In the final installment of our three-part series exploring the changing landscape of reservations, we find out how to make the most of mobile and implement a successful strategy for smartphones and tablets
In the two previous months, Hotelier Middle East has brought you guides to developing SEO and implementing an effective online booking system with the aim of improving direct hotel bookings through your website. However, with the growing dominance of mobile, getting a presence on smartphones and tablets is an increasing concern.
One fifth of all online traffic is now coming through mobile devices, according to research from Latitude — a UK-based digital marketing company. The firm has also reported smartphone penetration in the Middle East is currently standing at 66% — higher than in both the UK and US markets.
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“That’s a really big deal,” says Latitude COO Richard Gregory. “More of the world is going mobile. We know everyone’s talked about mobile for years, about it being just around the corner. It’s here now.”
Many hotels make the mistake of just assuming that a regular website can be accessed on smartphones and tablets, so they don’t need to invest in creating a dedicated site for the new devices.
“There really needs to be separate campaigns for regular desktop and then mobile,” explains Lee Mancini, managing director at Dubai-based SEO company Sekari. “People use mobile in a completely different way than they use desktops.”
Michael Innocentin, director, internet marketing, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, says: “While responsive design is becoming increasingly popular, and organisations such as Google recommend it, it does require a complete rebuild of your website to implement.
Depending on the size of the site and the age of it, it can prove challenging to get funding and consensus to redesign an entire site.”
“I have pleaded with clients to push mobile sites up the queue,” Gregory says. “It can take six to 12 months for a large site, but we really need that now. Even just a landing page, rather than a big beast of a site that you can’t navigate on a mobile device that one in five people see.”
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