[Infographic] Is Your Website Driving Away Group Business?
Do venue websites actually provide the information planners need or do venues just think they do? Is the information provided in a way that appeals to planners and helps influence which venues they select? With widespread internet access, it is easy for planners to get venue information in just seconds…and just as easy to move on when it's not there. The cost of not giving planners what they need is high – losing just one event a month can cost venues $300,000 of group revenue a year*.
In a survey conducted by Amadeus, we asked planners what information they expected to find on a venue's website then asked venues what information they actually provided on their website. The difference between what planners expect and what venues provide are what I call the Information Gap . The wider the Information Gap, the greater the unmet information need. Here are the results the survey uncovered:
Many of the things planners expect to find on a website are things they need to know before they can justify selecting a venue for their event. Capacity Charts and Floor Plans are the two things planners need venues typically provide, but not always. The Information Gap is widest for Meeting Room Diagrams indicating that this is the area of need where venues are most delinquent. The area where venues do excel is providing Property Photos.
As planners become more sophisticated in using technology and younger planners who have grown up using technology in their everyday lives start their career, venues will increasingly be chosen based on the level of technology-based tools provided that make the job of the planner easier. Because of this, presenting the information planners need in a highly visual, interactive, and user-friendly way will position tech savvy venues over competing venues that provide information using static PDFs and charts on a web page.
Amadeus
Amadeus is a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (e.g. airlines, hotels, rail and ferry operators, etc.), travel sellers (travel agencies and websites), and travel buyers (corporations and travel management companies). The Amadeus group employs around 15,000 people worldwide, across central sites in Madrid (corporate headquarters), Nice (development) and Erding (operations), as well as over 70 local Amadeus Commercial Organizations globally and has a presence in more than 190 countries. The group operates a transaction-based business model. Amadeus is listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange under the symbol "AMS.MC" and is a component of the IBEX 35 index. To find out more about Amadeus please visit www.amadeus.com, and www.amadeus.com/blog for more on the travel industry.
