With endless options for today’s smartphone-empowered travel consumers, lodging operators must do everything possible to stand out and capture bookings. Your online presence matters because your property’s website, online reviews, and social media profiles are often your customers’ first encounters with you, and they’re making these first encounters with your competitors, too. Make a great impression and increase conversions by boosting your hotel’s online reputation. Here’s how:
Monitor and Manage All Online Listings
It’s important to keep track of all your property’s online listings—including those on OTAs, DMOs, metasearch sites, and review websites, as well as your social media profiles—to ensure your property is accurately represented and leverage guest feedback to enhance customer experience. Both outdated profile information and negative reviews can turn away potential guests.
Tracking down every direct and indirect mention of your property across the internet may sound impossible, but thankfully, there are tech options to automate this job:
- Set up a Google Alert (for free) that will email you when someone mentions your hotel’s name online.
- Integrate paid solutions with your property management system (PMS) to automatically request guest feedback and monitor various review sites, OTA listings, and social media (then organize and analyze the data so hoteliers can listen to and act on customer feedback).
Even if travelers aren’t talking about your property but are discussing something related (like local recommendations for spa services, events, places to eat, etc.), you can jump in on the conversation and reach guests who may not have otherwise found you. Boosting your online reputation means proactively reaching out and engaging with your online community.
Encourage Positive Reviews
A high number of recent reviews tells customers you’re trustworthy and the positive feedback about your property is true. Use guest messaging apps to check in with guests during their stay to elevate the guest experience and generate glowing reviews by promptly solving any issues in the moment and emphasizing your staff’s extraordinary customer service skills.
Post-stay emails can be automated from your property management system (PMS) or CRM software and personalized through the power of guest data to request feedback on your preferred review site.
Engage With Your Reviews
Whether responding to a positive or negative review, a prompt, personal, and professional response will elevate customers’ perceptions of your property and staff. Responding to all reviews will reinforce the positive messages while mitigating the poor ones.
Many tech solutions, such as chatbots (like the ones found on Facebook Messenger or Instagram), automate responding to customer compliments and complaints. However, it’s crucial to incorporate the human element into your property’s online reputation management to make customers feel cared for. If guests see the exact same wording in reply to someone else’s review, it gives them the impression that you don’t care and won’t act on valid criticisms.
Listen to and Act on Feedback
As mentioned above, tech solutions that automate online reputation management can organize and analyze data to help hoteliers identify opportunities for improvement. Pay particular attention to issues that appear frequently. Publicly share when and how you’ve acted on reviews to attract repeat business and show all your guests that you listen to them and care about their stay experience.
Boost Your Online Visibility
A low or nonexistent online profile can also cause customers to browse other booking options with greater online visibility and up-to-date and easy-to-find information. Follow best practices to ensure your property website appears among the top search results to capture consumers’ attention and bookings.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential to your brand’s online visibility. SEO strategies help bring visitors to your website while guiding you to create a pleasant online experience for your guests. Because most hotel website visitors use mobile devices, ensure your property’s website is mobile friendly to boost your SEO and website experience. As mentioned previously, your online presence is often your first impression and the beginning of your hospitality, so make it a good one!
Socially Responsible Practices
Today’s travelers have strong values and prefer to spend their money at places that share them. Seventy percent of consumers are willing to give up some convenience for sustainable travel options. There are many ways for businesses to be more socially responsible, and it’s important to emphasize them in your hotel’s online marketing to raise awareness and attract like-minded guests.
Your property’s website, online listings, and social media profiles are now an extension of the front desk and the start of your guests’ experience with you. Optimizing your online presence and managing your online reputation will help you put your best foot forward and stand out from the endless sea of travel options.