3-Step Guide to Increasing Bookings on Corporate Channels
Step 1: Consider What Customers Want
It’s important to tailor your messages to the types of visitors you want to attract. Since we’re talking about corporate channels, you know you’re looking at business travelers – or individuals booking travel for their colleagues. Think about what they will be doing during their stay at your hotel and then what your hotel offers that would be beneficial to them.
Business Travel News notes that complimentary in-room Internet remains the most important amenity for business travelers
• Complimentary breakfast
• Promotions and discounts
• 24-hour business center
• 24-hour fitness center
Step 2: Offer a Great Shopping Experience
Although travelers on corporate booking websites are shopping for business trips and not for leisure, it doesn’t mean they don’t want an enjoyable experience while shopping online. When a potential customer sees two comparable hotels, with similar features and amenities, what’s going to make them choose you? – A great shopping experience can be the key differentiator between getting that reservation and losing it.
1. Instead of just showing standard room images, add panoramic images of your rooms – one that shows off the things that matter to business travelers. You can also include floor plans to help your visitors really visualize themselves in your rooms.
Don’t just list your amenities – show them off! We’ve already established that business travelers want a fitness room and a business center; why not offer virtual tours of each, or a short video demonstrating what each has to offer?
Step 3: Customize Your Media for Corporate Booking Channels
1. Rich visual media – such as videos, virtual tours and high definition photos – helps you tell your hotel’s unique story to online shoppers in a better way. It amplifies your hotel’s strengths, attracts new guests and creates a loyal following. Customize your rich media on corporate booking sites to amplify the amenities that matter most to business travelers– meeting rooms, conference centers, executive suites and so on. By showcasing the features that these travelers need, you put yourself ahead of the competition and give the traveler more confidence to book with your hotel.
2. 93% of corporate travelers watch video online and 68% watch travel related video when planning and researching their travel2 - so why not take advantage of this and create a video that is targeted specially for business travelers.
A A short video of the recently renovated Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific Hotel showcasing the facilities, accommodation rooms and conference/meeting rooms. By customizing the rich media that they syndicate to corporate booking channels, they have differentiated themselves from other hotels in the area.
In addition, remember to:
• Highlight the things business travelers want up-front;
• Keep your feature lists organized and concise;
• Use inviting, easy-to-digest text alongside images that back up
your descriptions.
Start targeting
business travelers today!
