Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 115 – Top 10 Ways To Drive Direct Bookings Before OTAs Put You Out Of Business
by Stuart Butler
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We recently published an article on HotelExecutive.com where we made the argument that over-reliance on OTAs could become an existential problem for hotels if the economy were to take a downturn. Not that OTAs are bad, but many have become comfortable letting the OTAs drive a significant percentage of their demand. In this episode, we dive into the article and discuss its wider implications.
SHOW NOTES:
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE: 10 ways to drive direct bookings in 2019
Below is a summary:
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Have a Super-Fast Mobile-Friendly Website
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Make Sure Your Booking Engine Doesn’t Let You Down
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Use Psychology to “Nudge” the Guest to Book
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Offer Incentives to Book Direct and Make Sure They are Visible
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Answer ALL of the Questions the Guest May Have
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Develop an Email Strategy that Doesn’t Rely on Spray-and-Pray
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Push the OTAs Out of the Way on the Channels They are Hijacking
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Limit What You Give the OTAs Based on Seasonality
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Train Your Staff So That They Can Be Soldiers in the Fight
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Nurture the Relationship with Every Guest
In conclusion
Everything is going well for the hospitality industry, and has been for more than a decade. This unprecedented period of growth will eventually come to an end and when it does, you have to be self-reliant. Act now by reducing your reliance on third-parties. Spend that little extra time and make that little extra investment to gain more direct bookings and build up your owned assets. When the sword of Damocles does finally fall, you’ll be glad you did and you can sit back and watch your competition struggle to survive.
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In The Newsaroos:
- No Newsaroos this week but Jeremy did sing the jingle
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Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to @_travelboom or info@travelboommarketing.com.