Having an online presence has become an essential element for any successful hotel, bed and breakfast or boutique.
Your website acts as your digital shopfront, affording potential guests an idea of what they can expect if they opt to stay at your accommodation.
Whilst all websites differ, the majority of effective ones will share some common features.
Guestroom Genie have complied our top 3 essential requirements a successful hotel website should consider…
1. Your website should be well-designed, fast loading, and compatible
A well-designed website is clear and clean, balancing text information and images. Many people use their mobile devices to search for holiday accommodation; the smaller the device screen, the less clutter it can cope with.
It is important to optimise the size of your images, to ensure fast loading times. Website speed is significant.
When it comes to website speed, every second counts. Check that your website is compatible with modern browsers and optimised for mobile devices.
2. Your website design should be user friendly, and informative
A website that is not easy to navigate is not one people choose to visit again unless they absolutely have to.
Looking for and booking a holiday should be an enjoyable experience!
Intuitive designs navigate potential guests to the information they require to make informed choices. The most commonly searched information should be displayed or accessible directly from your homepage. Details should include:
- Location details
- Current, realistic, good quality photos of the building, reception (if you have one), different types of rooms (e.g., single, twin, double, triple, delux), grounds, views, and amenities. A picture is worth a thousand words; take potential guests on a visual journey through your property
- Up-to-date, specific details about the property (e.g., hot tube, parking, Electric Vehicle charging points)
- Lists of room amenities (e.g., room service, Wifi, complimentary toiletries)
- Past customer reviews
- Hotel policy (e.g., cancellation and no-show, arrival and departure processes, pet policies)
- Contact details
- Local tourist attractions
- FAQs (Frequently asked questions)
3. Include quality content
A hotel website with well-written, keyword rich content will attract more visitors.
Excellent quality Search Engine Optimised (SEO) content will strengthen your online presence, improving the ranking of your website on search engines and result pages.
This drives more traffic towards your website, boosting your hotel’s prospects of securing maximum bookings.
A recent study analysed 2 million Google search results. They found the first result in Google’s organic search results is 10 times more likely to receive a click than a result in the tenth spot and has an average CTR (Click through rate) of 27.6%.
The last result on the first page plummets to a 2.2% CTR.
If your website is not appearing in the top half of the first result page, you are unlikely to be discovered by potential guests.
Further considerations
Your website should ideally provide real-time availability and the ability to book a room directly. Your guests will likely have dates in mind for their next holiday and will want to know quickly if your property can accommodate them.
Listing your business on such channels such as Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb may secure bookings, however, they charge significant commission.
Any direct bookings you make via your website will increase revenue and therefore be more profitable.
Guestroom Genie is a comprehensive property management system, designed to streamline hotelier processes, including a simple booking system and reservation management with no commission fees.
For information regarding our app or subscription plans, call Guestroom Genie on 0114 209 4050, or click here to request a call back, and let Guestroom Genie grant your hotelier wishes.
