Holiday is an important activity for many people. It is a chance for isolation from the hustle and bustle of life and refreshment. Apart from that, holiday times are rare moments for people to spend for themselves, especially for a large group of people that work intensively. Therefore, it is generally something to deal with elaborately.
According to research, people start planning their holiday 3-4 months before the possible holiday dates they will be available on. At the end of the day, the more they plan, the less they have to think on during their holiday.
For that reason alone, some people prefer hotels they stayed before and were satisfied with. Therefore, they take fewer risks. However, a “pre-holiday schedule” begins for those who would like to see and experience different places in their holiday.
According to an infographic released by Google, there are 5 stages experienced throughout holiday for those who plan to have it at a different place. When we combine these stages with 2012 holiday statistics, it is possible to obtain critical data to use for marketing your hotel. Let’s take a look at this analysis.
1- Dreaming
According to the data collected by Google, for most of the people holiday first begins with “dreaming”. People want to know as many as details that they visualize when choosing where to go.
– According to the statistics, approximately 60 % of all travelers make use of the Internet in this period.
– 43% read reviews posted by other travelers before.
– 31% watch videos related to travelling.
– 24% read hotel blogs and blogs by independent travelers.
You can arrange your website by using visuals and detailed information for your guests to imagine themselves at your hotel, in order to attract them when they are in the stage of dreaming. Also videos created for this purpose and your hotel blog will be really helpful.
2- Planning
A traveler’s expectations from a holiday become obvious in this stage. However, the choice-making process still continues, considering different alternatives suitable for their taste.
– 87% of travelers make use of Internet in this process.
– Before making a decision, a traveler makes online research 10 times on average and visits an average of 22 websites.
Social media platforms also have a visible impact during this period.
– According to the statistics, 52% of travelers change their mind and prefer a different place if they see a negative review on social media.
– 33% change only the hotel and prefer a different one within the same area.
– 10% change the travel agency. Therefore, their hotel preference also changes accordingly.
– 7% decide to go to a different country.
Your social media management is very effective to attract travelers in this period. According to the data of travel agencies, 50% of travelers preferred direct online reservations in 2012.
3- Reservation
A customer’s decision becomes certain in this stage. However, there are still things to consider before completing the process.
The first one is being user-friendly for providing reservation. The travelers want to make sure that online reservation can be made easily and their reservation can be recorded properly on your website.
– The second one is mobile device usage, which has gained importance day by day. According to the statistics, 30% of travelers make their reservation via mobile devices.
– 15% download the application belonging to the hotel.
– Most of the time, 85% use smart phones and make use of this application during their holiday.
You could have the chance to remind your hotel on a special platform if you provide your customers with the option of downloading a mobile application belonging to your hotel for reservation.
4- Experiencing
During this stage, you can demonstrate your service quality and have an emotional connection with your customers. Close connections established during this period can result in repeated reservation opportunities.
According to the statistics, 76% of travelers start to share their photos and reviews during their holiday. Whether positive or negative, it is your time for verbal marketing. If your customers are satisfied, know that your hotel will be promoted to their friends. In an era when Internet is used very commonly, you should remember something: They follow you.
5- Sharing
This stage begins during the holiday and continues after holiday draws to an end.
– According to research, 55% of travelers like Facebook page of a hotel they are satisfied with.
– 46% share their opinions related to the hotel.
– 40% share the activities they have done during holiday.
– 40% share their comments related to the restaurant and dishes.
Therefore, satisfied customers keep carrying out marketing activities for you. Some feedback figures hotels can follow within this context are as follows:
– 16% of travelers share their feelings about your hotel.
– 11% upload holiday videos.
– 7% post comments on your blog.
All these statistics show us how effective it is to carry out online marketing properly. HotelRunner is here to support. Create your free account now to accept direct online reservations; manage your marketing and property; create your website within minutes and see numerous offers of HotelRunner yourself.
