Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 52 – The 17 Biggest Booking Engine Mistakes That You Should Avoid

We recently published an article that highlighted the tremendous potential of using a mobile-friendly booking engine. In it, we discussed the fact that many hoteliers focus so much attention on their desktop booking experience and they overlook the mobile engine all together. This got us thinking about the mistakes that are often made when it comes to the booking engine on a hotel’s website. In this episode, we discuss some of the common mistakes and offer advice on how to avoid them.

Does your current booking engine have any of these issues? Contact us today to learn more about the Fuel Booking Engine!

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Show Notes:

1. The search widget is buried
2. Outdated or not enough photography
3. No Room Diagrams
4. Boring room descriptions
5. Unclear call-to-actions
6. Different look and feel from the rest of the site
7. No progress bar
8. Only showing one rate OR showing way too many rates for the same unit (10% off, 15% off, etc)
9. Not monitoring availability restrictions
10. Using confusing language when there is no availability
11. Not offering alternate dates/room types if there is no availability
12. Not using basic psychology such as FOMO, reassurance and social proof.
13. Ads, pop ups, or any other element on the engine that could distract the guest from booking
14. Showing a  promo code on the checkout page
15. Missing upsell opportunities
16. Not having the best price compared to the OTAs
17. Not mobile friendly

Watch Fuel in our upcoming webinar
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Online Bookings Trends: Understanding Traveler Behavior for Smarter Hotel Marketing
May 9 at 11am ET
Presented by Fuel. TrustYou and Travel Tripper.

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In The News

TripAdvisor Reaches 500 Million Reviews
http://travolution.com/articles/102456/tripadvisor-reaches-500-million-reviews-milestone

Google To Include Ad Blocker In Chrome
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-include-built-ad-blocker-chrome-browser/195251/

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Download the Fuel & Flip.to Website Behavior Study at www.fueltravel.com/websitestudy/

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