Checkmate OTAs: 5 winning strategies to increase direct bookings

Saying hotels compete with online travel agencies (OTAs) is not an understatement. The war for direct bookings is ON, and hospitality brands aim to use everything at their disposal to grow the percentage of bookings made directly through their own channels.

What is the reason? We don’t talk only about the commission fees anymore. One of the main concerns relies on the ownership of data. OTAs own the data of guests, leaving brands without the opportunity to communicate with guests, build a relationship with them, get them excited about their stay and ultimately, cultivate loyalty. 

Saying that you can turn all your bookings into direct ones is not an accurate statement, but there are several tactics you can try to balance the scale and increase the percentage of direct bookings to achieve a healthy distribution. 

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Create a direct line from initial interest to booking

Before making a booking, users tend to look for the hotel website to review pictures and get more information. That is the moment where you can and should connect with them and give something to convince them to book. 

How does this look in practice? If a user lands on your website and is looking into the suites, a chatbot could open welcoming and offering more information about that type of room. In addition, it could ask if they have any troubles or if they would like a discount for their upcoming booking. 

This direct line of communication, when they receive the information and an incentive without even asking for it, can help you give the final push towards an organic booking. 

A great option to implement this is by adding a web messenger or chatbot to your website. 

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Offer a destination, not a place to sleep

Your website and all your social media channels are your best guns when trying to get guests excited about your brand. There is a difference between telling a story and showing a compilation of room photos. You should always go for the first one. 

Think about your property as more than a place to sleep, what are your main characteristics? Who stays in your location and why? What is the vibe that you want to share with others? How do you want guests to feel when they reach your property? 

Stories are powerful and if you use them correctly, you will make guests want to be part of it. Photos and videos are great, but only if they tell a story too. You know competition in hospitality is fierce, and storytelling is a great way to differentiate your brand from others in the same landscape.

This also represents a direct advantage when compared to OTAs: Your website and social media channels can use formats that are not supported by OTAs, which gives you the opportunity to showcase even more your brand. 

All these points are key when it comes to influencing a possible guest to make a direct booking. In fact, there are other things you can do to influence the inspiration stage of the guest journey, and we discuss them in this article. 

Use micro-engagement campaigns 

We are not talking about large, but personalised efforts. Where segmentation is your secret weapon. 

You already have the data of hundreds or thousands of guests who had booked with you before. Then, you can use it to engage with them and invite them to book directly with you by leveraging a very personalised offer or campaign. 

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Offer multi-channel support

Is sending an email the only way users can ask a question or get more information? Limiting your brand to a single channel can have a huge impact on the interactions with users and direct bookings. 

Your visitors should be able to send you a message directly on the website, send an email or chat via WhatsApp if that’s what they prefer. The point is, the support you offer should be multi-channel, aiming to be available in the channel guests use the most.  

This will help you to answer guests questions, while they are still interested.

The best part is that, using a Unified Inbox, you can gather all channels into one platform, creating a smooth customer experience.

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Establish a bullet-proof booking process

To really incentivise direct bookings, you should make the booking experience as easy and smooth as possible. Too many screens, confusing messages and extra steps only scare away possible guests.

But how do you create a bullet-proof booking experience? 

Think about three things: 

- Mobile-friendly: Long gone are the days where desktop was all it mattered. Today, your website and booking process needs to run smoothly whether in desktop, phone or tablet.

- Payment alternatives: With so many new options, only offering one is a crime. Give the user options so payment is smooth and it doesn’t become a big deal. 

- Be clear: Not only make sure that all forms are readable, with the right font size and colors, but also make sure to explain the booking process. Let them know the steps and summarize it in a way that provides clarity.  

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It is not about neglecting OTAs but balancing the scale

Remember: you are not at war with OTAs (although the title of the article might make it look like that). 

OTAs help hospitality brands by increasing their visibility, which is important when trying to reach as many users as possible.  

However, if you only rely on OTAs to bring in your bookings, you are placing yourself in a very vulnerable position. If one of the platforms is down for a day, you would be losing bookings. And what if the OTA is down for a week? 

Overall, a healthy balance and distribution is needed. Your direct bookings help to strengthen your brand and turn into a reliable source of income, instead of depending on external channels. 

If you want to look further into how to increase direct bookings and get more tactics and ideas, download our guide: How to recover direct bookings and stay competitive in the long run.  

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