Read full article here >>> http://bit.ly/ChoseBookingEngineSlideshare One of the most challenging tasks in the era of direct booking is making sure your booking engine is always on par. Ideally, you want an engine that’s going to put you in the best position to succeed. In order for your engine to be successful, it must drive prominent traffic to your site, among other things. But if your engine doesn’t do this, it’s enough to make you stress like crazy. But here’s the good news. Finding the best booking engine for your hotel doesn’t have to be as hard as you think. In fact, if your engine meets the criteria of these five points, you will increase your engine’s chances of meeting the quota of direct booking, every time. Here’s how to always make the cut in the direct booking era.

1. DOES YOUR BOOKING ENGINE
MAKE THE CUT IN THE
DIRECT BOOKING ERA?
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2. SUCCEED WITH YOUR DIRECT BOOKING STRATEGY
Booking engines offer many features that promise improved business
performance, and a lot of them are certainly necessary. These include
accepting multiple currencies and languages, a high resolution image gallery,
good graphic design, etc.
But which of these features can not only support your scaling and
optimization efforts but can also give you that first big breakthrough in direct
bookings?
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3. FIVE MUST-HAVE BOOKING ENGINE FEATURES
YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOUR HOTEL WEBSITE
CAN SURVIVE IN THE ERA OF DIRECT BOOKINGS
1. MOBILE COMPATIBILITY
2. CHANNEL MANAGER – METASEARCH CONNECTIVITY
3. ENHANCED RATE FLEXIBILITY
4. SIMPLIFIED BOOKING PROCESS
5. EMAIL AUTOMATION

4. BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #1:
MOBILE COMPATIBILITY
The percentage of mobile bookings is increasing day by day.
Therefore, your booking engine must allow easy and instant
mobile booking.

5. 52% of the US bookings in for Q1 of 2016
1. Mobile Compatibility
In addition, mobile took up a
considerable portion of last minute
OTA bookings at 41% and 67% on
hotel websites
OTAs Hotel Website
59%
33%
41%
67%
Mobile Desktop
US Online Travel Market 2016 Q1

6. BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #2:
CHANNEL MANAGER – METASEARCH CONNECTIVITY
Display real-time availability, provide the best available rate
at any given moment, and assure easy connectivity with
meta-search partners

7. Meta-search is the fastest way to increase direct booking
2. Channel Manager – Metasearch Connectivity
It builds up your brand by sending the user to book from your website, allowing you to truly
“acquire” guests. Then you can turn them into returning direct bookers via your email marketing
retention and social media remarketing campaigns.
Hotel Ads
Make sure that your booking engine software can provide you available access to

8. BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #3:
ENHANCED RATE FLEXIBILITY
Provide good customer service and a rate flexibility that is in
demand in today’s travel market while strengthening your
cash flow

9. provides protection for hotels as well as for travelers
3. Enhanced Rate Flexibility
It allows your guests to save money on a discounted, non-refundable reservation while
being able to cancel at any time.
They receive 80% of the money back in exchange for a small commission.
That commission is shared with the hotel, which not only benefits from a free feature that
provides the expected cancellation policy of the consumers, but also gets paid for it.

10. BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #4:
SIMPLIFIED BOOKING PROCESS
Convert the traffic you attract to your website at the highest ratio

11. 4. Simplified Booking Process
Simple ‘Click to Book’ Flow
Your booking engine must have a simple flow that doesn’t take more than 3-4 clicks
(up to 5 webpages) to complete a reservation on your website.
A more complex flow will reduce your conversion rate, increasing your CPA (cost per acquisition)
of paid traffic, thereby reducing your global ROI

12. BOOKING ENGINE MUST-HAVE #5:
EMAILAUTOMATION
RETENTIONMARKETINGCX

13. 5. Email Automation
Automated confirmation email helps with CX, Marketing, and Customer Retention
You should be able to manage a mailing list of
your guests and market them special
offerings.
This email marketing can become a
non-paid acquisition channel to encourage
repeat business.

14. SUMMARY
Choosing the best booking engine for your hotel is tough, but you must go
with the one that puts you at the best position to succeed with your direct
booking strategy.
Your booking engine must have the ability to let you
drive as much direct traffic to your website as
possible and convert lookers to bookers at the
best possible ratio.
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