Digital distribution is a dominant concern for modern hoteliers, as more and more of the hotel trade takes its business online. Digital marketing is ever-evolving into an increasingly complicated sector, but one with the power to transform a hotel’s potential into a profit-driving business and allow hoteliers to take back control of direct bookings. If you’re wrestling against online travel agents or finding your hotel’s own visibility isn’t what it should, you may also have noticed that your direct bookings are down, your web traffic is down and your reservations systems for hotels is showing a much lower occupancy rate than is desirable.
Resetting your digital distribution and taking steps to streamline, optimise and maximise your online distribution channels is a strategic process that can benefit a number of other operational areas.
If you haven’t yet audited your digital distribution channels this year, read on for our tips to optimise your online global distribution systems ready for a prosperous 2018.
Understand Your Channel Value
A keen understanding of the various digital channels available is paramount to achieving optimisation and generating increased revenue through these channels. This can be more complicated than it may initially seem, as the channels which work especially well for one hotel will differ from another. What’s more, in the modern digital landscape you need to consider the omnichannel experience in addition to identifying problems and opportunities at an individual channel level.
Much of this comes down to target audience – who is your ideal hotel guest, and where are they looking? Where best can they be reached in the digital space? Common concerns such as budget are also key to making the most of your own possibilities. A specialist provider of global distribution services such as Digital Hotelier will be able to help point you in the direction of the correct digital distribution channels for your hotel and help you understand the value of each.
Keep on Top of Trends
The rapid pace of change in digital makes it imperative to stay connected to shifting trends, and pay close attention to how these can be melded into your own strategy for digital distribution. Whilst some trends may seem out of reach for your hotel, never be afraid of ambitious plans if they are goal-oriented and rooted in the true needs of your business.
Monitor Demand
Know the demand for individual rooms and deals on the market. This follows on from an awareness of trends and allows you to capitalise on the full hotel experience as it appeals to your customer base. Be cautious of adopting methods which are unsuited to your hotel or market segment, but stay agile and adopt a flexible reservation system for hotels so you can shift your strategy as required.
Assess Scope of Revenue Management
As with all other aspects of running a profitable hotel, revenue management continues to evolve to suit the changing landscape of modern hospitality. Remaining aware and well-informed helps hoteliers to meet the unique challenges of the industry by maximizing their digital distribution channels. Not only can this help boost revenue in the short term, but it also aids hotels in future-proofing their operation.
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