The hospitality industry is constantly balancing the benefits of Online Travel Agents (OTAs) with the need to drive more direct bookings. OTAs, like Expedia and Booking.com, are third-party platforms that facilitate hospitality bookings for hotels. They are convenient for guests, but charge high commissions that can cut into your margins. While OTAs can introduce your property to new customers, the goal is to build lasting relationships that encourage them to book directly with you in the future.
The Experiture customer engagement platform delivers personalized experiences and drive direct bookings. Here are some proven hotel marketing strategies to influence guests to bypass OTAs and keep coming back to book with you directly.
Learn how to How to Attract Guests During the Off-Season with Experiture.
1. Understand the Customer Journey to Drive More Direct Bookings
A key to driving direct bookings is understanding guest behaviors and preferences. With Experiture integrated into your property management system (PMS), you can pull crucial guest information – stay history, booking preferences, on-property behavior – into one centralized platform. This integration enables you to segment your audience and target them with tailored offers that resonate with their preferences, positioning your property as a better choice than OTA-listed alternatives that may not have those deals on offer.
Utilizing Data for Deeper Guest Insights
Experiture provides a detailed, 360° view of each guest by unifying data from various touchpoints. These touchpoints include website visits, email interactions, past bookings and mobile usage. With this holistic view, you can understand guest behavior and preferences better, enabling targeted campaigns that align with their specific interests. For example, if a guest frequently books weekend getaways, you can send them exclusive promotions for future stays over the weekend.
Segment Guests for More Targeted Messaging
The Experiture platform allows you to segment guests based on booking patterns or travel preferences (e.g., business vs. leisure). By sending personalized offers that match each segment’s needs, you increase the likelihood of capturing direct bookings. For example, you can offer mid-week discounts to business travelers or family-friendly packages to groups who booked during school holidays.
2. Leverage Personalized Offers and Promotions to Bypass OTAs
One of the most effective ways to convert OTA guests into direct bookers is through personalized offers. Experiture enables you to craft dynamic content based on guest preferences, ensuring your promotions stand out in a crowded marketplace. Personalized offers based on guest data enables you to present direct booking incentives that OTAs can’t match, such as customized packages and exclusive benefits for booking directly.
Tailoring Offers Based on Guest Data
Experiture allows you to create offers that reflect their tastes and desires. For example, if a guest has shown interest in your spa services, you can offer a personalized spa package with a room booking. This proposition ensures your messaging is not only relevant but also enticing, increasing the chances of a direct booking.
Creating Value for Repeat Guests
Fostering loyalty among guests is paramount to bypassing OTAs. With Experiture, you can create exclusive offers to attract returning guests, such as loyalty points, room upgrades or special discounts. Personalized emails with unique landing pages can further encourage guests to book directly. For example, an email featuring a loyalty reward can link to a personalized landing page (PURL) where the guest can take advantage of these benefits directly.
3. Use Omnichannel Campaigns to Reach Guests
The Experiture platform enables you to launch omnichannel campaigns that combine email, SMS and direct mail. Delivering consistent, personalized messaging across multiple touchpoints ensures that guests are continuously reminded of the benefits of booking directly, rather than through OTAs. Real-time performance tracking allows you to adjust campaigns to focus on the channels that are most effective in converting OTA users to direct bookers.
Omnichannel Strategies for Higher Conversions
Experiture allows you to automate and synchronize messaging across channels. For example, you could start with a personalized email offering a special deal, follow up with an SMS reminder closer to the booking window and continue engaging the guest via direct mail if needed. This seamless approach ensures guests encounter consistent, timely messages, guiding them toward direct bookings.
Continuous Optimization with Real-time Performance Tracking
The Experiture platform’s analytics provide insights into which channels drive the most engagement and bookings. You can adjust campaigns in real time based on performance metrics, allocating more resources to the channels that deliver the highest ROI and refining strategies for underperforming ones. This helps optimize your budget and improve campaign effectiveness.
4. Retarget OTA Bookers for Future Direct Stays
A great way to convert OTA guests into direct bookers for future stays is by capturing their contact information on property. Many guests are willing to provide their email address in exchange for perks like free Wi-Fi, complimentary drinks or exclusive in-house promotions.
Build Data-driven Retargeting Campaigns
Once you’ve captured their email, Experiture enables you to segment these guests and retarget them with personalized offers. These retargeting campaigns can include exclusive incentives for booking directly next time. For example, you can send a “We’d Love to See You Again” email campaign with an offer that emphasizes the benefits of direct booking over OTAs, such as loyalty rewards or better room rates.
Automate Workflows for Timely Follow-Ups
The Experiture platform’s automated workflows allow you to send follow-up communications based on key guest interactions, such as their check-out date. A week after their stay, for example, you can send a personalized thank-you email with an incentive to book their next visit directly through your website. This consistent engagement builds guest loyalty and fosters direct relationships with the venue or chain.
Take Control of Your Direct Bookings and Bypass OTAs
Maximizing direct bookings is all about creating stronger, more personalized relationships with your guests. By integrating Experiture with your property management system, you can unlock valuable guest insights, craft highly targeted campaigns, and retarget OTA bookers to encourage them to book directly in the future.
Ready to elevate your direct booking strategy? Request a personalized demo today to see how Experiture can help your property increase direct bookings, improve guest loyalty and reduce reliance on OTAs.
