How to Increase Conversion on Your Hotel Website by Using Urgency
March 28, 2021|Hotel Marketing

Creating urgency is a common practice in e-commerce marketing. You often see limited- time offers on websites selling all sorts of physical products, but not so much in the hotel and hospitality arena. Although uncommon in this niche, it doesn't mean this approach should not be considered and explored. When employed correctly, this can, in fact, effectively increase reservations and reduce customers' chances of abandoning a booking transaction.

What does it mean to create urgency?

Creating urgency is making site visitors, and potential guests recognize that there is limited room availability or limited special pricing that they need to take advantage of quickly. Otherwise, they'll miss out on a great deal.

Informing guests of your offers and providing them with the power to decide and take action can strongly influence them to book sooner instead of later. Giving them a sense of empowerment is crucial. Although you are urging them to make a move, knowing that they are making the decision based on the merits presented gives them the confidence to proceed with the transaction.

What are the ways you can use urgency to increase website conversion?

1. Availability messaging

Let your customers know how many rooms there are left available at a discount. Just change the numbers in your message as the available rooms are filled up.

2. Let your guests know of your popularity

Let guests be aware of how desirable and attractive your offers are by showing the number of people who view the offer or how many people booked your hotel in the past 24 hours. There are apps and website plug-ins that you can add to your website to show people purchasing and viewing the available rooms. This creates a feeling of urgency and highlights one's fear of missing out.

3. Countdowns on offers

Having a countdown timer on your offer creates an impression of scarcity and puts pressure on the customer to act immediately before the rooms are all taken. Having a countdown emphasizes how limited the rooms are, and if not booked quickly, might be an inconvenience for the guest.

4. Countdown to sales

Before organizing and launching a special sale, it is a must to create awareness.

Maximize all the digital marketing platforms that you have to create buzz and let people know through their upcoming sale networks. Establish a demand before the sale and then build urgency once the sale starts. This builds up interest around the sale, and the more excited customers are, the more likely they are to grab your offers quickly.

5. Adjust your terminology

Customers tend to buy more things when they are discounted. So, it is good to let them understand that the rates go up or down, depending on availability. This way, once you put out an offer less than your usual rates, they would be quick to grab the offer.

You may promote "today's best rate" and try out the terminology and see if there is an impact in conversion.

6. Offer gentle reminders

It is a common event that site visitors sometimes abandon their uncompleted online booking transactions. When this happens, it is best to send them an email within a few hours to follow up or ask if they had any issues making reservations. It's best to remind them that the rate they were initially eyeing for changes with availability and that they should take advantage of the low offer before it goes up again. This approach pushes customers who are on the fence to think again and finally make a decision.

7. Follow up guests who missed out on a flash sale.

In case customers reach out to you because they missed out on a limited-time offer, assure them that they will get an advanced notification in the subsequent sale event. At the same time, encourage them to make a booking as soon as possible to avoid missing out. Ask them to sign up for an email marketing list to make sure they get notified.

By nature, urgent situations prompt people to decide and respond as quickly as possible. This is the kind of reaction you want to get in this marketing approach. You want decisions to be made fast and actions to make bookings. We want to encourage customers to take action, and not so much to spend more time thinking. When allowed to weigh up and shop around, customers usually talk themselves out of it, not what we want as marketers.

However, always remember that creating urgency for customers should only entice and encourage them to take action, but not to their disadvantage. Never manipulate room availability and create false urgency.

If we could help your hotel marketing, give us a call at 888-999-8086 or visit us at Bezla.com.

Bezla.com LLC

Website: https://Bezla.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bezla
Phone: +1-888-999-8086
1800 JFK Blvd Suite 300 PMB 91649
Philadelphia, PA 19103