There are a wide variety of online channels—your website, OTA, GDS, and metasearch—where you can sell your hotel’s inventory. Which channels are best depends on your unique property and the guests it serves. Different types of guests search for rooms on different channels, so you should know your audience before making any decisions. To help figure things out, here’s an overview of how to make the most of each:
- Your website – Provide an online booking engine on your website so guests can reserve directly with you anytime. Make sure it’s fully integrated with your property management system so that rates and availability flow between them in real time. Because you don’t owe third-party commission fees on these reservations, they are generally most profitable. They also enable you to collect data for personalizing the guest experience and building long-term loyalty. Direct bookings are your most valuable, so they should also be your most enticing. Display your best deals and promotions—and audit your other channels periodically to make sure they aren’t undercutting you.
- OTAs – Online travel agencies (OTAs) are third-party sites such as Expedia and Booking.com that sell your rooms in exchange for commission. They’re useful because of their reach and ability to compare multiple options alongside one another, which travelers appreciate. Note that even if a guest begins their search on an OTA, they may continue to your website to book once they have narrowed down their choices. Therefore, it’s important to keep your OTA listings up to date and looking their best. Always respond to reviews!
- GDS – A global distribution system (GDS) offers reservations to travel agents, corporate travel managers, and OTAs, who then pass that inventory on to individual guests. If you have a high proportion of business travelers and travelers with higher incomes (who can afford a travel agent), this channel may be for you. Commission fees are charged here as well.
- Metasearch – These are sites like Google and Tripadvisor. Traditionally, they show your hotel’s listing but guide travelers to your own website to make the final booking, though some offer reservations on their platform as well. You pay on a cost-per-click or cost-per-booking basis… or not at all. Google offers free hotel booking links if you have a verified business profile. All you need is a property management system like WebRezPro that integrates with Google to keep your pricing and availability up to date.
Experiment with your channel mix, analyze the results, and be prepared to adjust your strategy to maximize profit. Online distribution isn’t set and forget! To make it easy, WebRezPro provides a commission-free online booking engine and integrates with leading OTA, GDS, and metasearch channels.
