3 Ways Hotel Marketers can get better at Mobile

How often do you check your phone? A few times an hour? A few time a minute?

Like it or not, addictive mobile devices have become an important part of our daily lives.

Which is why hotel marketers need a great mobile presence.

Mobile is no longer a side dish; it’s quickly becoming the main course in terms of how people experience the Internet. In an article from hotelmarketing.com CEO of Pegasus Solutions David Millilli says mobile “has become a must for generating revenue.”

Guests aren’t just reading articles and skimming reviews either.  They are using their phones and tablets to actually book rooms. In 2013 booking.com’s mobile site had 260% more online bookings than the previous year. In  2012 bookings through mobile sources accounted for 7% of total online bookings, that number is a twelve fold increase from 2010.

Here are three ways any hotel can improve their online presence.

1. Optimize sites for mobile

If your site isn’t optimized for mobile you’re going to annoy plenty of would-be customers. Though mobile devices can navigate regular pages fine, the overall experience isn’t very good.  Full websites designed to be viewed on large displays simply don’t translate well to a tiny phone screen. Make sure that when viewers see the mobile site it’s an easy to navigate, clean and simple style.

2. Get an app

A lot of major brands have been in the news for developing apps recently. W-Hotels, Marriot, Mandarin Oriental and The Ritz-Carlton Hotels are just a few of the brands to have custom developed apps. Apps are great for a few reasons. One, custom designed apps are usually a more user-friendly experience than a mobile website. Apps also have the ability to increase brand loyalty, since the user downloads the app and will see it regularly it’s a great branding tactic.

3. Get better at social

Social media is one area that is quickly becoming more and more popular on mobile devices. In fact a 2013 survey by Adobe found that 71% of social media site users used a mobile device to access these sites. More and more users are using their phones and tablets to check their social sites. Being good at social media means being aware of how your users are consuming it.

Are you a master of mobile? Did we leave anything out? Give us your favorite strategies for having a better presence in the online space in our comment section below!