Running a hotel can be hard work – on top of house-keeping and serving customers their breakfast, you’re also responsible for marketing your business, welcoming guests and staying on top of your finances.
Luckily, it’s possible to rely on a customer relationship management (CRM) system like Eviivo to take some of the pressure out of your everyday management duties – but can you use these tools to increase the popularity of your hotel?
Allow online payments
Nowadays, customers want to be able to pay in whichever way suits them. By 2020, digital payments in the United Kingdom alone are set to hit $198,000,000,000, so it makes sense to offer an online payment method to keep your customers happy. Your CRM system should be able to provide assistance in this regard, with many allowing you to manage your finances securely and efficiently with an easy-to-use system.
Allowing credit and debit cards not only takes the pressure out of cash payments in your establishment, but it also means that you can pre-authorise payments and charge customers who do not show up for their booking.
Create a website
Some customer relationship management systems, such as Eviivo, allow you to create a state-of-the-art website that has search engine optimisation (SEO) features built in from the off. Having a website and a custom domain name makes it easier for you to promote your site – you can use your address on business cards and promotional literature, and reduce the chances of customers using search engines to find alternative hotels in the process. By having a website that allows online bookings to be made instantly, and payments processed in seconds, you will be able to compete against worldwide hotel chains and offer a truly professional and personalised service to your clientele.
You should ensure that the website you create is responsive, meaning it will work across all devices, whether a phone, tablet, laptop or desktop. Indeed, mobile web traffic overtook desktop traffic for the first time in 2016, so having a website that looks and functions in the correct manner across every device is essential.
Promote your hotel
The popularity of your hotel can be significantly influenced by regular and effective advertising and promotion, so make sure that you’re doing everything in your power to get the word out about your establishment. If you want to increase the popularity of your brand, consider using the tools inside of your CRM to create unique promotions and special offers – perhaps led by seasonal events such as Halloween or Valentine’s Day. You could, for example, offer a group discount during a conference or concert season, or offer a special offer during the quieter winter months of your operation to keep the money flowing in. Some CRM systems allow you to pair this with listing your website on leading travel websites including Expedia, Laterooms and Booking.com, allowing you to reach an even greater audience and ensure you’re always running at a full occupancy rate.
There you have it – just some of the ways in which you can use a CRM system to promote your hotel and get the most out of your software.