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HOW DO WE GO ABOUT ANALYZING A HOTEL’S REPUTATION?
Hotel marketing is constantly evolving as a result of new business models in the industry and the rise in online bookings. Hotels are increasing their sales potential by keeping up with the new rating and review systems on Google and other hotel comparison sites like TripAdvisor.
Your Hotel’s Online Reputation
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of hotel chains seeking hotel consulting services—specifically regarding their online presence—as well as others seeking the assistance of an external firm with expertise in analyzing hotel operations in order to provide an accurate assessment aimed at improving service and reputation.
Independent hotels were the first to recognize the power and influence of sites like TripAdvisor, and many of them are now actively managing their hotel reputation through “feedback” and management tools such as ReviewPro.
By responding to customer reviews, hotels see high levels of performance in terms of customer satisfaction and revenue.
A hotel’s search engine optimization can be affected by:
- Negative reviews on various hotel review platforms such as TripAdvisor
- New hotel marketing techniques used by competitors
- Mobile apps from travel portals and agencies
- Google Maps and Local Search
What role do social media and CRM play?
Social media offers many possibilities, as platforms have been created for travelers to communicate with each other, consult travel information, and get advice from other users.
Twitter and Facebook are double-edged swords: if hotels don’t know how to monitor the information they receive, they won’t know how to respond appropriately, and ultimately, they won’t be able to provide a response that demonstrates care and follow-up. The comments we come across are a direct reflection of whether or not hotels meet customer expectations after they’ve enjoyed their stay.
CRMs are reviews that are entered into a database to evaluate the service; therefore, once we have the results as a reference, we can develop an action plan to help us improve our reputation and, as a result, achieve:
- Greater market insight
- Better understanding of customers
- Customer loyalty
- Market segmentation
The Importance of Hotel Reputation in Spain
The hotel industry in Spain is conservative by nature and has been slow to take the step toward growing its online presence. Currently, hotels are focusing on “word of mouth” and effective communication with customers, viewing dissatisfied customers as an opportunity to build loyalty.
It’s important to keep in mind that customers are changing:
- Seeks greater integration with the destination
- Wants to have experiences
- Environmental awareness
- Shorter stays but higher daily spending
- Increase in online shopping
This is important for Spain due to its popularity as an established tourist destination; as a result, a large portion of the population checks reviews on various platforms when planning their trips, as this gives them an idea of the time, money, and much-anticipated relaxation that awaits them on vacation.
Large companies tend to take a well-defined approach to reputation management, involving all employees, responding to reviews, and constantly striving to impress their guests. In fact, their commitment to online management has yielded excellent results, as hotels belonging to major hotel chains dominate the top spots on TripAdvisor’s popularity index.
This strategy helps drive strong demand while simultaneously reducing marketing costs, so we can say that the hotel industry has rebounded and been revitalized.
