Commission associated with online travel agencies (OTA) has been on the rise and if you’re looking for a way to boost direct bookings, price check widgets are an essential tool you should be considering. It’s a website addition that can not only help drive up reservations but support you as you work to create a more unified customer experience that has a lasting impact.
Ideally, booking through your website should always offer the best deal to the guest. Including a price check widget within your online hotel reservation system allows you to demonstrate why travellers should be booking directly through your website rather than using a site such as Lastminute.com or booking.com. A price check widget simply gives your potential guests a clear overview of the price of booking through various OTAs in comparison to your own cost. With the right pricing strategy in place, the widget should encourage more travellers to book through you rather than third party sites.
Travellers will typically look to book through OTAs thanks to the convenience factor and typically responsive, well designed websites. It’s a trend that’s led to less direct bookings despite hotels, whether large chains or independent establishments, having a greater opportunity to connect with potential customers digitally. Third party affiliation can drive up reservations but the hefty commission cost of 15-18% means that you’re losing out on essential revenue. Incorporating a price check widget into your hotel revenue management system is one way of rebalancing the shift in consumer behaviour.
Why should you embed a price check widget on your website?
Increase direct bookings
Being able to instantly see that the best deal lies through booking through your website will have an instant impact on the amount of reservations made directly. From your perspective, that means paying less commission to OTAs and your RevPar looking much more favourable.
Refine your pricing strategy
The price customers pay through your website should be equal to or lower than the cost on any third-party website. This doesn’t always happen but a price check widget is the ideal opportunity to reassess your current strategy and online hotel reservation system to pull in more bookings.
Build trust and add convenience
Having a clear price check widget on your website eliminates the needs for travellers to shop around for the best deal. They’ll be able to trust that making a direct booking is the best option for them, establishing brand loyalty.
Improve customer experience
Through encouraging more direct bookings, a price check widget puts you in greater control of the customer experience. From the very beginning of the booking process to checking out, you can build a positive customer journey.
With numerous clear benefits, adding a price check widget to your online presence and internal booking system could transform your reservation process.
Digital Hotelier has the skills and tools to help you put an effective price check widget on your website, allowing you to benefit from online traffic and your hotel’s offering while reducing the amount of commission you pay. It’s a simple but powerful tool that customers will appreciate, allowing you to reap the advantages of the process too.
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