What’s hot with mobile? Why Mobile Matters webinar recap

Did you miss our recent webinar featuring our Director of Mobile? Well, it missed you too.

Good news: the recording is ready! Watch now: Why Mobile Matters and How to Craft a Marketing Strategy

In just one hour, you’ll gain lots of easy-to-implement tips to boost mobile bookings. For instance, our Director of Mobile, Sanjay Vakil, answers hoteliers’ most popular mobile marketing questions, including:

Sanjay Vakil, Director of Mobile

1. Will this webinar be available to watch later?
Why, yes, you can watch it now actually (great question, by the way).

2. What is geocoding, and why is it so important?
It’s a more precise way to identify your property’s location on a map. And it can make a big difference for encouraging walk-ins, increasing user photos and improving guest satisfaction.

3. What best practices should I follow regarding TripAdvisor and mobile devices?
You want to make it as easy as possible for potential guests to contact you. The big thing to do? Enable click to call on your property’s listing page.

4. Should I prioritize a mobile website or an app first?
It really depends on your brand, budget and customer base. In the webinar, Sanjay walks you through what you should consider.

5. What are my options for creating a mobile-friendly website?
Your main options are a standalone mobile-optimized site or a responsive website. Check out the webinar for the differences between them and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Want more? Hundreds of hospitality professionals have already viewed the webinar on-demand, in addition to 1,500+ who registered to watch the webinar live. So don’t get left behind – check out Why Mobile Matters and How to Craft a Marketing Strategy and make good use of TripAdvisor’s expertise!

Mobile matters! Learn why from our Director of Mobile

A staggering 72% of consumers think it’s beneficial that properties allow them to book via a mobile device.* Are you reaching these travelers or losing out?

Join our webinar on April 2 to learn how you can win over mobile travelers. Over 1,100 people have already signed up – register now so your competitors don’t get the edge over you!

What: Mobile marketing trends, tips and more

When: Tuesday, April 2 from 11AM EST to 12PM EST

Who: Sanjay Vakil, Director of Mobile

Bring your questions. There will be a Q&A at the end of the presentation.

Click here to register now for free!

*Source: TripBarometer by TripAdvisor, an online survey conducted in Dec. 2012 – Jan. 2013 with 35,042 participants from 26 countries

TripBarometer Reveals Travel, Green and Mobile Trends [INFOGRAPHIC]

TripBarometer by TripAdvisor is the world’s largest accommodation and traveler survey.* The study, conducted between December 2012 and January 2013, has revealed key travel trends for 2013 and beyond.

Check out the infographic below for detailed results. For other countries and more data, visit www.tripadvisorTripBarometer.com.

*Methodology: The TripBarometer by TripAdvisor is based upon an online survey conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by independent research firm StrategyOne, a division of Edelman Berland, from December 2012 – January 2013. A total of 35,042 people participated in the online survey from 26 countries spanning 7 regions. The sample is made up of 15,595 consumers and 19,447 businesses, making it the world’s largest combined accommodation and traveler survey.

Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration offers learning opportunity

eCornell and Cornell University are offering a new, free online course in new media marketing for hospitality professionals – and a great opportunity for ongoing learning.

Marketing the Hospitality Brand through New Media: Social, Mobile & Search is the first online course entirely focused on this topic. “We like to think of the course as a ‘virtual toolkit’ for driving revenue through new media. Not only are hospitality professionals learning from top faculty at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, but they also have the opportunity to learn from some of the industry’s heaviest-hitters. The goal here is for students emerge from the course ready to play a key role in their company’s marketing strategy,” says Chris Proulx, CEO of eCornell. “We’re excited to make this content available to people for free online and it’s a great way to introduce Cornell’s thought leadership in this field to the greater hospitality industry.”

What sets these online courses apart from nearly every other is that they are “instructor-facilitated” and guide students through real-world exercises that encourage practical on-the-job application. The program is ideal for sales and marketing professionals, general managers, revenue managers and executives—essentially anyone involved in improving financial performance.

Students who complete the free course may then enroll in Cornell’s new media “master course” at a substantial discount. Participants who complete both courses receive a professional credential, a Certificate in Hospitality Marketing & New Media Strategies for Revenue Growth from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration.

Over 3,100 students are currently taking the course. Check out the video preview of the program or enroll instantly here.

 

Business Listings’ Mobile Upgrade: Get Your Special Offer to Millions of Travelers On-The-Go

TripAdvisor has announced a Mobile Upgrade for Business Listings, a powerful way to increase your visibility to tens of millions of travelers each month. Today, when you post a Special Offer as part of your Business Listing subscription, travelers planning their trips on their computers will see it. However, 35 million monthly mobile travelers will not. That’s where the Mobile Upgrade comes in! Learn more about why you should incorporate mobile traffic into your marketing strategy – including how a Mobile Upgrade helps – with this quick clip:

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If you purchased your Business Listing online, you can sign up for a Mobile Upgrade at www.tripadvisor.com/mobileupgrade. If you secured your Business Listing by phone, call 1-866-322-5942 (US, toll-free) or 0-800-098-8460 (UK, toll-free) to learn more and sign up.

TripAdvisor conducts world’s largest hotel survey on the economy, booking trends, technology and more

TripAdvisor has conducted the world’s largest hotel survey in its biannual Industry Index poll of more than 25,000 hoteliers from around the world. The survey gauged their economic outlook; their plans to engage with guests through online, social, and mobile platforms; and their efforts to implement eco-friendly programs. Here is a sample of the global findings the mid-year survey uncovered:

Business outlook:

Countries with the most positive outlook:

Forty-six percent of global respondents feel that the economy will improve, while 33% believe it will remain unchanged.

Jobs

• It is a great time to look for a job in the hotel industry in India, Brazil and Thailand: They were the top three countries for hotel job creation from January-June 2012. The United Kingdom and France were at the bottom of the list.
• Looking ahead, 64% of hoteliers from around the world plan to keep their staff levels at their current state, while 15% say they plan to add new jobs.

Booking trends

Are you planning to increase or decrease your room rates during the second half of the year? Judging by our survey, inertia seems to play a big role in rate trends:

• 53% of respondents who decreased their rates to attract more guests from June-August have predicted that they will decrease their rates even further ahead of the Fall travel season.
• 60% of those who increased their rates from June-August will continue to do so in September and October.

Social Media

According to our survey, property owners realize how important it is to market their business on social media networks:

• More than two-thirds of the respondents use at least one form of social media to help attract guests, with larger properties (50+ rooms) twice as likely to use social media compared to smaller properties.
• Most properties (83%) welcome feedback from their guests, and 78% encourage travelers to share their opinion via websites like TripAdvisor.

Mobile

For a more in-depth look at the findings and how countries compare against one another, please check out our report here.

Increase your visibility on TripAdvisor’s mobile website and app: Add Mobile Upgrade to your Business Listing

Did you know that there was a 3,000% increase in hotel searches on mobile from 2010 to 2011? Connecting with travelers via mobile sites and apps has become crucial in the hospitality industry. Here at TripAdvisor, we want to help you capitalize on this fast-growing trend and reach as many potential bookers as possible!

Starting this week, you can now upgrade your Business Listing (which already provides travelers with direct booking information) to include Special Offers on both the TripAdvisor mobile site and app.

What does this mean for you? More visibility and exposure! Your Special Offer will appear on your mobile property page and mobile search area results pages, giving potential guests an attractive deal to persuade them to book at your property.

To learn more, see the Business Listings Mobile Upgrade overview.

Hotel brand La Quinta introduces mobile innovations

We’ve seen more and more evidence that hotels are starting to pay attention to the mobile lifestyle of today’s travelers. And now one brand is taking new leaps into the digital world, with innovations aimed at making it easier to choose and book a hotel room. The first brand to ever do so, La Quinta now allows you to hold a hotel room reservation via your smartphone…using only your telephone number. No other identifying information is initially required. The room will hold for up to four hours, during which period – whenever you choose – you can enter credit card information to confirm your stay.

The new mobile site also integrates TripAdvisor reviews for its hotels, letting travelers browse comments and ratings before booking. This makes La Quinta the first hotel brand to ever add TripAdvisor reviews directly to its mobile site. According to USA Today, these features will also be added to La Quinta’s regular website in the next few months.

La Quinta introduces this “Instant Hold” technology and other new mobile features here:

We’ll be watching for what other on-the-go travel innovations emerge this year for savvy travelers.

 

TripAdvisor on the red carpet: Kudos from the UK

For the fourth year in a row, TripAdvisor is beaming with pride at having been named the “Best Travel Information/Review Website 2011” at the British Travel Awards. TripAdvisor was also honoured at the awards for “Best Travel and Tourism Smartphone App 2011.”

Thank you to all who voted and made this another winning year for us!

Our mobile app also got further praise recently at the 2011 Effective Mobile Marketing Awards in London, where it was named “Most Effective Mobile Travel and Tourism Solution.”

Finally, the UK’s Telegraph has named TripAdvisor “Favourite Travel Website 2011.”

We are humbled!

Travelers are taking off more in 2012…and they’re bringing their smartphones

TripAdvisor today released the results of its annual Travel Trends survey of U.S. travelers, and surfaced some good news in the process: travelers are on the move this year! Nearly a third of the more than 2,700 travelers surveyed said they plan to spend more money on travel this year than last.

According to the survey, travelers are also using their mobile devices more than ever as they hit the road. Forty-four percent of U.S. travelers plan to rely more heavily on their mobile phone or smartphone as a travel resource during their 2012 trips. Plus, nearly a third (31%) will be using travel apps (including TripAdvisor’s!) on their mobile device.