While balanced distribution across OTA, GDS, metasearch, and direct channels is key to your property’s visibility and profitability, a direct booking is the most valuable. As of 2024, direct website bookings made an average of $519 per reservation compared with an OTA average of $320.
NB: This is an article from WebRezPro
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and stay up to date
Because a direct booking involves no commission fees, they’re generally more profitable. They also provide opportunities to collect guest data and lay the foundation for meaningful, long-term relationships.
Putting time and effort into your direct booking strategy pays off. Here are three proven steps to increase direct reservations.
1. Improve Online Presence
Most guests research their accommodation across a variety of online channels, including OTAs, metasearch sites, social media, and property websites. In the 45 days leading up to their booking, consumers view an average of 141 pages of travel content. Therefore, a consistent and quality online presence (and reputation) is key to standing out so that guests ultimately book with you.
Your Website
Your website is your online storefront and the only channel entirely under your control. As such, it has strong potential to drive conversions. Make sure potential guests can find your website by optimizing your SEO strategy. Be aware that SEO is not only about keywords; elements such as site speed and intuitive navigation also play an important role. In addition, Google has implemented mobile-first indexing, which means that the mobile version of the site is deemed primary. Use a responsive design that automatically adapts to the user’s device, whether desktop, mobile, or tablet, to improve both SEO and user-friendliness.
OTA Listings
Counterintuitively, your OTA listings also enable you to boost direct bookings because of the “billboard effect.” How does that work? Your listing acts as a billboard that notifies guests of your availability, and from there, they can either book via the OTA or proceed to your site to see more and book direct. According to a Cornell University study, 30 percent of direct bookers start their research on an OTA site. Ensure your listings are complete, consistent, and up-to-date to boost bookings – including direct.
Google Business Profile
Claim the listing for your Google Business Profile too and fill it out completely. This listing appears in Google search results and on Google Maps, displaying your property’s information and links. Google offers free links that take travel consumers straight to your online booking engine. Properties can take advantage of this through our Google integration, which keeps pricing and availability up to date in real time. There are paid advertising options on Google as well that allow you to target specific audiences by location, keyword, and even URL.
