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Tap OTA conversion secrets for direct hotel bookings
The webinar discussed how hotels can increase direct bookings by learning from the strategies used by online travel agencies (OTAs). It emphasized the importance of optimizing the hotel website for usability, social proof from reviews and awards, and a fast checkout process. A case study of the Stratosphere Hotel showed how redesigning its website to focus on these areas led to a 24% increase in revenue and 20% more direct bookings within four months. The webinar also proposed an automated best rate guarantee to simplify rate matching for hotels and customers.
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Tap OTA conversion secrets for direct hotel bookings
- 1. Tap OTA secretsto increase direct bookings Webinar 5 November 2015
- 2. Your hosts Kevin May SeniorEditor & Moderator Tnooz Gene Quinn CEO & Producer Tnooz
- 3. Your presenters Gautam Lulla President TravelTripper Scott Yankton Strategic Consultant
- 4. Poll no. 1 Whereare you located?
- 5. Poll no. 2 Whichindustry segment do you represent?
- 6. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 6 ® + WEBINAR: Tap OTA secrets to increase direct bookings November 5, 2015
- 7. Poll no. 3 Forhoteliers, what percentage of bookings come through your direct channel?
- 8. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 8 Don’t put all your eggs in one basket Sound revenue strategy is all about balance between distribution channels OTAs play an important role in getting business, but hotels are becoming increasingly over-reliant on them The lesson: strengthen your direct channel
- 9. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 9 The art of conversion One of the biggest reasons behind OTA success in recent years: mastering conversion. OTA investment in e-commerce R&D $650 million in technology 1,500 A/B tests per year How can hotels compete? Learn from the “frenemy” — use what the OTAs have invested millions to learn to improve our own hotel websites.
- 10.
- 11. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 11 The Road to Conversion “There are plenty of difficult obstacles in your path. Don’t allow yourself to become one of them.” —Ralph Marston
- 12. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 12 The keys to conversion 1. Usability and user experience How easy is it to find the info needed? 2. Social proof How do we show that other travelers like this hotel? 3. Fast and easy checkout How can we make the buying decision as fast and easy as possible for the traveler?
- 13. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 13 Usability & User Experience The website must answer the most important user questions efficiently and logically: What does the property look like? What types of rooms are available? What amenities are available? What is the price? Is it within budget? Can I cancel with no fees?
- 14. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 14 Usability & User Experience
- 15. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 15 Usability & User Experience
- 16. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 16 Usability & User Experience
- 17. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 17 Social Proof Social proof is about listening to what others say to remove risk from their own decision. They do this through: Reviews from other travelers Customer testimonials Awards Evidence that others are booking
- 18. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 18 Social Proof
- 19. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 19 Social Proof
- 20. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 20 Fast and easy checkout K.I.S.S. — Keep It Simple & Swift Clear calls to action Only ask for information that you need; tell users why you need the information you collect Minimize the clicks and pages within the booking process Assure customers that checkout is safe Sense of urgency prompts
- 21. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 21 Fast and easy checkout
- 22. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 22 Fast and easy checkout
- 23. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 23 Best Rate Guarantee
- 24. Poll no. 5 Afterdeciding on a hotel, how many sites do you typically check for prices before booking?
- 25. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 25 CASE STUDY: Stratosphere Hotel
- 26. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 26 Case Study: Stratosphere Hotel Background 2,400+ room hotel and casino in Las Vegas 3.5-star hotel with low average nightly rate High-volume business with high competition The Problem Website underperforming on direct bookings Over-reliance on OTAs for revenue
- 27. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 27 Before… Rooms, amenities, and special offers all across different pages Booking widget on main site not integrated with booking engine— must input dates twice Special offers and packages not well integrated into booking engine
- 28. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 28 Before… Booking engine not user-friendly Imagery non-existent or too small Special offers and rate packages not easy to find Rates are not automatically updated when you change dates Call to action not clear
- 29. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 29 After. Better integration between website and booking engine Large imagery showing hotel details Social proof widgets Inputting stay criteria is easy and clear
- 30. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 30 After. Room details and amenities clear and easy to read Cancellation policy and rates listed prominently Clear call to action with BOOK NOW button Two-step booking: click, click, book
- 31. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 31 Urgency prompts
- 32. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 32 Revisiting Best Rate Guarantee Most Best Rate Guarantees don’t work Policies are complicated with too many forms to submit 24-48 turnaround time on submitted claims Manpower required to verify claims and price matching Usually only taken advantage of by deal hunters
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- 34. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 34 The Solution Automated Best Rate Guarantee Automatically check other sites for prices Automatically price match when lower prices found
- 35. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 35 Automated Best Rate Guarantee For Consumers Complete price transparency Trust and assurance of lowest price possible No need to submit BRG claim For Hotels Automatic price-matching* — no processing claims Automatic alerts when prices are out of parity Improvement of conversion rates *patented feature
- 36. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 36 The OTAs think it’s a good idea…
- 37. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 37 Fast and easy checkout
- 38. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 38 Case Study: The Results Within four months of launching: 24% increase in revenue 20% increase in direct bookings 2x increase in conversion rate
- 39. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 39 Recap: Lessons learned Hotels: Your direct channel is your most profitable channel If you haven’t optimized your website for conversion, you’re leaving money on the table. OTAs might have the bigger marketing budgets, but hotels do get their fair share of traffic. So once you get someone on the site, close the deal. When it comes to conversion, keep things simple—get the room booked as easily and quickly as possible. Technology can be a great equalizer in helping hotels compete more effectively with OTAs.
- 40. © 2015 TRAVELTRIPPER | 40 DISCUSSION: The realities of today’s digital travel marketplace
- 41.
- 42. Thank you! Send yourquestions and comments to gene@tnooz.com Replay and presentation will be available on www.tnooz.com