by Cara Callaghan

The importance of having a mobile website and mobile strategy for your hotel cannot be stressed enough as this is a huge growth area. In 2011, 85% of new handsets will have access to the mobile web and this figure is growing all the time. By 2015 it is predicted that there will be 3.5 billion mobile users globally, growing from 500 million in 2010. (Ericsson, Mobile Broadband World, Nov 2010).

Ian Carrington, Google's Director of mobile, recently told the Travolution Summit that firms without a mobile strategy do not have a future strategy. If you are not on mobile the chances your competitors and the third party agencies you use are; and they will capitalise on this opportunity if you do not.

This heightens the need for your hotel's website to be mobile compatible.

There are two options for your hotel to explore if you haven't already done so.

1.

Develop a mobile enabled website, which will work across all mobile phones old and new.

2.

Develop a mobile application which is optimised for key smart phone devices e.g. iPhone, Android and Blackberry.

It is also important to note the distinct behaviour of consumers using the mobile web to search and book hotels. Mobile is immediate with 82% of people booking a room within one day of arrival as opposed to 45% on Desktop. 58% of people are within 20 miles of their hotel when they perform searches for it on their mobile device. (Source: Google)


Key considerations for your mobile strategy should include:

1.

Focus on the core messages - the user has limited time and a small screen. Show them the most important elements of your website and include the following:

a.

Up/Down navigation only

b.

Large buttons

c.

Easy to use dropdown

d.

Site should have 1 main purpose

e.

Easy to book process & prominent phone number, address display

2.

Mobile offers unique possibilities:

i.

touch screens

ii.

voice

iii.

location

iv.

iv. click to call

3.

Auto-detect and re-direct from your website

4.

Promote through offline channels

Ensure you explore your mobile advertising opportunities through mediums like Google AdWords. Mobile CPC's are currently far more competitive than Desktop/Laptop and can be 20-40% cheaper.

There are 5 options for mobile advertising with Google:

1.

Normal mobile ads

2.

Location Extensions – where you merge your Google Places listing with AdWords. Also shows the phone number of your hotel.

3.

Click to Call – adding a click-to-call business phone number in ads that appear on mobile devices with full internet browsers.

4.

Mobile Sitelinks – add 2 links to your mobile ad to send people to other parts of your mobile website.

5.

Hyper Local – a location pin in your ad which shows the user's distance from your hotel.