Experience

Book

PlanDream

Return & Tell

Path to Purchase – what it used to be

Path to Purchase – what it looks today

Experience

40%*

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/micro-moments-travel-customer-journey/

SHARE AND TELL

Dream Plan Book

Travel Search 2018 Mobile Desktop

Share of Search Volume 53% 47%

Time on Site 4.18 m 8.51 m

Page Views / visitor 4.89 8.99

Bounce Rate 44.9% 29.1%

Source: Stone Temple Mobile vs Desktop Traffic in 2019, based on Similar Web data 2018 for US

Mobile Use IS having an Impact

of those using a mobile for travel research say:

Google/Ipsos Connect, travel playbook omnibus, n=1,063, among U.S. travelers 18+ who use a smartphone and for whom the statement is applicable, Apr. 2016

72%CONTENT beats BRAND

… and there is one other key observation

More Dreaming + Less Loyalty = More Touchpoints

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/feature/path-to-purchase-search-behavior/#key-takeaways

The average

accommodation purchase journey lasted an incredible

36 days and involved 45 touchpoints across several devices and types of website.2

2) Verto Analytics, McKinsey analysis, U.S. clickstream panel data, Q4 2017–Q1 2018

or putting it into a slightly different way:

“STOP CLICKING AROUND”

does not work with today’s consumers

More Touchpoints = More Micro-Moments to own

Google’s simple advice is “to earn (and re-earn) each person’s consideration in every micro-moment”

You'll need to do more than just show up. Be relevant to the person's need in that moment. Connect them to the inspiration they're looking for and to the answers they want.

Be there.

Be useful.

You can't win if you're not in the game. Identify the micro-moments for travelers that fit your business, then commit to being there to help when they happen

What Google Tells Us

SHARE AND TELL

ExperienceBookPlanDream

> 40% *

* Google/Ipsos Connect, travel playbook omnibus, n=1664, among U.S. travelers 18+, Apr. 2016

Publisher

Review Sites, Agents

Supplier Direct

Our Distribution Partners are evolving fast

Micro-Moments, Touch Points, Billboard Effect … or whatever you call it, key is that

there is a

VERY HIGH CHANCE that a potential customer will

VISIT YOUR WEBSITE during their

PATH TO PURCHASE

Questions you need to ask is:

HOW DO YOU INCREASE THE CHANCE OF A WEBSITE VISIT?

and

HOW DO YOU INCREASE YOUR CHANCE TO CONVERT THE VISITOR?

BE THE SOURCE OF TRUTH

BE THE SOURCE OF TRUTH

Or simply be the BEST when it comes to your hotel, neighbourhood, region …

WHY?

Attract potential customers to your site

Engaged site visitors

Return visitors

Conversion

CONTENT PRICING

• Images • Amenities• Description• Reviews• Points of Interest

• Room Rates • Discounts• Policies

BEST Opportunities

Paid Search Ads Google Hotel Ads

BEST Content: Points of Interest

NOT ONE SUPPLIER DIRECT ON PAGE 1 … JUST META SEARCH OR OTA

OTA/Meta approach to Points of Interest

More about Adelaide Central MarketPlaces such as Adelaide Central Market attract travelers to Adelaide. Hotel rooms are offered at the lowest price on Agoda.com with many of them in the vicinity of Markets. Finding the perfect hotel for your next trip to see Adelaide Central Market is easy via Agoda.com, with options such as Adelaide Motel & Backpackers and Tequila Sunrise Hostel.

Hotel reservations are made easy with Agoda.com's secure on-line booking form for hotels in close proximity to Adelaide Central Market. Accommodation can be conveniently located on our Adelaide city page, with user-friendly search tools and comprehensive hotel information. ….

Hotels near Adelaide Central Market

Of the many tourists who are drawn to Adelaide Central

Market every year, few regret the journey.

You're not likely to have any difficulties finding it. It's in

Adelaide, the state capital.

With no less than 47 hotels within an easy walk of

Adelaide Central Market, you won't have any worries

finding a fantastic place. The Quest on

Franklin, InterContinental Adelaide and Adina Apartment

Hotel Adelaide Treasury are certainly worth taking a look

at.

After low-cost accommodation options? You will stumble

upon a couple nearby.

…..

And an actual bespoke page … with (sort of) relevant content

All Meta & OTAs search results have a bespoke page title and description

Points of Interest: We help OTAs win

vs. Hotel Direct example

“When you book your accommodation with us, we will share our detailed recommendations for restaurants, cellars doors, wine tours and much more”

OTA Encouragement

BEST Content: Points of Interest

WHY?

1. Creates SEO value

2. Provides customer value

3. Reason to spend more time on site

4. and read more pages

5. Which creates SEO value again

BEST Content: Site Structure, Images, UGC …

Nothing here happens by chance

Everything on this page is A|B tested for conversion

Learn from your distribution partners

OTA Approach to Site Structure, Images, UGC …

45 images

Amenities

Description, UGC

Points of Interest

Site Structure, Images, UGC … We help OTAs

They are constantly reminding us to update

but how good is your own site?

BEST Content: Site Structure, Images, UGC, …

WHY?

1. Creates SEO value

2. Provides customer value

3. Reason to spend more time on site

4. and read more pages

5. Which creates SEO value again

BEST Pricing: Rate Parity

Rate parity or MFN is a clause in the OTA contract with hotels in which the hotel guarantees to use the same rate and terms for a specific room type, regardless of the distribution channel.

In AU rate parity is limited to the Hotel Websitein theory you can offer an OTA a lower rate than on direct

But it is still a ONE WAY clause*

*Expedia Group waived the MFN clause in April 2019

If there is rate parity … why isn’t there parity?

$ 212

$ 220

$ 235

same datessame hotelsame room

PRICE INTEGRITY: Meta Discounting

URGENCY

URGENCY

versus HOTEL DIRECT: $ 235

Agoda is Merchant to be able to offer discount

PRICE INTEGRITY: Wholesale Rates

Risk of wholesale rates being distributed ‘un-bundled’ or below recommended selling price

Booking.basic example Easter weekend in McLaren Vale

PRICE INTEGRITY: Loyalty Rates

Looks like there is no reason to not join

- More bookings- Higher Value Customers

- Longer LoS- Higher ADR

- Fewer Cancellations- More Repeat

PRICE INTEGRITY: Loyalty Rates

1. How difficult is it to “join” as a customer ?a. Therefore, does it drive incremental bookings ?

b. Why would the LoS, ADR, XXL rate, etc. all be better?

2. What are the true costs for you?a. Does it impact your other distribution channels?

b. Can you limit/exclude peak dates?

c. How many of your current bookings are from qualified customers?

3. Where will the customer loyalty be?

4. What is the impact on “Being The Source of Truth”?

A few thoughts to consider:

PRICE INTEGRITY

HOW?1. Stop / challenge META discounting

2. Monitor WHOLESALE distribution

3. Question LOYALTY RATE value

WHY ?1. Best available rate has to be DIRECT

2. Be THE SOURCE OF TRUTH

3. Increase your CONVERSION chance

MY KEY TAKE AWAYS FOR YOU

BE THERE & BE RELEVANTat EVERY TOUCHPOINT

BE MOBILE

53% of

travel search

BE THE SOURCE OF TRUTH

BE BOOKABLE MEASURE

QUESTIONS?

Interested in an audit for your property?Georg@karawathacottages.com.au

0434 164066