As a certified TripConnect™ Premium Partner, WebRezPro Property Management System is pleased to support TripConnect instant booking and TripConnect Cost-Per-Click (CPC) — programs that both offer a way for hotels, inns and B&Bs to gain bookings through the TripAdvisor Hotel Price Comparison search.
Some of our customers have asked about the difference between TripConnect instant booking and TripConnect CPC, so we hope this post helps to connect the dots!
TripConnect Instant Booking
TripConnect instant booking is a new way for properties to acquire bookings directly on the world’s largest travel site using a simple pay-per-booking commission model. When travelers find the right property on TripAdvisor, they want to book it immediately — and TripConnect instant booking allows them to do so; now travelers can make a reservation at your hotel without leaving the TripAdvisor site.
How It Works
TripConnect instant booking displays your real-time rates and availability on your property’s TripAdvisor page, alongside a “Book on TripAdvisor” button, which is positioned above the other booking buttons. When a traveler books on TripAdvisor, the guest’s information and reservation details are sent to your property management system as soon as the booking is made, so you own the guest relationship from the start.
To take advantage of TripConnect instant booking, hotels simply pay a commission to TripAdvisor per booking. There are two different commission rates to choose from: the higher rate (15%) gets hotels half of all booking opportunities available through the “Book on TripAdvisor” button, and the lower rate (12%) allows properties to claim a quarter of all booking opportunities available through the “Book on TripAdvisor” button. (The booking opportunities not claimed by your property go to OTAs that you work with and that participate in instant booking on TripAdvisor.)
It’s a simple commission model that is easy to set and maintain — no bidding required. And you only pay when bookings turn into actual guest stays; if a guest cancels their reservation, you don’t pay.
The WebRezPro Connection
As a TripConnect Premium Partner, WebRezPro can send your property’s rates and availability directly to TripAdvisor, and TripAdvisor will send reservation data directly to your WebRezPro PMS, for a seamless TripConnect instant booking experience for you and your guests.
Currently, TripConnect instant booking is only available to WebRezPro customers that have the Shift4 payment gateway interface.
Properties can sign up for TripConnect instant booking through the TripConnect instant booking site.
If you have any questions about TripConnect instant booking, TripAdvisor has published a comprehensive and helpful list of FAQs. Your WebRezPro account rep is also happy to answer questions you might have about WebRezPro integration with TripConnect.
TripConnect Cost-Per-Click
The TripConnect Cost-Per-Click (CPC) program also displays your property’s live rates and availability on your property’s TripAdvisor page, this time alongside an “Official Site” link, which takes travelers to your own online booking engine to make a reservation on your own website.
How It Works
The TripConnect CPC program requires you to bid for click-throughs to your site. The amount of your bid, in relation to the bids of others (OTAs you work with), determines where your “Official Site” link will appear among the Hotel Price Comparison search results, with the top bidders receiving prime placement.
When a traveler clicks on your “Official Site” link (the higher the link position, the more likely travelers will click on it), they will be taken to your property’s own online booking page to complete the booking directly with you. You pay the amount you bid for the click-through, whether that click-through results in an actual booking or not.
The WebRezPro Connection
WebRezPro works with TripConnect Cost-Per-Click by feeding live rates and availability to TripAdvisor for increased accuracy and efficiency in managing your TripConnect CPC campaign.
And because the WebRezPro online booking engine is commission-free, the only cost of acquisition for a booking coming from your TripConnect CPC campaign is the price you bid for the click-through.
Properties can sign up for TripConnect Cost-Per-Click through the TripConnect site.
TripAdvisor also provides a helpful TripConnect CPC user guide.
TripConnect Instant Booking or Cost-Per-Click?
Both programs offer a way to gain bookings through TripAdvisor at a low cost of acquisition. Depending on the property, one program may be more suitable than the other, or a combination of both could prove to work well.
