| I see all kinds of wild figures thrown around from 0.5% | | | | simple addition has been known to double hotel online |
| to 20.0% of site visitors that book then and there; this | | | | revenues. Your web site should be created with goals |
| is broadly referred to as the conversion factor. I'm not | | | | in mind...a) make a sale, b) have users make an enquiry |
| going to tell you what it should be for your web site | | | | or c) encourage them to register to receive your |
| because I don't believe in it. I use RevPOV - Revenue | | | | newsletter and in some cases d) as they leave, ask |
| Per Online Visit - this is the RevPAR alternative for | | | | why they didn't buy. Your web site needs to be a |
| web site revenue benchmarking. It's an easy sum; take | | | | sales funnel, persuading visitors to buy. |
| your total DIRECT online revenues and divide it by the | | | | Page upon page of booking opportunities - create a |
| total number of visits to your site. Now, go back for | | | | page EACH for your weekend packages, romantic |
| the last 12 months and chart this both on a linear and | | | | packages, special offers, promotions, deals, mates |
| month-on-month basis. Chasing visit growth as your | | | | rates and more with links to your online booking engine |
| goal is like chasing occupancy or average rate | | | | - visitors will not scroll down screen upon screen of |
| individually ...as we all know, genuine hotel benchmarking | | | | information...use yourself as a market research group |
| is really about RevPAR, and in the online space, it's all | | | | of one, if you won't do it, then chances are 99.0% of |
| about RevPOV. | | | | the world won't either. The majority of people buy |
| Yes, you need to grow visits but you also need to | | | | either a room only or B&B rate online but like to |
| reach visitors who are ready to buy...and make them | | | | "window shop" to see what else may be available; |
| buy! That's why we measure your total online | | | | perhaps a unique value added package or a special |
| revenues per visit, that is your most important | | | | three night deal for Thanksgiving...you won't actually sell |
| benchmark ...and now some tips on how to grow your | | | | a lot of these but they will help you sell more of your |
| RevPOV sensibly! | | | | room only or B&B offers. |
| How to convert more web visits into revenue... | | | | Add a very personal sales message and call to action |
| Right up front, your web site MUST have an Online | | | | - at the end of each page, and in keeping with the |
| Booking Engine (OBE) that allows site visitors to see | | | | theme of that page, tell people why they should book; |
| real time availability; one that is able to sell a room or | | | | a story about what the outcome will be for them and |
| package and confirm the sale NOW, whilst I am in the | | | | provide a text link through to your booking engine, |
| mood to book. There are a range of third party | | | | another link to your online enquiry form and a phone |
| suppliers that have ready-made booking engines, | | | | number to call if they are not brave enough to book |
| preferably that can be plugged into a page on your | | | | online. |
| site or one that will open up in a new browser when a | | | | Testimonials - there's nothing that consumers like to |
| visitor clicks on the Book Now button. | | | | read more on a web site than testimonials; people who |
| Search for "online hotel booking engine" on your | | | | have stayed at your hotel or held an event and have |
| favourite search engine and many will come up. We | | | | then said something really nice about their experience. |
| always prefer to keep visitors within a site and | | | | Go on, we all get some...add these to your site, either |
| therefore the OBE code needs to be easily integrated | | | | as a separate page in the navigation bar, or as a |
| into a page on your site. Failing that, your OBE set up | | | | snippet at the bottom of each page. You will be |
| MUST open a new browser and either present some | | | | surprised the impact that this will have on conversion |
| design/colour relationship with your site (reproduce it | | | | levels as testimonials raise the confidence level of your |
| completely if possible) or very clearly state that this is | | | | online visitor. |
| the booking engine for The Sample Hotel; it should | | | | The common theme I emphasise with web site |
| never provide links to other hotels that the OBE | | | | conversion is about quality content; rich, experiential |
| company services. | | | | words and images that, just for a moment, touch your |
| Why must your OBE open in a new browser? So that, | | | | customers and take them past the nervousness stage |
| should a customer chicken out of the booking process | | | | and into the open arms of your booking engine. And |
| or make an error and want to start again, your site is | | | | not just on your Home Page...on ALL your pages. |
| still there in the original browser. This way, they can | | | | The conversion tips I have just given you are just the |
| either start again or, shock horror, they might just pick | | | | tip of the iceberg; the essential question you need to |
| up the phone and call. | | | | ask yourself about every page on your website is "If I |
| Fees vary greatly but most OBEs will offer you a set | | | | were a potential customer, would I buy that...now?" If |
| up fee and then some form of base fee plus a | | | | not, then you need to keep tweaking the page content. |
| percentage of revenue over a certain volume. Me? I'd | | | | A lot of people ask me "Keith, why do you share all |
| negotiate away the setup fee and base fee (they kind | | | | these "secrets" and other tips so openly?". Well, in all |
| of expect you to, that's why they have them) and | | | | honesty, I know that anyone with the right level of |
| make it purely performance based. Don't begrudge | | | | interest and commitment can learn how to build traffic |
| them the ongoing fee as, frankly, you are paying this | | | | to their sight and convert it...after all, that's how I learned |
| only for materialised bookings so it comes out of | | | | to do what I do...grow online revenues. The two |
| incremental revenue and with a technology and user | | | | challenges you face as hoteliers are (a) time (and the |
| experience level that you could never reproduce on | | | | lack thereof) and (b) keeping up to date with the |
| your own site. Don't sign any long term agreements | | | | constantly changing playing field...then add into the |
| that don't have a thirty day cancellation clause and | | | | inclination equation ...yah de yah de yah de... |
| read the fine print; there are some cowboys in this | | | | I know that, all things being equal, the very best |
| space. | | | | conversion results can be produced internally...you and |
| And look for ease of use, for you and your team as | | | | your team know your product and service, you know |
| well as the consumer. Is it easy to understand and | | | | your customers and you know why your customers |
| operate or do you need to be a propeller-head to | | | | buy...all that is missing are the technical skills. Along the |
| work your end of the system? We also like OBEs | | | | way in your career, you have mastered Property |
| that have easy to create packages and lately we also | | | | Management Systems, training skills, motivation and |
| like the ones that offer some value adds just before | | | | leadership...and you can master this thing called online |
| the final sale for things like fruit platters, wine and | | | | conversion too. |
| cheese or a bottle of bubbly on arrival...just don't make | | | | But you are also smart enough to know that when |
| things too complicated for your consumer...you have | | | | you have a tax problem, you call in your accountant; if |
| got between three and five clicks at the most to | | | | you have a legal issue your first port of call is your |
| finalise a sale online, end of story. | | | | lawyer; a technology issue, you contact your IT |
| If your current Online Booking Engine does not meet | | | | support resource...and for web site development, |
| these criteria...change to one that does! | | | | design and construction hoteliers call Hotel Marketing |
| Now, what else drives conversion of online visits? | | | | Workshop. We are experts in building web site traffic |
| Pop in to Wal-mart or Target or K-mart - are you | | | | and then converting that traffic into bankable dollars. |
| ever in any doubt that they are trying to sell you | | | | And, it might be a bit old fashioned in this hectic world |
| something? Lots of signs for specials and deals and | | | | of hotel marketing, the internet, online and hotel |
| promotions...if you buy now. Well, you need to be a little | | | | ecommerce but, I reckon that if you regularly do |
| less precious and get a little retail about your web site. | | | | something nice or share your knowledge with |
| EVERY page on your web site must have either a | | | | someone who really needs help, then some time later, |
| BOOK HERE or ONLINE ENQUIRY button up toward | | | | that goodwill will is usually returned tenfold. |
| the top right hand corner of your on-page text. This | | | | |