With customers becoming more tech-savvy than ever, hotels are facing tremendous marketing challenges. Here’s how to deal with the situation.

Have you updated the hotel website after the pandemic? Can’t decide what to upload? Here is everything on how to spruce up brand.com.

Adding a booking engine does not guarantee direct bookings. You need to update website content to stay on top. But when is the best time to update?

Guests love quick and easy bookings. And your old website might get between them and purchasing. Of course, as an owner, you are clueless about whether you need a new website – because it seems perfect, to you. Fundamentally, if the site is over 3 years old, you need to tweak it here and there. But, you can always look out for these few signs to make the site faster, easier to navigate and more responsive. 1. Not Optimized for Mobile If your site lacks mobile usability, think about how much business you are losing. You need a responsive website that looks great on every device – desktop, smartphones and tablets. 53% of business travellers & 31% of leisure travellers book on a smartphone. 52% of smartphone users will switch to another site if your site takes too long to load. Mobile-friendly websites factor into search results, load faster and engage more users. 2. Ancient Web Design Visitors leave the site if the layout is not impressive enough. An up-to-date website with social icon integrations is what today’s guests look for. It’s time for a change if your site uses these outdated approaches: Dowdy stock images Three-click rule Not-so-smooth scrolling 3. Complicated Website Navigation 45% of travellers switch sites if they cannot find desired information right away. So, endless menus and sections may create an overwhelming experience. Internet users have an attention span of 8 seconds. A modern and sleek template with relevant information keeps visitors hooked. 4. Old Photos and Videos Your hotel has undergone several changes since its development, so why not show it on the website? Show your visitors the post-pandemic safety measures you follow. Update photos, videos and slideshows regularly to reflect the current situation. Weekly videos work great to keep guests posted. Fresh and useful content boosts direct bookings. 5. Zero Direct Bookings Coming In Direct bookings are falling through but your hotel is doing fine on third-party platforms? If there are too many steps, visitors abandon the booking process. Add convenience through personalisation for specific visitors and an easy contact form (integrated with Google Sheets, MailChimp and Constant Contact). Also, a single click to place a direct call from mobile is much-needed in this age. 6. Search Ranking Dropped For example, you typed “Closest Hotels to Sydney Harbour” and your hotel did not appear on the first page of search engines, even if the rooms have a stunning harbour view. Yes, it’s a sign to get a new website. Search engine optimisation goes beyond using meta descriptions, link building and keywords. Technical SEO comes into play, for increasing search visibility.