According to eMarketer, the number of Smartphone users surpassed 2.6 billion people in 2016, that is nearly 1/3 of the world’s population. 47% of all internet traffic is via the Smartphone.
In the hospitality industry, mobile bookings have increased by 1700% just between 2011 and 2015. Since March 2016, Google had started prioritising websites in their search results, and non-friendly sites were actually penalised. Hotels cannot take this lightly anymore. It is now imperative for hoteliers to ensure that they have mobile friendly websites, or else they shall surely loose out to their competitors.
Quick 7 tips on how hotels can customize and optimize their mobile friendly sites:
Design:
Even though Google prefers responsive web designs, where web designs are viewed in response to the size of the device one is using, they are still open to all mobile optimized sites. The designs should be attractive but easy on the eye, keeping in mind that on the smaller screens it should still be viewed easily.
Speed:
Ensure that your website isn’t a slow loading one; otherwise the guest shall move on. Statistics show that guests lose patience if a page isn’t loaded within 4 seconds on their phone.
Easy to navigate:
A mobile friendly website should be concise and easy to use; facts should be straightforward and brief. Hotels should also have booking options on all the pages if possible so that they don’t need to go back and forth once they are ready to book.
Mobile Friendly Ads:
Dynamic rate marketing, Metasearch campaigns, direct email promotions are a great way for hotels to connect with their Smartphone users. The recall value itself shall draw customers back to that particular hotel. Hotels can leverage on this by keeping the text in their advertisements brief and to the point. More focus can be given to the call to action button.
Pictures and Videos speak 1000 words:
Galleries, videos, 360 degrees views of the hotel rooms and so on are the best way in which hotels can advertise their property. Guests want to see the places they wish to stay at and videos especially are extremely popular on the mobile.
Local Search:
Hotels need to be precise for all details regarding the hotel, but especially with regard to their address and contact details. Accurate hotel information is directly interlinked with the hotel’s mobile search success, especially when guests are searching for hotels in a particular location.
Links to their social media sites:
Today’s travellers largely comprise of millennials, and they love posting about their experiences and sharing pictures of their travel experiences. Hotels should encourage guests to post on their various social media sites and have the same linked to their website. This shall increase the hotel’s rankings in searches and drive more hits to their property.
While desktop sites shouldn’t be neglected, the focus in today’s time should be mobile friendly sites. A mobile friendly site is no longer an option, but a necessity.
This blog was originally published on Medium: Quick 7 tips on how hotels can customize and optimize their mobile friendly sites
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