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Ms. Jenkins

Reservations / Online Pricing / Booking Engines

Five Effective Methods to Secure Online Bookers and Increase Revenue

By Cid Jenkins, Vice President, ATG's eStara

The Web offers hotels both an opportunity and a challenge. It presents potential travelers with easy access to one company's products and services, but it also gives them the incentive to look elsewhere for a better deal. In today's shifting times, it is more vital than ever for hotels to respond to guest preferences and keep them from looking elsewhere.

For travelers, Web site abandonment is not rare. According to Forrester Research, 47 percent of those who research travel plans online don't end up purchasing through the Web. The challenge here for hotels is to increase revenue by connecting to both business and leisure travelers during their online sessions and offering them an easy and personal guide through the booking experience.

Online travelers generally abandon Web sites when faced with pricing or technical support issues. In the past, hotels felt they could address these concerns by providing prospective customers with self-service tools, such as an "About Us" page or FAQs. However, due to the complex nature of some transactions, whether making hotel reservations or booking special travel packages, companies are recognizing that they need to be more effective at securing, supporting, and retaining their online customers. Here, I offer five effective methods designed to help hotels increase revenue and secure online transactions, even in these shifting economic times.

1. Connect with your travelers

As I mentioned before, booking travel reservations online can be a very complex process. Occasionally, customers may reach a point during the booking process that prevents them from completing their reservation online. To avoid this, more and more hotels are implementing both click to call and click to chat to increase online revenue, reduce Web site abandonment, and improve customer loyalty and contact center efficiency.

A recent report from Forrester Research finds that firms that are successful in implementing interactive help, including click to chat and click to call, are quick to move consumers from the Web to the phone. Hotels are recognizing that they need to connect with their travelers when issues arise on the Web during the booking process to avoid losing their attention and buying power. By giving travelers the opportunity to directly connect with an agent through the click of a button embedded on a Web site, issues are immediately resolved, and customers gain the insight, information, or confidence they need to complete their booking.

2. Invest in the experience

When guests arrive at your hotel, they have a set of expectations for the service and accommodations. The same principal can be applied to the guests' online experience. Travelers visiting a hotel's Web site expect their needs to be met in a hassle-free experience. Travelers should always have an easy-to-navigate user experience - including an easy-to-book transaction process.

Now is the perfect time to review your current Web site status. Travelers and consumers alike are keeping a close eye on their spending dollars, so hotels must tailor their Web site to cater to the needs of travelers today to stand apart from the competition.

3. Control chat time

Hotels that implement click to call and click to chat can set hours of operation to make sure click to call and click to chat services are available only during times when their contact centers are staffed, or during hours of the day when travelers are most likely to book online reservations. If customers are on a Web site during a time when a customer service representative is unavailable, the click to call button can either disappear or be replaced dynamically by another contact method. Hotels have realized the benefits of integrating click to call solutions to their campaigns to increase sales conversions and improve the overall customer experience.

4. Listen to the feedback

Today's hotels have come a long way and continue to show their dedication to guests via their online site. Of course, it is only natural that there are times when some travelers face hesitation or resistance when booking a trip online. Often times, hesitation stems from specific questions regarding hotel amenities and services, such as what time can guests check-in for early arrival. With click to call and click to chat, travelers are given the opportunity for instant help and feedback - which can be the deciding factor between a completed reservation and a lost customer.

Hotels can take feedback based on conversations during the click to chat and click to call process and adjust their Web site to fix any common issues so that travelers are satisfied when they return the Web site. With insight from customers about both the online and booking experiences, hotels can gather much better information about the customer experience and overall satisfaction, as well as a solid understanding of what is working and what needs to be improved.

5. Make your site easy to use...and personal

As hotels continue to show their commitment to catering to their guests, taking the step to improve their online presence will further demonstrate their dedication. In order to prevent your guests from reaching out to your competition, hotel's need to create an online experience that appeals to consumers in today's economic conditions. Today's business and leisure travelers are looking to go to a hotel's Web site and easily find what they are looking for. Guests want to instantly be shown relevant information, accommodations and deals for upcoming trips.

With advancements in technology, hotels are able to directly manage customer purchase history and save local contact information and pricing. Leveraging these advancements can only strengthen travelers' loyalty by allowing hotels to quickly and easily connect travelers with the offerings most likely to interest them. To help guests easily locate what they are looking for, it is imperative for each Web page to show a clear focus. Leisure and business travelers are often pressed for time and you do not want to risk missing losing a guest because they can't find what they need.

The end result

Providing travelers with unparalleled customer service and an interactive experience online is a key factor to driving sales, especially given recent changes in travelers' behavior and preferences. Consumer spending habits are evolving constantly, as are their expectations of what constitutes a really great experience online. The Web has become a prime resource for travelers looking to compare options, explore potential destinations and research accommodations, so implementing these strategies will help your hotel increase revenue and keep guests coming back for more.

Cid Jenkins oversees strategic sales initiatives. For nearly a decade, Ms. Jenkins has been instrumental in developing eStara’s strategy in the travel and hospitality market while garnering extensive experience driving revenue for eStara's partners, which include companies like Continental Airlines, Hotels.com, Red Lion Hotels and Starwood. Ms. Jenkins' career began as Director of Business Development at GraciasDoctor.com. Her international business knowledge started at the Consulate General of Chile and International Sleep Products Assocation. Ms. Jenkins can be contacted at 703-648-8296 or cid.jenkins@estara.com Extended Bio...

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