Impact of Mobile Technology on Hotels
No more desktop bookings but now mobile technology on hotels and other smart devices are certainly the future platforms for hotel bookings
According to a study by Google 48% of travel websites, were visited by modern travelers in 2015.
That is because they find mobile as a simpler platform to research.
They plan their trips and prefer to book flights and hotel rooms on the go.
When travelers start a research they face many problems as they have to plan their trip from start to the end.
They turn to their smartphones to find out answers quickly.
As these devices help them to find the information they are looking for in a lesser time.
As a result, the conversion rates for mobile travel sites have grown rapidly by 88%.
There was one more research conducted by Adobe Digital Insights (ADI) that predicts online travel spending in the U.S to grow by 5.5% in 2016 resulting in $82.9 billion.
The graph shown here displays the predictable growth in online sales of flights and hotels on major holiday weekends like Memorial Day, July Fourth and Labor Day.
Through this research, it finds out that the mobile booking trend was on a continuous rise.
As of Jan 2016, 21% of online bookings were made through smartphones and tablets.
After looking at the reports and studies it can be concluded that the mobile bookings will rise even more in the future.
What will be the impact of mobile technology on hotels?
We live in a mobile-centric world where travelers want things they are looking for instantly.
Many OTAs and branded hotels understand this consumer behavior.
That is why they are finding ways to optimize their websites to increase their online reach and provide various easy booking options to customers at their finger tips.
Hotels must also take advantage of this scenario by finding new ways to interact with guests and build brand awareness.
Here are some important strategies that can help hotels secure more online mobile bookings:
1) Mobile-friendly website –
The 21st travelers have less patience and more expectations.
There is a need for hotels to provide a mobile-friendly website to guests so they can browse your website through any device.
2) User-friendly website –
User-friendly websites have high conversion rates.
If a website is difficult for guests to navigate then they will immediately shift to other website that provides them a better user experience.
Hotels must provide a unique user experience through their website so that user are easily able to access all the vital information.
For instance, room types, prices, and viewing high-resolution images on their mobile devices.
3) Fast Booking process–
As travelers are in a hurry they would definitely go for a hotel website that would allow them to reserve rooms quickly.
Hotels must provide a simple booking experience so that most mobile visitors are able to reserve rooms within a few clicks.
4) Fast and Secure online transactions –
It is very difficult for customers to enter all their payment details on small screens.
It not only wastes their time but annoys them as well.
So hotels must use fast and secure payment gateways to save their time and gain trust of customers.
Conclusion
Hoteliers need to keep up with the changing pace of technology.
They need to focus on using every latest tool at their disposal to meet the requirements of their guests.
For now, hotels should concentrate on expanding their online presence among mobile users and win their trust.
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