clear-cut digital marketing strategies to capture more direct bookings

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Clear-Cut Digital Marketing Strategies to Capture More Direct BookingsMarch 23rd, 2016

Darlene Rondeau, VP, Best Practices, Online Merchandising, LeonardoScott Yankton, President, Scott Yankton ConsultingPam Levesque, General Manager, Blue Bay Inn

Technical Difficulties?Contact

Citrix GoToWebinar1-800-263-6317

support@citrixonline.com

Darlene RondeauVice-President, Best Practices, Online MerchandisingLeonardo

@darlenerondeau

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@VFMLeonardo

Tweets & Questions:

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Scott YanktonPresidentScott Yankton Consulting

Pam LevesqueGeneral ManagerBlue Bay Inn

Blue Bay Inn

What’s in the way of getting more direct bookings?

Fuel Disputes Google’s Numbers It’s not the more than 20

sites often cited from Google research

According to Fuel, it is 10 or fewer, but on average between four and six

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More leisure travelers decide on a hotel by visiting the hotel’s website

Most travelers booked their stays online, half did so on the hotel’s own site

Few are using mobile devices

Clinch the Deal at Your “Store”

#LeoWebinarSource – CMB Pulse

Scott YanktonPresidentScott Yankton Consulting

Getting potential customers to your siteo SEO/Organico Cost Per Clicko Social Mediao Advertisingo Etc.

Once they are on your site, converting them!

According to Google, 52% of travelers visit your hotel’s website after seeing you on an OTA

The 2 Key Website Related Tasks

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Usability/User Experience –

How easy do you make it for users to

find what they want?

3 Keys to Better Conversion

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Social Proof –What do others

think of property?

Optimize Check-Out –

How easy is it to book?

1. Answer the most important user questions (so they can convert) In logical order Images/property stories (the most

requested item in my usability studies) http://www.jhousegreenwich.com/

Short videos Bullet points (before text)

Usability – User Experience

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2. Provide users with an easy, intuitive interface that doesn’t contain obstacles that discourage conversion Quick, efficient, intuitive navigation that

inspires confidence = higher conversion Confusing navigation results in users

leaving your site Obvious calls to action that pull users

down the desired path

Usability – User Experience

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Usability – User Experience

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Social Proof

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Offsite reviews on your site (TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc.) 77% of customers read reviews before they purchase online

(Forrester & Juniper Research Study) Customer Testimonials (text, image, video) Awards Third party certification icons that create confidence Evidence that shows that others are booking

Social Proof

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Optimizing Checkout – Only Asking for What You Need

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1. Only ask for what you need (loss of 10% per unnecessary field) 2. Tell users why you need the information you collect3. Minimal clicks/pages (to book on Expedia is 4 pages, it can be done

in 3)4. Clear calls to action (don’t make them guess where to click!)5. Don’t add calls to actions that distract from check out (like

registering)6. Assure customers that check out is safe (confidence icons)7. Add sense of urgency prompts8. Assure customers that they are getting the best deal possible

Best rate guarantee

Optimizing Checkout

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Optimizing Checkout – Sense of Urgency Prompts

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Make it easy for shoppers What others think matters Bigger, bolder, better Instill confidence Get out of the way

Key Takeaways

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Pam LevesqueGeneral ManagerBlue Bay Inn

Blue Bay Inn

Needed a modern website that was engaging and effective

Didn’t have a mobile optimized presence

Limited time & money Not very tech savvy More direct bookings Improved Occupancy Incremental revenue

Challenges & Goals

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Tell my story, my way Show the property and its

surroundings Emphasize with video Consists of imagery & rich

descriptions Integrated reviews Mapping features our unique

location

Our Digital Marketing Approach

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I’m where my guests are shopping

Booking opportunity at every turn and when it’s convenient

Encourages travel shoppers to reserve their room rather than put off

“Book Direct” Strategy on Mobile and Social Media

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Success is evident in our results Y-O-Y ending 2015, we were up $100,000 YTD 2016, up almost $20,000 over 2015 Our growth is directionally positive Guests tell us they loved the experience

Results

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Have a visually-strong website Mobile-friendly website Your website needs to be easy for

guests to navigate And easy for your business to

manage

Advice for Driving Direct Bookings

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Based on today’s content, will you attend future webinars?

About Leonardo

Invitations to upcoming webinars

Recording of this webinar. Share it with your colleagues

It’s a Wrap

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Connect With Us!

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leonardo.com1.877.593.6634@VFMLeonardo blog.leonardo.com

scottyankton.comscott@scottyankton.com

Scott Yankton Pam Levesquebluebayinn.compam@bluebayinn.comBlue Bay Inn

Questions & Discussion

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