Direct channel campaigns increase hotel website conversions by 43%

As hoteliers navigate the ever-evolving landscape of the hospitality industry, certain moments stand out as key, and Black Friday is certainly one of them. This annual shopping phenomenon is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the travel industry, influencing consumer behavior and reshaping booking patterns. Following another year of Black Friday shopping frenzy, Hotel Network (THN) has launched the following promotion. analysis Understand the performance impact of direct channels, highlight successes, and identify key takeaways for the future.

The study examined data from the direct channel of THN’s more than 6,500 hotel customers around the world. The analysis compared the performance of hotel websites during the peak period of the Black Friday period (November 13-27, 2023) and during a similar period in the previous month (October 17-31, 2023). To isolate the effects of seasonality, compared the performance We compared the proportion of hotels that ran a dedicated Black Friday campaign to a control group of hotels that did not run a campaign.

How Black Friday 2023 will impact hotel direct channel performance

1. A higher percentage of users search on hotel booking engines that feature Black Friday offers

In contrast to the pattern observed in 2022, hotels saw a noticeable increase in the number of website visitors during Black Friday. This increase in traffic was more pronounced for hotels running Black Friday campaigns, with an average increase of 9% in visitors, compared to an average increase of just over 5% for hotels without campaigns. .

Perhaps more interestingly, hotels running dedicated Black Friday campaigns saw a significant 22% increase in the number of visitors completing searches on their booking engine on average, compared to a 6% increase for the control group. That’s what I stayed with. This suggests that by proactively communicating Black Friday deals on their websites, hotels can effectively move more travelers into the online booking funnel.

2. Hotels that promoted Black Friday campaigns saw an incredible 43% increase in website conversion rates.

THN’s findings highlight a significant difference in website conversion rates between hotels that ran Black Friday campaigns and those that didn’t. Hotels that actively promoted special offers saw their website conversion rates increase by an average of 43%, while hotels in the control group only increased by 2% over the same period.

Furthermore, the findings revealed that hotels that ran Black Friday campaigns improved their performance in the later stages of the booking process. These hotels achieved an impressive average increase of 28% in booking engine conversion rates, far outpacing hotels without campaigns, which saw a minimal change in average increase of just 0.8%.

The difference in direct conversions between the two hotels highlights the huge impact of employing the right tools and tactics to develop an effective marketing strategy around Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday. Promoting attractive deals both on your hotel homepage and on your booking engine can significantly increase the amount of direct bookings you generate.

3. Black Friday offers don’t mean hoteliers miss out on revenue

A common misconception among hoteliers regarding the Black Friday concept is that offering great deals will lead to a decrease in average booking value.

However, our research shows that hotels that ran strategic campaigns with attractive deals not only succeeded in increasing conversion rates, but also actually offered rooms at regular rates during Black Friday. We were able to increase our average booking value even more than hotels. These hotels use effective website messaging to engage website visitors and encourage them to spend more to access special offers, resulting in an average revenue increase of nearly 18% per booking. This increase exceeded the 12% increase observed in the control group.

4. The most effective marketing messages and campaign strategies

Hold a Black Friday pre-sale

It’s never too early to start. Introducing campaigns early can be a smart strategy for hotels to grab the attention of potential guests ahead of the Black Friday rush, giving early planners a head start to secure more direct bookings. can be cut. Presales also build anticipation, create a sense of excitement, and invite visitors to complete their reservations in advance to avoid missing out on exclusive offers.

By installing tools such as countdown clock You can instill a sense of urgency in your marketing messages and capitalize on FOMO (fear of missing out) to increase engagement.

Collect user emails before launching a campaign

As mentioned earlier, no one wants to miss out on discounts. Another successful approach is to collect user emails in advance of your Black Friday campaign.display layer Promising exclusive discounts to newsletter subscribers on your website is a smart tactic to collect potential customers’ email addresses, expand your marketing database, and increase the likelihood of future bookings.

Optimize discounts by facilitating extended LOS

Discounts are one of the most effective incentives when it comes to direct bookings, but lower rates don’t necessarily mean your bottom line will take a hit. The key is to build tactical deals like encouraging longer stays, offering unique perks, or upselling higher room categories. One of the proven ways to reduce the undesirable effects of price cuts is to introduce a minimum LOS (length of stay) as a condition for availing Black Friday discounts. This is a surefire way to effectively compensate for lower rates and ensure higher occupancy rates.

THN survey results study We highlight the huge opportunity for hoteliers to improve direct channel performance through Black Friday initiatives. From increased overall web traffic to increased searches on booking engines, and ultimately improved direct channel conversion rates and overall revenue, this revenue is often underestimated by hotel marketers. You shouldn’t.

Successful strategies include pre-sale campaigns targeting early planners, collecting user emails in exchange for exclusive offers, and optimizing deals to increase the average length of stay for guests. To take advantage of increased demand, running exclusive Black Friday offers and website campaigns ahead of the busiest holiday season is sure to increase direct bookings and revenue.

About the hotel network

Hotel Network is an innovative technology company that works with more than 19,000 hotels around the world. Boasting an international team of experts with deep expertise in hospitality, product design and consumer marketing, the company provides clients with a full-stack growth platform to power their direct channels. Leveraging a suite of integrated tools and analytics, hotel brands can attract, engage, and convert guests throughout the user journey.

In addition to price comparisons, review summaries, and a full suite of personalization options, THN’s predictive personalization products utilize machine learning technology to predict user behavior and automate both messages and offers for each user. Personalize. The company’s latest innovation, BenchDirect, is the first benchmarking product for the direct channel, providing hotels with never-before-seen competitive data that completely changes the rules of the game.

THN’s mission is to improve the online booking experience, increase direct bookings, and strengthen relationships between hotel brands and their guests.

For more information about THN, please visit: https://thehotelsnetwork.com/ja or contact us [email protected].

paige lopez
PR & Communication Specialist