This Week in Hotels, Episode 8: Encouraging direct bookings, paying for the web, and more

Watch episode 8 of This Week in Hotels – with Guillaume and I discussing the latest technology trends, and how your hotel might use them:

[Prefer to listen on the go? Download the mp3 recording here]

Show summary

[1:50] The end of summer may quiet online, but it’s a busy time for hoteliers!

[2:46] Guillaume says, “Now is when you can get the best feedback, because so many people are on holiday and may have more time to talk to hoteliers about their product. Why don’t you actually record that conversation with your customers, and who knows? Maybe because they’re very happy with their stay, they could be the best ambassadors to feature on a video that you can promote on YouTube, instead of spending a lot of money on a slick promotional video.”

[3:35] How to encourage guest feedback on multiple channels

[5:05] Josiah says, “Almost everything I do on my blog is to encourage hotels to come up with new ways to attract direct bookings.”

[5:49] Josiah says, “If you offer a lower rate through an OTA, you’re basically training people to go off of your website to get the better deal. You want that to be switched around. You want people to come to your website for the best deal.”

[6:15] How to find OTA partners who are compatible with the guests you’re trying to reach

[6:40] Guillaume says, “Offering a better rate on your website: is that really feasible today?”

[7:18] Decoding OTA “best rate guarantee” contracts: The “best rate”vs “the lowest rate”.

[8:38] Creative amenities and incentives to build into your online booking package

[9:09] Josiah says, “Make sure there’s sufficient security on your site, like SSL certification… and some foreign guests may want to book in their own language and currency.”

[9:42] Guillaume says, “If designer that you employed to build your site hasn’t thought about security, fire the guy and get somebody else.”

[10:14] Josiah says, “Think about which partner websites can send you the most direct traffic…”

[12:35] Guillaume explains a recent experience with hotel guidance via Twitter. Josiah asks, “were rates any lower?”

[14:00] Did hotels offer Guillaume rates publicly or privately?

[15:00] Hootsuite’s new “freemium” model: is it reasonable to ask customers to pay for new features?

[16:45] Guillaume weighs in on the “freemium” model, “There are quite a few Twitter applications, out there… but at some point you’ve gotta make money. These companies are not charity organizations.”

[18:34] Guillaume says, “I’m considering paying for Spotify (a music streaming application) at the moment, because I’m just so sick of paying for advertisements. Spotify, for me, is just the best application that I’ve seen in the last 2-3 years.”

[20:25] Josiah thinks an issue with “Freemium” may be that, “Social media has been positioned as a free marketing tool… I hate to break it to you folks, but social media is not free. That time element is one of the most expensive parts.” How much is a distraction and ad-free online environment worth to you?

[22:05] Chris Anderson’s cover story for Wired Magazine: The Web is Dead: Long Live the Internet. Josiah discusses why “people will pay for convenience.”

[24:30] Guillaume says that the future of the web will be less about searching, and more about “pushing the relevant information to me.”

[25:35] Josiah agrees that “we’re all overwhelmed by so much content… what we may see in the years ahead is a consolidation of some of this information.”

[26:00] Josiah shares action steps for hoteliers that want to provide value, online. “Being a curator for all of this content is going to be a huge opportunity for you.”

[26:55] Why “video is exploding in popularity”.

[27:25] Guillaume hypothesizes on the evolution of online content, connections and competition.

[30:00] Why offline retailers, and music retailers in particular, need to change their business models.

[31:20] Website review: Mafiaisland.com

[32:00] Josiah: “I’m usually not a huge fan of flash websites, but in this case, it sort of helps, because it’s not a part of the world that may get a lot of tourism and traffic; maybe it’s the first time a visitor is part of that world.”

[32:59] Guillaume: “I’m not a big fan, either, on Flash. I have to say, most of the websites where I see an intro, I just close it down.”

[34:15] Guillaume: “When I’m on the website, something that strikes me, is that the text basically cannot be found by search engine, because it’s an image.”

[35:00] Josiah agrees: “That might be something to add. Make sure you have alternate text for all images on your website.”

[35:23] Guillaume: “Other than that, I like that the rotating picture… I can see also, a live chat!… I like that. I’m not sure how you handle that on a 24-hour basis. That would be an interesting question to ask them.”

[37:00] Guillaume navigating the online booking option: “I can’t figure out how to put the date in!”

[38:02] Josiah: “So, maybe simplify that reservations system a bit… and make pricing clear and upfront.”

[38:22] Josiah: “I like what they did with content. I feel like I got a good picture of the different activities and what to expect when I arrived.”

[39:15] Guillaume weighs in on mafia island’s blog

[39:55] Josiah: “They’re doing a great job of curating content. Maybe the thing to take away from this is to just make it really easy to make a booking.”

[40:18] Josiah shares the best way to introduce guests to your Facebook presence