How do you get more online bookings and scale up your hotel revenue?
As simple as the question may sound, as you probably well realize, the answers can be tricky and challenging. And these days, that's where digital marketing comes in. With the boom in both the Internet and the hospitality industry, digital marketing has become a crucial part of the hotel business. Creating an effective presence online to increase your bookings and hence revenue is no longer just an option, it's a necessity. And so here are several key points to keep in mind.
Know Your Guests
It sounds like a no-brainer, but some hoteliers don't give this simple starting point the weight it deserves. What countries, states, or provinces are your guests visiting from? For business or leisure? Of what age ranges? Do families constitute an important segment for you? Encouraging them to take online or on-property surveys may help in this regard (you may even want to offer an incentive, such as nice little freebie of some sort, or a small rate discount).
Upgrade Your Hotel’s Website
Ensuring compelling graphics, photos, and well written content is very important - particularly when it comes to images, which should give potential guests a clear idea of what your property is like. Make sure your room photos are well lit and taken at flattering angles; same goes for the lobby, dining options, and other facilities like fitness, swimming pool, spa, and so on.
And just as crucial is the technical side. For starters, if your site is still running on the old Hypertext Transfer Protocol for Internet communication, http, upgrade it immediately to the improved, secure https, both for your own security and because that is what search engines have since 2018 been strongly favoring over the old http. Another key factor is decent speed; slow sites can hamper your hotel’s rate of conversion, and you don’t want to keep your potential guests hanging on a slow website. Delay in site loading may lead people to move on immediately.
Website Simplicity Is the Key
Resist the temptation to overload your site with too many bells and whistles; the more complicated it is, the less appealing it becomes, as many people engage more with simple and user-friendly sites that aren't overly visually complex. Keep the design organized and as minimalist as possible, with space for easy navigation. Simplicity also has the benefit of enhancing speed of loading (see above).
Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
Making your website mobile friendly is not an option anymore; rather it is a necessity.
Most of the revenue from online booking comes via mobile. Hence, it is crucial to make your website responsive and adaptive for mobiles. This will help your hotel get more online bookings than general.
Call to Action
No matter what marketing campaign you opt for, your audience will eventually overlook the call to action (essentially - book now!) if your site is overloaded with design, copy, and images. So make sure, as noted above, that the layout is as simple and uncrowded as possible, with a compelling call to action featured clearly and prominently.
Increase Your Budget During Peak Booking Seasons
You've no doubt already identified the times of year when guests make the most bookings. Invest more in your promotional campaigns during that particular time, and this will yield noticeably more effective results. Analyze your budget and adjust your investment accordingly. This is a process that needs to be well planned beforehand.
Market Your Location as Much as Possible
Location, location, location, as realtors say. As much as the attributes and amenities of your hotel, guests want to be in a place that is interesting to them in some ways. So a good part of your marketing efforts must be aimed toward talking that up, whether your property is in an appealing neighborhood in an exciting city; a marvelous beachfront spot; up in the beautiful mountains; amid the rolling hills of wine country; or wherever it may be.
The Ramada Gurgaon Central is leading India’s top-ranked hotel, located near DLF Cyber City, a futuristic corporate park in Gurugram, 19 miles southwest of New Delhi. One of the best hotels in Gurgaon, it attracts guests with a convenient location, facilities, services, ratings, and most valuable customer reviews. The Ramada Gurgaon Central offers a user-friendly website with a complete portal where you can find all the services in two or three clicks.
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