Website Annoyances Solved with the Right Booking Engine.
Keeping visitors on your hotel website can be challenging, but it is an important part of your business. The more difficult it is to navigate your website, the less likely potential guests are to complete their bookings. – Jeff Hamilton from RoomKeyPMS
RoomKeyPMS is cloud-powered software that lets you manage every aspect of your hotel. From rate management to housekeeping schedules tied together with deep analytics. The team have released a great article outlining mistakes that accommodation websites make. We have re-produced the article for our clients considering integrating a booking engine. Learn more about RoomKeyPMS.
1 – Hidden Costs
Guests don’t want to arrive at checkout only to find the price of their stay is more than advertised. Guests find hidden costs among the biggest turn-offs – so don’t hide them. Costs must be simple and straightforward so they can be easily understood. Include all fees on the room information page and clearly display optional add-on costs and make them easy to select.
2 – Lengthy and Complicated Booking Process
Customers get frustrated if booking takes too long so reduce the number of steps in the process. Streamline the booking journey to avoid mishandled reservations. Ensure guests’ preferences are reflected in the final booking. Because you don’t want room overbooking you need the right booking system. This means that customers are guaranteed to receive the room they paid for upon their arrival.
3 – No Reviews
Information you provide about your hotel is inevitably biased. Show guest reviews as customers find these increasingly valuable. Feature positive reviews from popular reviewing sites such as TripAdvisor directly on your website. You increase customer confidence in your services by highlighting positive guest experiences.
4 – No Personalisation
Create raving and loyal fans by making them feel understood and valued by your hotel. A log-in option for your website or a loyalty rewards system helps optimise the guest journey. It enables gathering useful data on your guests and storing their preferences (with their permission). Offering guests personalised perks based off of previous stays or remembering their dietary preferences creates a more customised experience.
5 – Hidden Cancellation Policies
Make sure your guests easily find and understand the terms of service and cancellation policy for their booking. Ensure your cancellation policy is clearly visible and guests are given the opportunity to review the details before booking. So having this option will give them confidence if they ever need to cancel.
The overall quality of your website gives your potential guests their first impression of your hotel. As a result of awareness of common online booking engine annoyances you have the opportunity to stand out from the competition. Furthermore, you provide your guests with a cleaner, easier process.
Contact RoomKeyPMS directly if it’s a good fit for your business. If you’d like assistance in integrating into your current website we’d be glad to help out. Drop us a note to start a conversation.
