As consumers all over the world look for places to stay, they often turn to the Internet for reviews and information about suggested hotels and locations. In order to keep your facility at the top of the customer service list, it’s important to manage your hotel’s reputation. While your time and energy are focused on maintaining the grounds and the extra perks that accompany staying with you, you can’t afford to let reputation management become a casualty.
With a reputation that is flawed, you can’t draw new guests to your hotel, and the old ones simply won’t come back. According to research, over 50 percent of people won’t book a hotel if there isn’t at least one guest opinion about it online. This shows that your goal should be not only to create a great experience, but also to ensure that your customers will shout from the rooftops about it.
Manage Social Networks Properly
While social network platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are efficient ways to build brand awareness and get feedback from your most valuable customers, they can do exactly the opposite if you don’t have the time and resources to put into managing them. Consumers may be more mistrustful of a stagnant account than they are one that doesn’t exist.
These platforms are great ways to advertise new products, special discounts, and deals or new events, but must always be used properly. Posts should reflect your company culture and the atmosphere you want to cultivate at your hotel. Focus on the platforms that bring in the most revenue for your hotel, and always encourage guests to leave reviews about your facility, whether they are good or bad.
Remember that the Internet is unforgiving, and anything you post or reply to is out in the world forever. These platforms give your customers real-time ways to communicate with your employees and provide valuable feedback, but your response is crucial to how others view your brand.
Stay on Top of the Negatives
Consumers have favorite review sites they head to when they want to travel, and these are the places you should focus your marketing efforts in an attempt to manage your hotel’s reputation. Reviews are a lot like personal credit – even the bad ones can be better than none at all.
Several popular review sites that your company should be listed on include:
- TripAdvisor
- Yelp
- Online travel agencies (Expedia, Priceline, etc.)
If your hotel is small, you may not have a ranking with the Better Business Bureau, but all it takes is one angry consumer to make a complaint against your company. Watch your online reviews to ensure that any disputes or complaints are handled quickly and correctly. If a consumer leaves a bad review, he or she may retract it later if it is handled appropriately. Set up alerts regarding your hotel to ensure that you are aware whenever a negative review is registered.
Build Credibility With Better Search Results
As consumers search for a place to stay, they aren’t likely to go past the first page of search results. Your company needs to rank high in the search engine results to ensure that you build credibility and trust in your brand.
Ultimately, managing your reputation is all about being proactive and staying ahead of the reviews. Show your customers you value their feedback by managing your online reputation and responding to them where they are most likely to see it.
