Digital transformation in the ferry services sector.

The consumer buying process is continually evolving. Therefore, to be more profitable, you need to keep up with the digital transformation of the industry.

Categorías Travel marketing blog

Salvador Galindo

Soy consultor de marketing especializado en tecnología y mercados internacionales. Mi enfoque se basa en ofrecer respuestas originales y estratégicas que se adaptan a las necesidades específicas de cada cliente. Con una profunda comprensión de las dinámicas del marketing global, he ayudado a numerosas empresas a aumentar su presencia y competitividad, ofreciendo resultados tangibles y sostenibles.

Our consumers’ buying process is constantly evolving. Our potential customers have much more information about our brand, our industry, our products and competitors. Much more knowledge than we imagine. The Internet is the gold mine of information and today most of our potential customers do some research on the web before making a substantial purchase. They are likely to look for advice, data or even compare between several companies offering the same product or service.

According to the Boston Consulting Group, 95% of travelers today use digital resources for their trip, either before, during or after the trip. That is why your Internet presence must be perfectly adapted to their consumer preferences, in order to make the potential customer aware of your brand and, above all, to generate a positive image of your company.

The development and emergence of new players in the tourism sector, such as social networks, information search engines, price comparison websites or online travel agencies has been very important and should also be taken into account. In fact, digital transformation is not something that will only affect high-volume companies. Even small and medium-sized companies can help them face increased competition with minimal investment. The main objective is to design and create a customized digital channel that is able to attract, convert and delight your customers.

But digital transformation does not stop there, as there are many other benefits for ferry service companies:

Connect directly with customers and attract more direct bookings, decreasing dependence on tour operators, agencies and other commercial intermediaries.
Capture as much data as possible from leads and customer interactions with your brand online, in order to execute personalized campaigns and actions.
Create new products and reposition current ones to enhance the customer experience and earn additional revenue.
Provide better customer service, taking advantage of the tools offered by the digital world.
Automate processes to make actions profitable.

For example, if someone wants to plan a vacation to Greece with his family, he will first take a look at the best activities to enjoy on the islands or the best beaches to go with children. She may also be looking for tips on excursions and unique experiences that you can offer her. And all this at any time during your purchase stage. If you are able to give your potential customer this valuable information, your brand will undoubtedly appear as one of the options to choose for their trip.

Always remember that new travelers are looking for value. It is very important that you care about your reputation and your content offering, so that you are not just a product or service. Therefore, the digital revolution is waiting for you. Be aware of all those changing patterns and adapt!

Otros artículos que podrían interesarte

Upselling techniques in boutique hotels

Upselling is a well-known technique in the hotel industry that boutique hotels can take advantage of because of their proximity to the guest.

Lee el artículo »

How to improve hotel loyalty with the customer database?

1. The main challenge: your hotel needs more direct bookings

A few years ago, hotels relied heavily on OTAs and tour operators to establish an objective occupancy rate and drive guests to hotels. Until then, hotels enjoyed partnerships with travel agencies and tour operators, and guests enjoyed booking package tours.

However, over time, trends have been changing and travelers, now and more than ever, are looking to make their own choices and book all elements of their trips on their own. Travelers are not only ready, but also willing to book a hotel directly on your website, as long as the sales conditions are similar to those of the OTAs and the booking can be made as simple as possible.

For hoteliers, direct bookings bring huge benefits. Among them, saving on commissions, improving online marketing strategy, increasing profitability and having total control over customer communication. With such promises of direct bookings, it is no wonder that more and more hotels are now pushing their marketing efforts towards the goal of increasing the number of direct bookings on the hotel website.

2. Gain a competitive advantage

It is clear that an increase in the rate of direct bookings would be beneficial for your hotel. But how to achieve this goal

In order to compete with OTAs and tour operators, your hotel must have a competitive advantage. There are two ways to have it: offering a cheaper deal, or offering more value and increasing customer loyalty. While it may be difficult for your hotel to compete with OTAs on the basis of price, offering a customized offer and establishing a trusted relationship with customers would be the best way to attract travelers.

The key to adding value to your hotel offer is to know your customer and offer them what they need. Attracting them through the emotional factor is essential, and you must establish a genuine connection with your potential customers, conveying your beliefs so that your guests can relate to them.

When customers observe that a hotel brand really cares about their experience and tries to find the best solution to make their vacation experience unforgettable, it is easier for them to make the decision in favor of booking directly with your hotel.

A common way to add value and personalize communication with your guests is to implement a loyalty program. With a loyalty program implemented in your establishment, you will be able to tailor your messages to the needs of individual customers, understand their preferences and meet their expectations.

customer-database-hotels

3. How can your customer database help?

So, a hotel needs a loyalty program to offer valuable and personalized services to customers, and thus gain a competitive advantage. To shape your loyalty program, you must have a database of your customers with personal information about them. Hoteliers should create a customer database with basic contact information and more elaborate personal information about guests’ preferences and interests.

Acquiring this personal information will give you the ability to tailor your messages to each potential or existing customer, and offer them content, products and services that meet their particular needs. This will undoubtedly surprise them by the degree of personalization and the measures your hotel takes to provide them with the best possible vacation experience. You would be able to establish a lasting relationship with your customers based on trust, thus ensuring the most satisfied customers, who would be happy to promote your hotel brand.

4. 1. The biggest challenge: Your hotel needs more direct bookings

A few years ago, hotels relied heavily on OTAs and tour operators to achieve an objective occupancy rate and bring guests to the hotel. Until then, hotels enjoyed partnerships with travel agents and tour operators, and guests were happy to book package tours.

Over time, however, trends have changed, and now more than ever, travelers want to make their own choices and book all elements of their trip themselves. Travelers are not only ready, but willing, to book a hotel directly on your website as long as the terms of sale are similar to those of OTAs and the booking process can be made as simple as possible.

For hoteliers, direct bookings bring huge benefits. These include saving commissions, improving online marketing strategy, increasing profitability, and full control over customer communications. With such promise of direct bookings, it’s no wonder that more and more hotels are focusing their marketing efforts on the goal of increasing the number of direct bookings on the hotel website.

2. Gain a competitive advantage

It’s clear that increasing the direct booking rate would be beneficial to your hotel. But how do you achieve this goal?

To compete with OTAs and tour operators, your hotel must have a competitive advantage. There are two ways to do this: offer a cheaper deal or offer more value and increase customer loyalty. While it may be difficult for your hotel to compete with OTAs based on price, the best way to attract travelers would be to offer a customized offer and build a trusting relationship with customers.

The key to adding value to your hotel offering is to know your customer and offer them what they need. You need to build a genuine connection with your potential customers and communicate your beliefs in a way that your guests can relate to.

When customers perceive that a hotel brand genuinely cares about their experience and tries to find the best solution to make their vacation memorable, it is easier for them to choose to book directly with your hotel.

A common way to add value and personalize communication with your guests is to implement a loyalty program. With a loyalty program in place at your facility, you can tailor your messages to each customer’s needs, understand their preferences and meet their expectations.

customer-database-hotels

3. How can your customer database help?

So, a hotel needs a loyalty program to provide valuable and personalized services to customers to gain a competitive advantage. To design your loyalty program, you need a customer database with personal information about your customers. Hoteliers should create a customer database with basic contact information and more detailed personal information about guests’ preferences and interests.

Capturing this personal information gives you the ability to tailor your messages to each potential or existing customer and offer them content, products and services that meet their unique needs. The degree of personalization and the actions your hotel takes to offer them the best possible vacation experience will undoubtedly surprise them. You will be able to build a lasting relationship with your customers based on trust, securing the most satisfied customers who will be happy to promote your hotel brand.