Consumer psychology has always played an important part in driving their purchase decisions. Let’s look at how you can use this buying psychology to improve conversion rates, increase direct bookings, and sell more rooms.
Create Urgency
A number of studies have shown the positive effects of creating urgency into a sale. It can boost sales by more than 90% according to some studies! It is based on a simple principle that if a deal is for a short period or available for a limited time, it has a higher value during that time period.
You can capitalize on this by using marketing strategies & tactics like a timer for your sale (eg. sale ends in 48 hours) rather than an end date to your offer. Or show how many other users are purchasing the same offer.
You can also offer hotel package deals via vouchers for special occasions and create urgency prior to the event, for example, Father’s day limited offer deal, Halloween two night day deal, School holiday family package, etc.
Offer Fewer Choices
According to experts, too much of a choice can be confusing while a guest is deciding to book a room. When faced with too many choices, the potential guest can be left overwhelmed and undecided because they always feel there is a better choice to be made.
One way to overcome this is by not displaying all your room rates and add-ons on one page. Create meaningful consumer journeys on your hotel website that take people from seeing room types to adding on services they may want and then choosing the most relevant rates.
Another popular tactic is pre-selecting a default option on the booking engine; there is a strong theory behind the power of defaults and how it allows you to steer people into buying.
From a user standpoint, it’s the easiest thing to do and if you combine with your lowest room rate, your chances of selling are much higher and help drive direct bookings.
Assure the Booker they made the right decision
It’s a universally accepted trait; consumers/guests always question their purchase decision. Even if they have spent hours, days, and months researching and reading online reviews before buying or comparing rates across multiple online travel agents.
In order to help guests overcome this remorse, there are a few things you could do before, during, and after booking.
Show them you care by displaying your online reviews clearly before they book. STAAH’s ReviewMinder widget can easily put in front of users what your other guests are saying about you – managing reviews doesn’t get simpler than this
Make your cancellation policy clear, highlighting it in bold for guest reassurance. When they are booking, make the booking process as easy as possible with minimum fields to fill.
Lastly, after the booking is completed, send emails to confirm the booking and then to remind them of the travel closer to date.
Use Round Figures
$100 is much simpler for the human brain to process than $99.99, especially in a day and age where consumers are bombarded with information and have a diminishing attention span.
The $99.99 could easily become $9999 and be missed. Make your room rates and discounts easier to compute if you want to sell more.
Don’t forget to use Emotions
Travel is deeply rooted in emotions such as fun, freedom, and excitement. Often emotions drive the last-minute bookings as a spur-of-the-moment thing.
To win more bookings, you need to use these emotions to your advantage. What inspires – the potential booker via rich media and words and what an exceptional experience you offer. Personalized emails and welcome notes/special instructions take care of etc adds a difference and also increases greater customer satisfaction.
How do you use consumer behaviour in your sales strategy? We’d love to hear more at marketing@staah.com.