A Google study found that 48% of all experiences are booked in-destination. The biggest trend in travel is last-minute bookings, especially since COVID was created.A Google study found that 48% of all experiences are booked in-destination. The biggest trend in travel is last-minute bookings, especially since COVID was created.In just two years, mobile searches related to travel have increased by more than 150%. This is due to mobile dominance and changing consumer habits. Consumers are more likely to book travel at the last minute because of the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. How is your vacation rental or hotel responding to this new trend? This is a great way to shift inventory that is stressed. But you need a strategy and the right systems. We share tips and tricks to help you get ahead of last-minute bookers in this blog.1. Get last-minute pricingEveryone loves a good deal. Last-minute deals are a great way to increase bookings. This strategy is a great way to increase occupancy rates, as more people book at short notice.For the latest pricing information, see here.2) The best deals at the right timesSocial media is a great place to publish your deals. Make sure to use good #hashtags to make your information easily found. Encourage your social media followers and friends to share the news. Email marketing and newsletters are cost-effective ways to promote your lodging to potential and past guests. Make sure guests are able to book online by displaying last-minute offers on your website. Your channel manager promotions feature can help you promote your best deals.3) Optimize your mobile siteMobile devices are often used by late-booking travelers. Mobile optimization is key to optimizing your marketing strategy. Mobile remarketing spending should be a larger part of your marketing budget. Your website should be mobile-friendly. The booking engine should also be designed to allow users to book on smaller devices.4) SEO is importantOnline booking has been replaced by digital. Travellers today have the ability to conduct their own comparative research online without ever leaving their bed. You're likely to notice an increase in bookings if your hotel isn't easily found online.For potential bookings, you need to be everywhere online so that people can find your name in the window when they are looking for a place to stay. Nearly 75% of travellers are online. Start by searching for places to stay. Make sure you use popular keywords related to hotels in your website copy. Also, make sure that your site loads fast. Local search optimization is possible through Google My Business or Google Maps.5) Invest in paid searchesOrganic optimization is not enough. For hotel-related searches, the SERP (search engine result page) is heavily monetized. This means that people will see advertisements first. Organic results will be pushed down as the ads are shown first in the search engine results page. You must bid aggressively on Google's Search and Display Network to remain visible to users.Remarketing is an important part of your strategy. Sending last-minute deals to guests who know your brand or have recently connected with you on social media or the hotel website, or both, will help to convert them.6) Register on OTAsLarge online travel agencies (OTAs), receive large amounts website traffic due to their domain authority, dominance in paid search and high-quality websites. Expedia and Booking.com both offer same-day bookings. Listing on them can be a quick way to fill last-minute reservations, even though it may come at a cost of commission. Just adjust your last-minute rates for commission.ConclusionIndependent hotel owners and vacation rental managers must be proactive in order to take advantage of any opportunities in this constantly changing industry. Last-minute hotel bookings should not be taken lightly. To maximize your share of last-minute hotel room bookings, you should make the most of it.STAAH originally published this article. Click here for more tips and trends in hotelier news.Daily News Delivery Subscribe to your colleagues to stay informed about the latest trends and news in the Hotel industry. Subscribe2021 Hotel News Resource
