When it comes to more bookings, it is a no-brainer that all hotels welcome such circumstances. How to boost them, is a question in every property manager’s mind all year long. It is a true challenge when you count in all the other hustles of running a property, hence we want to facilitate the process and present to you the options, ready to pick and reap the benefits.
Let’s dive in…
Website
For starters, check your website’s condition. Look if the information presented is up-to-date and aligned with your different promotions, you wouldn’t want for unnecessary confusions to occur, and on the other hand be more than willing to share the latest offers. Make sure your site’s load times are quick, for both desktop and mobile versions. If it takes too long for a site to properly launch, most probably any guest will be gone at that point. Keep it simple, visually and content wise. Your site shouldn’t be complex to navigate and the information displayed confusing, instead as easy as possible. All this points together will translate into a low bounce rate. To put the cherry on the top, invest in a great gallery page, that highlights your property, facilities and service.
Limit the choices
To have a lot of choice is usually considered as a plus, but is truly so? Too much choice actually can be a drawback for your potential clients. If you have 10–20 different rate plans it becomes confusing and it causes friction, friction hinders bookings. Make sure to avoid an overwhelming with choice, limit your options to those essential ones. Allowing you to focus and create better packages and facilitating the selection part for your potential guests.
Digital marketing
As 2018 advances and days pass, if you still haven’t ramped up your marketing efforts, you should start right now. Check your AdWords and align them with your different sales, according to each period. You can also consider and explore other marketing methods such as Google Hotel Ads, which allows your hotel to be advertised in organic search results on Google and Google Maps. Something else to keep in mind is careful and detailed planning, for example if your want to launch a campaign in April, start the work by March at the latest.
Reward your direct bookers
Your direct booking strategy should be top-notch all year long. The prices presented on your site should be continuously lower in comparison to those offered by OTAs, as well as simply the best rates, to encourage guests to book on your hotel site. Emphasize direct messages such as, No Booking Deposit and Free Cancellation in your rate planes to entice those who wish to make a booking. Name of the game, try to grab your potential clients attention by offering them the best price for your services.
Test, test, test
Be always testing and improving. Don’t assume that for example a campaign add will be great without testing it first and receiving some feedback. Especially a campaign which is aimed to increase your bookings, which unfortunately can backfire. The best thing to do is to constantly be testing and improving, and why not experimenting with ideas. See how it goes and even if the results are not those you are wishing for, adapt and learn in order to improve.
Having more bookings enables any property to be in a position where many new exciting opportunities appear. As 2018 progresses make sure to be on the path that you want to see your hotel to be. Improving and making the best of what it can offer, having a steady growth in bookings and revenue.
