As a hotel owner or manager, you want your hotel to be competitive in all ways. One way you can do that is to embrace digital technology and take advantage of it to increase productivity, enhance services and connect with customers. You need to understand how this fits into your overall marketing strategy. Digital means different things to different people so here is a general breakdown of what each term means:
E-Commerce
This is the backbone of any smart hotel marketing plan. E-commerce includes using electronic means (cell phones, iPads, laptops) to facilitate communications and interactions between customers and/or staff. It also involves utilizing social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) for advertising, and having the latest technology to make sure guests are satisfied with their experience (customer satisfaction surveys). This is a “push” technique rather than a “pull.” However, if you pull, you will lose the customer and incur high expenses as well as potential customer attrition.
Digital signage
A signage or digital display designed and operated by a third party vendor to communicate information to a specific group of people (i.e., your guest list). It may also refer to digital signage panels that can be mounted on hotel walls, windows and other structures (e.g., a game board). These panels display advertising and promotional messages (usually in the form of photos). They are used for attracting customers, reminding current clients of special offers, and announcing changes in menu or service.
Mobile
Mobile devices such as smart phones, lap top computers, tablet computers and other devices allow customers to use them for their everyday activities. They are becoming integral elements of our day-to-day lives. Examples include, ordering food, paying with plastic money or with a debit/credit card, and browsing the web (think Google, Amazon, and Yelp). Think about all the possibilities and how easy it is to see why they are so popular!
Digital signage can be an effective tool in helping a hotel build a cohesive digital strategy. It is inexpensive, simple to use, and adds instant value to your business. Integrating it into your hotel will help you grow, attract new customers and improve productivity.