Now that the pandemic is mostly over, everyone is travelling again!
And with every traveller, comes their booking for accommodation online, meaning that you should definitely learn how to stand out from the competition to drive more bookings to your property.
Whether you have a hotel, an Airbnb or an entire chain, there are some ways to boost your property’s online sales – and this article will give you actionable tips and insights to help you achieve exactly that.
Let’s delve into the best ways to boost your online sales.
How to increase your hotel online sales?
When it comes to increasing your hotel’s online sales, the ultimate goal is to get people to book rooms, and ideally, to book them for as long as possible.
There are a few key strategies you can use to achieve this.
6 ways to increase hotel revenue with upselling
– Room upgrades: Dedicate a space on your website to room upgrades, purchasable for a higher rate. Room with a sea view, large spaces, balconies, jacuzzis… There’s plenty you can offer!
– Amenities: Offer the option to add extras such as breakfast, late check-out, and access to a gym or a spa, and remember to offer special, all-comprehensive packages to include everything your guest may need for a five-star stay at your property.
– Add-ons: For the fancier guests, why not add items to their reservation, such as a bottle of wine, chocolate, flowers, better towels and so on?
– Upsell at check-in: Train your front desk staff to offer guests additional options at check-in, such as room upgrades or added amenities.
– Personalised offers: Use guest data to create personalised offers for upselling. For example, if a guest has booked a room for a special occasion, such as a wedding anniversary, offer them a special package that includes champagne and flowers.
– Loyalty programs: Large chains such as Hilton offer exclusive loyalty programs to reward guests for repeat business. What they can earn from your loyalty program is entirely up to you.
Using data to upsell more
In the competitive hospitality industry, using data to upsell more can be a game-changer for increasing hotel online sales.
By leveraging data insights, hotels can gain a better understanding of their guests’ preferences, behaviours, and needs, and use this information to offer personalised upsells and promotions that are more likely to resonate with individual customers.
This not only helps to drive revenue but also creates a better overall experience for guests, which can lead to increased loyalty and repeat business.
– Analyse guest feedback: Using check-out questionnaires to collect feedback, both positive and negative, can help you drive serious improvements to your property.
Look for patterns in the feedback or use a data processor to identify areas that need attention, and make changes accordingly.
For example, if a high percentage of users complain that the food buffet is miserable, add more options to the menu or improve the quality of existing options.
– Keep track of booking patterns: Take note of when guests are booking their rooms, how far in advance they are booking, and what type of room they are choosing. Use this information to adjust your pricing and room availability accordingly.
For example, if you notice that guests are often booking at the last minute, consider offering last-minute deals to incentivise more bookings.
– Monitor website traffic: Keep an eye on your website traffic and look for patterns in which pages are being visited the most. Use this information to optimise your website for sales. For example, if you notice that your hotel’s spa page is getting a lot of traffic, consider adding special packages that include spa services to your website.
– Use social media to your advantage: Monitor your social media accounts to see what guests are saying about your hotel. Use this feedback to make changes and improvements where needed. You can also analyse your social media campaigns and look for metrics that can give you information about room satisfaction, customer retention, etc.
– Monitor your competition: Keep track of what your competitors are doing in terms of pricing, promotions, and services offered. Use this information to make strategic decisions about how to position your hotel in the market.
Some examples of hotel marketing strategies that were very successful
Morgans Hotel Group
In today’s market, social media has become a dominant force for businesses.
It offers a wide-reaching platform for companies to connect with people all over the world. One unique approach that businesses are using to increase conversions and attract customers is through influencer marketing.
While this method is relatively new, the Morgans Hotel Group experimented with it years ago.
By inviting prominent fashion bloggers to stay at their properties for free, the hotel group received fair reviews of their services, facilities, food, infrastructure, interior, and overall experience on the bloggers’ websites.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties, with the bloggers enjoying an exotic hotel stay and the hotel group receiving marketing exposure through their reviews.
This comes to show that partnering with macro influencers or bloggers who have a large following on social media can increase a hotel’s visibility, reach new audiences, and build credibility through third-party endorsements.
Influencers can provide valuable content that showcases a hotel’s amenities, services, and overall experience, which can be shared across multiple social media platforms.
By tapping into an influencer’s engaged audience, a hotel can also drive more traffic to its website, increase direct bookings, and ultimately boost its revenue.
However, it’s important to choose the right influencer for your hotel and ensure that their values and target audience aligns with your brand to achieve the best results.
Loews Hotels
Encourage your guests to promote your brand to the world! Loews Hotel differentiated itself by featuring its customers’ on-location experiences on popular social media platforms. How did they do it?
Instead of the hotel staff taking pictures, guests were encouraged to post their own photos on social media with the hashtag “#TravelForReal,” which was part of the hotel’s campaign.
This approach was highly successful because it fostered authenticity, which is a critical factor that consumers consider before making a purchase.
In addition, this strategy saves the cost of hiring a professional photographer while generating authentic user-generated content.
Plus, you can even create a dedicated page showcasing your customers’ experiences.
User-generated content (UGC) can be a highly effective component of a social media strategy, as it helps to build brand credibility and authenticity. UGC is created by users themselves, rather than by the brand or its affiliates, and can take many forms, such as photos, videos, reviews, and testimonials.
One significant advantage of UGC is that it is created by real people who have had genuine experiences with the brand.
Therefore, it is often perceived as more trustworthy and authentic than content that is created by the brand itself.
UGC can also help to create a sense of community and social proof around a brand, as users share their experiences and recommendations with others.
In addition, incorporating user-generated content into a content marketing strategy can save on costs associated with content creation.
Instead of spending resources to produce high-quality photos or videos, brands can leverage the content that their customers are already creating.
Finally, UGC can help to increase engagement with a brand’s social media presence. By featuring on their profiles and encouraging users to share their experiences, brands can foster a deeper sense of connection and involvement with their audience.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to take your hotel’s online presence to the next level, consider working with a specialised hospitality marketing agency like topflight.
With a focus on the unique needs of hotels around the world, we can help you optimise your online presence, increase direct bookings, and ultimately boost your revenue.
Check out our services today to see how we can help your hotel thrive in the digital age!
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