Enhance Marketing and Revenue with a Hotel App
Even though we read a lot about people’s efforts to “unplug” and “reduce screen time,” the fact is, Americans check their phones about once every 10 minutes.
Plus, mobile app use is growing. According to research, mobile users now spend four to five hours per day in apps. And 83 percent of your guests appreciate receiving hotel service and amenity promotions on their mobile devices.
The key takeaway here is that a hotel app with messaging capability is becoming a pivotal guest communication channel and marketing tool. And when you put it to use, it’s like placing a portable digital signage tool in the palm of guests’ hands. It has the ability to capture their attention and speak to them wherever they are.
Here are eight easy ways to maximize your marketing with your hotel app.
Push Notification Power
Push notifications are one of the most effective channels for marketing, achieving a 4x higher click-through rate than more traditional channels like email. With push notifications, hotels can send guests contextually relevant messages about upcoming special offers, packages and events that encourage them to book a future stay.
Effective Upsells
You can use booking confirmation notifications to help drive ancillary revenue through offering relevant upgrades and upsells. You’ll benefit from the fact that your guests will pay more for higher-category rooms and room attributes such as city or water views, and room location. Plus, you can increase conversions by targeting specific interests.
Boost F&B Sales
When guests are on-site, inspire them to visit your restaurant by sending a short video highlighting some of your mouthwatering dishes. And include the ability to make a reservation right in the app. Or consider sending a message at lunchtime, letting guests know they can place an order and continue sunbathing poolside, because you’re happy to deliver it directly to them.
Use Location
With geolocation capability, you can use your app to promote specific hotel amenities when guests pass by key locations. For instance, you can promote a private session with a personal trainer as guests approach your fitness center. You can also encourage visits to nearby attractions that you partner with by sending a promotional message as guests exit your hotel.
Promote On-Site Activities
Enhance the guest experience and boost your marketing by sending real-time information on and upcoming events guests may enjoy, such as a beachside barbecue or a cooking class with the chef. You can include fun photos of past events and provide the option to RSVP directly through the app.
Get Personal
Nine out of 10 guests are more likely to become repeat visitors when your brand presents timely offerings based on their interests and behaviors. With an integrated app, you can provide personalized recommendations for activities and amenities based on guests’ previous stay data. For example, you can delight a guest with a message noting that since they enjoyed getting a manicure on a previous visit, they may enjoy booking a discounted mani/pedi package for their current stay.
Fuel Loyalty Program Membership
Incorporate your loyalty program into your hotel app, making it easier for guests to sign up and redeem rewards, and helping to encourage repeat visits. For instance, you can offer additional points for each booking a guest makes through the app, which they can redeem for room upgrades or free nights.
Grow Direct Bookings
Guest loyalty and return visits increase when you continue engaging with guests after their stay. Send a notification providing the opportunity to complete a post-stay survey. And entice guests to complete it with a special discount if they book direct on their next visit.
A Powerful Mobile Marketing Tool
The right hotel application can bridge the gap where print marketing collateral and staff interaction can sometimes fall down. Today’s proliferation of mobile devices means that your guests are nearly always carrying one of your most powerful marketing tools with them wherever they go. By capitalizing on this, you can ensure that you’re delivering the right message, to the right guest, at the right moment for optimal conversion.
Interested in using a hotel app as an effective marketing tool for your hotel?
[1] Asurion. “Americans Check Their Phones 96 Times a Day.” PR Newswire, 21 Nov. 2019, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/americans-check-their-phones-96-times-a-day-300962643.html.
[2] Perez, Sarah. “Mobile Users Are Now Spending 4-5 Hours per Day in Apps.” TechCrunch, Aug. 2022, https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/03/mobile-users-now-spend-4-5-hours-per-day-in-apps-report-says/.
[3] Dehler, Nicole. “Today’s Guests Have An Appetite For Mobile and They’re Willing to Pay For It.” Hospitality Net, 19 Sept. 2019, https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4095123.html.
[4] “Customer Loyalty—What It Means for Mobile Apps, and Strategies to Retain and Reward Loyal Customers.” Swrve, https://www.swrve.com/resources/weblog/customer-loyaltywhat-it-means-for-mobile-apps-and-strategies-to-retain-and-reward-loyal-customers.
[5] “Why Brands Must Move from Communication to Conversation for Greater Personalization. Pulse Check 2018.” Accenture.Com, https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/PDF-77/Accenture-Pulse-Survey.pdf.