Nowadays, a hotel is only as good as its latest review on Trip Advisor. As holidaymakers and professionals become savvier than ever when choosing their accommodation, it’s essential that your hotel or bed and breakfast stands out online. If you want to boost your hotel’s ratings quickly and increase your occupancy rates as a result, follow these four simple steps.
- Deliver a great service
It sounds obvious, but unless you’re delivering the very best service to your guests, they won’t be leaving the reviews you want to read. Make sure you go above and beyond when it comes to welcoming guests to your hotel or bed and breakfast, and follow these hospitality tips for achieving top-rated customer satisfaction. The key is to make every guest feel special – the more you do to accommodate their every request and need, the more likely they are to head to the internet and leave a positive hotel rating or review.
- Use a hotel CRM
With hotel customer relationship management systems such as Eviivo, you can bake reviews into your customer experience. By having access to all of your clients’ details on one easy-to-navigate system, you’ll quickly be able to send customer satisfaction questionnaires at the end of their stays, and ask whether or not they’d like to leave a review about your hotel. By asking for feedback before asking them to submit a review, you’ll have the chance to rectify any issues and prevent any negative reviews appearing online.
- Use your mailing list to reach out to old guests
Mailing lists are one of the most important parts of any digital marketing strategy for small businesses, but they’re not just used for sending promotional content. Send out an email to your existing guests and clients, and ask whether or not they’d be interested in leaving a review about their experience. Many larger firms offer a carrot for leaving reviews, such as a money-off voucher or an entry into a prize draw, so consider something similar if you want to encourage your guests to give feedback. Remember, though, that you cannot ask your guests to leave a positive review in exchange for money or gifts – reviews must be genuine.
- Make your reviews visible
If your guests don’t know that you’re present on review websites such as Trip Advisor, Google Places and Yelp, they won’t be as inclined to stop by and leave a review. Request the free promotional merchandise offered by major review websites – many offer window stickers, placards and beer mats – and consider featuring the best reviews on your website.
There you have it – just four of the ways that you can boost your hotel’s ratings quickly. Remember to be ethical when it comes to finding reviews for your hotel – as the UK government states, fake reviews are against the law and could lead to prosecution. Just the same as finding repeat customers who will bring you business for years to come, the best way to get great reviews is to deliver a service that your customers love.
