What lessons has E-commerce taught to Hotel Industry?
The boom in E-commerce has impacted the way business is done nowadays. There were times when one had to go to the store and buy goods.
Now thousands of products are accessible on your mobile, a few clicks and the product is delivered within a few days.
This business model has been adopted by the hotel industry very well. But there are a lot of things that can be learned from the e-commerce businesses.
These lessons will definitely help is achieving success if applied appropriately by the hotels. So here are the most important lessons:
1.Fewer options = Less headache
Your website should not be cluttered with too many options. Keep it simple. It is only natural to get confused when a lot of options are kept in front of you.
It seriously gives a painful headache to choose the best option. So don’t let your potentials guest slip into such a trauma.
The motive must be clear. The guests shall visit your website, surf to find the suitable room for them and finally reserve the room.
2.Speedy website = More Conversion
Life in the 21st century is fast. People want answers to their questions at speed of the light. The big e-commerce brands keep their websites well optimized.
In this way, the users don’t face any lags while surfing their website which results in smooth user experience.
Now same goes for the hotel websites. If the hotel website is user-friendly, then it decreases the chance of abandonment of the order.
That is because if the guests find your website to be slow, then they will simply move on to other website and make a reservation there.
A user-friendly and responsive hotel booking engine is a great solution to avoid such problems.
3.Straightforward ‘Book Now’ button = Confirmed booking
A ‘Book Now’ means that when a guest gets to the hotel room page he must be able to complete the reservation process quickly.
Suppose he is redirected to other website or link that doesn’t match your brand, then it would induce a feeling of fear or doubt.
The booking engine must put the booking orders to your reservation system and at the same time allow you to maintain your brand value.
This gives your guests the confidence in your hotel and encourages them to book.
4.Guest relationship = Guest Loyalty
Whenever guests arrive at your hotel from the start of their stay till the end you have ample amount of opportunities to get familiar with them.
Thus building a friendly relationship with guests will make them feel that they are a part of a friendly environment.
As a result, the next time they think of spending some leisure time, then your hotel’s name will definitely pop up in their heads.
There must be guests who have booked through OTAs. So it is the best chance to make them your loyal guests by educating them to book directly next time with you.
As a friendly approach, you could offer them some discount, amenities or passes for events the next time they book with you.
5.Keep trying different tactics = Better ideas
You know your hotel better than anyone. So it’s a great idea to keep testing different strategies and observe the results.
If you think an idea isn’t working, then try another one and keep trying. It will bring you closer to what awesome ideas that will help you generate more revenue.
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