Direct bookings save commission and are much less likely to cancel. The more direct bookings you get the more money and time you are saving.
1) Make sure you offer the best deal.
Research has shown again and again that customers will choose to book direct where the price is the same or better. Proving that we are naturally attracted to the idea of booking direct, believing we will get better options, better customer service and are more likely to get an upgrade.
Offering the lowest rate is critical, even if it is the same as any other rates offered.
2) Reward direct bookings
When customers do book direct you should look at ways to reward them. Typical rewards can include a discount on their next stay via promo codes. It’s also a great idea to make a reward during their stay, this will depend on your circumstance but might include something like a room upgrade, free wi-fi or a free breakfast.
Get creative and invent original rewards for direct booking, it helps you stand out.
3) Show the benefits of booking direct clearly
Customers visiting your website want to know what to expect when they stay with you but they also need to know that you want their booking direct. They will have visited many other websites and you want them to be persuaded when they are on your website. Displaying a neat little “Best Price Guarantee” on your website will go a long way to increasing direct bookings.
We have created a small selection of Book Direct images, try one or design your own.
To find out more about some of freetobook’s direct booking advantages take a look at Promo Codes which help encourage repeat customers and social media promotion with facebook bookings.
Just many thanks for reminding us to be more direct..
Hi Craig,
Thanks for your wide words of advice. All very relevant.
Could you let me know how I can incorporate the book direct logo that you use above onto our website.
Thanks
Ciaran
You will need to get you web person to do that. We are going to have more about direct booking in the booking pages soon. This will further help get the “Book Direct” message across.
Well done to the team at FreeToBook, you are always on the side of the accommodation provider.
We always tell people to book direct, perhaps we should all ask our local tourism website and VisitBritain to promote the same message.
Our figures for 2016 show 73% of the business did not have a commission charge.
We enjoy working with FreeToBook and intend to improve the margins in 2017.
Visit Britain’s (and other government tourist organisations) role is to promote all tourism – all businesses, which includes 3rd party booking agents/tour operators and there can be useful benefits for some visitors to book this way.
Always enjoy the support from Freetobook, only a phone call away and they advised me on how to set up special deals for guests booking directly via our website. Keep the tips coming.
Thanks for the suggestions. Sometimes we are just too busy with the hospitality side to think of how the customer comes to book. Will certainly be more aware now.
Well done FTB, faultless service since starting with you 4 years ago.
Obviously more direct bookings would be ideal but the problem is to get the potential guest to avoid Booking.com et al in the first place and get to our website first but I don’t think that’s possible with their media coverage.
How about letting us have two rate settings to lessen the impact of their commissions, be happy to pay you a little more???
I believe that the booking companies dont have acces to your “specials” on free 2 book. Therefore if you quote say £100.00 for 2 nights ( i’m in Blackpool !! ) then do a special for 2 nights of a 20% discount, your direct clients get your best price of £80.00 and all third parties pay £120 which helps towards the commision. Possible on all rates and however many days.
If i’m, right hope it helps…
Yes you are right you can create special offers in that way. (correction you have sent to say £100 rather than £120 above 🙂
Great job! What about to insert one of those images directly on your widgets (book now, review widget,…) which can be then used by default? Thank you
That’s a good idea, will put that forward to the the team. Thanks 🙂
Great Book Direct images you provided, thank you, would prefer the ones with the 3 stars to have the stars deleted as we are a 5 star property and don’t want to confuse guests with a different number of stars.
We will create some new ones soon, will remember to remove the stars 🙂
Thanks for guiding us on direct bookings. We need to improvised our future bookings for 2017.