TripAdvisor is nothing less than a behemoth. Since the site came online back in 2000, the community has grown a member base of more than 60 million people and racked up some 170 million reviews to date.When it comes to choosing accommodations, a survey from a few years back revealed that 77% of travelers usually or always reference reviews before making their decision, with four out of five reading at least 6 to 12 reviews before booking.Most hotel management teams appreciate the importance of the site, and have team members assigned with brand monitoring and engagement. But with competing review sites and new social channels emerging all the time, those team members can find themselves increasingly fragmented when it comes to brand and reputation management.Nonetheless, let’s not forget the behemoth.There are more than a million hotels, B&Bs, and other lodging options reviewed on TripAdvisor, each battling for top rankings and visual prominence in the online community.The algorithm that dictates where a property lands in the rankings is based primarily on the quality of comments, the quantity of comments, and the age of reviews.The more engaged the property, the more likely travelers are to book. There's no better time to revisit TripAdvisor best practices and strategize to assure your property is prominently featured and positively reviewed on the world's most visited travel website.
CHECK (AND DOUBLE CHECK) PROPERTY DETAILS
Go native. Look at your property through a potential guest’s eyes.
Too often, hotel brands load their details into their profile once and move on. Over time, however, property details can change, and those offering outdated info are inviting problems with guest expectations from the very beginning.
Property photos (both official and user-submitted) are one of the first things people look at. Be sure yours are up-to-date.
People want to know what they are going to experience before they get there. Inaccurate info can cause disappointment, which can lead to poor reviews.
FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICES THROUGHOUT
Regardless of what you do – or don’t do – guests will post reviews. Regardless of what you do – or don’t do – those reviews will be read and influence travelers. Some research suggests as much as 92% of consumers will read online reviews, up from 88% two years ago.
At the risk of stating the obvious, one of the best ways to ensure a positive review is to focus on customer service. Keep in mind that TripAdvisor community members often review the entire travel cycle, not just their on-site stay. That includes the booking process and post-stay contact.
It’s also worth making sure the entire hotel team understands the connection between the guest experience, reviews and potential future bookings. The importance of reviews and how they relate to customer service should be discussed periodically in team meetings with all departments.
ASK FOR REVIEWS
What’s your strategy for encouraging reviews? (Do you have one?) Sometimes simply asking guests to post can increase your positive reviews and, ultimately, up your ranking.
Review and expand your current guest review strategy. Look for opportunities to invite fresh reviews, such as in-room info, collateral at checkout, post-stay email correspondence or direct mail campaign.
Invite them to leave a review on TripAdvisor specifically. Let them know how. And never stop inviting new reviews. Some 44% of researching travelers believe a review must be written within one month to be relevant.
The more recent reviews you have, the easier it is to showcase your brand's relevance, and the more prominently it will appear in search results.
CONDUCT REPUTATION MANAGEMENT AUDITS
The only true way to manage your online reputation is to complete audits on a regular basis. This might mean comprehensive reviews weekly or monthly.
Find out what people have to say about your property by reading every review you find. It may be necessary to review specific reviews with staff.
Reviews that express criticism should always be taken seriously. Statistics show 40% of consumers form an opinion by reading just one to three reviews. If the last three reviews you had were poor, the repercussions could be dramatic.
Last, but not least, task your agency partners for help with your hotel’s reputation management.TripAdvisor offers some general insight on its popularity ranking and how to improve, but any experienced marketing agency that specializes in the hospitality industry already knows this community well, and should be eager to offer insight on how to rank high and drive direct bookings.
TripAdvisor is nothing less than a behemoth. Since the site came online back in 2000, the community has grown a member base of more than 60 million people and racked up some 170 million reviews to date.When it comes to choosing accommodations, a survey from a few years back revealed that 77% of travelers usually or always reference reviews before making their decision, with four out of five reading at least 6 to 12 reviews before booking.Most hotel management teams appreciate the importance of the site, and have team members assigned with brand monitoring and engagement. But with competing review sites and new social channels emerging all the time, those team members can find themselves increasingly fragmented when it comes to brand and reputation management.Nonetheless, let’s not forget the behemoth.There are more than a million hotels, B&Bs, and other lodging options reviewed on TripAdvisor, each battling for top rankings and visual prominence in the online community.The algorithm that dictates where a property lands in the rankings is based primarily on the quality of comments, the quantity of comments, and the age of reviews.The more engaged the property, the more likely travelers are to book. There's no better time to revisit TripAdvisor best practices and strategize to assure your property is prominently featured and positively reviewed on the world's most visited travel website.
CHECK (AND DOUBLE CHECK) PROPERTY DETAILS
Go native. Look at your property through a potential guest’s eyes.
Too often, hotel brands load their details into their profile once and move on. Over time, however, property details can change, and those offering outdated info are inviting problems with guest expectations from the very beginning.
Property photos (both official and user-submitted) are one of the first things people look at. Be sure yours are up-to-date.
People want to know what they are going to experience before they get there. Inaccurate info can cause disappointment, which can lead to poor reviews.
FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICES THROUGHOUT
Regardless of what you do – or don’t do – guests will post reviews. Regardless of what you do – or don’t do – those reviews will be read and influence travelers. Some research suggests as much as 92% of consumers will read online reviews, up from 88% two years ago.
At the risk of stating the obvious, one of the best ways to ensure a positive review is to focus on customer service. Keep in mind that TripAdvisor community members often review the entire travel cycle, not just their on-site stay. That includes the booking process and post-stay contact.
It’s also worth making sure the entire hotel team understands the connection between the guest experience, reviews and potential future bookings. The importance of reviews and how they relate to customer service should be discussed periodically in team meetings with all departments.
ASK FOR REVIEWS
What’s your strategy for encouraging reviews? (Do you have one?) Sometimes simply asking guests to post can increase your positive reviews and, ultimately, up your ranking.
Review and expand your current guest review strategy. Look for opportunities to invite fresh reviews, such as in-room info, collateral at checkout, post-stay email correspondence or direct mail campaign.
Invite them to leave a review on TripAdvisor specifically. Let them know how. And never stop inviting new reviews. Some 44% of researching travelers believe a review must be written within one month to be relevant.
The more recent reviews you have, the easier it is to showcase your brand's relevance, and the more prominently it will appear in search results.
CONDUCT REPUTATION MANAGEMENT AUDITS
The only true way to manage your online reputation is to complete audits on a regular basis. This might mean comprehensive reviews weekly or monthly.
Find out what people have to say about your property by reading every review you find. It may be necessary to review specific reviews with staff.
Reviews that express criticism should always be taken seriously. Statistics show 40% of consumers form an opinion by reading just one to three reviews. If the last three reviews you had were poor, the repercussions could be dramatic.
Last, but not least, task your agency partners for help with your hotel’s reputation management.TripAdvisor offers some general insight on its popularity ranking and how to improve, but any experienced marketing agency that specializes in the hospitality industry already knows this community well, and should be eager to offer insight on how to rank high and drive direct bookings.
