There’s just no question about it, anymore. Winning reservations is an online game. Huge online travel sites like Booking.com and Expedia are taking up massive amounts of search traffic. But, are online reservation tools doing everything they can to increase hotel bookings?
A recent interview with Triptease’s Charlie Osmond reveals some frightening statistics on these booking sites, and how often hotels may be losing business to their competitors.
Osmond says consumers will book direct on a hotel website, but only if the experience is easy and intuitive. “There are some great hotel websites that provide a fabulous experience for the guest. The future is here but it is just unevenly distributed,” said Osmond. “By surfacing what the guest wants we are helping to level the playing field for hoteliers.”
It’s probably not as simple as that, of course, with mega-brands such as Priceline-owned Booking.com and Expedia doing their level best to attract consumers early in the consumer purchase funnel with heavy spend on Google advertising.
What does that mean?
Hotels with well-built, easy-to-use websites may end up getting more traffic than those that rely on outdated booking systems or well-known booking powerhouses like Expedia. Tnooz reports that 94% of people have abandoned an online booking, and that 29% of those cited a difficult booking form as the cause. They have put together a list of demands that most consumers are looking for in an online booking experience.
The best way to increase your digital reservations? Keep it simple, make it fast and load up on extra features (view tnooz’s complete list).
For more ways to keep it simple, visit americanhotel.com – the best way to stock up on your everyday needs in one convenient place.
