As the hospitality industry faces a cookie-less world, hoteliers need to make use of the available resources to offer their customers the best possible experience. Now, we know the idea of a cookie-less world sounds a bit sad. But don’t worry, we’re not talking about actual cookies! We’re talking about those little digital files that track your online activity.
Google’s latest announcement regarding the phasing out of third-party cookies is worth noting here. Google has postponed the rollout of third-party cookies until late 2023 to give more time for businesses to adapt and to allow for more testing of alternative solutions. This gives businesses more time to adapt to the changes and allows for more testing of alternative solutions.
In this article, we’ll discuss the significance of first-party data in a cookie-less world and how hotels can make use of it to drive revenue growth and enhance their guests’ experience.
Unlocking the Potential of First-Party Data: A Must-Know for Hoteliers
To start with, let’s define what first-party data is. It refers to the information collected directly from guests through their interactions with a hotel’s website or app. This data includes browsing and booking history, preferred room type, amenities, and activities. By analysing this data, hotels can understand their guests better and offer them a personalised experience that meets their needs.
Enhancing Guest Satisfaction with First-Party Data Insights
One of the primary benefits of first-party data is that it enables hotels to build trust with their guests. With the help of the data, hotels can deliver a personalised experience that resonates with their guests, leading to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth. And let’s be real, who doesn’t love a little bit of personal attention?
How First-Party Data Helps Hotels Drive Direct Booking?
In a cookie-less world, hotel marketers cannot rely on third-party cookies to target potential guests. Instead, they must leverage first-party data to drive direct bookings. By analysing the guests’ data, hotels can create targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience and entice them to book directly on their website. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love a great offer to seal the deal?
Design Delightful Journeys: The Key to Happy Customers and Positive Reviews
First-party data also enables you to tailor the experience to meet guests’ needs. By using For-Sight’s Reporting Suite, you can gain insights into your guests’ preferences to design a personalised and delightful journey. This approach can help you exceed your guests’ expectations and increase satisfaction. And let’s not forget, happy customers are likely to return and spread the word! A study by TripAdvisor found that 87% of travellers worldwide said they frequently or always reference reviews before choosing a hotel. Word of mouth, whether through personal recommendations or online reviews, is a crucial factor in guests’ hotel booking decisions.
Maximising Revenue and Guest Satisfaction: The Power of Combining Enhancements and Upselling
Finally, first-party data can help you increase your hotel’s revenue by identifying upsell and cross-sell opportunities. For-Sight gives you a unified view of your guests’ data, allowing you to create a data-driven ancillary revenue strategy. Our solution helps you identify guests who are likely to purchase additional products or services (I.e., breakfast, dinner, spa services, early check-in etc.). By targeting these guests with personalised offers, you can enhance their experience and boost your average spend per guest overall revenue. And Who wouldn’t enjoy treating themselves to some indulgence while on vacation?
To summarise, the importance of first-party data in a cookie-less world cannot be overstated. By leveraging the data, hotels can build trust with their guests, drive direct bookings, enhance the guest experience, understand the guest journey, and drive revenue growth. And with the help of For-Sight’s CRM & Marketing solutions integrated with your PMS and your hotel’s other core transactional hotel systems, you can streamline the data analysis process and run effective email marketing campaigns. As the hospitality industry adapts to a cookie-less world, those that embrace first-party data will be best positioned to succeed in the future. Happy guests, happy hotel!
If you are keen on hearing how the For-Sight CRM & Marketing Solution can allow you to develop a data-driven strategy using first-party data and deploy effective email marketing campaigns, we would love to show you the For-Sight platform: Book a demo here
