10 THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR ON YOUR WEBSITE & BOOKING ENGINE
Today's travelers want a hassle-free booking experience with the accessibility and convenience of being able to book their accommodations even on-the-go.
This is why there are a couple of things to consider when it comes to your website and the booking engine you're using for your hotel. In this article, we're giving you 10 things you must look out for.
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CURRENCY VS. LANGUAGE
An important but sometimes easily overlooked detail on your website or booking engine is to make sure the visitor is shown their country’s correct currency. For example, if a user is checking your website from the Netherlands, your website and booking engine should automatically be in Dutch and it should be showing Euros as a currency. Depending on the platform your website is built on and the booking system you use, this is not always possible. In that case, it is important that you provide an extensive list of possible languages and their currencies to match.
USER-FRIENDLINESS
User experience is a valuable aspect of any website or booking engine. Making them easy to use saves a lot of time and effort for travelers. It is also extremely important that they work well on mobile devices, as this is where most users will start the “exploration phase” of their booking journey.
FAST WEBSITE
Slow websites cause bounces. Let’s be real, nowadays nobody has the patience or time to wait 10 seconds for a website to load. It is important to make sure that your website is fast, so your users can browse and find the information they need quickly. A slow website is a major inconvenience for users during the booking process and may cause them to find another booking alternative.
THE WEBSITE MUST BUILD TRUST
Users oftentimes provide a lot of personal information and data when they create their bookings. Your website must be trustworthy and give every individual a sense of security when they are providing this information. It is also important to not overwhelm the user by asking unnecessary questions, as this makes the booking process seem longer than it has to be.
CLEAR ROOM TYPE DESCRIPTIONS
Transparency and honesty are big factors in customer satisfaction. Clear room type descriptions and images give your potential clients realistic expectations. This rule also applies to other channels where your hotel is being displayed for bookings. Setting the right expectations across the board will help users make conscious decisions when booking.
CLEAR PRICING STRUCTURE
Transparency and honesty also apply when showing the room prices of your accommodations. Make sure that the user can understand what they are being charged for in a quick overview. For example, if your hotel charges tourist tax, make sure this is noted in the check-out page on your booking engine, especially if it’s yet not included in the total. This same rule applies for deposits, cancellation policies, additional children and other fees your user needs to be aware of prior to finalizing their booking.
BLOG
Websites with a blog page allow you to introduce a content strategy and create a killer marketing plan. Content strategies are a great way to build trust and to keep users engaged with your website and your property prior to and even after finalizing a booking.
GOOGLE ANALYTICS
Analytics allows you to track and understand your customer’s needs and wants, based on statistics. This lets you study your user’s behaviors and improve on your business so you can cater to the needs of each user. Not measuring means not knowing!
COOKIE NOTIFICATIONS
Using pixels is important in measuring your marketing strategy performance. But since this oftentimes allows a third party to track user behavior, it is vital that a cookie notification is installed on your website. This is especially important when your hotel is catering to the EU market, as GDPR requires you to make users aware of what you are doing with their data and how you ensure security.
INSTALL GOOGLE TAG MANAGER
This allows for easier connection of platforms like Google Analytics, Facebook, Google Ads, User Session recording platforms and more. Having Google Tag Manager also makes it possible for someone with limited developer’s knowledge to be able to install tags, thus making it easier to move forward without needing constant assistant from different parties. Making sure that your website has these essential tools will help your business operate with ease and save you on time and money.
