Five mobile mistakes that cost hotels direct bookings. How should hotels optimize websites for phones?
By Kathleen Kubota
Senior Director of Integrated Marketing, Screenfire
Your hotel website may look great on a desktop computer, but that’s not where many booking decisions happen.
Today’s travelers research, compare, and often book hotels on their phones. Often while traveling. Yet many hotel websites still create unnecessary friction on mobile devices. The result? Travelers abandon the process and book elsewhere.
Here are five reasons hotel websites lose bookings on mobile.
1. Is your website taking too long to load?
Mobile users are impatient. Very impatient. If your website takes too long to load, potential guests may never see your rooms, amenities, or booking engine.
Large image files, outdated website code, and excessive plugins can all slow performance.
Get an expert to review your site speed regularly and prioritize mobile load times. Every second counts when a traveler is comparing multiple hotels from their phone. (And yes, Screenfire can help.)
2. Is your booking button easy to find?
Many hotel websites bury their booking engine behind menus, banners, and promotional messages.
On mobile, the “Book Now” button should be obvious and accessible from every page, and right in the user’s face. Guests should never have to search for a way to make a reservation.
If a visitor is ready to book, your website should make that process as easy and obvious as possible.
3. Is your booking engine creating unnecessary friction?
A common mistake is forcing guests through too many steps before they can view rates and availability.
Long forms, confusing navigation, and repeated requests for information can cause travelers to abandon the booking process.
Walk through your own booking experience on a mobile device. How many clicks does it take to complete a reservation? Do a count. If the process feels cumbersome to you, it probably feels cumbersome to your guests.
4. Are guests finding answers to their questions?
Many travelers leave a website because they cannot quickly find crucial information they need before booking.
Questions about parking, pet policies, resort fees, dining options, beach access, and check-in times should be easy to find on a mobile device.
Consider adding a dedicated FAQ page and make sure key information is available without excessive scrolling or searching.
5. Is your website designed for thumbs?
Mobile users navigate with their thumbs, not a mouse.
Buttons should be large enough to tap easily. Text should be readable without zooming. Contact information should be clickable. Maps should open directly into navigation apps.
Small usability issues may seem minor, but together they create frustration that can cost bookings.
The Bottom Line? Mobile optimization is really about reducing friction
A better mobile experience does not always require a complete website redesign. Often, small improvements to speed, navigation, content, and usability can have a meaningful impact on conversion.
If your hotel website is generating traffic but not generating bookings, start by looking at the mobile experience. The problem may not be visibility. It may be friction.
Need help evaluating your hotel’s mobile experience? Learn more about our hotel marketing experts, and contact Screenfire for a complimentary review of your website and online presence.
All the best, Kathleen
About the author: Kathleen Kubota is a strategic leader with deep expertise in directing integrated marketing and digital ecosystems. Prior to joining Screenfire, Kathleen spent more than a decade with the San Diego Tourism Authority. She has also held senior marketing leadership roles at Town and Country Resort, the historic Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, and Miramonte Resort and Spa. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.
