As a hotelier, with a business that doesn’t care about borders or nationalities, your website is your main asset to reach and captivate your audience.
NB: This is an article from Bookboost, one of our Expert Partners
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And it is also a key element in your direct bookings strategy.
Did you know that Google data predicts that direct bookings can potentially yield up to a remarkable 20% more revenue compared to OTA bookings? As we all know, direct bookings give hotels more revenue, but they also give more control over their pricing, marketing, and their guest data.
So, if the goal is to increase direct revenue and bookings, the first step should be to look towards your website and make sure that it has been optimised for that.
How can you do it? Read this article until the end.
A Reminder of The Importance of Direct Bookings
There are many benefits for hotels to increase direct bookings. Here are some of the most important benefits:
– More control over pricing and marketing: With direct bookings, you have more control over the price they charge and the way you market their property. This allows you to set competitive rates and target your marketing efforts to the right audience.
– Increased revenue: Direct bookings generate more revenue for your hotels than OTA bookings. This is because you do not have to pay commissions to OTAs for direct bookings.
– Improved customer relationships: Direct bookings can help you build stronger relationships with your guests. Why? Because you can communicate directly to them, giving them better customer service and a more personalised experience. This can lead to repeat business and positive reviews.
– Better data collection: When guests book directly with your hotel, you can collect real data about them that is not limited to their email address. You can know about their preferred channel of communication, reason for the booking, and more. This data can be used to improve the guest experience and target marketing efforts more effectively.
Read this: Checkmate OTAs: 3 winning strategies to increase direct bookings
How to Take Your Hotel Website to Another Level and Increase Direct Bookings?
Tip number 1: Optimise for mobile devices
In a world where smartphones are our trusty companions, a non-responsive website is a ship without a rudder. Crafting a seamless mobile experience isn’t a choice—it’s a prerequisite for success.
It is crucial that your website not only works well on mobile devices but also looks good. First impressions count and this is the opportunity you have to convince them to make a booking directly instead of switching to an OTA.
As travellers swipe and tap through their devices, ensure your website adapts flawlessly to their screens, facilitating effortless navigation and bookings on the move.
Tip number 2: Use visuals that provoke emotions
Today, everyone is looking for scenarios that are “Instagram-worthy”. Your job is to show them how your property can recreate those scenes that not only look good but also make them look good.
Your website should be a virtual portal into your hotel’s world. Curate an enticing visual journey with images and videos showcasing your hotel’s distinctive features, be it the suites, breathtaking views, or captivating amenities.
Remember, captivating visuals aren’t just aesthetics, they are key to igniting your potential guests’ imaginations and the expectations they have about their trip. Everything is about emotions, including making a booking. If you use visuals correctly, you will be provoking emotions and ultimately leading them towards making a booking.
In addition, you can leverage other formats that OTAs websites don’t support. For example, provide a room tour with videos, infographics about the map of the hotel or the amenities you offer, and more.
The goal is that your website should offer unique value to your visitors so they feel more encouraged about making a booking there.
Tip number 3: Optimise your website for search engines
Think of your website as a map leading travellers to treasure—the treasure being your exceptional hotel. To be discovered amidst the sea of choices, it must be search engine optimised.
To make sure your website is optimised for SEO, you should consider different aspects. First, make sure that you are using the right keywords in your pages. What are the most important keywords for your business? In which searches do you want to appear?
A great idea is to research what are the most important keywords for your guests, for example: “family resort in Greece” or “romantic hotel Italy”. Once you identify them, make them part of your descriptions, as a caption to your images, and more.
Second, also optimise the titles and descriptions of your pages so they can contribute to your SEO efforts.
Tip number 4: Offer post-booking rewards
Not everything is about offering discounts. You can also mention to your guests that after making a booking on the hotel website they will receive a digital guide about the most famous attractions in the area or a guide to the local scenery. The goal is to show they receive something extra by booking directly with you.
If you want to discover more strategies to increase your direct bookings, download our guide: The real way to recover direct bookings and outcompete others long-term
Tip number 5: Make the booking process easy and convenient
Ensure your website’s booking process is smooth sailing, with few clicks and no hidden hurdles. Display transparent pricing, simplify the checkout process, and eradicate hidden fees to ensure guests can seamlessly navigate from exploration to confirmation.
Tip number 6: Produce content rich for SEO
Working on your landing pages and the optimisation of your entire website is the first step. But you need to step up your game. Producing content regularly about different topics that relate to your property is a great way of improving your SEO efforts.
For example, you can write an article about the best local attractions in the city where your property is located. You can write something more tailored and refer specifically to couples visiting your city, and families taking vacations, among other things.
You don’t need to write content every day, but if you have a regular flow, it will help not only your SEO ranking but also your brand.
Tip number 7: Reengage with guests that didn’t book
Some visitors don’t book directly the first time they land on your website, however, you can use different tools to engage with them.
For example, if a guest asked questions on your website but didn’t make a booking, you can use your hotel CRM to re-engage with them and invite them to finish their booking.
Tip number 8: Update your content constantly
One big mistake for hotels is to create a website and never update it. When guests are navigating through your website, they shouldn’t see promotions that are expired or a calendar with activities from three months before. Make sure your website is always up to date with the latest news, activities and offers.
Remember: it is not a one-time thing, building your online presence and optimising for direct bookings is a consistent effort.
Implementing a comprehensive search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy
A robust SEO strategy is essential for hotels to improve their online visibility and attract organic traffic. By optimising website content, improving site speed, and building high-quality backlinks, hotels can rank higher on search engine results pages and drive more bookings.
- Optimising website content: Hotels need to optimise their website content for search engines. This includes using relevant keywords and phrases throughout the website.
- Building backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They are an important factor in search algorithms. Hotels can build backlinks by guest blogging, participating in forums, and submitting their website to directories.
- Monitoring search engine rankings: Hotels should monitor their search engine rankings to see how their website is performing. This information can be used to identify areas for improvement.
- Personalising website content: You can personalise website content based on the visitor’s location, interests, and past behaviour. This can help to provide a more relevant and engaging experience for guests.
Key takeaways
Direct bookings hold a pivotal role in enhancing the destiny of your establishment. They empower you with unmatched control over pricing, marketing, and revenue streams, setting you on a trajectory to triumph in a competitive landscape.
Remember that every effort invested in boosting direct bookings through your website is an investment in the future of your hotel from control over pricing to the creation of unforgettable memories.
