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HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW

FEBRUARY FOCUS: Developments in Social Media Strategies

 

The Top Five Website Failures and How to Fix Them

By Mike Kistner President, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of the Board, Pegasus Solutions | February 2012

Never before in the history of our industry have hotels had so many opportunities to market and sell their room inventories. Mobile, Google, social media, TripAdvisor, GDSs and traditional voice, among countless others, present infinite opportunities to increase exposure for hotel properties on a global level. However, there is one tool that remains crucial regardless of the channel you’re selling through…and that is the hotel website. Many hotels, especially independents, have only scratched the surface with the foundation of their online presence, inadvertently making serious errors that may in fact be hurting their chances to book rooms. Following are the five website failures hotels make, along with how to fix them. **Failure 1: Content is buried, inaccurate, not informative, too informative, etc.** Gone are the days of the brochure GM, who booked reservations with a picture showing a room with a tray offering a croissant, orange juice and a single rose on the bed. Today’s hotels still need to paint an inviting picture, but do it for a savvier guest who has likely visited other sites for information about competing hotels before coming to yours. *Visual content* Make it easy for travelers to understand your story by featuring appealing images that can be easily viewed. These will do more to sell your hotel than any flowery description. You can add as many adjectives as you want to a room description, but one unflattering picture will replace all the complimentary language in the world. Spend budget for photography – you absolutely need compelling and inviting pictures. *Accurate content* Since many online shoppers are cross-referencing your site with other sources of information, make sure the details about your hotel are accurate – the address, the rates, directions, hours, phone number, payment, etc. Take the time to read and re-read copy. If you can’t be bothered to notice the erroneous spelling on your website, seen by most of your potential guests, then how much care have you taken on your pest control issues, possibly noticed by only a few? *Buried content* We tell the hotels we work with to track their website to see where visitors are going and spending their time. If they’re skipping areas they should be visiting, i.e. the “groups and meetings” page for a strong convention hotel, then you need to reevaluate how the information is being presented. Content is as much about appealing to the guest as knowing your audience, and your strengths for that matter. *Extraneous content* The hotel website is designed for the consumer, not the travel agent. I recently looked at a hotel in New York and saw the rates they were selling online were rack rates. Imagine yourself as the consumer shopping that hotel and seeing a rate far and above those you’ve seen elsewhere online, or those intended for the travel agent. Include content that is meant for the people shopping your site. **Failure 2: Rates and availability aren’t readily available** Our data shows that approximately 40 percent of the people coming to your site will visit the quick reservations tab on the home page to check rates and availability. Many hoteliers assume that because shoppers are on their sites they’re dying to stay at your hotel and they will act as you’d like them to – visiting the accommodations page to review all the room types and packages available before comparing pricing. But, many of your website visitors have already done their research elsewhere before coming to your site. They’ve read reviews on TripAdvisor and compared rates on various OTAs. They’re coming to your site to comparison shop and determine if they would be better served booking directly. It’s presumptuous to imagine them thoroughly reviewing content you’ve created to help sell your property, and for about 55 percent of your site visitors, this is how they will shop your website. But for 40 percent, they’ll expect a “teaser box” on your homepage that allows them to find out quickly and easily what’s available and what it costs. Highlight any offerings exclusive to your site in the teaser box, including the cancellation policy. We know that a point of discomfort for travelers booking with OTAs is the absence of this consumer protection directly with the hotel, so remind them how “safe” it is to book directly. And, highlight other amenities available in the booking path. They may be just looking for rates, but will be happy to discover what else you have to offer. **Failure 3: Flash** It’s hard to believe that hotels are still using Flash extensively on their websites. While it can offer a sexier look and feel for the desktop version of your site, Flash can and will negatively affect your chances for reservations. For one, it won’t work on mobile devices, including any Apple mobile products. Secondly, content featured in Flash can’t be “crawled” by search engines, meaning you cannot easily search engine optimize Flash sites in the same way you would a Java-created site. Many hotels hoping to launch impressive sites in the last decade turned to design groups that presented aesthetically pleasing Flash sites without understanding the limitations of the technology. Site creators offered it because it had better margins on their end – it’s an expensive technology that requires more development time and is difficult to change – and because they may not have had the talent to build the more appropriate Java site. If you’re using Flash, it can affect the speed of your site, the size of your images, and again, the search availability of your site. And because it presented such a significant investment for many hotels when they created their websites, they have a hard time justifying the cost to update or change navigation, or to create an entirely new site. However, the future of sites is JavaScript, which is a less expensive and more easily maintained technology. Your site should create comfort. In addition to the comfort you create on-site – easy check-in, goose down comforters, flat-screen televisions, and wifi – what have you done to create comfort in the booking process? Guests are more likely to participate in a comfortable booking experience – not one weighed down with bulky technology. If they’re one of the 29.7 million who are expected to book travel via mobile devices next year, you need to make sure your site features responsive design so it appears quickly and offers ease of use to those booking via smartphone or tablet – any smartphone or tablet. A desktop website displaying on a mobile device simply creates customer frustration. And a site that is inaccessible via mobile because it was built in Flash translates to lost business. **Failure 4: Data impotence** Show your site visitors that you’re interested in understanding who they are and what they want. Ask about them, and make sure they know you’re there to serve them. In terms of lead generation, your website creates the perfect opportunity to engage with an audience that has already shown proactive interest in your property or your brand. These individuals may only need a small push in terms of a special promotion to book your hotel. Have a newsletter opt-in in the booking process, highlight a loyalty program and give them a way to stay connected to you. This can include referring to your mobile site, your Facebook page, your Twitter feed, or even showing where your hotel has been featured or reviewed lately. Once collected, do something with your database. Many hotels have collected data by customer opt-in to only have it sit unused until a moment of desperation when it likely won’t make any difference. If you’re collecting data, then use it, at least once a quarter. Communicate about your special offers, a mobile site, updated guestrooms, loyalty programs, seasonal attractions, etc. Don’t just promise to keep in touch, keep in touch in a valuable way. **Failure 5: Not understanding the needs of your audience** Do the majority of your bookers speak a language other than the English-only you have online? Maybe you’re a hotel that appeals to business travelers who may be adjusting their reservation with a mobile device while walking through an airport terminal, and you have no mobile presence. Or, do you rely heavily on guest referrals but have not responded to any of your negative reviews on TripAdvisor? If your hotel attracts global travelers, make sure you offer a multi-lingual and multi-currency booking process. This doesn’t mean you have to translate the entire site into multiple languages, unless a single country makes up a great majority of your bookers. Instead, offer a fact page in each appropriate language with an overview of the hotel and a “book it” button in that language so they can book comfortably in their language of choice. Also, fish where the fish are at. Be aware of what’s out there on TripAdvisor and respond to it. Have a presence on Google, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Twitter and your strongest OTA, and monitor guest feedback and reactions. While people may not be buying through Facebook, they are using it in the research process before they visit your site to book. The social media may not convert them, but it will lead them to shop your site. Take the time to evaluate your customers – review that precious data you’ve collected and use it as a way to discover more about how you can tailor your business to their booking needs. Ultimately, a good website is like a good date. It asks questions, it says all the right things about itself, and will end up being a sure thing.

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Troy Dixon The Importance of Meaningful Travel
  • By Troy Dixon, General Manager, The Central Station

    • In the spring of 2022, the travel industry experienced a remarkable resurgence. It reemerged seemingly overnight after the prolonged hiatus caused by the pandemic. It was as though a switch had been flipped: travelers from around the world hurriedly packed their bags, secured their passports and set off to explore the world. After two years of quarantine and social distancing, which kept people separated from friends and family, there was a widespread eagerness to resume adventures and start exploring again. This phenomenon was aptly termed “revenge travel” by the media, capturing the pent-up demand for travel that saw...

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Nina Boys Beyond The Checklist: Embedding Sustainability Into Hotel Strategy for Lasting Impact
  • By Nina Boys, Vice President, Sustainability, Beyond Green

    • Let’s start with the obvious: there is a lot going on in the world today. In a rapidly changing and increasingly unpredictable global landscape, hotels must find ways to remain competitive and resilient in the long term, even when the realities of tomorrow - let alone five years from now - are far from guaranteed. While there is no silver bullet to solve the complex global challenges we face today, there are ample opportunities to evolve a hotel’s operations and build a competitive advantage for years to come. Forward-thinking companies understand that embracing sustainability today is key to...

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Robert Schnitz Asking A Guest to Leave The Premises and Bias
  • By Robert Schnitz, Head of Hospitality Practice & Partner, Kabat Chapman & Ozmer LLP

    • It has been over five years since a Starbucks location in Philadelphia attracted national attention when two customers were removed from the premises inhandcuffs by police officers. The incident highlighted the role that bias can play in providing or denying service to customers and challenged the norms and protocols that existed for decades for operators and managers in deciding to remove a guest from the premises. This article will examine the legal rights of hospitality managers and owners to remove guests from the premises, how the 2018 Starbuck’s incident reflects societal changes that impact those rights and significantly...

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Bonnie Knutson The Power of Ten
  • By Bonnie Knutson, Professor, The School of Hospitality Business/MSU

    • It probably all started with our fingers and toes. We have ten of each. Then there are ten pennies in a dime and ten dimes in a dollar. We count ten years in a decade, cheer for ten events in a Decathlon and count ten tentacles on a squid. Even in religious contexts, famously there are ten. The phrase, "The Power of Ten” did not, however, come from our toes, fingers, or currency. And it surely did not come from the deep blue sea. Its origins are somewhat rooted in mathematics and science, where "powers of ten" represent exponential growth...

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Jennifer Barnwell Holistic Well-Being: Trends in Health and Wellness Offerings at Boutique Hotels in 2024
  • By Jennifer Barnwell, President, Curator Hotel & Resorts Collection

    • The past few years have certainly affected our health and well-being. From somewhat constant concerns about being exposed to and catching COVID ourselves, or having it affect our family members, to long hours working from home offices and worry about childcare, the pandemic left many people feeling depleted and in desperate need of vacations that offer relaxation and recharge. Wellness tourism aims to reduce stress by focusing on mental, physical and, in some cases, emotional well-being. It’s a chance to power down and recharge. In the ever-evolving landscape of hospitality, boutique hotels are redefining luxury by prioritizing the holistic...

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Filip Linek How AI is Shaping the Future of Hospitality and Driving Growth
  • By Filip Linek, CEO & Founder, Flae Robotics

    • According to the Hotel Tech Report, the market size and growth of AI technology implementation in the hospitality industry have evolved from a niche investment to a necessity for staying ahead in the industry. With hoteliers facing rising labor costs, volatile booking trends, and shifting guest expectations, AI has become a key component of modern hotel operations. The AI market in the hospitality sector is projected to grow more than 90 times over the next decade, from $90M to $8.12B (Future Market Insights), and mainstream adoption is predicted, with $1.2B in AI investments in travel & hospitality by 2026 (IndustryARC)....

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Suzie Squier Navigating Cybersecurity Challenges: Securing The Future of The Hotel Industry
  • By Suzie Squier, President, Retail & Hospitality ISAC

    • In the modern hospitality industry, cybersecurity has become a critical priority for hotel executives. With the increasing reliance on digital systems for reservations, guest services, and operations, hotels are prime targets for cybercriminals. Recent high-profile breaches have underscored the vulnerabilities inherent in the sector, highlighting the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures. By understanding and addressing these issues, hotel executives can better protect their guests’ sensitive information, maintain their reputation, and ensure the smooth operation of their establishments. Why Hotels Are Targeted As hotels increasingly use innovative technology to enhance their operations and guest services, they collect...

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