Aug 1, 2014 | mobile bookings, mobile technology
Connected World magazine | Growth for Cellular Connections in the Car.
Mobie in the car is one of the new options that may change the landscape for cellular M2M connections. Choice Hotels Intl., is partnering with Ford that will let Ford customers to make hands-free hotel reservations from their equipped Ford vehicles. The companies says drivers with access to Ford’s SYNC AppLink can download Choice Hotels’ Android app to search for Choice Hotels and book available rooms using voice commands. A similar iPhone app is in the works.
There are more than 1.5 million vehicles in North America equipped with SYNC AppLink technology and by integrating with Ford’s new apps Choice Hotels 6,300 hotels will be instantly available for booking right in the car.
Read the entire article for more info at http://www.connectedworldmag.com/latestNews.aspx?id=NEWS140731082217360
Jul 31, 2014 | bookings, mobile bookings, Mobile Marketing, mobile technology
Mid-Year Review: The Rising Tide of Mobile Bookings – How Hoteliers Can Stay Afloat : HeBS Blog.
Stats Tell the Story
Percent Increase/Decrease in Results in First Half 2014 vs. First Half 2013:
Source Pageviews Visits Bookings Nights Revenue
Mobile 58.0% 50.9% 86.6% 61.1% 123%
Tablet 11.7% 14.8% 18.0% 16.7% 10.5%
Desktop -13.8% –15.7% -4.4% -8.4% -3.0%
Hotel website desktop visitors declined by 16% approx., while mobile increased by nearly 51%. Mobile bookings increased 86% and revenue increased by 123%.
In the face of overwhelming evidence that mobile is the future, HeBs suggests that “hoteliers should treat all three screens as separate marketing, distribution and customer engagement channels and should optimize their presence in all three channels to provide the best user experience on each device (desktop, mobile, tablet).” One of the wasy to do this is with Responsive Web Design (RWD).
RWD Case Study Barbados Tourism
The team at AXSES who authored the MobileChecklist Report and many mobile case studies advocate a Responsive Web Design (RWB) for may application but not all. The Team share their tools, advise, resources and strategies freely on videos webinar replays and tutorials on YouTube – see Mobile Webinar Replays >>
HeBs agrees saying: “Adaptive web design aka Responsive Design on Server Side (RESS)—does the work for the hotelier, meaning they don’t have to manage three different websites.” It added that we cant leave out threats and opportunities arising from wearable devices, connected car devices, etc.
It really is a Multi-channel world and “Multi-channel marketing should become the centerpiece of every hotel marketer’s overall strategy.”
Also its important to note that the majority of mobile bookings come via the voice channel. With over 41% of website visitors utilizing the non-desktop channel, call analytics is now a necessity for hoteliers.
The HeBS Digital and Navis Case study showed 44% of a property’s online marketing revenue was made through voice reservations, thus leading to a shift in marketing spend and increased ROIs for the client.
Its a great report and a must read for all in hospitality.
http://www.hebsdigital.com/blog/mid-year-review-the-rising-tide-of-mobile-bookings-how-hoteliers-can-stay-afloat/
Also see RWD Case Study
Jun 26, 2014 | mobile apps, mobile bookings, Mobile Marketing
Hotels.com exec: Mobile in-store experiences will be game-changer during holidays – Mobile Marketer – Webinars.
Good article by Chantal Tode: Here are some snippets that show the way:
“The mobile site should focus on allowing users to easily find what they are looking for and to complete transactions easily.
”
Apps should focus on creating a relationship with the customer by collecting their preferences, boosting loyalty and building a lifetime value.
The mobile website by comparison, should focus helping guests to easily find what they are looking for and to complete transactions.
“There should be a consistent brand image for both, along with holiday messaging of sales, etc.,” Forrester’s Ms. Wise said.
“Also, think about the impact of your creative on download times,” she said. “If you are crafting a rich media experience, running it from your native app may be best as it won’t slow down the customer experience.”
lots more nuggets at
mobilemarketers.
Jun 24, 2014 | mobile bookings, Mobile Marketing
bcg.perspectives – Travel Goes Mobile.
The number of U.S. mobile users is expected to grow at an annual rate of 9 percent for the next several years. The number of Internet-connected mobile devices worldwide will increase by 16 percent per year, led by strong growth in developing countries, according to Ovum at IDC.
By contrast Desktop sales are declining. PhoCusWright expects mobile’s share of U.S. travel bookings to grow from 4 percent in 2013 to 12 percent by 2015, while eMarketer projects the value of U.S. travel purchases made on smartphones and tablets to soar from $26 billion in 2014 to $65 billion in 2018.
Travel companies need to address this fast growing mobile market channel. But mobile usage adds complexity to the relationship between travel companies and their customers as travelers use multiple devices—starting on a PC, moving to a smartphone, then to a tablet, and back to the PC, for example—to dream about, plan, and book their trips.
In 2013, almost half of all travelers using digital resources began the dream phase of their travel journey on one device and completed it on another. This makes it increasingly difficult for travel companies to follow individual travelers’ identities throughout their journeys.
All this i covered in our Case study on Responsive web design and in our mobilechecklist webinars – all availalble FREE at http://checklist.travel-on-the-go.com
May 8, 2014 | mobile bookings, Mobile Marketing, mobile technology, Uncategorized
Why Mobile will Dominate Travel Planning and bookings
Here is an index to selected articles on mobile travel. It covers the case for bookings moving from the desktop to tablets and smartphones as well as general mobile website design and mobile marketing strategies for hotels and tourism companies.
Mobile in travel planning and bookings
May 8, 2014 | mobile bookings, TravelShopping
Articles :: eMarketer.
Mobile penetration is causing travel companies to develop better mobile booking experiences.
The ability to purchase anything, anywhere, at any time via smartphones creates significant opportunities in the travel space in particular, given that its consumer base is by nature mobile.
Travel shopping is often a “lean-back” activity, conducive to the tablet user experience while consumers are at home on their couch. We predict this trend will drive up the dollar value of mobile travel sales overall.
– See more at: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1010828#sthash.f89YkDXT.dpuf
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