Understanding the Complexity of the Booking Journey

Understanding the path to book for most traveler shoppers can be very complicated, especially when it comes to different devices. The road to the booking will vary depending on the device a traveler is using and which search engines, OTA, or meta-search sites they are searching from. Hoteliers must be aware that consumer behavior shifts from one device to another and from one site to another. In today’s technology-driven world, the path to purchase for consumers is no longer straight-forward. It takes on different stages. Travel shoppers are not merely searching on desktops or going straight to Google to do a search and then decide to book. Instead, we are seeing more and more consumers doing their initial search on their smartphones then navigating to different review sites to validate their view of the hotel. We are even witnessing social media influencing a consumer’s decision-making process. Whether you are a leisure or business traveler, we all prioritize search differently. With that said, hotels need to remain relevant and drive brand awareness by casting a wider net to capture the consumer during the entire purchasing funnel. Hoteliers must learn to deliver content that will reflect consumer behavior, appeal to the traveler’s needs, and align with today’s technology.

The Mobile Journey

In a recent study, it was found that smartphones play a vital role in the initial research stage of hotel planning but infrequently used to book. Of the 2,000 consumers in the study, 47% of the participants stated they used a smartphone sometime during the planning phase, while only 6% of them booked via a mobile device. Nearly half of leisure travelers used a smartphone during the research and evaluation stage. They went on various sites like review sites, OTAs, social media, metasearch engines, and the hotel’s mobile site to get the information they needed to make a decision. This study also reveals that consumers are using mobile web browsers more often than mobile apps during the research phase. Among the desktop survey participants, only 4% of participants stated that they used a mobile app when researching for a hotel. When booking on a smartphone, consumers prefer calling the hotel to make a reservation, which is why it is important to have a prominent click to call button on your hotel’s mobile website.

The Social Media and Online Review Journey

Along with using a smartphone to do research, travelers also utilize social media to get some insights about which hotel to stay at. The top 4 social media channels consumers go to during the travel research phase include Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Twitter. In the study, 13% of bookers were reported to use social media during the purchasing journey, while 59% of bookers considered review sites to base their decision on where to book. From this study, we can conclude that online reviews have a strong impact on a consumer’s final purchase decision. With more than half of people considering consumer reviews in their final decision to book, hotels must devise a strategy that would encourage more reviews and respond to negative ones. The consumer will rarely consider hotels with few reviews, and hotels with poor reviews will be negatively depicted. Hotels should make it a habit to respond to reviews.  In these management responses, make sure to address the problem, find a solution, and ensure the guest that it won’t happen again.

The Meta Search and OTA Journey

Kayak, Trivago, and other meta-search engines have become a popular source for many travelers looking to score the cheapest hotel rates. Metasearch engines are mainly used by consumers who are very price driven and looking for the best deals. Metasearch sites aggregate all the rates from OTAs and display them in one channel, which makes it easier for the consumer to compare rates. This CMB study revealed that 49% used a price comparison or OTAs such as Expedia, Priceline, or Kayak. Not everyone who uses these sites will book on these channels, however. 36% who did go on these sites directly booked on there. For many consumers, metasearch sites may not be the final destination to book a hotel. The majority of travelers will choose to visit the hotel’s website to get a feel for not only the amenities but, most importantly, the local culture. There are still many who prefer to book directly on the hotel’s website. This is true as long as the hotel is in rate parity or if they are offering a special.

As we can see from this study and all its findings, travelers go to different avenues when making the final booking decision. No matter which channel a consumer searches on or which device he or she chooses to use, keep in mind that convenience is the top driver of booking online. When you make the booking process seamless for the consumer, they will more likely convert into a guest. With that said, how is your hotel keeping up with the constant changes to the travel sphere, digital world, and traveler behavior?