Special RepoRt : Apps
The
app game
by Brittany FarB , associate editor
As hotel apps grow in popularity , relevance , creativity and ease-of-use are increasingly important .
tHe quest for the perfect hotel app continues about a decade after their introduction . With apps becoming the norm , and perhaps even a necessity rather than a prized amenity , and with quantity and competition for attention increasing every day , creating a quality , appealing app has never been as important .
According to a recent study of consumers 18 years of age and older by Millward Brown Digital , a provider of digital analytics and insights , 41 % of respondents had booked a hotel in the past month , but only 15 % had done so through an app . Rather , app usage actually increased post-purchase once engagement with a brand solidified .
“ The jury is out on whether when people download an app that it causes them to be more loyal ,” says Robert Cole , founder of hotel marketing and technology strategy company RockCheetah , Menomonee Falls , Wisconsin . “ The cause and effect is probably the other way around : People being loyal causes them to download the app . They are frequent guests , know your brand , are familiar with it and probably plan on using you again in the relatively near future .” Hotel apps generally fall into two categories : traditional booking and rewards tools and contextual apps that provide content . Despite offering two distinct value propositions , the main goal remains the same : Drive sales .
“ Booking should be the top priority , interactivity and service delivery the second priorities in app development ,” says Mark Haley , partner at The Prism Partnership , a hospitality and travel consulting company in Boston .
22 HOTELS March 2016 www . hotelsmag . com