What Hotel CMOs Need to Know About Google, Metasearch and Reddit
Photo Caption: A qualitative research study recently found that hotel websites hardly play a role in the customer decision-making process when it comes to choosing a place to stay on vacation. Sullivan and 20|20 Research
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This study sample is very small, so it's worth noting that these findings should be taken with a grain of salt. However, it does show that, despite hotels' best efforts to push loyalty and direct bookings, hotel marketers can't assume an "if you build it they will come" mentality toward their own websites.
Hotel marketers should heed the old adage to not "put all their eggs in one basket" — especially if that basket happens to be their own brand.com sites.
That is, perhaps, the biggest takeaway from a new report from brand engagement firm Sullivan and qualitative research firm 20|20 Research, called "Where They Go. Why They Stay." The report tracked the individual customer journeys of 25 different people as they researched and ultimately made a decision on where they wanted to stay for an upcoming leisure trip.
Of the 25 respondents, 12 were male, 13 were female, and they lived throughout the United States, with incomes from $60,000 to $125,000 a year. They ranged in age from 27 to 54, and 10 of the 25 also belonged to travel membership loyalty programs. Together, they we
