Top Tactics to Drive Direct Bookings

Overview

The last few years have seen major shifts within the hospitality industry. Along with the uneven demand and staffing challenges caused by the pandemic, there was one significant upside – a shift in confidence that saw guests book directly through the hotel vs. relying on OTA websites to find the best deal. As the industry continues to recover, some of those booking perks disappeared, and there’s been another shift as many guests once again feel more comfortable booking their travel arrangements through OTA sites. For hotels, the loss of direct bookings has an unfortunate two-fold effect – losing out on revenue due to high OTA commission fees as well as the inability to deliver a personalized guest experience due to the lack of known information about that guest. That said, with the right tools in place, hotels can win the battle for direct bookings, all it takes is the right tools and mindset. To help you get started, we’ve compiled some of our top tactics to get guests to bypass the OTA sites and book their dream vacation directly on your most important channel – your hotel website.

What You'll learn

• Ensure your website is set up for mobile users
• Upgrade to an integrated booking engine
• Personalize the website experience
• Build smart SEM campaigns
• Elevate your ad spend by investing in landing pages
• Optimize conversions with rate matching technology