10 Key pieces of information every hotel needs to convert
You want more direct bookings — that’s the bottom line.
The average OTA charges 15–25% every time a customer books through them. Think about it, how much is that really costing you every year?
When a customer is interested in a hotel, more often than not they’ll visit your website for further information. They may be looking for more images or reviews, or just to check you really exist.
But that’s your only opportunity to convince visitors to book then and there.
If your booking process is too confusing or your website is too slow, what do you think they’ll do…? They’ll go back to the OTA where booking is easier.
Creating a conversion-centered website should be your focus. If you want to stop giving your profits to the big guys, you need to take your conversion rates seriously.
To persuade customers to book direct, your website needs to give visitors instant gratification. They need to be able to find what they want, and fast.
Here’s what you need to please guests and sway visitors to book through you…
Quality images
Photos can transform a person’s perception of you. They hold great weight in your customers buying decisions so getting this right should be high on your to-do list.
Guests want to see around every corner — the types of rooms you offer, your communal spaces, your bar and restaurant, your outside seating area. Leave nothing to the imagination and tell your story through visuals that sparkle.
Consider hiring a professional photographer. They’ll know how to work with the best light and angles while staying in line with your branding.
Test your website to find out if your images are impacting page load speed. If your pages load slowly, visitors won’t hang around.
Make sure they’re mobile friendly and don’t compete with your call to actions. Images should complement not hinder your chances of a booking.
Good hotel and room descriptions
Much of your ability to convert boils down to the words you use. Copywriting is the art of persuasion. It tickles emotional triggers that subtly motivate guests to buy.
Pay attention to every piece of content on your website. Your descriptions should use the language your customers use and communicate a compelling offer they can’t resist.
Focus on benefits over features — how will your guests feel when they stay with you, how will your hotel make their lives better?
Features could include: WiFi, tea and coffee, TV, en-suite bathroom, spa facilities etc.
Benefits could include: Forget about that pile of ironing and sink into your own luscious Jacuzzi bath tub with a glass of bubbly in hand.
You need to get into the minds of your target market and appeal to their desires. Think about how you can rewrite your descriptions to communicate benefits over features.
If content isn’t your strong point, consider hiring a professional copywriter.
Cover the basics
Don’t forget to mention the obvious — your location, your opening times, breakfast and dinner times, contact information, check in and check out times etc.
This is essential information your guests want to know, but it’s often overlooked. Getting check in information and breakfast times quickly is essential for travellers who like to plan their day schedule in advance.
Let guests know exactly what they can expect. This means they’re better informed and can build a clear picture of their stay with you.
Great reviews to inspire trust
Potential guests want to see others who’ve had a positive stay before they commit to buying. This act of social proof inspires confidence and integrity.
For every claim you make, you need to back it up with proof. Reviews offer that need for proof — more people are likely to jump on board if they see everyone else is doing it.
Be sure to add recent reviews with at least a name next to each one. This adds a sense of authenticity that there is a real person behind the words.
Try to have each review tackle one main point so they don’t repeat themselves. For example, with the first 5 that appear, choose one that covers positives about your location, the next about your rooms, the next about customer service, the next about the atmosphere and so on.
Special offers, packages or membership deals
Save your best deals for your own website. If a visitor enters your site from an OTA, you could clinch the deal by adding more value.
You can set up a loyalty program where members receive the lowest rates when booking direct. You can have discounts for local restaurants or nearby attractions, free room service or room upgrades for booking direct.
You need to give visitors a valid reason to choose a direct booking over an OTA, and that comes with giving guests more value for their money.
Be sure to make it clear on your website that these bonuses only come when they book with you. Otherwise you could end up with angry customers who feel they’ve been tricked into a purchase.
Mobile friendly
An increasing number of travellers are now booking rooms on mobile, so if your website isn’t responsive, you’re missing many opportunities.
Don’t spend all that time mastering a conversion desktop site if you’re not going to pay attention to how this translates on mobile.
As the screen size is smaller, you need to consider what features you’ll keep and what you’ll cut away. Which elements will be necessary for conversion and which are simply a bonus?
Stick to instantly communicating your value proposition. Ensure your call to actions stand out and reduce the size of your booking forms.
Limit the need for scrolling and use tabs or expandable content to make browsing easy.
Intuitive design
Your website needs to meet modern tastes and accommodate today’s browsing habits. That means designing a website for the 21st century that takes people on a streamlined user experience.
Focus on removing clutter and creating a clean layout.
Refrain from giving visitors too many choices that overwhelm in the decision making phase. Too many offers, room types and packages adds stress to the browsing experience. You need to make it digestible.
Try to limit the number of add-ons in the booking process or use them later on to avoid overload. Use smaller, digestible sections that lead the customer straight on to the next step.
Fast hosting
Nobody wants to spend ages looking at a blank screen. Loading speed impacts your bounce rates and conversion rates.
If your website is slow to load, visitors will either click straight back to the OTA or drop the idea of booking with you altogether.
Your visitors are looking for information, and they don’t want to work hard to get it. We all have busy lives, if your customers have to wait longer than 5–10 seconds to find what they want, you’ve just lost a direct booking.
Finding the right hosting is imperative. Shop around and look for reviews to see who’s the most reliable and who offers the fastest speeds. Your conversion rates depend on it.
Tight security
When making a purchase online, your customers need to know their details are handled in a secure environment. That means having the necessary security logos on show to give potential guests peace of mind.
Whether it’s Norton Secured, McAfee secure or TRUSTe certified, the badges you display on your web pages or at checkout give visitors a sense of trust. This shows visitors their precious details are protected and your site is technically secure.
Price transparency
Platforms such as Triptease allow guests to directly compare your room prices on external websites.
This shows guests you won’t be beaten on price. OTAs will often undercut your prices, but this way you’ll always know how much they’re charging so you can offer the best rates.
This is live price comparison with the big OTAs. This is your chance to show guests that booking direct is always their cheaper option.
When you know what your customers expect to see when they’re browsing, you’ll know what you need to change to sway their decision making. Putting these tips into action now will help you increase conversion rates and direct bookings. So what are you waiting for?
The Booking Factory
