Studies show that people visit over 30 websites when researching where to go on vacation. Make it easy for them to know what they get, how much it will cost, and why they should book. In other words, think like a guest to drive revenue for your small hotel. Potential guests don’t know your room types, nor will they automatically understand why one is worth more than the other. So, make sure different rooms have unique and descriptive names. And ensure that all amenities are clearly defined in the room descriptions. As well, all sales channels should have consistent content and accurate information. Where possible, highlight why they should choose your hotel. That is, explain the unique attributes or experiences they will enjoy when staying with you. Tell your story.
Further to the above, make it easy for guests to distinguish what makes each rate plan unique. For example, while auditing one hotel’s online presence, we noticed their OTA rates were significantly lower than their hotel website. It wasn’t immediately clear why. Then, we realized the OTAs had ‘room-only rates’ whereas the hotel’s booking engine listed all-inclusive rates only. This inconsistency made hotel direct appear more expensive than the OTAs, and unfortunately, we weren’t the only ones who noticed. At least one TripAdvisor review advised future guests of this hotel to book on Expedia for better rates. Ouch.
In summary, think like a guest when you shop your hotel. Spell out exactly what you offer on each channel. And to drive more direct business, make the added value clear, preferably without resorting to discounting direct bookings.