The holiday season has begun and accommodation businesses can look forward to another staycation summer. To kick things off, some good news – we are delighted to report that, on average, our valued customers are seeing a 17% increase in their direct bookings for 2022.
Comparing the period January to May 2019 with January to May 2022 across our customer base, direct online bookings through properties own websites are up 16.8%*. And more good news – during the same period, the value of these bookings increased significantly, by 43.6%*. That represents significant savings on third-party commission fees, as all of these bookings come commission-free through our customers’ own websites.
So why are more guests booking direct? Here are 5 of the key factors:
- Photo quality is improving. eviivo Suite’s simple-to-use photo gallery allows hosts and hoteliers to update all of their images quickly and easily, meaning they can upgrade their pictures when they upgrade their rooms, and can take advantage of sunny skies to show their property in its best light.
- Property websites are improving. With our proven booking pages and website templates, lookers are turning into bookers after being tempted to dwell longer on websites and get the real feel for a property. The fact that the websites look great on mobile and tablet is a great advantage too.
- Guests can book on our customers’ websites in complete confidence that their transaction and card details are 100% secure, since eviivo holds the highest PCI Level 1 payment processing compliance.
- eviivo’s Promo Manager allows our hotels, B&Bs and vacation rentals to show special, bespoke offers on their websites, ensuring guests always receive the best deal when booking direct.
- ‘Extras’ functionality makes it easy for properties to encourage guests to treat themselves: a bottle of champagne or prosecco with chocolates on arrival perhaps; or a little less romantic: a car parking space or late checkout. eviivo Suite takes care of it and lets guests add the little extras that are important to them.