Why having a mobile website and app together can help your hotels RevPar and reduce your costs

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Do you really need a hotel app or can you just use your mobile optimized website?

The truth of the matter is that a mobile hotel app and a mobile hotel website each serve a different purpose so should be part of your on going digital marketing strategy. From the initial reservation to your guests check out and beyond, having mobile optimized website and app in 2015, as I explain below will allow your hotel to interact with your guests in a way that will provide you with even further opportunity to increase revenue and reduce costs…..every General Managers dream!

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Target Guests at Different Stages of Travel

Mobile responsive websites and hotel apps are both useful as they accommodate guests at different stages of travel. Your mobile responsive website is important for guests before they book their stay. When they are searching, browsing and researching hotels across various platforms and devices, a mobile responsive website is absolutely essential to attract bookings. Your hotel app however caters to those having already booked their stay. Once guests have decided to book at your hotel, the hotel app is an ideal companion for the length of their stay.  We are also starting to see Apple placing app results within their spotlight searches which will also lead to increase in visibility for your hotel.

Mobile Hotel Websites Increase RevPar

A mobile responsive website is most important during the booking process; in helping to convert a potential guest into an booked guest. This therefore helps to increase revenue per available room (RevPar). Mobile hotel websites are accessible across various device platforms; it can be accessed, searched for and shared with lots of people through various devices thus increasing traffic and potential bookings. Mobile responsive websites adapt automatically to fit any screen. Graphics, text and overall design adjust to fit the screen size no matter what type of device the website is being viewed on; therefore allowing for easier booking. Mobile hotel websites appear in search engine results such as Google or Bing therefore guests searching for your hotel directly on their mobile devices. Links to mobile websites can be shared on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter; guests can follow a link sent by a friend or colleague via these and other social networks when browsing on either their desktop or their mobile device.  From April 21 Google will be actually rewarding and penalizing websites for their mobile experience as I explained here.

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Hotel Apps Increase RevPor and reduce your printing costs

Hotel apps have a different focus; centred more on adding value to the guest’s experience and helping to increase revenue per occupied room (RevPor).  A hotel app allows for push notifications and alerts to be be sent directly to your guests. This can remind guests of hotel promotions or booking opportunities that pop up right in the palm of their hand. A hotel app allows guests to book treatments, services and activities with just a tap; making it that much easier for guests to book spa treatments, tours and activities and increase RevPor.  Apps also allow guests to buy products and place orders quickly, easily and securely (ideal for guests wanting to order room service) thus helping to boost RevPor.  Geolocation is a feature which will allow users to provide location details to guests directly via the hotel app. Each page within your hotel app can be assigned a pin drop to provide an accurate location of that feature. For example, a page in your hotel app about a local tourist attraction or a great local restaurant can include a geolocation map and pin drop to help guests find it.  By having all your promotions as well as effectively your hotel directory in one place, will allow you to reduce your spend on printing marketing material.  Push notifications from your app as we explain in a previous blog will give you far higher open rates and a much more effective marketing tool.,

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Provide Both to Guests in order to Maximise RevPar and RevPor Ultimately increasing both RevPar and RevPor will be important to your hotel digital marketing strategy; and the good news is you don’t need to choose between a hotel app and a mobile hotel website.

With a quick return on investment, having a app is the best new way to connect with your clients. We are currently looking for 6 hotels who want to build an app for their business FREE (worth 3,000€), so that we will be able to do a case study to demonstrate the benefits. Email us today for more information info@hotelient.net

About the author

John Kearney has over 20 years of Hotel Sales and General Hotel Management experience working for both Independent 4 & 5* Hotels & Resorts as well as with Intercontinental (IHG) and Radisson SAS for Hotels based in London as well as across Spain.

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