Your website can be a highly effective marketing advantage for you. For most people wanting to make direct bookings, their first impression of your hotel will be your website. If it looks cheap, out of date or clunky, that’s how your property will appear.

It’s smart to make your site as attractive and functional as possible, as the time and expense are worth it.

Noted customer service consultant and writer Flavio Martins says “the most successful hotels have stand-out websites that are also easy to navigate… with numerous photos, clear directions including maps, nearby points of interest, good restaurants and reviews.”

The online shopper, Martins says, “should be able to look and book quickly with minimum hassle.” Maximising convenience and minimising hassle are two of the best things your site can do for guests.

Four Points to Consider

Marketing and customer experience pro Joey Egan says there are four things that people looking for accommodation want to know and if your site gives it to them as efficiently as possible, that’s a huge advantage in securing a direct booking. Guests want to know what’s unique about your hotel, what the rooms look like (from more than one angle), if they can get a deal and what others think of your property.

In fact, Egan says, “Our research revealed that guest rooms are the number one most viewed image by a wide margin. So, if your homepage currently leads with exterior shots of your property, change this immediately.” Consumers, he says, want to see your guest rooms, not exteriors.

Your site exists to tell your story to potential guests, so use it to your full advantage.