In today’s world, it’s unavoidable for hotels to pay hefty commission to hotel price comparison websites if they want exposure to their property in the highly competitive travel industry. Bournemouth, for example, has hundreds of hotels with a wide range of sizes, from a standard guesthouse or B&B right up to the five-star resorts. How do you get yourself in front of your customers? Install a Social WiFi Hotspot in your hotel.
Most people check to see if a hotel offers WiFi when they’re doing their research. If it’s chargeable or not offered, that’s a big no-no in today’s connected world, because people expect free WiFi wherever they go. The days of charging for WiFi are coming to an end, as consumers are starting to see it as a basic right.
You may think of WiFi as just another business expense, but it needn’t be that way. If you implement Social WiFi, not only will your customers be able to access it quickly using their social media accounts (no cumbersome form-filling to get online here), but you’ll gain access to a wide range of information that can be used for marketing in return.
You could get a Facebook like and check-in for every person who logs in, or a Twitter follow. Or you could capture your customers’ email addresses which can be added to your newsletters. You could also capture this data from non-residents who come to visit you for a conference.
You may be thinking that you already capture data from the people staying in your hotel, and of course, as part of the booking/checking-in process this is true. But do you capture that information from every single guest, or just from the lead booker? Are you able to find out the names and email addresses of every visitor to your public bar, or to your conference suite? Can you get deep information about your customers and passing traffic, including where they’re from, where they live, even what job they do? With Social WiFi, you can.
What can you do with this data? If you’re socially connected, you can now increase your reach through your Facebook and Twitter updates. Good, relevant content is going to be shared by your customers among their friends, increasing exposure for your hotel.
The most powerful thing, though, is targeted email marketing, enticing your customers to return with an offer. They can be directed to book directly with your website, so you’ll reduce the commission payments to online booking comparison sites and increase your direct revenue.
Plus you’ll have the added bonus of keeping a loyal customer base of returning visitors.
To talk more about how Social WiFi can benefit your hotel, call us on 01202 912 202, or see the full story on our homepage.
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