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Definitely Doug 6/9/23: Hotels Fighting Trafficking: The Role of Technology
Posted: 06/09/2023

This week I want to address an important issue for the hospitality industry, albeit one that technologists have not historically had on their radar. They can potentially play a significant role in addressing the issue, which is human trafficking, and more specifically sex trafficking.

In my last column, I reviewed some key trends in autonomous mobile robotics for hotels, and dove into three categories of delivery robots in more detail – room delivery, food delivery, and heavy-lift robots. This week I will round out the topic with several other robot types and applications, as well as general guidance for evaluating, acquiring, and adopting mobile autonomous robotics. If you have not yet read part one, I recommend going back and doing so before continuing below, as some of the introductory material is important background to what follows.

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Best Practices for Hotel & Resort Operators in Pool Season 2023
Posted: 05/25/2023

With the arrival of warmer weather and summer fast approaching, hospitality operators are gearing up for another pool season. This year, technology is at the forefront of driving booking revenue and taking operational efficiency to the next level. Modern technology platforms (such as hospitality’s newest technology category – the Property Experience Management System or PXMS) are providing brand new capabilities that unlock new strategies and approaches to filling the pool with satisfied guests.

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The Growing Role Technology Plays in Hotels and Restaurants
Posted: 05/25/2023

In the past few years, hotels and restaurants have grown into hubs for entertainment, leisure, and human connection. In an effort to best serve their guests, operators have begun rethinking their technological investments and working to adapt to recent shifts in consumer preference and operations. To ensure that guests have the best on-site experience possible, brands are increasingly looking to new technologies to make their experiences more convenient and comfortable. Advanced property management systems (PMS) and point-of-sale (POS) systems can increase operational and staff efficiency, while also meeting changing customer expectations for a high-value but relatively low-touch experience.

This week I will return to a topic I have covered before, because it has, within the last 12 to 18 months, become one of the hottest-growth categories in hospitality technology. That topic is autonomous mobile robots – specifically, ones that can move around the facility as well as perform specific tasks. Many of these products were launched pre-Covid but were often seen at the time as more of a marketing gimmick than a legitimate operational solution.

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5 Characteristics of Websites That Convert Visitors into Customers for 2016

12/07/2015

by Nimesh Dinubhai

Your conversation rate is simply the percentage of visitors that make a reservation through your website. You need to understand that having a large number of visitors is one thing and convincing them to make a reservation is an entirely different thing. It is not enough to focus on how to increase the number of visitors to your website, but you also need to pay serious attention to things that help convert visitors into customers.

A Conversion Rate Optimization Report by Econsultancy shows that companies that take steps to optimize their website for better conversion are twice as likely to see a substantial increase in sales.

Every online business needs to understand that they have zero to eight seconds to convince visitors to stay on their sites. The majority of visitors leave after eight seconds. Hubspot conducted a research and found that about 96 percent of people who visit your website are not ready to buy. It means you have to do something to win their trust and make them buy. Here are some of the most common signs you will find in websites that effectively convert visitors into buyers.

1. They Have Clear Navigation in Place

The design and content in your homepage navigation matters a lot and is sometimes the difference between a bounce and a website conversion. Be sure to give your visitors a clear path into your site. Make it easier for them to access other pages on your website from the homepage. You will get better results by making your navigation menu visible right at the top of the page with links organized in a hierarchical structure. Always work with information architects who know how to organize content in a way that goals of your websites are met by integrating business needs, user needs and content categorization. Navigation structure that makes it easy and intuitive for visitors to find what they have come looking for on your site will increase your conversion rate. That is what all top sites do, and you should follow suit.

2. They Clearly Mention their Unique Selling Points

In other words, websites that have a good conversion rate always make their unique value proposition clear. Visitors will leave if they cannot clearly see why they should do business with you and the benefit of it. Top websites advance their value propositions through a list of benefits. They always have their benefits focused on the user – they do not only talk about themselves. What it means is that instead of saying, "we have 99.99 percent uptime", you will be better off saying something like, "Your websites will enjoy 99.99 percent uptime".

3. They Have Effective Calls-to Action

Hubspot featured a company that experienced an increase in their conversions by 105.9 percent simply by having a clear call to action.

Calls-to-action (CTAs) are vital. Understand that psychological trickery will not lead to serious gains in conversions. You need to understand what your customers need and then give it to them using the language that resonates with them. A great example about the importance of using clear CTAs is that Mozilla experienced a clear increase in the number of people downloading their popular Firefox browser by having a strong CTA. They changed "Try Firefox 3" to "Download Now – Free". The change looks simple but it really makes a difference.

4. They Have Killer Headlines Throughout The Site

The headline has the potential to make or break a website. You have to create an impression in the first eight seconds of a visitor landing on any page of your website, and your headline will play a big role in that. Websites that have good conversion rates know what resonates most with their visitors and they use that carefully to create a great impression. It will take some testing to identify what works for your business and with your audience. Just ensure that you have a clear headline with a unique value proposition. It is even better to use a headline that compliments an image. Another good idea is to use a short, attention-grabbing headline and back it up with a sub-headline.

5. They Build Trust

They do it with trustworthy testimonials, which are usually the most important trust signals. They have testimonials from real people, including experts and celebrities. You can make these testimonials more personal by featuring pictures, names, positions and even companies. Some top websites make use of a rotating carousel of testimonials with each of them having a name, a picture, a video and a clear discussion on how the service helped them. You can also build trust by giving customers a guarantee, which helps them feel reassured while on your website. All this goes a long way in improving the likelihood of a conversion.

In addition, you can try several other techniques if you are interested in improving your conversion rate. Using product videos is a great idea, as it can increase purchases of that product by 144 percent. Some companies have implemented a "Chat Now" button to see a 31 percent increase in free sign-up form fills. Similarly, a security seal on your website, having social proof and credibility indicators, and using natural language on forms can all help. It may require some testing though.

Consider working with a professional website design expert to know what works and how to improve your conversion rate.

About The Author

Nimesh Dinubhai
President
Websrefresh

Nimesh Dinubhai completed his studies in 2003 and launched Websrefresh to help businesses grow their ROI. He also owns two Arizona hotels, one of which earned the Historical Hotel Award in 2014.