A V Continent's guest room: El Sherif says he thinks of his website as an extra salesperson. A V Continent's guest room: El Sherif says he thinks of his website as an extra salesperson.

In Hotelier’s new series exploring the changing landscape of hotel reservations, we look at how to increase direct bookings by simplifying your website and implementing an easy-to-use booking engine

Last month, Hotelier brought you a comprehensive guide to how to ensure your website reaches the peak of search engine results pages.

However, this will do nothing to increase bookings if your website is a challenge to navigate and leaves prospective guests gasping for something simpler – a one-stop shop for everything they may need to know, and a minimal-click booking solution.

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Typically, hotel websites are buried among the aggregation websites and OTAs, which receive far more traffic, but customers do shop around on different sites. Google’s head of travel for the Gulf, Marie de Ducla, explains: “People visit around 22 websites over nine sessions before they book a hotel, so they have time to look at a lot of hotels, brands and websites. Then they decide where they want to book — through the hotel directly or an agent.”

Price is obviously a strong influencer in this decision, but so is the website’s overall feel and the user experience. James Lowery, head of SEO at digital marketing agency Latitude, says: “You go onto an aggregation website and you’re not sold a particular hotel, you’re just sold a hotel — not an experience, just a few nights somewhere.”

He adds that in the region, the Arab Spring “opened people’s eyes to the power of the web as being a business channel in which people can communicate directly with their customers”.

“They know they can have this relationship — before sale, during sale and after sale. It’s where the transactions happen, so we’re seeing people more willing to invest,” Lowery adds.

Alex Barder, regional director of business development for Sabre Hospitality Solutions, explains: “Compared to Europe and the US, hotels in the Middle East certainly have a lower share of direct online bookings.

Outside global hotel chains the majority of hotels generate between three to 10% of their bookings through their website, with many reliant on OTAs such as Booking.com and Expedia. Hotels have grown comfortable with this, however a more balanced mix between direct bookings and OTAs could yield savings in the future.”

“It may sound like a lot but hotels can realistically expect to triple their online direct business by improving their website,” adds Barder. “OTAs provide a great deal of value but balancing the mix will ensure they are not entirely reliant on them.”

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