Stop Playing Phone Tag – 7 Ways To Increase Your Bookings
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Bookings generate business, and the more business you generate, the more you can reinvest into your property, amenities, and marketing.
But if you still find yourself playing phone tag with customers to track them down, then your booking process is not as efficient as it could be, and there’s a good chance this is what’s slowing you down.
So, let’s talk about how you can streamline the process to increase your bookings. Here are seven ways to make this happen.
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Ask For Positive Online Reviews
SEO and online marketing are key to getting more bookings. Unfortunately, there’s a lot to think about, and SEO strategies tend not to produce an immediate return on investment.
One way to boost your online visibility and discoverability without breaking the bank is to ask customers to review your hotel on Google, TripAdvisor, Oyster.com, and so on. If you’re just getting started, it would be wise to pick one site instead of spreading the reviews out over many sites.
Positive reviews build trust, and are signals to searchers that your hotel is worth staying at.
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Make The Booking Button On Your Website Stand Out
It’s a simple thing, but it can make a tremendous amount of difference. Website visitors tend to use your site in unpredictable ways, and wander around aimlessly until they finally give up and go elsewhere.
Instead, you should direct your visitors to where you want them to go. Make your “booking” buttons and links stand out, and when visitors land on your contact page, make it immediately apparent how they can get in touch with you.
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Leverage Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for getting more bookings. By leveraging visual content, you can boost engagement on your posts and get more people to click through to your website.
Share promotions, contests, coming attractions, activities, group discounts, and other items to drum up business and interest in your hotel.
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Optimize Your Online Bookings
You already offer online bookings, right? If not, start there. Visitors coming to your website may want to book then and there, and you could be leaving opportunity on the table by not letting them book online.
Then, you’ll want to make it as easy as possible for people to book. Keep your web forms simple, and don’t ask for more information than you need. Also, make your booking pages mobile friendly so that tablet and smartphone users can easily schedule their stay.
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Use Quotes & Testimonials For Social Proof
Positive reviews and testimonials from customers show that you’re doing something right. If they enjoyed their stay, there’s no reason others won’t, and that’s exactly what they’ll be thinking as they see the social proof in your marketing.
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Optimize Your Website
Your website should be visually appealing, professional, simple, easy-to-use, mobile-friendly, and fast-loading. Your address and contact information should be easy to find – and preferably, it should be on every page. And as we’ve already noted, online booking should be clearly marked and user friendly.
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Implement A Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs keep people coming back. No matter the size of your hotel, it’s worth considering what you could offer your regular customers to make return visits.
Incentivize repeat business, because it’s always less expensive to keep existing customers than it is to attract new ones.
Final Thoughts
Having a strong online presence for hotels has become increasingly important here in the digital age. In addition to a website and social profiles, you’ll also want to develop content to answer common questions, and drive targeted traffic to your website.
Streamlining your booking process, removing unnecessary steps, and giving your visitors and prospects a compelling reason to book with you are all major considerations as you look to increase your bookings.
As a hotel advertising agency, we guarantee that you will increase your bookings and we offer our service with care.