Helping Guests Overcome “Analysis Paralysis”

We all know that guests have hundreds of sites to choose from when looking to book a hotel or take a vacation. This cluttered landscape can make it overwhelming for users to reach a decision quickly, transparently, and with any sort of “satisfaction guarantee”.

This state can be defined as “analysis paralysis”; a feeling of being overwhelmed by the options to book a simple hotel room.

Our theory is that by bringing the information directly to the user before they begin browsing and researching across your site – your messaging has not only a deeper impact but a higher recall when it comes to narrowing down all the options.

In comes Screen Pilot Site Intellect (SPSI); a proprietary tech created by Screen Pilot to help hold the hand of prospective guests and make booking a straightforward and simple process.

Some of the things that SPSI can assist with include (but are not limited to):

• Streamlining of RFP process
• Exit Intent
• Keeping guests away from 3rd party intermediaries
• Personalized messaging/offers based on visitors demographics and/or location
• Increased sense of urgency

 

The image above shows an SPSI that we created for Hotel Tennessean targeting Exit Intent. As we all know, there are numerous times that your website really just acts as an upsell agent for OTAs; they come to your site for the beautiful imagery and room types, then head to an OTA for UGC and booking. With the ability to keep people on your site (with a book direct initiative) – we have the ability to steal market share from competitors. 

Stats from those not served this SPSI:

• Bounce Rate = 47.9%
• Pages Per Visit = 3.07
• Average Time On Site = 1.56
• Conversion Rate = 0.00%

Stats from those served this SPSI:

• Bounce Rate = 16.4%
• Pages Per Visit = 5.60
• Average Time On Site = 4:03
• Conversion Rate = 4.48%

 

 

With our advanced tracking, we’re able to workaround TripAdvisor in some cases and realize which guests are coming in from their site. With this knowledge, we can get highly personalized in our messaging. If we know what a guest is looking for (in this case: reviews, a deal, User Generated Content, or an easier route to booking), we can then create a message specifically for them (as seen above). We essentially rid the guest of their “analysis paralysis” by empathizing with their situation and making their decision just a bit easier. Here are some stats to accompany this specific campaign:

 

Stats from those not served this SPSI:

• Bounce Rate = 17.8%
• Pages Per Visit = 6
• Average Time On Site = 4:19
• Conversion Rate = 1.7%

Stats from those served this SPSI:

• Bounce Rate = 11.9%
• Pages Per Visit = 8.0
• Average Time On Site = 5:22
• Conversion Rate = 7.34%