Images on OTAs help Increase Hotel Bookings and ADRs

Expedia recently published an article providing 5 tips on how hotels can convert OTA traffic into bookings.

  1. Take better photos (and videos) of your property.
  2. Protect against the pressure to offer last-minute discounts. Work with your market manager to utilize market insight and help build your maximum profitability strategy.
  3. Ask your customers to comment on their stay through online sites.
  4. Grab your share of the international traveler pie.
  5. Be aware of the growth of mobile bookings.

The one tip that stood out to me most was: take better photos (and videos) of your property. It is important to invest appropriately in one’s online brochure. Make sure to have plenty of pictures. This helps create more bookings and capture higher ADR. According to Expedia Doubling a hotel’s online pictures can result in 4.5% take-up and $3.50 higher ADR, while providing a full property description (as opposed to a partial one) can result in a 5% take-up and $3 higher ADR.”

This isn’t the first time an OTA or major travel site has revealed findings like these.  TripAdvisor published a report last year that stated that properties with more than 20 photos get 150% more engagement.

However, getting maximum value from your hotel listings is not just about increasing the number of images you have available.  It involves using these images to tell a compelling story that shows the consumer how staying at your hotel will help make their trip a success.

Read the full story: Five tips from Expedia on how hotels can convert OTA traffic into bookings