Getting them to book online

1. Website
2. Rooms page
3. open a room or two to have a peak
4. reservations button brings up rez page with tons of policies and small print and is a pop up... then asks me to check avail
5. click on check avail and back to the website again with avail calendar
6. I click on a date and it brings up check avail small box with number of nights and people where i have to click check avail again
7. then the window populates and i have to "click here to reserve"
8. then the reservation is there with white on dark background (not easy for the eyes, esp older people) w a ton of policies again (way too many to take in, hurts my eyes to read them actually) and all the fields to fill in.
9. So I pick up the phone and call and give you the dates and my details.

toddburme said:

I am just wondering if our language is too soft in that our button reads - "Check Availabilty". I am thinking "Reserve Now" might be more descriptive and informative.

Click to expand...

Scott said:

toddburme said:

I am just wondering if our language is too soft in that our button reads - "Check Availabilty". I am thinking "Reserve Now" might be more descriptive and informative.

Click to expand...

Why not try Google's free Website Optimizer? Basically, you create both versions of the page and tell Website Optimizer about it, then they see to it that some visitors visit each one. You can see from the stats which is working better for you..

Click to expand...

Scott said:

toddburme said:

I am just wondering if our language is too soft in that our button reads - "Check Availabilty". I am thinking "Reserve Now" might be more descriptive and informative.

Click to expand...

Why not try Google's free Website Optimizer? Basically, you create both versions of the page and tell Website Optimizer about it, then they see to it that some visitors visit each one. You can see from the stats which is working better for you.

Click to expand...

toddburme said:

Joey number 5 took you to SuperInn. Not sure what to do about that as it was even worse before. I just took out three steps..

Click to expand...

toddburme said:

Joey number 5 took you to SuperInn. Not sure what to do about that as it was even worse before. I just took out three steps.

Click to expand...

Tom said:

Yeah, we ourselves have an easy online rez (resnexus) but about half of guests call. Guests with the web site already up on their screen, still call. Why?
1. Your B&B isn't a known commodity like a chain hotel; there is reassurance in getting a sense of the innkeeper personality over the phone. (I wish dw was as sweet to me as she is to guests )
2. They can enquire about particular services, room features, integrate your location in their travel plans (important for us since we are outside of town).
3. They are hoping for a deal. Don't ignore the fact that an online rez is fixed price as quoted, but people think they can possibly finagle a little better deal in person.
I would much prefer to see the bookings roll in on their own, but it doesn't work that way. Indeed, if I am on the phone with a guest online, I'll usually try to close the deal. I'd guess close to 10% of guests who have said yes I will book online actually don't get around to booking, but if I took the info over the phone right then, they would book..

Click to expand...

Tom said:

Yeah, we ourselves have an easy online rez (resnexus) but about half of guests call. Guests with the web site already up on their screen, still call. Why?
1. Your B&B isn't a known commodity like a chain hotel; there is reassurance in getting a sense of the innkeeper personality over the phone. (I wish dw was as sweet to me as she is to guests )
2. They can enquire about particular services, room features, integrate your location in their travel plans (important for us since we are outside of town).
3. They are hoping for a deal. Don't ignore the fact that an online rez is fixed price as quoted, but people think they can possibly finagle a little better deal in person.
I would much prefer to see the bookings roll in on their own, but it doesn't work that way. Indeed, if I am on the phone with a guest online, I'll usually try to close the deal. I'd guess close to 10% of guests who have said yes I will book online actually don't get around to booking, but if I took the info over the phone right then, they would book..

Click to expand...

Tom said:

Yeah, we ourselves have an easy online rez (resnexus) but about half of guests call. Guests with the web site already up on their screen, still call. Why?
1. Your B&B isn't a known commodity like a chain hotel; there is reassurance in getting a sense of the innkeeper personality over the phone. (I wish dw was as sweet to me as she is to guests

)
2. They can enquire about particular services, room features, integrate your location in their travel plans (important for us since we are outside of town).
3. They are hoping for a deal. Don't ignore the fact that an online rez is fixed price as quoted, but people think they can possibly finagle a little better deal in person.
I would much prefer to see the bookings roll in on their own, but it doesn't work that way. Indeed, if I am on the phone with a guest online, I'll usually try to close the deal. I'd guess close to 10% of guests who have said yes I will book online actually don't get around to booking, but if I took the info over the phone right then, they would book.

Click to expand...

Tom said:

Yeah, we ourselves have an easy online rez (resnexus) but about half of guests call. Guests with the web site already up on their screen, still call. Why?
1. Your B&B isn't a known commodity like a chain hotel; there is reassurance in getting a sense of the innkeeper personality over the phone. (I wish dw was as sweet to me as she is to guests )
2. They can enquire about particular services, room features, integrate your location in their travel plans (important for us since we are outside of town).
3. They are hoping for a deal. Don't ignore the fact that an online rez is fixed price as quoted, but people think they can possibly finagle a little better deal in person.
I would much prefer to see the bookings roll in on their own, but it doesn't work that way. Indeed, if I am on the phone with a guest online, I'll usually try to close the deal. I'd guess close to 10% of guests who have said yes I will book online actually don't get around to booking, but if I took the info over the phone right then, they would book..

Click to expand...

Tom said:

Yeah, we ourselves have an easy online rez (resnexus) but about half of guests call. Guests with the web site already up on their screen, still call. Why?
1. Your B&B isn't a known commodity like a chain hotel; there is reassurance in getting a sense of the innkeeper personality over the phone. (I wish dw was as sweet to me as she is to guests )
2. They can enquire about particular services, room features, integrate your location in their travel plans (important for us since we are outside of town).
3. They are hoping for a deal. Don't ignore the fact that an online rez is fixed price as quoted, but people think they can possibly finagle a little better deal in person.
I would much prefer to see the bookings roll in on their own, but it doesn't work that way. Indeed, if I am on the phone with a guest online, I'll usually try to close the deal. I'd guess close to 10% of guests who have said yes I will book online actually don't get around to booking, but if I took the info over the phone right then, they would book.

Click to expand...

Tom said:

Yeah, we ourselves have an easy online rez (resnexus) but about half of guests call. Guests with the web site already up on their screen, still call. Why?
1. Your B&B isn't a known commodity like a chain hotel; there is reassurance in getting a sense of the innkeeper personality over the phone. (I wish dw was as sweet to me as she is to guests )
2. They can enquire about particular services, room features, integrate your location in their travel plans (important for us since we are outside of town).
3. They are hoping for a deal. Don't ignore the fact that an online rez is fixed price as quoted, but people think they can possibly finagle a little better deal in person.
I would much prefer to see the bookings roll in on their own, but it doesn't work that way. Indeed, if I am on the phone with a guest online, I'll usually try to close the deal. I'd guess close to 10% of guests who have said yes I will book online actually don't get around to booking, but if I took the info over the phone right then, they would book..

Click to expand...