The Hotel Hacker’s Guide to Direct Bookings

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The Invisible Hotel Syndrome.

Why guests can't find you (even when they're looking)

You've likely poured your heart (and budget) into creating an exceptional guest experience. Your rooms are pristine, your staff is top-notch, and your location is prime. But month after month, your occupancy rates remain stubbornly low. What gives?

Welcome to the "Invisible Hotel Syndrome" – a digital affliction plaguing countless properties in today's online-first travel landscape. It's the frustrating reality where your real-world excellence fails to translate into online visibility and bookings.

“I'd estimate that hotels are losing between 20% and 30% of potential guests due to poor online visibility and cumbersome website functionality,” says Klaudia Chmielewska, Digital Marketing Manager at Profitroom. “In cases where online travel agents (OTAs) dominate the space that should be covered by the hotel itself, the loss can exceed 50%.”

That's right – your dream guests could be out there, credit cards in hand, desperately trying to find you. But if your online presence is as elusive as a unicorn, they'll end up booking with your more visible competitors.

So, what's causing this digital invisibility cloak? Klaudia points to several common culprits:

• Unoptimised content that search engines (and humans) struggle to understand

• Poor website functionality and clunky booking engines

• Lack of mobile optimisation

• Neglecting social media presence

• Ineffective advertising campaigns

But perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the "Invisible Hotel Syndrome" is losing potential guests who've actually found you – only to abandon ship during the booking process.

"What's even more discouraging is losing customers who are already interested in your offer and ready to book through your site, but get lost during the reservation process," Klaudia explains. "Complicated payment methods, outdated room availability, or unintuitive systems rapidly increase the bounce rate."

The good news? Once these issues are identified and resolved, there's often a quick rise in direct bookings. But how do you diagnose and treat this digital illness?

Breaking free from invisibility

At Profitroom, we've developed a comprehensive platform designed to combat the Invisible Hotel Syndrome and empower hotels to thrive online. We manage the entire sales funnel, from attracting potential guests through targeted digital marketing to converting them with user-friendly websites and a seamless booking experience.

Our approach includes:

• Data-Driven Strategies: We collect and analyse user data to understand guest behaviour and tailor marketing efforts for maximum impact.

• SEO Expertise: Our specialists optimise website content and structure to improve search engine rankings and drive organic traffic.

• Targeted Advertising: We develop personalised ad campaigns that reach the right audience with the right message at the right time.

• Intuitive Websites and Booking Engine: Our solutions are designed with the user experience in mind, making it easy for guests to find information and complete bookings effortlessly.

“These strategies will help increase traffic,’ says Klaudia. “If your booking engine's conversion rate is 1%, increasing traffic from 100 to 1,000 users means you'll go from 1 direct booking to 10! The more traffic, the better.”

Remember, in today's digital world, your online presence is often a potential guest's first impression of your property. Don't let the "Invisible Hotel Syndrome" rob you of bookings you've worked hard to deserve. It's time to step out of the digital shadows and into the spotlight where your ideal guests can find – and book – you with ease.

Ready to boost your visibility and drive more direct bookings? Visit www.profitroom.com to learn how we can help your hotel shine online.