If you want a winning distribution strategy you need to keep on top of the data. Unfortunately, it can become a rabbit hole of information very quickly. We’ve narrowed down eight data points you must look at to stay on top the game.
1. Comparative Growth
What are the bookings numbers doing over time; compare year-on-year or month-on-month to get a true idea of volume performance per channel.
2. The Commission Factor
To see the true value of a channel, you need to see the net cost – total revenue from the channel less the commission it charges for bookings.
3. Actual Stays
See who is booking and who’s staying per channel with this metric. It is calculated as a difference between arrival bookings per month and stayed arrival bookings (which takes out cancellations).
4. Stayed Bookings
Or cancellations. Analyse these carefully looking factors such as booking lead time and volume of cancellations.
5. Which Days Are High-Performing?
Review the capability of a channel by analysing which dates they get booking for; is it just the high demand days or is it successful in getting you booking when there are gaps in your calendar?
6. Average Daily Rate (ADR)
Is a channel discounting rates too heavily to get you a booking or actually getting you high value bookings? This is done by looking at your average daily rate.
7. Average Length of Stay
How valuable a guest is can be addressed by looking at how long they stay with you? Are there patterns to be picked up from particular channels that you can use to your advantage by adding rate plans that meet the needs more closely and hence leads to more conversions?
8. Booking Location
Review data from every channel to see where the bookings are coming from? This will help you build market or region specific strategy more effectively.
Being successful in online travel is all about measuring and understanding distribution performance in real time. Make sure you log into your STAAH channel manager insights often for these golden nuggets that will improve your bottom line.