Metasearch Engines And Why They Are So Important To Build Direct Business
We are all very familiar with the OTA’s and why they are important to properties and how to utilise them, so they can help your business in a way that suits you. But another very important area that should not be ignored, due to the fact that it helps drive your direct business, is the Metasearch Engines. This area has grown at a substantial rate over the last 5 years and today we are going to focus on two of the biggest players, Google Hotel Price Ads and Trivago. If you utilise these tools correctly, you can drive more business direct, cut down on your commissions you are paying out to the OTA’s but still gain visibility on the major platforms.
Take Google Hotel Price Ads:
By signing up your property onto Google Hotel Price Ads, whether you are a chain of hotels or an independent property this platform can help you in a number of different ways:
- Giving your property immediate visibility when potential guests begin their travel plans on Google.
- Reduce your costs by directing customers to your hotel’s direct booking engine
- Seamlessly provide real time best available rates and inventory directly from your PMS (iHotelligence) to Google with our two-way integration
- Simple pay-for-performance model i.e. you only pay for when a guest selects their room type. Which means, no risk of costly clicks and uncapped budgets—your property will never get a bill for clicks or management fees!
And now let’s look at Trivago:
By getting your property on a platform like Trivago you are not only boosting your properties’ visibility, but you also have the ability to showcase your direct pricing vs what some of the OTAs are offering. By giving the guest this information, they are then able to make an informed decision about what is the best way to book their stay with you. Clicking on your pricing option you are then able to capture the guest as a direct booker.
With its two-way integration into our PMS System, iHotelligence, your rates and availability are shown are in real-time. With the full integration, you do not have to worry about updating another platform, it is all automatic. Additional visibility for no extra work!
It is utilizing all of these platforms that can ultimately help you grow your brand and build that loyalty where customers will return direct time and time again.
For more information on how to get your system integrated with these two Meta Engines please contact our Sales Team on sales@ihotelligence.com or call the office on 01-2811960
