It is not a secret anymore, surfing the Internet has become mobile-first.
In 2016, more than 60% of hotel bookings were made on mobile devices, while that value is close to 70% in 2020, Google has announced mobile-first indexing. That means that regardless of what device the user is using, mobile-friendly websites will come first.
What does this mean for hotels with poor mobile-optimization? Hate to break it to you, but your Hotel will not be close to the first result and will even be far away from the first page of results, OTAs will continue to dominate over search results seeking for your hotel precisely, and eventually, direct bookings will decrease due to lower brand reputation.
For your hotel website, mobile optimization is essential for a number of reasons, some of which are listed below:
- Navigation: A well-optimized mobile website makes sure that visitors can navigate and access the information they need effortlessly, resulting in an improved user experience and more reservations.
- Improved Search Engine Visibility: Because Google now gives preference to mobile-friendly websites in its search results, having a mobile-friendly website can help your hotel appear more prominently and higher up in organic search results.
- Increased Conversion Rates: A mobile-friendly website can increase conversion rates because visitors are more likely to research about your hotel using different devices (desktop, smartphone or tablet). A poor User Experience increases the bounce-rate, as you want your guests to be able to finalize the booking process using all devices (desktop, tablet, smartphone).
What steps should hotels take to ensure their website is properly optimized for mobile? Here are a few pieces of advice:
- Responsive: Use responsive design to make your website flexible to any screen size, enabling visitors to browse and read material on a variety of devices. The mobile resolution comes in different shapes and sizes, that is why it is important to increase the flexibility of your website and allow the efficient usage of your website across all screens.
- Simplify Navigation: Ensure that your mobile navigation is straightforward and simple to use so that visitors can locate the information they require swiftly and effectively. This includes efficiently presenting all information about your property, such as: phone number, address, room types, and amenities.
- Optimize Images: A common misconception about website media are high-quality images. Most hotels employ professional photographers to capture their hotel offering. Those media files are usually large, depending on the device quality. Image optimization is important because large, high-resolution images can make your website take longer to load, increasing KPIs important for Search Engine Optimization, such as FCP or LCP. For quicker loading times and an improved user experience, optimize your images. For more information on Search Engine Optimization, makes sure to download our Free SEO Workbook designed for Hotel marketeers.
By prioritizing mobile optimization for your hotel website, you can improve the user experience, boost search engine visibility, and eventually drive more bookings for your property.