Online travel agents (OTAs), like Expedia Group, are the leading resource during travellers’ planning phase of a trip, and remain prevalent through the booking path, with OTAs converting the most travellers into guests. Not only do they provide travellers with a variety of accommodation options, but they put clear, visual information about choices at their fingertips.
Understanding the phases of a trip, and the traveller experiences throughout, is a big part of maintaining online reputation. There are four phases: dreaming and planning, shopping and booking, the trip itself and post-trip. Throughout this journey, today’s tech-savvy travellers are looking for personalised content that is relevant to their preference.
The importance of content and how it can inspire travellers cannot be overstated. Expedia research found travellers often gravitate toward images that evoke emotional reactions. Rooms, restaurants, and general spaces with pleasing views instil a feeling of delight as do photos showing attractive features.
Licensees should be local experts and share insights into activities and landmarks. When deciding where to book, consumers rank location above amenities, price and ratings.
As travellers move into the booking phase, they have narrowed options and are closer to purchasing, but operators still need to account for diverse needs and budgets. Understanding the market and offering competitive rates can be what helps travellers make that final booking decision. Leveraging performance and market information, paired with shopping data, can help operators set strategies that convert travellers. Expedia offers several tools to help with revenue management and property performance.
Once a traveller has booked, you can begin delivering on guest experience by opening the lines of communication. Our partners tell us they need the ability to connect with guests before they arrive. With this in mind, we developed a communication platform that allows operators to acknowledge, confirm, and manage special requests and provide information that boosts engagement.
Engaged guests are also returning guests – they are 40% more likely to return, illustrating that there’s an opportunity for pubs to drive profit through active engagement with guests.
As competition intensifies, investing in your online presence and guest experience are key drivers to help increase positive reviews, generate more direct traffic, improve visibility
and grow conversion.
