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For hotels in the hospitality industry, having an online business engine is crucial for acquiring customers. This is because customers in this digital age book hotels, reserve tables in restaurants, buy concert tickets, and even shop using their mobile phones, regardless of whether they do it from home and anywhere around this world.
However, good booking systems should offer more than the ability to simplify bookings, but it should also contain appealing features that will enhance the experience of the customers. In that regard, here are some tips and tricks to make the most from your online booking engine:
Tip #1: Make Sure Your Online Bookings are in Real-Time
One of the best things about online booking is that it makes efficient use of time for both your customers and your business. This also includes taking out unnecessary inquiries or waiting time for processing their booking, especially when checking for available dates. An excellent online booking system should automatically prevent the customer from making further bookings with their chosen date as it should already be presented as fully-booked.
Tip #2: Include Voucher Generation and Management
Voucher is a coupon given to guest for a specific prepaid service, which customers can claim to make reservations for booking a hotel in exchange for special promotions on accommodations, meals, sightseeing, tickets, and more. Partnering with travel agencies or using external voucher portals like Groupon can be an excellent way to engage and excite your customers. In that regard, your online booking system should be able to generate and manage vouchers so that customers can redeem them during their online booking.
Tip #3: Promote Early-Bird Rates
Early bird ticket sales are an effective strategy to drive more sales for your short-term cash flow. Consumers love discounts, and it’s an eye-catching way to hold the attention of your customers and promote any product or seasonal services for your hotel. In essence, it also helps increase revenue during slower times as discounted rates can encourage higher conversions and accelerate the booking process.
Tip #4: Implement Urgency Messages
One of the most effective marketing strategies in any e-Commerce business is the use of urgency. This is because when something feels urgent, customers are more likely to act on it, even when it is manipulated.
An example of this is taking advantage of the illusion of expiration, which prompts immediate results from consumers with the fear of missing out on a promotion or opportunity. For example, including urgent messages like “Book now, Pay Later!” or “Only Two Rooms Left!” can grab attention and invoke urgency in the customer, which can effectively increase your conversions.
Tip #5: Optimize Your Booking Engine and Website Integration
Just like any online business, your booking engine should be seamlessly integrated into your website as the user experience is crucial when it comes to building trust, establishing connections, and increasing conversions.
Your website and booking engine should also be compatible and responsive to both mobile and desktop devices. Not to mention, the layout and overall design should also promote easy navigation to make the whole booking process quick and painless for your customers.
As you can see, a digital booking system allows your hotel business to stay ahead of the curve. If you’re looking for a digital agency to help implement a great online reservation system, Web Connection Asia is your best option. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
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