decision.
Optimize room rates and enticing booking packages: The room rates is the most important information the traveler is looking for. In the very competitive hotel industry, the best way to attract more bookings is to offer the most optimized and competitive room rates.
Decorate your services and add a little extra: You can appeal to the guest by offering a few complementary add-on like free WiFi or airport pick. Moreover, you can even promote sales by providing enticing deals and packages and get more bookings.
Seamless connectivity with distribution channels: Get a dynamic and robust channel manager that provides 2- way XML connectivity between the channels and hotel’s front-desk. The seamless connectivity will result in efficient distribution and diminish the risk of overbooking.
Below are few arrangement to avoid to increase online bookings:
Broadcast correct data at right place: Make sure the information you are configuring is in the right place. Displaying room description under cancellation policy is not the correct way to go.
Be direct and transparent about hotel policies: Transparency in hotel policies like cancellation and refund procedure helps the booker to have faith in the hotel and make the booking readily.
Keep it simple and savvy: Since travelers can be from any part of the world, it is not necessary for all of them to comprehend the English language. As to not confuse the traveler keep the description language simple and straightforward.
Avoid using uncommon symbols and unnecessarily terminologies:Avoid using of infrequent symbols like (•) in the room descriptions, rates or policies as they can make it difficult for travelers to understand your content and more often then not it can even lead to traveler abandoning the booking.
Don’t ignore a negative review, instead start engaging with the guest: According to many hotel industry experts, one should always respond to an online hotel review irrespective of it being positive or negative. This will minimize the damage and refurbish hotel’s reputation.
Conclusion
While the do’s of the list are essential to attract guest, the don’ts of the list have a pretty critical implications as well. In midst of the competitive hotel industry, it is vital to stay abreast of the upcoming trends, prioritize strategy and work towards the methods that drive exponential bookings and upsurge hotel revenue.