News for the Hospitality Executive |
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Mobile
Marketing & Distribution Strategy in
Hospitality: the Future is Already Here By
Max Starkov, August 2009 Note: Max Starkov will present
the
session �Mobile Marketing in Travel & Hospitality:
The Future is Already Here - An Action Plan for the M-Marketer� at the upcoming EyeForTravel�s Mobile Strategies for Travel
USA
Conference, September 16-17, 2009 in Chicago.
The
mobile
Internet is a reality: 3G (broadband wireless services) is the standard
wireless
technology, G4 (much faster than 3G) is already offered in the U.S.,
and smart
phones like the iPhone, BlackBerry, Treo, LG, etc. are a part of
everyday life.
Mobile
devices are
truly ubiquitous, and mobile users expect instant access to
information�as well
as an Internet experience that rivals the one via traditional PCs and
laptops. A
significant number of cell phone subscribers have access to the mobile
Internet
and use some kind of data service such as texting, email, Web browsing,
etc.
What is the situation in the U.S.? The
number of
mobile phone lines has already surpassed the number of land lines in
the
New
research from
EyeforTravel shows the average number of Americans who browsed the
Internet via
their mobile devices grew by 61% in
2008 vs. 2007. eMarketer estimates 26.3% of mobile phone subscribers
will log
on to the mobile Web at least once per month in 2009, for a total of
73.7
million mobile Internet users. Why Should Hoteliers Care? The
promise of
"immediate, anywhere and anytime" Internet access, instant
information and transaction capabilities, location-based services and
personalization
are the key advantages of the mobile Internet. A
recent Nielsen
Mobile poll found that in 2008 only 9.2 million How
serious is the demand for mobile services in the travel space? A recent report by
PhoCusWright projects
mobile bookings to reach $160 million in 2010 alone. Sixty-seven
percent of
travelers and 77% of frequent business travelers with Web-enabled
mobile
devices have already used their devices to find local services (e.g.
lodging)
and attractions. Another
poll by
Harris Interactive, conducted April-May 2009, shows that 71% of In
other words, hotel guests�past, current and potential�are increasingly
becoming
mobile-ready, and hoteliers have to respond adequately to this growing
demand
for mobile services. This is the reason why all major hotel brands,
travel
suppliers and OTAs have mobile Internet initiatives in place, including
mobile
brand websites, mobile applications, including iPhone apps, m-CRM and
mobile
marketing. Location
plus personalized services are not only the essence of the mobile
Internet, but
the very definition of what travel is all about. Location-based
services (LBS) are based on the unique ability of the mobile Internet
device to
determine its exact location by using GPS, and then to use that
knowledge to
perform functions, provide information, suggest activities, check out
if
friends are in the neighborhood, etc. eMarketer
estimates that there were 63 million location-based services (LBS)
users
worldwide in 2008, and expects this number to reach 486 million in 2012:
Ultimately,
the location-based services� success is closely tied to addressing
existing and
significant privacy concerns. CTIA, the international mobile industry
organization, has already issued guidelines addressing user notice and
user
consent. Location-based
services have already greatly improved the travel consumer experience.
These
mobile services are expanding in use and popularity among travelers who
expect
to receive services such as mapping, navigation services, city guides,
etc.
upon arriving at the destination. For
example, a traveler approaching LBS also
allows guests at large hotels and resorts to be notified of new and
unscheduled
performances, dining promotions, cancellation of events, and new
special offers
(i.e. 2-for-1 seafood buffet, 25% off day trips, $50 off spa
treatments, etc).
These services not only provide useful information to hotel guests, but
allow
good hotel marketers to sell auxiliary services and do ad-hoc
promotions. In
addition to these �conventional� services, new types of LBS are already
here:
services like buddy beacons and friend-finders help travelers and pub
hoppers alike
hook up with friends who happen to be at the travel destination or in
the
neighborhood. Location-based
services are poised to become a great marketing tool in the hands of
pro-active
DMOs, resorts, hotel and restaurant chains, and tourist vendors. What are the
"killer" applications for the hospitality space? What
are the mobile services that will allow hoteliers
to take full advantage of the exploding mobile channel? Over
a third of travel companies will be
investing in mobile this year (EyeForTravel). Here at HeBS,
we believe that the
following mobile Internet services and applications will make the
biggest
impact in hospitality over the next few years. Mobile Hotel Websites A word of caution: the mobile
Internet is
not wireless access to the conventional Internet. The mobile
Internet does
not merely duplicate the traditional Web.
Many retailers and travel companies who literally
"translated"
their conventional websites for the wireless world failed to achieve
any significant
usage and conversions. Why? The mobile Internet adheres to different
rules than
the conventional Internet. Mobile users have even shorter attention
spans. They
have less time to browse and are often on the go. Slower speeds, yet to
be
perfected mobile browsers, smaller displays, limited data-input
capability
(e.g. the number of keywords that may be typed in a search), multi-step
booking
and information retrieval processes are some of the limiting factors. Imagine
trying
to squeeze your wide-screen hotel website, designed to fit screen
resolutions
at 1280x1024 pixels and above, onto the tiny screen of a mobile device.
Our
analysis shows that more than 90% of mobile users access the hotel
website via
mobile devices with screen sizes of 320 x 480 pixels. Accessing a
�conventional� website via a mobile device, even the latest iPhone,
often
results in an undesirable user experience: the inability to find
information needed,
and a predictable outcome of abandoned websites and reservations. To
solve this
issue, hoteliers should offer a mobile website specially designed to
provide an
excellent user experience in a mobile environment. Mobile
users
demand mobile sites that download fast, provide short and concise
textual
content with no fluff, minimalistic visual content, and navigation that
is
straight to the point. Efficient and simple navigation is of particular
importance so people can easily find short descriptions of hotel
amenities and
services, maps and directions to the hotel, a toll-free phone for
information
and reservations, and an easy-to-use, basic booking engine. The economy and budget
limitations are no
longer an excuse for lacking an inexpensive mobile-ready hotel site.
Designing
and building a �starter� hotel
mobile site can be fairly inexpensive: from $495 for a 4-page starter
site to $1250
for a 10-page mini-site. Many of our clients have some type of
m-commerce site:
from mobile-ready starter sites and more comprehensive mini-sites, to
full-blown
m-commerce sites for multi-property hotel clients.
A recent Internet Retailer
survey found
that 7% of online retailers already had an m-commerce site in late
2008. Having
a mobile hotel site, due to the nature of location-based and in many
cases
impulse-driven services the hospitality industry provides, has become a
priority. Here are the typical hotel
mobile site
features being implemented today:
Case
Study: Browsing
on hotel
mobile websites is becoming more and more popular among mobile
customers.
Enabling reservations via the hotel mobile site is another very important, though more complicated, issue. Today all major hotel brands� mobile sites have booking capabilities. Independent hotels and resorts are usually at the mercy of their third-party PMS or booking engine vendors. Unfortunately, only a handful of these vendors have developed mobile booking capabilities, most recently SynXis and InnLink. To facilitate mobile reservations due to the mobile devices' limited functionality for data input, secure customer profiles need to be stored either via the hotel mobile site, the mobile booking engine vendor, or a subscription to specialized m-commerce digital wallet services. For example, for the major hotel brands, the reward program guest ID number should be sufficient to pull up all customer data and preferences needed for a hotel booking. The property selection, arrival date, number of room nights and number of rooms, all selected from easy to use drop-down lists and calendars, should be the only missing parameters. Independent hotels and resorts can either use a mobile engine from their third-party booking engine vendor or, for the time being use a simple reservation request form. Today, either way is correct, since the majority of mobile reservations for independent hotels and resorts come from the mobile site�s toll-free telephone number. HeBS� research shows that as much as 8 out of 10 mobile reservations come via the special 1-800 from the hotel mobile site, and only 2 are �true� mobile reservations. Case
study: Multi-Property
Hotel Company: Bookings via the mobile
booking engine and the special toll-free reservations number,
January-July 2009
During the same
period, the mobile site had a total of
78,953 mobile visitors. Therefore, the conversion rate was
approximately 1%. Naturally,
as mobile reservations become more widespread and the comfort factor
increases,
hotel mobile sites will have to offer mobile booking functionality.
Here are only some of the m-CRM and customer service initiatives possible, already in use by many of the major U.S. airlines, and some of the hotel brands:
When conceptualizing and delivering m-CRM, hoteliers have to tackle serious issues like data security, privacy concerns, how to make services and applications non-invasive, and solicit customer opt-in and consent. M-Lists: Opt-in Customer Mobile Text List Creation Text messaging is huge and growing. In 2008, over a trillion text messages were sent worldwide, and on average there were 357 texts vs. 204 phone calls/per month per cell phone subscriber. Unlike email marketing, which is free, unregulated (except the toothless CAN SPAM Act of 2003) and susceptible to massive abuses in the form of unsolicited spam, mobile text marketing has to overcome two very serious obstacles:
Therefore it is not an easy task for the hotel to create an opt-in list of existing guests and potential customers� cell phone numbers (m-list). These guests would have to provide the hotel with explicit consent to receive special promotions or event announcements via their mobile devices�many people are wary of this.
Mobile Advertising eMarketer projects that mobile advertising will rise from $648 million in 2008 to $3.3 billion in 2013. This year alone marketers will spend $760 million in mobile advertising (+17.3%) and almost a billion dollars in 2010 ($995 million or an increase of 30.9% vs. 2009). Forrester projects mobile marketing to grow from 2009 through 2014 with a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 27%, second only to the growth rates projected in social media. Mobile advertisers should take into account several unwritten rules that differentiate the mobile space from general online advertising. Mobile advertising should:
Many �ugly� advertising approaches from the e-commerce world, such as pushy, �in your face� advertising campaigns, cold calling in the form of unsolicited email marketing, �bait and switch� type of paid search campaigns, etc. should be discarded once and for all. These advertising formats will never work in the mobile space due to the existing overt hostility toward any intrusion in customer privacy by both consumers and mobile carriers. What are the mobile marketing formats that are of particular interest for hoteliers? In our view there are 4 areas of interest for hoteliers: 1. �Traditional� Mobile Advertising This includes proven advertising formats from the non-mobile Internet world: sponsored mobile search listings (e.g. Google mobile ads), mobile banners, and mobile barcode-type of advertising initiatives. Due to space constraints, creating short but appealing marketing messages is a challenge with both the mobile search and display formats. Mobile barcodes, similar to Japan�s very popular QR code, are already becoming part of the marketing mix of retailers worldwide. Case Study: Google
Mobile
Ads More
and more
people are browsing the mobile Internet via their mobile devices and
are being
exposed to Google mobile ads, which results in visits to the hotel
mobile site
or reservation calls via the 1-800 number. Here are the Google mobile
ad
views/impressions for sample hotels across the
2. Location-Based Services (LBS) LBS-based advertising is a �hot� new area where m-marketers are already testing interesting initiatives to promote businesses to travelers based on their physical location. LBS-based advertising includes a wide range of marketing formats and options that have one thing in common: advertising is tailor-made to fit the concrete GPS location of the mobile user at any given time. Examples include offering discount coupons for the closest Starbucks, special pre-fixe dining at a nearby restaurant, and banners for businesses based in the vicinity. Imagine the impact LBS-based advertising could have in hospitality, which is location-based itself: from �beaming� deals for hotels at the next exit to travelers on the interstate, to offering 2-for-1 drinks at the hotel bar to hotel guests or passers-by, to giving $50 off all massages for walk-in guests to come to the hotel spa within the next hour. For example, HotelPal, a new app for iPhone, takes your physical location via GPS and then shows you all the hotels in your vicinity including rates and special offers, and provides booking capability. 3. Mobile Text Marketing There are two approaches for mobile text marketing: 1) to the hotel�s own opt-in m-list, or 2) to �rented� m-lists. Similar to email marketing to the hotel�s own email list, the preferred and recommended m-marketing approach is to target the hotel�s own opt-in m-list. Once the hotel addresses the privacy and customer consent issues as discussed above, and generates an m-list of opt-in cell phone subscribers, the next logical step is to conceptualize the text campaigns and decide on their frequency. Providing real value and building expectation should be the underlying considerations. Text marketing to �rented� m-lists is not considered best practices, similar to renting email lists. With rented m-lists there is an additional aggravating factor, which is the extra sensitivity of mobile users about privacy issues. Here are sample text message marketing campaigns:
4. Mobile Applications Mobile applications or �apps� have exploded in popularity with the introduction of the first iPhone. Apple boasts over 50,000 applications (both free and paid) that people can download via the iPhone Apps Store. BlackBerry has a similar apps storefront with a growing number of apps. From interactive maps, to Frommer�s and Lonely Planet travel guides, restaurant and hotel reviews, to flight status, personal tours and currency exchange calculators, there are apps for practically everything. A number of hotel brands have launched their own apps. For example, Omni Hotels� new free iPhone application enables iPhone or iPod touch users to book hotel rooms, search rates and reservations and receive special offers directly through the app. The app gives full access to Omni's mobile site, and includes features like mobile check-in and loyalty account sign-in. Here are just some of the intriguing downloadable apps currently available for hospitality and travel:
Mobile apps are good branding tools, though not many hotel companies can afford the expense in this economic environment. Application development costs vary, but can start from $25,000 for an app that people would want to download. The mobile Internet is already here. Mobile marketing allows hoteliers to take advantage of a unique marketing and distribution medium where mobile services, marketing messages or applications are delivered via a very personal device (e.g. your cell phone or smart phone). This creates an additional responsibility for m-marketers to �thread carefully� and strictly adhere to best practices and standards due to the highly sensitive privacy concerns of mobile users and wireless carriers alike. Travelers are already using their mobile devices to plan and book travel and hotels. Even mobile sites of small, single properties are being visited by thousands of mobile customers. Some travel and hotel companies are already taking advantage of the growing mobile traveler population and generating incremental revenues from their mobile sites, marketing and apps. What can hoteliers do in the remaining months of 2009? An excellent first step is to create a mobile site, which by default is the �gravitational� center for all future marketing efforts: from text messaging and Google mobile ads, to mobile sweepstakes and applications. As discussed in this article, budget limitations are no longer an excuse for lacking an inexpensive mobile-ready hotel site. Launching Google Mobile ads as part of a comprehensive search marketing strategy is another natural step. Also, start soliciting sign-ups to the mobile opt-in list (m-list) on the website via hotel email marketing campaigns, social media initiatives, interactive sweepstakes and contests. What should hoteliers plan for 2010 and beyond? Location-based services, m-CRM and mobile apps are initiatives in need of careful planning, sophisticated technology, and a better economic environment. Even so, hoteliers should start thinking about how to incorporate these initiatives in the upcoming years. Consider seeking advice from a mobile-ready, full-service hotel marketing and direct online channel strategy firm to actively help you take advantage of the mobile channel one step at a time. Learn which mobile marketing formats make the most sense for your hotel and how to implement latest trends and best practices in your mobile Internet marketing efforts so you can realize respectable ROI and incremental revenue growth. About the Author and HeBS: Max Starkov is Chief eBusiness Strategist at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies (HeBS). HeBS is an award-winning, full-service Internet marketing and Direct Online Channel Strategy firm, strictly dedicated to the hospitality and travel verticals. Having pioneered many of the "best practices" in hotel Internet marketing and direct online distribution, HeBS specializes in helping hoteliers profit from the direct online channel and transform their websites into the hotel�s chief and most-effective distribution channel, establish interactive relationships with their customers, and significantly increase direct online bookings and ROIs. Visit us online at www.hospitalityebusiness.com A diverse client portfolio of over 500 top tier major hotel brands, luxury and boutique hotel brands, resorts and casinos, hotel management companies, franchisees, independents, and CVBs has sought and successfully taken advantage of HeBS� hospitality Internet marketing expertise. Contact HeBS consultants at (212)752-8186 or [email protected]. |
Max Starkov Hospitality eBusiness Strategies, Inc. 14 E. 60th Street, Suite 400 New York, NY 10028 Phone 212-752-8159 Web: www.hospitalityebusiness.com |
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Also See: | Getting Back to the Basics Part II: Case Studies & Best Practices from the �Hotel Internet Marketing Trenches� / Max Starkov and Mariana Mechoso / May 2009 |
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