Internet enterprises are more skilled in the application of data, which makes the online purchase process evolve from the traditional funnel model in the early, middle and late stages into a complex interconnected network. Getting off-line customers can affect the online transformation experience, and vice versa. Large OTA and e-commerce giants have succeeded in this mode. Hotels also need to achieve synergy between customer acquisition and transformation to maintain competitiveness in changing markets.
Amazon, Etsy, eBay and other e-commerce giants have succeeded in capturing, analyzing and utilizing user data at all stages, and pushing products and services that meet their needs based on users'historical search information. These platforms can also make accurate business decisions at payment and other stages based on online conversion of data.
The interconnection and intercommunication between passenger data and transformed data is the cornerstone of promoting the business expansion of industry giants. These online platforms record and collect data information from data packages, web browsing and advertisement clicks, so as to create a seamless online and offline experience for users. After transformation, enterprises will continue to interact with customers, and adjust their future decisions to other similar search users according to the purchase information in the database. Since then, the process of getting customers and transforming is no longer a linear one, but a self-perfecting cycle.
With the support of mature technology, OTA can track the behavior of each customer and make targeted marketing investment according to user value and purchase probability. The platform can also adjust distribution input according to website data, and win high-value customers in search and meta-search bidding. In this mode, the purchase journey of passengers is no longer the superposition of all stages, but an integrated and unified reservation channel. User data can optimize the overall purchase process at this time.
In the face of fierce industry competition, hotels need to learn from OTA, use integrated systems to attract target customers, and create highly personalized online experience to achieve user transformation. For hotels, the use of appropriate tools to connect hotel data can help to form a continuous analysis and optimization system, attract more hotel customers and complete online transformation. This model makes it cheaper for hotels to obtain high-quality customers, and can further consolidate direct booking channels, instead of just importing value flow from OTA platform.
Hotels need to focus on the analysis of meta-search user types to create a highly personalized online experience. While providing targeted information, they should also promote preferential activities related to their journey planning. This is especially true for hotels that do not have price advantages in meta-search engines.
Users may not be loyal to a particular brand. The hotel adopts data-driven redirection marketing strategy, which can enhance the customer's impression of the brand. Hotels need to implement the use of data throughout the purchase process, highlighting the advantages of direct booking channels, so that guests can enjoy preferential prices and benefits.
Customer travel is complex and diverse, not a simple linear structure. With the diversification of purchasing channels, many enterprises in other industries have adjusted their e-commerce model to promote more direct subscription business. The hotel industry should also take action now to integrate customer acquisition and conversion data and reduce the booking rate occupied by OTA platforms.