4 Reasons to Read Our Latest eBook from Start to Finish

When it comes to hospitality, we can surely say that the show will always go on, no matter what. Hotels will never stop being necessary and with tourism being the huge, multi-billion dollar industry that it is, diversity is always encouraged and awaited by travelers.

Having options to chose from, like big chains and independent properties, is most certainly a must, but what makes one different than the other?

Sure, branded hotels have their fair share of large-scale efforts that they must constantly focus on, but independent hotels might sometimes feel like a bit of an outsider. Attracting travelers to a non-branded establishment is not hard, given the large number of consumers and the online visibility that the world wide web and third parties like OTAs can offer. However, at the end of the day it’s not just about surviving in a brand-dominated world, it’s also about thriving. It’s about making a name for yourself, increasing bookings and revenue, and maintaining an overall excellent reputation.

 

With this in mind, we recently published an eBook: Branding Without The Brand Name - An Independent Hoteliers Guide To Building Brand Value. Directed towards independent hotel managers and/or owners, this eBook refers to the efforts and struggles that non-branded properties face on a day-to-day basis. After years of catering to both, large hotel chains and independent properties, at TrustYou we have insights into the best of both worlds and how exactly they work.

 

An independent hotel cannot rely on a big name or a complex structure, which are known to ease the ride to success. This is why keeping the focus on your spotless reputation and those small, but important details is a must. As a hotelier, being so deeply involved in everyday operations and putting your heart and your mind into the business is crucial, but sometimes that exact involvement and dedication might cause you to miss some aspects that could benefit your hotel.

The entire purpose of this eBook is to provide an objective point of view on the non-branded hotels and a few relevant, useful tips and tricks on how to make the most of the independent status, in order to obtain more revenue.

 

Download our Branding Without the Brand Name eBook here

 

What makes your hotel different? Know it and advertise it

The eBook is divided into 4 chapters, each individual one targeting a specific point of interest for independent hotels. First, we talked about one of the most important things that hoteliers can and should focus on: acknowledging and marketing those exact features that set the hotel apart from the competition. As a sneak-peek, know that the easiest and fastest way of finding out what your guests love, like or dislike about the establishment is researching your own reputation and image in the eyes of the travelers.This is always a great approach to getting a fresh new perspective on your business and on further improving what needs to be improved and advertising what has to be brought forward.

 

Let’s get technical: SEO, rich snippets, mobile optimization… you name it, we talked about it

Getting into a slightly more impersonal, but equally important subject, chapter number two gives insights into the technical side of a hotel business: the optimization of its website and the reasons why it has the power to make or break a business. This part of the eBook talks about search engine optimization (SEO) and how to ensure that you make the most of it, in order to get the desired level of visibility on Google (or any other search engine) and increase your website’s online popularity. Also, we provide insights into the meta-review and how it represents the most useful tool in the eyes of the modern traveler. Living in a fast paced world and always being in a rush, it’s important that you provide future guests with a quick, easy to process and insightful way of recognizing your hotel’s strongest suits and overall reputation. Speaking of that rush that we constantly find ourselves into, it’s good to know that mobile bookings have been on the rise in the last few years, so optimizing your hotel’s website for mobile use has become vital. A less than properly optimized website is a deal-breaker for the modern traveler and it can end up costing you bookings and revenue.

 

How much is your reputation worth and why you should make it a priority

The third chapter of the eBook is centered around our all time favourite subject, reputation management. Negative reviews are any hotelier’s nightmare, because everyone now acknowledges what a huge impact they have on future travelers. In this chapter, you can learn how to properly manage your hotel’s online reputation by using a tool that can significantly reduce your work output and save you time. Also, you find out the best ways of generating guest feedback that would benefit you  and why real-time communication with the guest can lead to a higher satisfaction level. Let’s not forget that social media has started to play a big part in the reputation business, so our eBook also covers the topic of engaging with guests on social platforms and properly replying to their reviews and feedback.

 

All you need to know and more in our free eBook!

 

Personalization in everyday operations improves the guest experience

Last, but not least, we focused our final chapter on another highly relevant subject: personalization. As a hotelier, it’s important to be aware of those situations in which you can get personal with the guest and what you can do to connect your multitude of systems, in order to get better results in your day-to-day operations. As an independent hotel, you have a higher level of freedom in regards of management, which means that you can get closer to the guest and engage at a deeper level, in order to provide more personalized experiences. A great way of doing so is while the guest is on-site, through a direct messaging tool. Not only can you make sure that you provide the guest with everything that they need, but you can also resolve any possible conflict or misunderstanding before it becomes a bad review. Additionally, chapter number four presents the benefits of using APIs to connect your systems, in order to ease operations and save time, to be able to focus on what matters the most: guest satisfaction.

 

It is definitely a challenge to make it big in a competitive market, while having a smaller structure and sometimes even a limited budget. It’s also a constant effort to improve your business, to admit your wrongs, and to advertise your rights. If this sparks your interest and you want to learn more insights, tips and strategies that could help your independent hotel succeed and thrive of its status, you can download our free eBook Branding Without The Brand Name - An Independent Hoteliers Guide To Building Brand Value here. Four chapters it’s all it takes to redefine your independent hotel’s strategy and reach new heights!

 

Catalina Brinza

Catalina is a social media and data enthusiast. At TrustYou, she's on a mission to bring the most out of travel and hospitality data. One day, she hopes to experience Japan's culture to its fullest.

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