5 reasons why hotel guests are abandoning bookings
DESCRIPTION
Top 5 reasons why guests might be abandoning bookings on your hotel website, and some tips to reduce that abandonment rate.TRANSCRIPT
Top 5 reasons why
guests might be abandoning bookings on
your hotel website
abandonment
…..and how you can
REDUCE
A look at user behaviour
across the hospitality
industry reveals that over
90% of visitors who initiate
a booking on hotel websites
will abandon their
booking.
That’s like revenue falling out of a hole in your pocket. Do you know what caused that hole? And how can you mend it?
1 They’re just comparing prices
Rate comparison is a common practice when guests are in their research phase. They want to shop around to make sure they’re getting the best rates.
Offer them an option to save their booking when they are about to leave your page.
When they return to your website, make it easy for them to continue their booking from where they left off.
Send them an e-mail with a link to continue booking from where they left off.
2 Too many (unnecessary) fields
Nobody likes wasting time filling in personal details… especially when they seem unnecessary for confirming a hotel booking.
Minimise the amount of information you ask for from first-time bookers
Build your guest profile over time – AFTER they’ve become your guest
Offer social login
3 Your site is non-secure
Given the risk of internet fraud, guests need to know that their transactions are secure. Having a non-secure booking site could be a deterrent to many who would prefer booking elsewhere they can trust.
Make sure your site uses reputable SSL certificates to safeguard your guests’ personal and credit card details.
Apply the SSL certificate throughout your booking journey.
Work with reputable payment gateways.
4 Your booking process seems endless
Guests can become frustrated if they keep seeing a NEXT button on every page without knowing when they will get to the end.
Step 1
Choose your room
Step 2
Customise your room
Step 3
Make payment
Step 4
Confirmation
Minimise the number of steps in your booking process
Use a progress bar to show guests where they’re at in the booking process
5 Your rate is higher than an OTA’s
The war on rate parity is ongoing. If you can’t stop an OTA from offering a lower rate, then you need to offer guests something that appeals to them on an emotional level.
Offer a room upgrade Offer complimentary breakfast Offer gift cards for a local event or a
popular restaurant
Source: Survey conducted by Software Advice, Q1 2014
Your website is your most cost effective booking channel. Getting visitors there is only the beginning.
Keep them engaged by displaying relevant content based on their location, demographic
profiles and browsing history. Create an intuitive booking path and make it easy for them to complete
their online booking. Understand why guests are abandoning their bookings and turn them into
revenue opportunities.
MediaConcepts helps hotels personalise and enhance their guest experience at every step of their journey. We create compelling websites with fully integrated online booking journeys. Our modular suite of digital solutions empower you
to engage with your guests before, during and after their stay.
Content Management System Mobile Concierge
Connect to Travel Agents Groups Booking
Corporate Booking Booking Integration Social Media Integration
Loyalty Management
Campaign Management
Customer Relationship Management
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Take your guest experience to the next level. Talk to us today.
www.mediaconcepts.com