With summer approaching, there is a consensus that guests are more likely to travel abroad and a seek a different experience from the recently popular staycation. Yet, there is still opportunity to take advantage of this sunny season and start focusing on where you are driving traffic to your website. Every leading member of the hospitality industry will no doubt have a story to tell about their relationship with online travel agencies. Whilst some establishments have managed to wean themselves off using OTAs to drive bookings, smaller independent hotels will know the struggle of feeling reliant on OTAs to encourage bookings.
On one hand, these hotels will be aware that these agencies provide vital bookings to your hotel but on the other, this relationship comes at a hefty price.
OTA’s are costing “up to 30% commissions on each booking” and “commissions are often a hotel’s second largest expense after labour.” (Report, 2022)
So where does this leave your hotel?
Firstly, ask yourself three questions:
What are you offering?
Guests like to have choice and convenience before making a decision. Through the lens of a consumer, OTA’s offer more choice and variety than individual hotel websites. How can you tackle this? Hotel operators who can devise and offer packages which go further than simply accommodation and capitalise on local attractions and travel opportunities have a better chance of competing with content rich OTAs.
OTA’s are currently winning on price. Potential guests like to price shop. Does your hotel offer a selection of packages at a range of prices?
How are you marketing your offer?
OTA’s offer consistent user-friendly navigation across all devices. Making sure your website is simple, mobile friendly and easy to follow is a great first step to providing an equally good user experience.
Hotels can use various marketing strategies to increase occupancy and revenue per available room. Advertising, public relations, and social media marketing are all effective ways of reaching potential guests. Hotel marketers should also consider using direct mail, search engine optimization, and email marketing to add direct links to their hotel website.
How well established is your online brand reputation?
The digital revolution has changed your guests’ behaviour, with many choosing to book online. Using social media platforms to advertise exciting summer deals with direct links to your website could catch your potential guest’s eyes. Individuals will check several sources before deciding where they want to stay, so place your hotel at the forefront of their search.
- Website: The first place to take action is through your own website. Consumers often prefer the convenience of using at OTA’s to avoid flicking through multiple tabs. Providing the most user-friendly experience on your own platform will arguably be the biggest way to compete with OTA’s. Digital advertising: This is less expensive than traditional media outlets like radio and television, and if done correctly it can reach a wider and more targeted audience. Make sure you incorporate direct links to your website. That way potential guests will avoid getting caught in the net of an OTA.
- Search Engine Optimisation (“SEO”): Including key words in your website to drive organic traffic is a good idea. When writing content, make sure your meta title and meta descriptions for power SEO are all filled out correctly. In an increasingly crowded digital space, consider buying your brand name as a key word, along with other frequently used words and phrases such as “hotel deals” and “luxury hotels”. Always make sure all your online mentions contain direct links to your website. Some hotels might want to consider advertising models such as Pay-per-click, to track when ads are clicked and drive traffic to their website.
- Social media: You should introduce Facebook and Instagram pages for your hotel with direct links to your website. Regular postings on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are also great ways to compete with the digitally dominant OTAs. These platforms are also great places to present special offers, guest packages and competitions.
- Public Relations: Getting a well thought out PR programme can assist with brand promotion to draw attention to your hotel website. Any events or sponsoring of local attractions as part of your marketing mix can also be used to drive brand awareness.
Don’t forget your existing and past guests!
- A popular method of promoting a hotel brand is to run contests for guests, inviting them to post a photograph of the hotel to win a prize. This increases brand awareness and can also drive footfall to the property.
- Contact previous guests to remind them that you’re still here, offering them tailored packages to entice them back. Make them feel like VIP’s.
- Make their experience unforgettable and they will leave a glowing review and tell friends and family. QR codes, feedback cards, and post stay follow up surveys, will ensure you’re equipped to capture this.
With summer now upon us, the time to take advantage of this season and encourage more direct bookings is now.
Bibliography
Tuna, C. (2022, May 25). 5 Tips To Get Your Hotel Website Ready For This Summer. Retrieved from Hotel Champ : https://www.hotelchamp.com/blog/summer-website-tips-tricks
