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Could Photos and Videos Drive Conversions for Your Hotel?

Could Photos and Videos Drive Conversions for Your Hotel?

Brian Fitzgerald
Brian Fitzgerald March 24, 2021
Could Photos and Videos Drive Conversions for Your Hotel?

We all know a photo is worth 1,000 words, but did you know it’s also potentially worth a large boost in conversions for your hotel?

In the first part of our vanity website series, we talked about how a vanity website can set your hotels apart by showcasing your unique personality alongside the many cookie-cutter websites out there. Today, we’re focusing on one of the core ways that you can actually do that — and that is through photography, video, and other visuals.

According to a study done by TripAdvisor, having at least one photo on a property page led to a 138% increase in traveler engagement and a 225% increase in booking inquiries. There is no doubt that images and videos can make all the difference when it comes to a traveler picking between your property and the one down the road. And a vanity website can set you apart.

The Difference Photography Makes

hilton-garden-inn-website-homepage

If you look at the above example from the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Downtown, you can see the first images a traveler sees are small and don’t fill up the full width or height of the screen. As you scroll through the page, there aren’t many more visuals, period. There’s a lot of text and bullet points. There are some icons, but all in all, there really isn’t much that is visually compelling.

In our experience, we see that good, strong photography is really the way to sell your property. That’s what consumers want to see when they get to your property page. They want to be able to see the exterior of your building, so they know what to look for when they arrive. They want to see the bed that they’re going to be sleeping in and they want to see the bathroom to make sure that it’s clean. A past comScore study found that the average traveler looks at 34 websites when researching — does yours stand out?

cambria-downtown-asheville-homepage

Take the Hilton Garden Inn example and compare it to this next example where you immediately have a large image that fills almost the entire screen. As you scroll along the homepage, you’re introduced to more and more visuals, more and more imagery. Those visuals help to sell and differentiate this property by giving the user all sorts of information about the overall property, the amenities, and the different room types that exist.

Showcase Your Hotel Property with Visuals

Presentation of your imagery is a key thing. The other thing a vanity website allows you to do is leverage other assets that you might have. The property above also has virtual tours so the user can explore and look around the rooms. This is a really engaging and useful utility for the end user who is trying to make a decision about whether they want to stay at your property or another one.

The final thing a vanity website can allow for is the use of video. If your property has video assets, you can leverage them by having that video right on the homepage, playing as soon as the user gets there. This can be a really compelling way to capture their attention and show off what makes your property special by having it play right on the homepage, so a user doesn’t have to click or look around for it. It’s introduced to them right when they load the page.

A vanity website that displays your property’s unique personality through dynamic visuals just might be what sets you apart and leads to conversions.

In the next part of our vanity website series, we’ll explore the SEO benefits that comes with a vanity website and allow your properties to be more visible on search engines. If you’re thinking about a vanity website for your hotel, please get in touch with us today.