Hotel Online Marketing Tips. When the slogan, "There's an app for that" debuted in 2008, its intent was to suggest mobile devices were capable of catering to our every need.
Apps, short for applications, are various software programs that users can download to their smart phone or tablets and appear on their device's home page (very similarly to that of a desktop computer). In recent years, the slogan has become far more literal. With apps that simulate bubble wrap, ensure weight loss by vibrating the pounds away, and more, the slogan has transformed to "There's an app for THAT?! " The influx of apps lead many, including those in the hospitality industry, to contemplate the need for a personalized app for their individual properties. At this point, I'd like to enlist the phrase my mother and many others have used throughout the centuries to discourage hopeful, yet misguided souls: "If so-and-so jumped off a bridge, would you do it? " Basic Breakdown: Hotel Seekers are Searching, Not Downloading. How Travelers Use Online Sources for Travel Decision-Making.
Google and Ipsos MediaCT recently unveiled an extremely revealing report on how travelers behave online when planning their next trip, whether it’s for leisure or business.
Between April and May 2012, over 5,000 American consumers responded to an extensive survey to better understand how their travel decision process, depending if they were leisure travelers (took at least one trip for leisure in the past 6 months), business travelers (took at least 3 trips in the past 6 months) or affluent travelers (took at least one trip for leisure in the past 6 months & have a household income of $250k+). Most travel marketers intuitively know that travelers research travel online in various, different ways. The report confirms this, in particular when looking at the top 7 online travel planning activities: Source: The Traveler’s Road to Decision, Google and Ipsos MediaCT.
July 2012. Source: The Traveler’s Road to Decision, Google and Ipsos MediaCT. How to optimise the mobile travel experience. NB: This is a guest article by Carin Van Vuuren, chief marketing officer at Usablenet.
It’s no secret that travel and mobile go hand in hand. In fact, business travelers were the earliest adopters of using the mobile web to book reservations and engage with brands on the go. And now more than ever, travelers are using their smartphones and tablets to book flights, locate nearby restaurants, and reserve hotel stays. According to a recent Nielsen study, mobile activity has a significant effect on travelers’ path to purchase as 46% of mobile travel researchers ultimately make a purchase, with 33% intending to complete a transaction within a day.
In the UK, it has been reported that travel sites’ mobile traffic has doubled in a year from 10.2% in August 2011 to 20.5% in June 2012. This strong mobile purchase intent among travelers reinforces the need for travel brands to create unique mobile experiences that encourage conversion. Mobile Tablets. VFM Leonardo - Better merchandised hotels mean more bookings.