Ms. Frank

Website / Online Mechandising / SEO

Ten Traps to Avoid on Your Hotel Website

By Tema Frank, President, Web Mystery Shoppers International Inc.

You know from experience that there's more to creating that wonderful hotel environment than just a good looking lobby. You need staff who greet guests well, facilities in good repair, comfortable beds, clean bathrooms, and so on. The same goes for your website: the best-looking website in the world might still not generate more bookings for you if you commit one or more of these common hotel website errors:

1. Hide the lobby

When people get to your website they don't want to waste time trying to figure out the basics before they can get started on their booking. They are not interested in waiting for a flash demo to load, even if it does show how elegant your facilities are and help create a luxurious mood. Your home page should contain a booking search tool. The home page can (and should) also have images that convey your style, and links to the key information people need to have answered before they book. But let them start the process right away if they are ready.

2. Only show the lobby

Looking through comments made by hundreds of users on dozens of hotel websites one of the most frequently heard is that they want to see pictures of the rooms. It makes them feel more confident about what they'll be getting than does a mere description of the hotel rooms and/or a picture of the common areas. A picture won't tell them if the beds are comfy, but at least reassures then that the rooms look reasonable.

3. Assume that everyone has a broadband connection

About half the US population still do not have high speed internet connections. This poses a challenge for hotel sites, since, as noted above, users want to see pictures of the hotel rooms, facilities and, ideally, surroundings. Ensure that whatever graphics you provide do not slow the site down significantly for modem users. Use image compression and/or offer two versions of your site: one for those who have broadband connections and another, simpler, one for those who do not.

4. Hide

These things seem obvious, but are surprisingly often overlooked:

5. Be unprofessional

Even if yours is a small hotel, you need to assure site visitors that you are knowledgeable and trustworthy. If your facility is small, you can turn that into a positive by still looking professional, but providing lots of information about the owners, pictures of them and/or the staff, and client testimonials. These things will all help create a sense of trust at the same time as playing to your strength: the personal experience you can deliver for your guests.

6. Forget your target market

How is your hotel different? Why would people stay with you instead of somebody else? On the internet, you've got a lot more competition than if somebody just stepped off a train with a heavy suitcase and is looking up and down the block for a place to stay. Make sure that your site clearly spells out your point of differentiation. You can be more expensive than the rest, but your site has to make it clear why it is worth paying more. Show the luxury. Stress it. If you have a low-price strategy, emphasize your pricing on the site. You could even have a price comparison tool to help prove that your prices are the best. For a personal service focus, see the suggestions in point 5, above.

7. Hide room prices and taxes

This is crucial information, so why do many sites neglect to include it? Even business travelers are usually on some sort of a budget. Everybody wants to know what their stay will cost. And to them, all the taxes that drive up the bill are part of the cost. They feel misled if you've told them that a stay will cost $150 a night but the bill comes closer to $200 once the taxes are added on. By all means, split out the amount of the cost that is your price from the taxes, but don't pretend that the taxes are irrelevant in the decision-making process.

8. Alienate your prospective non-American customers

We all have trouble seeing ourselves as others see us. So it is easy to give offence without meaning to. On hotel sites, one way this often happens is companies using flags as stand-ins to indicate the language of a site. Canadians, the British, Australians, New Zealanders, and others may be upset to be lumped in under a US flag to signify "English". And some countries, like Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, India, and others have more than one official language. So does a Canadian flag mean the site is in English or French?

9. Ask for irrelevant information

You may have sound marketing reasons for wanting to know as much as possible about your site visitors and hotel guests, but why should they have to tell you? One hotel site we recently tested asked not only how many children would be staying in the room (a reasonable request) but the names of the children. Tester after tester complained that this was an unwarranted invasion of their privacy. When you really do need some information that might seem odd (perhaps there is a law in your jurisdiction that requires you keep a record of the names of all people, even children, staying in your hotel), be sure to explain that reason on the site, right at the spot where you are asking for the information.

10. Force membership

Most retailers are past this by now, but many hotels are still forcing people to "join" or become "members" in order to book a stay, or in some cases, even to see the rates. Consumers hate this. They haven't even stayed with you yet, why would they want to become members and run the risk of being subjected to what they see as spam e-mail? Why should they trust you with their personal information? Once they've booked, you may suggest to them that if they'd like to become a member at this point they can benefit by not having to re-enter their information next time they want to book with you, and from discount offers, etc. At that point they may choose to join. But even then, keep it optional. And don't make them re-enter the information they just entered! Pre-fill the form with the data you just got from their booking. Also be sure to have a link to your privacy policy visible when you are asking the membership question.

You many not remember all these specific rules, so let's sum it up like this: Make sure your website is a true reflection of your corporate values and of the kind of experience you want your hotel visitors to have. For most consumers today, that experience starts long before they walk through your doors.

Tema Frank is president of Web Mystery Shoppers International Inc. Her company's proprietary website assessment uses an ever-changing panel of some 50,000 people testing web sites from their own computers and providing detailed feedback. Her company has produced research insights that have been valued by companies such as Expedia, Sabre Holdings (Travelocity), Travelweb, OctopusTravel, and many others. She serves on the research committee of the Web Analytics Association and on the Editorial Board of User Experience magazine. Ms. Frank can be contacted at 780-444-5645 or tema@webmysteryshoppers.com Extended Bio...

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