Online reputation of your hotel is the best way to maintain your brand’s image. It is going to help you build trust with employees, guests and also investors. It is all about managing how others perceive your business.
We are living in a digital age where everyone relies on review sites and social media to get a better perspective before purchasing anything. So you can only imagine how much reviews have an impact on the decision-making process among hotel guests. So with more people sharing their opinions on online tour operators and other online sites, well-managed Hotel Online Reputation Management is becoming mandatory. It plays a pivotal role in shaping opinions and perceptions of people, businesses and organizations.
Online reputation management software should be on your top priority list if you intend to maximize revenue and drive bookings.
Why Hotel Reputation Management Matters the Most in the Hotel Industry?
Earning a positive perception of your hotel brand is essential to enhance sales and maximize revenue. This will give you a competitive edge in your hotel business.
People pay closer attention to what previous guests have to say. So do everything to make sure your guests are happy during their stay and ask them to leave a review. Trust me they also want to put a smile on your face as you did for them.
Your ideal or potential guests will like to read your reviews as well as your competitors. Good online reviews will increase the likelihood of choosing you. A robust online reputation enhances the credibility of your brand and attracts more guests to your property.
Top Benefits of Hotel Online Reputation Management
Tag along if you wish to learn all the amazing benefits of online reputation management.
1. Increases your bookings
According to a TripAdvisor study, 79% of users prefer choosing the hotel that has the higher rating. A hotel that has a high volume of positive reviews is more likely to appear higher in search results on search engines, review platforms and also across more OTAs . The increased visibility will result in a higher volume of traffic on the website of the hotel. As a result, it is going to increase your direct bookings.
2. Generates Valuable Business Insights
Reviews can be used as an advantage. It can help you get a clear picture of the present condition of your hotel business. And if you put your reviews on proper channels, it can help you win over new customers. Negative reviews can also help you in your goal. You will be able to understand the areas where you need to be improved to get to the next level.
For example, if 20% of your guests are saying that your rooms are not clean or comfortable, then you can really look into it and make things right. The same is the case with positive reviews. If most of your guests say that your food is good, the staff are well mannered, you still get a chance to make further improvements in those areas.
3. Improves Online Visibility
Good online reviews and ratings will let your potential guests find your brand (hotel website) while doing an online search. They will land on your website, increasing your website traffic. As a result, positive online discussions about your business will grow.
Simply put, it enhances your website’s visibility in search engines. When this happens, your target audience finds you first, leading to more bookings.
4. Boosts Employee Morale
Your hotel’s positive reputation can have a significant impact on employee morale. Let’s see how. Your brand’s strong reputation indicates that your guests are happy with you. It means your staff get to interact with and serve guests who don’t complain a lot. This, in turn, boosts their morale. Everyone would want to work at a hotel that cares for its guests and is known for its unmatched hospitality. It is a universal fact that hotels that are known to provide excellent service to their guests, tend to treat their staff better. A good reputation attracts talented individuals, leading to a stronger workforce and greater success.
Effective Strategies for Successful Online Hotel Reputation Management
Your hotel reputation management will let you monitor and influence how your hotel is perceived online. It will increase your brand value, get you repeat and new guests, and ultimately boost revenue. You can stay on top of your game with the help of effective strategies on how to improve reputation management:
1. Stay active on social media
Using social media can greatly enhance your brand’s visibility and allow you to communicate directly with your followers, giving your brand a distinct voice. Consistency is the key to building and maintaining a community of target audiences. Strike a tone that directly reflects on the brand and make sure to maintain it across every platform. This is a great place to build relationships with your past and potential guests.
Use your social media profile to assure your guests that your property is following all the necessary guidelines and is completely safe. This is why it is more important for you to have a sound knowledge of whatever is going on in your area and how your property has adapted. And yes, do monitor what guests say about your property on those channels. Analyze them and respond to them with utmost professionalism.
2. Schedule a specific time to regularly respond
Be regular when responding to reviews. Guests expect active management. Responding to reviews in a timely manner shows responsiveness and guest-centricity. When you keep on checking issues regularly, it lets you solve issues before it escalates into anything worse.
3. Respond to all reviews
Do not expect to always receive positive reviews from your guests. Be prepared to handle negative feedback as well. It is not possible for every guest to be happy with their experience. So you need to respond to their complaints as well to instill trust among your past and potential guests.
They will want to know if your hotel is responsible enough to fix the issue when problems arise. It is important that you do not make any kind of excuses while responding to negative reviews. Instead, be a good listener and understand their problem and let them know that it will not be repeated. Such responses give a sense of assurance that your hotel is responsible enough for even addressing negative reviews.
4. Use satisfaction surveys
Surveys are often seen as an age-old norm to ask for feedback. But you will be surprised that even today it is proven to be a highly valuable tool and can be effectively used for encouraging guests to leave a review.
To effectively handle this situation, it would be beneficial to inquire about their level of contentment through a series of questions.You can incentivize them with a discount for filling out the survey. As a result, you will boost loyalty among your guests.
5. Create a Buzz Among Locals About Your Brand
Locals often are ignored when building effective online reputation management in hotels. You should target locals since they are an excellent resource to create a buzz around the brand. You can start with inviting local influencers, especially those who have a strong social media presence to enjoy a discounted stay, a happy hour with live music or simply a tour of your hotel. Once they are impressed, they will spread the good word about you.
6. Add a Review Page on Your Website
When you have your own website, it must have a dedicated page for guest testimonials and reviews. Consider the words of your past guest to be the most important asset. Their valuations and experiences are the biggest proof of the service of your property. A landing page consisting of reviews will build the trustworthiness and SEO of your website.
7. Train Your Staff for Effective Problem-Solving Skills
To enhance the guest experience at your hotel, investing in staff and training them on how to greet guests while dealing with their issues is crucial. They should always maintain politeness, even in difficult situations, and to prevent any escalation of conflicts. It boosts guests’ happiness, and when they are happy, they will definitely talk good about you on all review sites.
8. Keep a Closer Eye on Competitions
Are you wondering how your competition is doing things differently to attract more positive reviews? Firstly, it’s important to analyze your competitors’ offerings, pricing, and marketing strategies. This way, you can identify any areas where you may need to catch up or opportunities for improvement. Additionally, monitoring online reviews and social media comments can give you valuable insights into what guests are looking for and how your competitors are doing differently.
Few things you need to watch out for:
Featured publications
Review them and try finding out what it takes to be featured.
Influencers they work with
Look at the influencers who are working with the hotel. Find out if those influencers will work with you. Also, try to find similar influencers online.
While saying that, don’t get obsessed with tracking every move of your competitors. You should not lose your unique brand approach and voice.
9. Track the wider industry
Tracking your closest competitors will not be enough. You also need to monitor the hotel and hospitality industry around you. Understanding the ins and outs of the industry will give you a better idea on how market leaders are building their reputations. You will be able to recognize the key trends that are gaining popularity and thus can be effectively used by you as well. Hotels tend to be location-specific.So make sure to stay updated whatever people are talking about your location.
10. Make the Best use of Technology
Seamlessly integrated with a Hotel PMS, a reputation management tool lets you monitor your brand’s online mentions. It can help you track what is being said about you from across hundreds of sites, including OTAs, hotel review sites, social media platforms, etc. Moreover, it allows you to track and monitor all reviews in one place, making it easier for you to respond to them on time. It minimizes your efforts and saves time. Analyzing their reviews and feedback can also help you understand the guest sentiment.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Reputation Management should start by providing a top-notch service. The better your service, the easier it will be to maintain a positive brand perception offline and online. Enhancing your hotel’s online reputation gets easy by implementing a solid strategy backed by the right tool. This will help you get more bookings, leading to improved revenue and several other benefits in the long run in this highly competitive hospitality industry.