Hotel marketing expert Sergey Skorbenko talks about how a small hotel can attract and retain a client

A small hotel on a business trip or on vacation is chosen not only according to the location principle or based on economic considerations; Quite often a guest is attracted by privacy, “homely” comfort, an individual approach to the guest, which, as is commonly believed, are characteristic of mini-hotels. These strengths can form the basis of promotion and increase sales. How to use them? A few recommendations from Sergey Skorbenko, director of the DigitalWill agency, which specializes in hotel Internet marketing.

Sergey Skorbenko, CEO of the company DigitalWill, one of the leading Russian experts in the hotel business. The agency specializes in the promotion of hotels on the Internet and e-commerce for the hospitality industry. The company was founded in 2008, the number of clients per this moment – 104.

Make your site easier and more convenient

The acquaintance of a new client with a hotel usually begins with the website. It is important that a potential guest can quickly and easily find all the important information. Make it easy for him home page, remove unnecessary internal pages, make contact details as visible as possible. On the main page we also leave current special offers, services, rooms.

The most easy, clear and convenient is still considered a block diagram of the location of information. It will also give the site mobility and dynamics: at any time you add or remove data, change images, bring to the fore the most relevant and “delicious”.

Structuring information, be guided by the trend principle - fewer words, more pictures. And for filming it is worth hiring professional photographer: visualization - not best article for savings.

Expand the ability to contact you quickly and "live" - ​​as practice shows, a Russian client modern ways booking still prefers personal communication with the manager. Therefore, make contact information end-to-end for all pages, putting them, for example, in the "header". And if you haven't connected the online chat and the quick booking form yet, I highly recommend it: it's not expensive, but it leads to real sales and really works.

Develop and update the site

The key mistake that we constantly encounter is that Russian hoteliers do not consider it necessary to deal with a hotel website, or do it irregularly and reluctantly. As a result, the image of the hotel in the network can differ sharply from its image in real life, and this is categorically wrong. They must match. The site should be treated as an effective sales channel, so it should not be "abandoned". Update information, highlight interesting promotions, refresh the main page, optimize it for better indexing by search engines.

A good website is informative not only for visitors. If you regularly and competently shoot and analyze the indicators of counters, you can better understand the behavior and motivation of the audience on the site. What information the client was interested in, how much time he spent on the promotion page, how quickly he went to the booking form or the contact page... Let the clients themselves tell you what information can be discarded and what needs to be corrected. Competent analytics will also allow you to configure advertising campaign taking into account time, location and other fundamental indicators and will save your budget.

Build Loyalty

The turnover of small hotels does not allow investing the advertising budget in full-fledged seo-traffic. In this case, such a capital-intensive topic as classic SEO promotion can be abandoned. However, in the context of improving the position of the site in the issuance of search engines, seo should not be deleted.

To attract a new audience, I recommend that you regularly conduct a well-thought-out contextual campaign, bringing potential customers to the hotel website, where everyone accessible ways you have to try to keep it. By the way, it is important to keep not only on the site - for a mini-hotel, repeat sales are of key importance. Therefore, we build work on loyalty: we carefully maintain a customer base; we tactfully, but persistently and regularly remind ourselves of ourselves through mailing lists and congratulations; Based on the interests of the client, we form unique special offers and talk about it.

Develop Smart Context

The main tool that will work effectively to attract customers is the context, and it must first be set up. In order to be noticed among competitors, the hotel must have a really attractive offer for popular requests.

When building a campaign, work with geo-targeting and the most targeted queries from a narrow audience segment. For example, if the mini-hotel is located near a popular attraction (museum, theater, etc.), you can offer special conditions for those who intend to visit a certain cultural event. Another example is that you can selectively target honeymooners, which will be most effective in conjunction with special offers for lovers or honeymoon trips. In other words, you need to know your audience. Then there will be no problems with ideas for original and really attractive proposals.

Create special offers

Presence on recommendation and cartographic services is a must for a mini-hotel. Yes, these medals are worth fighting for, and yes, you need to be present on all major rating portals. So the hotel does not just get into the field of view of new customers - it increases the interest of those of them who are already one step away from making a reservation. In practice, of the total number of people who are interested in your hotel on booking.com, eighty percent will go to the hotel website. This is excellent traffic, which can be up to 90% in the total flow of website visitors. The next step is to keep the potential customer. One of the tools that works very well in this case is a special offer for guests from booking.com.

It is necessary for a small hotel to develop pages in social networks, but super results can hardly be expected in this direction. Social networks are not always about sales, but it is always about reputation. Indeed, in Russian practice, cases of successful sales through social accounts are still rare (but they are already appearing). And here are examples when active users of social networks shared their negative and positive feedback about the hotel - many thousands.

Create a page for your hotel so that customers can find this platform, if they wish, where they can not only get information, but also speak out. Tell on the page about everything that happens in the hotel - show your openness, modernity and readiness for a personal dialogue with everyone. The main thing is to maintain the page regularly, as lively as possible and not to forget about the principle “inform, but do not advertise”.

Show yourself on Instagram

The mission of the hotel in social networks is to show its boundless friendliness. For this, Instagram is just perfect. Each hotel has something to demonstrate and something to captivate. Dishes from the chef, original interiors, friendly staff, etc. The focus can only be on your inherent details and trifles - unique and attractive. Promotion of a mini-hotel in this network does not require huge labor costs and budgets - in most cases, the owner or manager will perfectly cope with this task.

Adapt your website for tablets and smartphones

Try to think about the convenience of your customers. The latest statistical cuts showed that the traffic that goes to hotel websites from smartphones practically did not grow in 2015. While traffic from tablets increased by 30%. Tablets are gradually replacing laptops and desktop computers: many people outside the office prefer to look at pictures and choose hotels from a tablet. Is your website adapted to tablet screens?

Find your "chip"

And tell about it! Not to be like everyone else means to be interesting to many. Around the little things, details, "chips" you can build communication, including an advertising campaign. It can be an interesting location, a nearby attraction, a street name, or some historical significance. It can be your unique idea embodied in the interior. So, in one hotel in St. Petersburg, I noticed noiseless cork floors - a great solution! And in the rooms there were books from Russian classics - another non-standard move. It's interesting, it's memorable.

Experiment

Don't be afraid to try! Use the novelties that hi-tech constantly throws up. At one time, panoramic photo tours of hotels and rooms looked original. Today - new opportunity: 360-degree video that allows the viewer to choose the camera angle for even better visualization. Try new products among the first to show your willingness to be useful and interesting to the client.

Creation mobile applications using Excel, homemade food reservations from locals, and a food delivery service at the stadium. Unusual services and new types of business in the service sector.

With airlines imposing all sorts of bans and restrictions on the carriage of liquids, packing toiletries can be difficult. That's why Wynston offers a service to help take the worry out of packaging hygiene products from travelers. The user simply needs to send the company a photo of their favorite products, after which they will find them upon arrival at the new hotel. Entering the bathroom, he will be able to feel at home, seeing his favorite shampoos, creams, razors and so on.

The Museum of Illusions has opened in Toronto, the creators of which decided to collect as many puzzles for the brain as possible in one place. The museum is divided into rooms with illusions. Visitors, for example, are invited to walk through a whirlwind tunnel, in which lighting effects will make everyone move their legs with difficulty. You can also visit the anti-gravity room, look into kaleidoscopes and go through many more unusual zones. The museum has a smart shop that sells puzzles and various goods related to illusions.

More and more brands, seeking to establish interaction with customers, are turning to services to personalize their products. One example is Zara brand. At the end of March, Zara Edited, a service called Zara Edited, was launched in several flagship stores in Barcelona, ​​Amsterdam and Milan, allowing customers to embroider their name on denim. With this service, customers can choose from 13 different denim pieces, ranging from shorts to jackets, and have them printed in any color or font.

Create apps with Excel

American startup Glide helps companies build smartphone apps based on Excel files without the need for coding. The data is simply entered into spreadsheet and the program turns them into an application. Users are offered several templates for different tasks, and you can use the service in both paid and free versions.

The rooms of the Hotel Ottilia in Copenhagen are completely disinfecting themselves daily. Disinfection occurs thanks to ACT CleanCoat technology. The room is covered with a substance based on titanium dioxide, resulting in an invisible protective film. Activation and automatic cleaning occurs under the influence of sunlight. The antibacterial agent destroys mold, germs and allergens, and Danish scientists have already confirmed its safety.

One antibacterial spray allows you to deodorize the air and can work without replacement for a year. The only negative is that once a year it is necessary to free the room from furniture. The cost of covering each room is still quite high - about 2.5 thousand dollars, but the management hopes to reduce costs by reducing water consumption, wages employees and purchases detergents. The staff only needs to vacuum and change bedding.

LetsBab is a new social shopping app that has recently launched in the UK and US and gives consumers the ability to share recommendations and shop via messengers and social media. Through the application, you can shop for a wide range of products, including beauty products, clothing, home products and more. In the event that their recommendations are used, LetsBab users can earn 5% of the sale of goods. According to founder Bonnie Tahar, LetsBab is the first platform “that allows anyone and everyone to share what they love and earn money.”

Helzberg Diamonds developed the concept digital store new generation. With the help of augmented reality technology, the company has modernized the process of buying their own jewelry. The Virtual Ring Experience gives shoppers the opportunity to try on over a hundred pieces before purchasing. Any ring can be viewed in detail on a 24-inch 4K screen, evaluated on your own finger and from different viewing angles. Customers can also send photos of their fittings to friends using social networks and email. According to CEO Beryl Raff Company, new concept was developed from the understanding that online shopping today serves “ front door” for retail stores.

The Dadi Fertility Kit service provides men with a fertility test without having to visit a clinic. Testing can be done by mail. A special box will be sent to the client's address - a fertility kit, in which he can leave a sperm sample. Analysis results can be obtained within 24 hours after delivery. In a return letter, the man will receive a full fertility report and a video recording detailing the condition he is in and whether there is a need for medical attention.

African startup OTRACK provides healthcare facilities with a cloud service to improve the skills of their employees. The e-platform contains a library of courses and training programs that ensure the continuous development of the professional skills of African doctors and improve their knowledge. The service offers personalized lesson plans and includes courses in psychiatry, pharmacology, anesthesia, radiology, dentistry, and educates users in areas such as family medicine, ethics, and law.

Estée Lauder's Liv is a great example of how you can enhance your personal customer experience with modern technologies. Any woman can use the services of a virtual beauty consultant. The service was launched by the company together with Google. The personal assistant is a combination of skin care experts Estée Lauder and Google's artificial intelligence algorithms. The service is directly connected to the Google Home voice speaker and helps users create their own skincare routine through a one-on-one conversation.

In the women's co-working centers The Wing in the United States appeared new service- The Little Wing, where co-working mothers can leave their children in the care of a nanny. The Little Wing is a small space dedicated specifically for children, where they are not only looked after by mentors, but also educate them. There are also services for parents: events and seminars dedicated to parenting and family planning are held in children's rooms. So far, the first wing of The Little Wing has opened in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood, but the service is likely to expand to other co-working spaces.

Onward founders Lindsey Meck and Mika Leonard once realized that not all people have support during difficult life periods, namely after a divorce. Especially to help people in this situation, a service was created that includes assistance with housing, packing and other needs that arise during divorce and relocation. The service can be booked through the website. A personal concierge will not only come to help you with household chores, but also provide emotional support. Some packages include therapist consultations, nutritional advice, gym memberships, and other additional services.

In Japan, a p2p service AirKitchen has appeared, with the help of which travelers can try national cuisine from local residents. The service allows you to view the hosts and the dishes they offer, and then book the dish and pay for it online. After that, the traveler can go to the host, help him with cooking and enjoy the prepared dish. As a result, travelers not only get acquainted with the national cuisine, but also get acquainted with the culture and life of local residents.

SeatServe provides a food and drink delivery service at the stadium. The service is simple and straightforward: the delivery man brings your order, made from your smartphone, directly to your place. There is nothing to crowd around the store, and then re-look for your place in the arena. With the growing popularity of online broadcasts, for stadium owners, such a service is an additional opportunity to attract viewers and increase profits from the sale of food and beverages.

VR glasses for bus passengers

Bus transportation company FlixBus is introducing VR technologies into its services. So that passengers do not get bored during long trips between European cities, they are offered VR glasses. Traveling between cities, you can play virtual reality games or watch VR videos. So far, the service, called FlixVR, is being tested on six US routes, including from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, but soon the service will be rolled out to other destinations.

* Calculations use average data for Russia

In big cities like Moscow or St. Petersburg hotel business makes a profit at any time of the year, the stability of profit depends on the tourist season and how easy it is to find information about your company's offers. Thanks to the Internet, hotel booking has become more convenient, because now you can quickly find many hotel booking sites and make a reservation on one of them. And the hotel, in turn, is profitable to receive new customers around the clock without days off in automatic mode.

It's up to you to create a website for booking hotels, hold events to promote it, and in order to officially conduct such activities, you need to register a company and conclude agreements with hotels. In fact, booking hotels via the Internet is independent business, which quickly pays off and brings a stable income.

What is the income of a hotel booking company?

Hotels pay a certain percentage to the booking company for each guest. The profit depends on the number of customers and on the specific contractual terms with the hotels.

Why is it profitable to search for clients via the Internet?

It has long been known that advertising on the Internet is cheaper than in the media or with the help of BTL promotions. If you create a specialized site, then the information posted there, if necessary, can be easily changed, while each visitor has the opportunity to call the specified phone number or at any time make an application, according to which they will quickly select the appropriate option. The booking company does not have to maintain a large staff of managers if the site has detailed information for hotels and there is a form of on-line orders.

Underwater rocks

The main problem is to attract visitors to the site, which is caused by the instability of artificial methods of promotion and dependence on search engine algorithms. According to some estimates, thanks to search engines, more than 80% of visitors come to such a site, and if after the next update of the search engine database, the position of the site falls, the number of visitors will decrease, respectively, and the volume of orders.

Basic requirements that a hotel booking site must meet

First, potential customers should easily find the site through search engines and directories. Therefore, it needs to be promoted in order to increase the ranking on the results of search engines for user queries. It is also useful to register in thematic directories, such as Yandex.Catalog or DMOZ.

Secondly, the site should have a well-thought-out structure and provide useful information. The most important part is the hotel directory. You should not lose sight of the fact that it is important for customers to find out prices, get acquainted with the list of services and descriptions of rooms, and see photos. You can attract the attention of visitors by publishing special offers, informational banners about discounts and profitable promotions. It is useful to place on the site travel tips, valuable information materials to help tourists. A map showing the location of the hotels will become visual aid, which will help you choose the hotel with the most convenient location.

Thirdly, the resource should be convenient and understandable for visitors, so that everyone can easily find the information they need, compare hotels and quickly fill out an order form.

The main stages of creating a website for booking hotels

Organization of the base of hotels. All hotels in the catalog are divided into two groups. The first includes hotels with which profitable contracts are concluded. To the second - all other hotels in the city, because. website visitors may also be interested in them, and the application manager will have a reason to offer them a hotel from the first list. Naturally, only the manager should have access to information about the availability of contracts, while visitors are given structured information about the hotel.

Creation of a website, which includes: concept development, choice of a domain name and hosting, determination of the structure, choice of a content management system, design, programming, filling with information.

Website promotion in search engines, activities for which should be carried out starting from the stage of its creation and until the site takes a stable position in the first places in search engines and does not respond to updates to search databases and changes in algorithms.

Evaluation of the costs of starting a business, its payback and expected profit

Standard costs:
registration of a company - LLC is recommended - 6,000 rubles at a time;
room rental - about 20,000 per month;
equipment - about 17,000 at a time;
staff - at first it is enough to hire one application manager and a freelance accountant - 40,000 per month;
website creation - about 50,000 at a time;
website promotion - about 25,000 per month.

Projected profit: on average up to 50 thousand rubles per month from one hotel (as a rule, these are 3 and 4 star hotels), which can be about 300 - 500 thousand per month, depending on the terms of the contracts and the success of the website promotion campaign.

Payback periods: taking into account taxes, as well as unforeseen costs, this period will be 12 - 18 months. One of the reasons for such a short period is low advertising costs.

Important note

Work on the creation and promotion of the site is better to start before the registration of the company and recruitment. The fact is that a company can be opened in a week, but practice shows that real terms are longer. It is required to draw up a business plan, prepare a Charter, select an office and carry out the registration procedure. All these worries can drag on for a period of a month to six months. Why waste this time? It is much more profitable if, when opening a company, the site has already been created and occupies certain positions in search engines. Therefore, customers can easily find it, and the company's phone will not be silent.

In addition, during the development of the site there is no need to rent an office, no need to pay salaries to staff, no need to deduct taxes and submit reports.

And the most important thing is that when the company is open, thanks to the site, work will immediately begin. The manager will not have to pay for aimlessly sitting by the phone, and the accountant for the delivery of empty reports. In addition, hotel representatives will appreciate that the new company regularly sends clients, so you can achieve the most favorable conditions for yourself under contracts.

*The article is over 8 years old. May contain outdated information

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