Hotel Websites: Indirect is best
It's all about the drama!
Forget what everyone and their grandma is telling you about getting direct bookings these days.
Stop shouting, "Book now. 10% off!" from the rooftops.
And take a page out of the direct-response industry's play book.
Which is, if you want to win a deeper share of your market, you need to get in touch with the earliest stages of your prospect guests' buying journey and strike up a conversation that's sure to peak their interest – without being too obvious about the sale.
So, for context's sake, let's imagine your prospective guest is a beautiful woman who's new in town and wants to make sure she has a good time while she's here. The majority of bookers are women, after all.
Now, maybe she landed on your website because she's just trying to get a feeling for what she should see in your area…
… or maybe she's killing time… looking for inspiration… and she hasn't even decided on which city to vacation in yet…
Any way you look at it, she represents the vast majority of people who visit your website on a daily basis, because she's not ready to make any kind of decision today.
She's still in the 'dreaming phase', and if we don't recognize that fact then she'll easily fall into that 90% of would-be guests who look around your website for 20 or 30 seconds and then bounce away, never to be seen again.
Now, if you want to improve your odds...
If want to hold her attention...
… so you have time to nurture interest into action…
…. and increase demand through your direct channel…
then just keep reading to discover the 3 most important direct-response-copywriting rules for establishing and nurturing relationships on the web.
- No more hero shots of the front of your building
A hero shot of your building may fill you with parent-like pride, but on your website, it just sends the signal that, "This is an ad. This website is all about me, me, me," and, just like with dating, that's a huge turn-off.
Instead, why not be different? Why not make your ideal guest the hero of your story?
For example, you could open with a picture of her sitting on a rock by the ocean, basking in the warm glow of the sunset as she's calmly dipping her toes in the water, sipping a mojito, and laughing to a friend who's just off camera…
She could be smiling as she steps out of her car while smartly attired doormen greet her with their brass luggage cart…
Or she could be enjoying a stylish meal surrounded by friends…
The point is, if she's in the 'dreaming phase', help her dream!
If she wants to experience a beautiful lifestyle... then why not give it to her – right from the start – and make an amazing first impression in the process?
That's how you keep her from bouncing off your website.
That's how you get her to stop for a moment and whisper, "this looks interesting…"
- No more static websites
Let's talk about retail for a minute. Imagine there was a dress store where women could look but they couldn't touch or try anything on? Do you think that'd be a smashing success?
Probably not, right?
Unfortunately, that's the experience that most hotel websites provide.
Without any engagement devices, most websites are just glorified brochures. And while this transactional approach works, it works best with active buyers, who will always be in the minority.
If you want to appeal to the majority, on the other hand, so you can lower your bounce rates and improve your time-on-site KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), then engagement is a much better strategy.
Do this by creating open loops in your marketing…
… by thinking of your website as a kind of 'portal of discovery', where people go to be entertained…
… where they can scroll through all the cool things there are to see and do in your area…
… where you can create conversations that you're sure your guests are going to be interested in pursuing.
For example:
- You could do this by giving her a quiz to discover her 'hidden travel personality';
- creating a concierge blog that shows her the 'funkiest freebies' in your neighborhood;
- or letting her enter a contest for a relaxing spa treatment.
Whatever it is, make it all about her, her, her…
That's how you'll get her engaged.
That's how you'll get her to lean in.
And when that happens, that's how she gets emotionally bonding with the idea of staying at YOUR hotel, instead of your competitor's. And all that leads to direct bookings. Savvy?
- Keep in touch – the right way
Nobody likes to opt-in for promotions.
No, I don't want to subscribe to receive the latest deals. And please don't cookie me so I see the same ad everywhere I go on the internet.
Instead, if you want to make sure you're staying in front of your one-time visitors, and urging them to take a second glance your way, then there's one thing you need to do above all else: give them a real reason to do so!
One of my favorite ways to do this is the concierge mindset
To take this approach, sit down and create a few 3- to 5-page guides with interesting headlines like, "This is how the stars party when they're in town", "8 secrets to toning your legs this summer", "3 ways to know your travel partner is 'the perfect fit'" …
You get the idea, right? Just like Cosmo…
Each one of these PDF downloads gives your prospective guest a real reason to give you her email address – regardless of whether she's interested in booking a room right now, or not. And, best of all, this approach gives you a real reason to keep the conversation going.
If she downloaded your "8 secrets to toning your legs" area guide, you can send her 8 emails that further dimensionalize each secret… perhaps adding a nice restaurant recommendation at the end of each walking excursion...?
If she wants to know if she's a 'perfect travel fit' with her partner, then send her a series of snapshot stories about different couples and different romantic afternoon outings around town.
If she wants to know 'how the stars party', make sure your emails talk about upcoming events that are (of course) conveniently located nearby your hotel.
See how each one of these examples gives her an emotional rationale to visit?
The bottom line is this: 90% of people who visit your website every day bounce after the first 20 to 30 seconds, never to be seen again.
If you want to tap into all that lost revenue, then you need to zig when others zag.
You need to be different and surprise your visitors by striking up interesting, indirect conversations.
Because when you start using drama – you start catching more and more people's attention.
Drama is what persuades people to give you more of their time….
… it's what makes it easier for you to cast yourself in a different light than your competition…
… create the emotions that lead to buying decisions based on value, rather than price…
… and attract more of the guests that are a perfect fit for everything you have to offer, which leads to more positive reviews and more referral business down the road.
So, 'direct' may be best for you and your profits. But ask any barking dog that's ever gone chasing after all the pigeons in the park and he'll tell you – the more you chase, the more they fly away.
It doesn't pay to be brash. It doesn't pay to brag.
Instead, it's best to attract with something sweet.
It's best to paint dynamic pictures of glowing sunsets…
… to make her pause for a moment and say, "ahhh…. I wish I was there…"
… to share some 'insider tips' that'll get her dreaming about the perfect night out on the town…
… and set the stage for an ongoing relationship…
Because when you do that… when you capture her attention... that's when she'll start opening your emails with anticipation.
That's when your hotel gets put 'right at the top of her bucket list'.
That's when you start the 'direct booking' relationship off on the right foot!
So, make these 3 changes today, and start enjoying greater revenues at your hotel with more direct bookings in the near future.
P.S. To discover additional ways to easily improve your website-conversion rate, just sign up for my 8-step hotel website checklist here.
Jeremiah Magone
Consulting Copywriter
Hospitality Copywriting
