DOES YOUR BOOKING ENGINEMAKE THE CUT IN THE DIRECT BOOKING ERA?blog.life-happens.com

SUCCEED WITH YOUR DIRECT BOOKING STRATEGY

Booking engines offer many features that promise improved business performance, and a lot of them are certainly necessary. These include accepting multiple currencies and languages, a high resolution image gallery, good graphic design, etc.

But which of these features can not only support your scaling and optimization efforts but can also give you that first big breakthrough in direct bookings?

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FIVE MUST-HAVE BOOKING ENGINE FEATURESYOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOUR HOTEL WEBSITECAN SURVIVE IN THE ERA OF DIRECT BOOKINGS

1. MOBILE COMPATIBILITY2. CHANNEL MANAGER – METASEARCH CONNECTIVITY3. ENHANCED RATE FLEXIBILITY4. SIMPLIFIED BOOKING PROCESS 5. EMAIL AUTOMATION

BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #1:MOBILE COMPATIBILITY

The percentage of mobile bookings is increasing day by day.Therefore, your booking engine must allow easy and instant

mobile booking.

52% of the US bookings in for Q1 of 2016

1. Mobile Compatibility

In addition, mobile took up a considerable portion of last minute OTA bookings at 41% and 67% on hotel websites

OTAs Hotel Website

59%

33% 41%

67%

Mobile Desktop

US Online Travel Market 2016 Q1

BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #2:CHANNEL MANAGER – METASEARCH CONNECTIVITY

Display real-time availability, provide the best available rate at any given moment, and assure easy connectivity with

meta-search partners

Meta-search is the fastest way to increase direct booking

2. Channel Manager – Metasearch Connectivity

It builds up your brand by sending the user to book from your website, allowing you to truly “acquire” guests. Then you can turn them into returning direct bookers via your email marketing retention and social media remarketing campaigns.

Hotel Ads

Make sure that your booking engine software can provide you available access to

BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #3:ENHANCED RATE FLEXIBILITY

Provide good customer service and a rate flexibility that is in demand in today’s travel market while strengthening your

cash flow

provides protection for hotels as well as for travelers

3. Enhanced Rate Flexibility

It allows your guests to save money on a discounted, non-refundable reservation while being able to cancel at any time.

They receive 80% of the money back in exchange for a small commission.

That commission is shared with the hotel, which not only benefits from a free feature that provides the expected cancellation policy of the consumers, but also gets paid for it.

BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #4:SIMPLIFIED BOOKING PROCESS

Convert the traffic you attract to your website at the highest ratio

4. Simplified Booking Process

Simple ‘Click to Book’ Flow

Your booking engine must have a simple flow that doesn’t take more than 3-4 clicks (up to 5 webpages) to complete a reservation on your website.

A more complex flow will reduce your conversion rate, increasing your CPA (cost per acquisition) of paid traffic, thereby reducing your global ROI

BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #5:EMAIL AUTOMATION

RETENTIONMARKETINGCX

5. Email Automation

Automated confirmation email helps with CX, Marketing, and Customer Retention

You should be able to manage a mailing list of your guests and market them special offerings.

This email marketing can become a non-paid acquisition channel to encourage repeat business.

SUMMARYChoosing the best booking engine for your hotel is tough, but you must go with the one that puts you at the best position to succeed with your direct booking strategy. Your booking engine must have the ability to let you drive as much direct traffic to your website as possible and convert lookers to bookers at the best possible ratio.

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