Ms. White

Technology

Core Profit Center: Your Website

By Kristi White, Director of Revenue Optimization, TravelCLICK, Inc.

Over the past 10 years, the web has become a powerhouse for growing business. For the hotel industry, it has changed all the ground rules, from how you interact with your customers to how you drive bookings.

Ten years ago, hotel chains started investing in online virtual brochures. These sites were designed simply to lay out the product and drive customers to call centers. As the sophistication of the web platforms increased, rudimentary booking engines were laid into the websites. No one anticipated that this electronic brochure would soon be a key business driver.

Website circa 1999

A few years later, third-party sites became significant players in this emerging market. They offered new technology that opened up more variety for the end consumer. Suddenly, websites began driving business. The major chains started developing better websites to showcase their identity and the uniqueness of their individual properties. Larger independent properties also started surfing the Internet "superhighway" and developed their own websites. In a few short years, the industry went from using websites as online brochures for driving business to call centers to developing business plans geared to driving volumes of business through their website.

Website circa 2009

The hotel in the examples above has done an excellent job of adapting to the times and evolving their website to meet the needs not only of their business but also of increasingly savvy consumers.

When was the last time that you took a long, hard look at your site? Has it evolved with the changing marketplace? If not, let's walk through what makes a successful website in today's world.

To start our process, log onto your website. It will be helpful to have someone who does not work at your hotel log in with you: a fresh set of eyes can bring a new perspective. Let's see if your site passes the six "litmus tests" for an exceptional hotel website, described below.

Test 1: Capture interest immediately

As you upload the site, what is the first thing that you see? Is it something that makes you want to stay and learn more? Make sure you capture interest immediately.

Test 2: Navigate with ease

Web consumers are typically fickle creatures with short attention spans. Typically, they search three sites before making a decision. If your site doesn't provide a clear road map, visitors will likely be off to another site.

Test 3: Captivate with content

As you navigate through each section of your site, does the content accurately depict your hotel? Large, professional pictures that highlight your hotel's best features along with rich, well-written text are what draw consumers deeper into your website. Pictures might be worth a thousand words for the viewing consumer, but text is what revs up the search engines. So, you need to use visuals in conjunction with text to make sure your website speaks to the end user and to the search engines that will drive users to it.

Test 4: Drive bookings, the ultimate goal

You have gone to your site, navigated through the links, and been captivated by the content. Now, how about making a reservation? Can you find your booking engine? Is there a clear call to action on how to make a reservation?

The ultimate goal is for customers to book your hotel. Your proprietary website is your lowest-cost acquisition channel short of guests walking in the door. Your website should have a booking mask on each page of the site, front and center. Since you don't know which page consumers will be on when they make the decision to buy, you need to make sure the apparatus to book is everywhere the customer goes.

Your booking engine should be clean and fit the look and feel of your website. Everything that applies to your website should apply to your booking engine. It should be easily navigable and let you personalize the content so you can merchandize your hotel most effectively. Ideally, you should be able to add multiple pictures of the rooms you offer so that visual content as well as textual content can influence visitors' buying decisions.

Finally, can you merchandise other features of your hotel from your website? With a great booking engine, customers can create their own experience by purchasing additional add-ons at the point of sale. This will drive higher revenues for your hotel and create a more memorable experience for your customers.

Test 5: Seek and find

We have now captured initial interest, navigated the site, looked "under the hood" at your content, and "kicked the tires" on your booking engine. One more step: hit home on your browser. This should take you back to your home page. Now, type your hotel's name into your web browser. Did your hotel turn up in the top spot?

In the example below, the hotel returns on a paid search and also in the first two organic searches.

Now, let's change our search parameters to something more generic. In the example below the hotel come up third in the organic search.

Completing the first four steps perfectly will only get you so far. If consumers can't find your website, you are lost on the superhighway. Using an effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategy will help consumers find your website in a traffic jam of other hotels and travel sites.

SEO is more than keywords. It involves linking your site to other sites to increase relevancy, building harmonious landing pages that support your marketing strategies along with a host of other tactics. Initially, it can cost more, but it is a necessity and should be an ongoing part of your marketing budget. Combining SEO with pay-per-click campaigns will help give your site higher placement on organic and paid searches. Better placement leads to better bookings.

Test 6: Track for ROI

It's time for the final test. When you invest money in anything, you expect a return. Can you track how many shoppers have visited your website? Do you know what page they were on when they decided to buy a room? Do you know what page they were on when they abandoned your site? Finally, once they make it to your booking engine, did they actually book?

If you can't track how much you are getting back from your website investment, then your site has a fatal flaw. A good site should be able to track how many visitors you have, how many pages they visit, which pages are visited, and more. If you don't have these analytics, you need to have a frank conversation with your web designer.

How did your hotel fare in the six litmus tests? If you came up short, it's time to reevaluate your website's design, your booking engine, or both. To be competitive in today's marketplace, your hotel needs an exceptional website that truly engages visitors to linger on your site, and ultimately, drives them to book and add value to their stay. Well-designed sites not only deliver a satisfying experience for online shoppers; they can convert up to 30 percent of total business-making them a core profit center in any economy.

Kristi White is Director of Revenue Optimization for TravelCLICK. Her team provides focus on TravelCLICK’s iHotelier Central Reservations customers, working to maximize transactions through best practices in marketing and distribution. Ms. White advises on business strategy, improving performance and profitability. She has experience in Operations and Regional Sales at both independent and flagged hotels. She is a frequent guest speaker and is on the Board for the HSMAI Revenue Management Special Interest Group. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from LSU and multiple certifications from AH&LA. Ms. White can be contacted at 817-719-2956 or kwhite@travelclick.net Extended Bio...

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