Constantly evaluating what works and employing A / B testing helps guide content strategy . What works on one property ’ s website may flop on another . |
asking too many questions or splitting the process over many steps is a very bad idea .”
Realizing a visitor may be inspired to book at any point while browsing a website , Viceroy Hotel Group leveraged a booking engine provided by Sabre Hospitality that allows guests to book from multiple pages . “ This in-context solution enables the visitor to stay on the page they ’ re viewing while completing the transition — selecting room types and rates , inputting their data and getting a confirmation number — all in the context of that page via a series of overlays ,” explains Mary Bennett , Viceroy ’ s vice president , digital and commercial partnerships . “ We tested this technology with Sabre , and the visit-to-look rate increased 20 % while online revenues increased 10 % for hotels using the in-context system .”
Sites also have success by offering choices and add-ons at booking . Rather than creating pre-made packages that can sometimes be confusing or cumbersome to users , however , offer a la carte add-on options such as airport pickup or a spa treatment .
Finally , show guests flexible dates on an easy-to-read calendar and allow them to book in their preferred currency . With all global travel rising , this feature may become increasingly important .
Curation strategy
Valuable multimedia transforms a brand into a resource for visitors , but producing it can strain budgets . However , creatively leveraging existing content and user-generated content makes the task less daunting .
“ The challenge for hotels is how
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With more people browsing and booking on the go , Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has launched a free multi-functional mobile app designed to give guests access to an array personalized services .
to curate [ fresh , engaging and relevant ] content given limited resources and time ,” Bennett says . “ We ’ ve found that leveraging social media and even reviews provides timely , salient content for many of our hotels .”
At Hotel Zetta San Francisco , part of Viceroy Hotel Group , local artist Jonathan Matas painted murals throughout the hotel ’ s stairways . Seeing an opportunity to create vibrant content without incurring much extra expense , the team videotaped Matas at work and published the video on the hotel ’ s website . “ Now that is highly relevant , compelling , interesting content that tells a unique story about the hotel ,” Bennett says .
As with every aspect of web design , metrics are the fuel that power good content decisions . Constantly evaluating what works and employing A / B testing helps guide content strategy . What works on one property ’ s website may flop on another . The best hotels excel at anticipating their guests ’ desires , and an excellent website is no different — it must anticipate what online visitors need .
Mobile matters
With more people browsing and booking on the go , keeping sites
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mobile-friendly is paramount . Adopt a mobile-first approach ; design for mobile users before desktop users .
“ Sixty-five percent of same-day reservations come from mobile ,” says Econsultancy ’ s Charlton , citing research culled by the Statistic Brain Research Institute . “ With this in mind , a great mobile user experience means more bookings , especially if your competitors have failed to optimize for mobile .”
When optimizing your site for mobile technology , put yourself in the place of your visitor , IdeaWork Studios ’ Schwartz advises .
“ Don ’ t transfer every bit of content from your website onto your mobile site ,” Schwartz recommends . “ Think about what people are trying to accomplish while on a mobile device .”
Mobile visitors appreciate larger fonts , easy-to-click links , quickloading images and streamlined content . A prominent link to book and a click-to-call button are must haves , and practical information including maps and directions are handy on the go .
Finally , don ’ t ignore older iPhone and Android operating systems — a larger-than-expected subset of site traffic may hail from these devices .
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