19 tips to increase direct bookings on your website
If you want to reduce your reliance on Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and increase direct bookings, then it is essential that you have a well-thought-out website. It must give visitors everything they need to book a rental with you.
So, how do you make sure they find you – and then book directly with you? Here are our top tips for increasing direct bookings on your website:
1 Almost 90 per cent of bookings are completed instantly online. Just having a “message the host” function means you will lose bookings. Add an online booking engine that:
- Allows your guests to choose the dates, unit size and the number of guests;
- Engage to synchronise the calendar with other websites you use;
- Gets the price correct; and
- Allows an instant booking function.
2 Give your SEO a boost to generate organic traffic:
- Make sure you have a clear website and page structure;
- Submit your sitemap via Google Search Console
- Check for broken links
- Check your website page speed
- Optimise your images
- Choose the right keywords and keyword groups
- Use keywords in articles and pages about three-four times
- Increase the number of quality backlinks
- Update your website with new content
3 Make sure your website is mobile-optimised. Up to 80 per cent of last-minute bookings are made on a mobile device.
4 Check that the “Book Now” button is visible at the top-right corner of your website (for the desktop version) as this how the natural eye moves. For the mobile version, this button needs to be in the middle. And make it big and easy to click.
5 Add social proof by ensuring your testimonials and reviews are easy to see and to encourage bookings. Apps such as Repuso extract all 5-star reviews from sites such as Facebook, Trustpilot and Google.
6 Have a clear “What We Offer” section and include your best photos.
7 Spend some of your budget and invest in professional photographs of your resort. Don’t skimp by thinking you can do this on your smartphone. It will look amateurish.
8 Use icons throughout your website – just like Airbnb and Booking.com. Not only do they break up the text, but it also makes descriptions more natural to understand.
9 Add property highlights explaining what’s so special about your resort. And show lots more of your lovely photos, including the location, facilities and amenities, reception and public areas, apartments, food – even your fast internet speed!
10 Add a special offer to increase direct bookings and set you apart from your listing on Airbnb or Expedia. Incentives to book directly include:
- Early check-in
- Late check-out
- Free breakfast
- Welcome basket
- A future discount
- Discounted treatment
More ideas for direct bookings
11 Use a blog to drive traffic to your website covering things to do in the area, local bars and restaurants, excursions and resort news. Consider setting up a Pinterest account to drive traffic to your articles.
12 Check your FAQ section is up to the job. Think about rich snippets.
13 Build an email marketing list and communicate with them at least twice a month. Regular communication will keep you front of mind when they are booking their next vacation. You can collect email addresses (make sure you are GDPR and CCPA compliant) directly from your website or as part of your Wi-Fi access process.
14 Include your brand on your OTA listing when you can.
15 Don’t overlook the power of video. While a professionally produced video might be unaffordable at the moment, there are lots of software options available to make good quality videos yourself. Take your future guests on a virtual tour of your resort. Introduce them to the staff, let them know where and how they will check-in and show them to your apartments.
16 Offer and ensure the “Best Rate Guarantee” by booking directly with you.
17 Promote your website rates on metasearch. This prompts guests to visit your website giving a boost to direct booking.
18 Review your booking abandonment to determine what you can change to encourage bookings to complete. Bookings are typically abandoned because:
- Price is too high – 37 per cent;
- The reservation process is too long – 13 per cent; and
- Encountering technical issues – 9 per cent
19 Turn your OTA guests into future direct guests. Once you have their data, you can explain the benefits of booking directly with you. And offer them an incentive for doing so.
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