How to optimise your Booking Engine for the holidays?

#1 – A Christmas package

Ask yourself: Why would travellers spend the holidays at your hotel or B&B? How can you create that amazing holiday experience they are looking for?

• Are there any special Christmas activities in the area? It might be a good idea to team up with local suppliers to offer an exclusive all-in-one package to your guests.

For example: Offer a free ticket for the ice-skating track when they book a room for 2 nights.

• If you don’t want to involve third parties, then be creative and put together a package based on the unique selling points of your accommodation. What makes your hotel or B&B unique?

For example: Is your hotel surrounded by nature? Then offer a special winter-hiking-package with a  mapped out walking route and a hot thermos of fresh soup to take along on the road.

#2 – A smooth payment

Creating a special, festive package is a good start to convince website visitors to book at your place. In second place, you have to make sure those guests don’t get frustrated during the bookings process and leave your website half way through the booking.

A smooth online payment is a must, travellers just love the convenience of paying with their smartphones. Does your Booking Engine offer online payment possibilities? If not, be sure to connect with a payment service provider (PSP) asap! It does not only meet your guests’ expectations, it also ensures a payment guarantee in case of no-shows.

You can read all about this in our latest article about online payments.

#3 – Festive images that inspire

Photos on your website make your guests excited. They look forward to their stay and love to get a sense of what it’s like in your hotel. Make sure to keep in mind what guests are expecting to experience during this holiday season. Show off your cozy rooms and create those Christmas vibes!

Photos on your website (and Booking Engine) are also good for SEO. By adding photos you can show more about your services and products. It’s also recommended to update your photos regularly, to provide visitors with the latest insights.

Tip: Don’t forget to provide your images with file names, captions and alt texts!

"In early December, we saw an increase in bookings, which may indicate a larger number of upcoming last-minute bookings."

Stardekk

#4 – An offer that cannot be refused

Last but not least: ensure good pricing! After all, price is still the most decisive factor when booking an overnight stay.

In our previous data article, we already underlined the possible rise of last-minute bookings at the end of December. So, how to attract those last-minute deciders? A Christmas discount code might be the ideal compromise for you and the traveller. The guest made a good last-minute deal and you’ve got your occupancy rate high in the end! A win-win for both parties.

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