Discover the secret of direct bookings of the most successful hotels

Loyalty program and additional services

One of the most effective methods to build customer relationships is definitely a sophisticated loyalty program. Use a good loyalty program to give your guests the best care since the very beginning. According to a Deloitte study, more than 80% of customers value loyalty programs and almost 75% of customers will use a hotel's services multiple times if they have access to a quality loyalty program. Customers also report that loyalty programs can be a deciding factor when choosing a hotel for future travel. Those who are involved in loyalty programs also tend to spend more money. According to a study by Accenture, members of loyalty programs spend on average 18% more than customers who are not in any such programs.

At the same time, travellers love authentic local experiences and all the additional services that make their holidays more enjoyable. If offered at the right time during the booking process, 53% of them are willing to book these services as part of their stay.

Don't underestimate responsiveness

We sometimes think that we don't need to discuss the need for clear, intuitive design and great responsiveness, but for many hotels they are still not a given. According to TripAdvisor statistics, 53% of travellers leave a property's website if they have trouble finding information or if the site isn't user-friendly enough. The group of travellers using their smartphones to search and book hotels is growing. It is therefore essential that hotel websites are fully optimised for mobile devices. Indeed, according to a recent survey, almost 60% of hotel bookings are made via mobile devices. Hotel websites should therefore be easy to navigate on a smartphone or tablet, with fast loading times and clear, concise information.

Once again, the social proof

Travelers want to hear about other guests' experience and trust these reviews more than the hotel's own marketing materials. In fact, nearly 90% of customers read online reviews before booking. It is essential for hotels to actively manage and respond to their online reviews to maintain a positive reputation and show potential guests that they care about customer satisfaction. Why do we care so much about what others think? We talked about social proof trends a while ago with Pavlina Louženská from the Trendspotting podcast.

5 easy steps to fast results

We've tried to give context to the process of choosing a hotel online, so let's talk about the specific steps any hotelier can take to improve the relationship with their guests and maximize the ratio of direct bookings:

1. Focus on responsiveness.

Check how your website works on mobile devices. Can you read the text without any problems? Can you use the main navigation? Can you convert easily? Remember that customers come to your website in large part from their phones. In general, the immediate abandonment rate is almost 10% higher on mobile than on desktop. And if there's one thing you really don't need, it's a high bounce rate.

2. Remove all obstacles.

Unfortunately, hotel websites often prefer to overwhelm the potential guest with information at the expense of a smooth booking process. Information is important, but at a healthy level and must not distract from the main conversion. Work on clearly displaying prices or room availability, and making booking and payment transactions quick and easy to complete.

3. Include your work in the content.

Quality content can improve a hotel's position in search engines, attract more customers, increase conversion rates and lead to increased customer loyalty. According to a 2020 statistic, 90% of internet users prefer personalized content and 40% of customers were willing to pay more for a product or service if it was accompanied by interesting and relevant content.

4. Let the guests do the talking.

Ask for opinions at the right time. When everything has gone smoothly, the guest has enjoyed their stay, and at the end of their holiday they don't want to go home, suddenly a request for a review comes in the mail. It can lead to a Google review, or perhaps a separate simple feedback form. You can then contact the writer and publish it anonymously on your website. Or solve it with another field in the form. There are plenty of options. Think about possible scenarios for getting reviews and, most importantly, use them appropriately afterwards. You will be rewarded with more trust from your potential guests.

5. Stay up to date.

More than 80% of customers feel frustrated when they arrive at a hotel and find that the information on the website is incorrect or out of date and that the reality does not match the hotel description on the website. Use your own authentic content and update the site regularly. Provide potential guests with detailed information about rooms, amenities, services and location. Don't leave out information about local attractions and activities and detailed maps and directions.

What it might look like

One example of a great contemporary hotel website is the website of the legendary Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary. A spectacular video in the background of the introductory section, a clear homepage with a preview of the most important attractions, an intuitive booking system, a well-designed section presenting individual experiences and, last but not least, a functional and beautiful design, all entice guests to book immediately.