Briefing: Mobile is now the leading digital platform

A new report by comScore has found that mobile is now the leading digital platform. The report found that total activity on smartphones and tablets accounts for 62% of time spent on digital media. It states that mobile applications alone now represent the majority of digital media usage (54%).

This has implications for many of the processes within the hospitality industry. In this briefing four hospitality experts discuss embracing mobile:

As discussed in our briefing at the beginning of the year, 2015 always had the potential to be the tipping point for mobile commerce. Mobile capabilities are increasing all the time. This year saw the release of Apple’s iPhone 6, and rumours are already flying about the iPhone 7. Meanwhile Google’s AMP Project aims to speed up page loading times on its mobiles so they are more convenient to use.

According to a report by Forrester there are 30 billion mobile moments happening every day. These moments are defined by Forrester as times when somebody turns to their mobile phone in order to get information or a service immediately. They also found that 70% of US adults spending almost two hours per day on their mobiles. So when someone turns to their phone for a mobile service. Will you be there?

Whilst mobile use is increasing, research shows that smartphone ownership is nearing saturation. Pew Research Center has found that 86% of Americans own a smartphone, up only 1% from 2014. At the same time ownership of computers and laptops has reduced from 89% in 2012 to just 78% in 2015, again highlighting the switch to mobile devices including smartphones and tablets.

So what’s to come for hospitality and mobile use in 2016? A report from eMarketer has predicted that “In 2016, 51.8% of travellers who book trips via digital means will do so using a mobile device” The report also states that; “Out of the 48.5 million US adults who book trips via mobile this year, 78.6% (38.1 million) will use a smartphone to do so.”

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Video clips produced by ybc.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Guest satisfaction – Meeting expectations

A new study from J.D. Power has found that the overall hotel guest satisfaction score in the US has risen to a record high of 804 out of 1000 in 2015.

It is a different story in the UK. A survey by Hotel Info looked at guest satisfaction scores in Europe. The UK only scored 7.39 out of 10, which put them second from bottom in the list and far behind the top ranked Slovakia, which had an impressive score of 8.22.

So what makes the difference in these scores, and how important is guest satisfaction anyway? Our experts discuss how to ensure guests have what they want:

J.D. Power’s 2015 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study is in its 19th year and this is the first time the overall score has passed the 800 point, having risen 20 points from 2014. The factors covered in the score are; the reservation, check-in/check-out, guest room, food and beverage, hotel services, hotel facilities, and cost and fees.

The study suggests that there are two very important elements in achieving good scores. One is that staff anticipate needs and offer friendly service. The second is that the overall operation meets the guest’s expectations of that hotel. The expectation element will vary depending on the branding of the hotel, whether it is a luxury or a budget hotel, and the cost. Guests expect to get what they pay for, and seek out good value.

The survey put The Ritz-Carlton top of the luxury segment, and put Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham top of the Economy Segment in the US.

Hotel Info’s survey of six million guest evaluations compared guest satisfaction in cities in the UK.  Sheffield had the highest score in the UK at 8.03 whereas the UK’s biggest market and capital city, London, lagged behind with a score of 7.12.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Reviews & credibility – Websites strive to build trust

Online reviews continue to influence customer decisions. Data from Deloitte shows that 81% of general consumers read reviews and check ratings. In the hospitality industry these reviews are being published on different social media sites, direct on hotel and booking sites, and are frequently being written on mobiles and on mobile apps. Knowing that fake reviews are possible, trust between companies and consumers is becoming increasingly important.

In this briefing four experts discuss credibility and making the most of reviews.

According to Deloitte 42% of holiday makers use review sites. But companies are also looking for ways to show reviews on direct platforms. As discussed in the above videos, Choice Hotels is verifying reviews that are posted on its website, and TrustYou is a company offering tools and solutions for Travel and Tourism companies to display credible reviews to customers. Expedia is also taking step to ensure only true customers can leave reviews, whilst also displaying TripAdvisor posts alongside these.

Foursquare is a mobile app and review site for food, drink, activities and shopping, on which comments are always linked to specific locations. The site has more than 55 million users worldwide who have ‘checked in’ to locations over seven billion times. Business can ‘claim’ their locations in order to interact with the customers who are posting on the site. Two million businesses have done this so far. Research shows that connecting with customers who are leaving reviews can have a positive impact on business.

One review site that covers all industries is Yelp. In the first quarter of 2015 more than 50% of Yelp content (reviews and photos) was generated on mobile devices and 65% of searches came from mobile devices. Interestingly in the first quarter of 2015 there were many more positive reviews posted than negative ones with 42% of reviews giving a 5 star rating, 25% giving 4 stars and only 14% of reviews giving 1 star.

Validity and trust is of course important to the success of review sites themselves. Yelp has a review filter which it says helps to spot fake reviews. It has taken legal action against people trying to buy and sell reviews and has recently filed a lawsuit against a company which falsely said it could remove negative reviews form the site.  Yelp is not the only company taking this kind of action. Amazon too has recently taken out a lawsuit over fake reviews.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

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