For years, TripAdvisor has held significant weight in the tourism and hospitality industries. Almost every hotel and tourism operator in the world is listed on TripAdvisor (and if they’re not, they should be).
NB: This is an article from Preno
But how did TripAdvisor become so widely known, and henceforth influential on tourism and hospitality businesses?
It comes down to one simple fact: consumers trust other consumers.
TripAdvisor provides travellers with reviews of hotels, restaurants and tourism activities, so that they can receive positive assurance before booking their travels.
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Unlike tangible (physical) products, travel is an intangible experience, which means that guests can’t “try before they buy”. TripAdvisor reviews solve this – they enable travellers to read other travellers experiences, so they can essentially “try before they buy”.
TripAdvisor reviews are important because they are often the defining factor in a guests decision to stay or not stay with you.
PRENO TIP
Never underestimate the power of a review. The customer voice is a powerful one, and in today’s digital age, TripAdvisor reviews act as electronic word of mouth – once they’re online, they’re out there forever. Read about the power of hotel WOM.
TripAdvisor reviews impact hotel bookings: here’s how
1. Travellers trust travellers (more than they trust you)
It isn’t surprising to learn that most consumers trust each other more than they do advertising. In fact, many studies have shown that modern consumers do not even trust advertising.
The modern traveller is more aware of advertising techniques, so they’re often unconvinced that the experience they will receive at your hotel is actually as good as the one you promise.
Because of this, they read online reviews, to learn other travellers’ experiences, as a way of trying your service before they buy. Then, they make an informed decision about whether to stay at your hotel or not.
2. Your volume of TripAdvisor reviews impacts your competitive positioning
The higher quality and quantity of reviews your hotel has, the better your TripAdvisor ranking is. And because it is so influential, you want your hotel to have a high ranking.
Your TripAdvisor ranking is so important, because it determines how many potential guests find you. Some studies show that often, when guests explore a page on TripAdvisor, they only consider the top 5 (and rarely go past the first page of 30 properties).
This is another reason why TripAdvisor is so important to your hotel, and why you should put the time into strengthening your positioning on it.
3. Negative reviews always outweigh positive ones: which is why responding is critical
When considering the impact of TripAdvisor reviews on your hotel, one of the most influential elements you shouldn’t ignore is just how powerful a negative review can be.
No matter how many positive reviews your hotel has, if a guest sees a negative one, they’re almost definitely going to read it.
Consumers are heavily impacted by negative reviews, which is why responding to them is absolutely critical. If potential guests see that you have ignored constructive feedback, they’ll think you don’t care.
PRENO TIP
Receiving a negative TripAdvisor review can be frustrating, but remember to take a step back, compose yourself and respond in a professional and timely manner. Never ignore a negative review. Learn how to respond to negative TripAdvisor reviews.
4. TripAdvisor reviews impact your hotel reputation (even if they’re misleading)
When it comes to your ranking and reviews, it is undeniable that your content, positioning and presence is going to contribute to your hotel reputation.
And it isn’t just the TripAdvisor reviews that have an impact on your hotel reputation, it is also the way you react to them. It is so important to engage online and respond to reviews, because it shows travellers that you value your guests, appreciate their feedback and wish to rectify any negative experiences.
If you don’t put in the time to show travellers you care, or you respond with copy and paste answers, this will have detrimental impacts on your hotel reputation, because it will give guests the impression that you are unsympathetic and/or lazy.
PRENO TIP
It is advised by TripAdvisor to “influence the conversation”. Meaning, you may not be able to control what guests write about you online, but you can influence their experiences with you, and how you react to their feedback – instigating a positive online reputation.
5. The online nature of TripAdvisor reviews mean that they are public forever
At the end of the day, the sheer weight and importance of TripAdvisor in the hospitality industry comes down to the fact that it is 1) public and 2) on the internet.
It is a widely known fact that once something is posted on the internet, it lasts forever. A negative review will be public online information forever – and when you put it into that perspective, it’s hard to ignore how influential it is, isn’t it?
TripAdvisor is a free marketing tool: foster it!
The potential impacts of TripAdvisor on your hotel are of abundance – your ranking, volume and quality of reviews, in addition to your presence and aptitude of responses creates an image of your hotel.
If you want to attract new travellers to your accommodation property, do not ignore the power of TripAdvisor – foster it instead.
So, are you still wondering ‘why is TripAdvisor important’?
