ENGAGE AND RETAIN YOUR BEST GUESTS

CONTENT PERSONALIZATION ON THE HOTEL WEBSITE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ..………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..….……………....………..……….…..

What Is Content Personalization? ..…….……………..……………….….……………………………....………………….…………….…….

Why Is Personalization Important? ……….………...…….……………………….……………………….……..………………...…………….

The Key Benefits Of Personalization …………….……………………….………………………...……..……………………….………….…

Build Your Brand Equity ..…………….…………..…………………………………..….……………………………..……………………..

Engage Your Website Visitors …………….………………………….…………………….………..….…………….…….…………….

Increase Direct Bookings ……………………………..…………………….……………………………..………………………….….....

How Does Content Personalization Work? .………………………….……………………………..….…….…………..…………………..

Personalize Content Through Every Phase Of The Travel Planning Journey………...….…..…………………………….

What Can Be Personalized? ……….…………………………….……………………………..………………..………………………...……….…

Targeting Metrics ..……….……………………………………………….……………………………..…………………..…………………...….….…..

Personalization In Action: A California Hotel Drove Bookings With Targeted Content Through CPE .......…

Personalization In Action: Hotel Drives Local Guest Conversions With Content Optimization ……….............

About NextGuest Digital …….………...…………………….……………………………..…………………………………………....…….…..…..

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INTRODUCTION

Personalization in the hospitality industry isn’t a new concept. Hotels often provide personalized in-room and

on-property experiences, so why should the website experience be the same for all visitors?

It’s not enough to present potential guests with static website content and expect them to find what they’re looking for

and make a reservation. In fact, a Salesforce study found that by 2020, 51% of consumers will expect brands to

anticipate their needs and make relevant suggestions.

Through personalization, hotels can create a dynamic user experience. Rather than one broad experience that

attempts to reach all possible travelers, hotels have the ability to create unique content that appeals to different

segments in order to achieve specific business needs. In this way, the hotel website can — and should — be the

primary channel for engaging the hotel’s best guests.

CONTENT PERSONALIZATION?WHAT IS

Content personalization is a strategy that relies on visitor data to deliver relevant content, such as images, marketing

messages, and promotions. By segmenting your traffic based on geographic, demographic, and behavioral targeting

metrics, you can show different users unique content that helps them find what they’re looking for more quickly and

easily, which can increase conversion rates among your various customer segments.

#1 #2 #3 #4

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PERSONALIZATION IMPORTANT?WHY IS

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Travelers have more demands than ever before. With so many options on the Internet and

across social media channels, they no longer ask for personalized experiences — they’ve come

to expect them. Without personalized content, you may be missing out on revenue

opportunities. Nearly 80% of consumers say they’re more likely to engage with offers that are

personalized to reflect previous interactions they’ve had with the brand (Marketo).

“Even when you are marketing to your entire audience or customer base, you are still simply

speaking to a single human at any given time.

ANN HANDLEY, DIGITAL MARKETING PIONEER, WRITER AND SPEAKER

PERSONALIZATIONTHE KEY BENEFITS OF

While creating a unique experience for your customers is important, personalization can also help you focus your

marketing efforts. By using findings from content personalization to better understand your website visitors, you can

create new strategies or optimize existing ones to engage visitors throughout the travel planning journey — ultimately

leading to more direct bookings.

Content personalization also helps build your brand equity. Because your hotel website is the first interaction a guest

has with your hotel — long before they set foot on the property and experience it for themselves — a tailored website

experience that mirrors the on-property experience is sure to make a lasting, positive first impression.

On the following pages, we dive deeper into three of the key benefits of content personalization: building your brand

equity, engaging your website visitors, and increasing direct bookings.

Whether it’s a boutique property in a resort destination, a

secluded lodge in the woods, or a global hotel chain in a

bustling city, every hotel has its own unique brand. But long

before a guest sets foot on your property, they land on your

website. This may be the first time they’re hearing your name

and taking a look at your property. And like any first impression,

you don’t get a second chance.

Personalized content goes a long way in making a strong first

impression. Welcome first-time visitors with a personalized

message or deliver a special offer based on their location. This

first interaction can set the tone for the rest of your relationship,

as well as how they perceive your brand.

Of course, personalization shouldn’t stop at the first interaction.

Users visit multiple websites over the course of several days

before booking a hotel. According to Google, more than 40% of

travelers say they bounce back and forth between dreaming

about and planning their next trip. In order to strengthen the

customer relationship, utilize personalization to welcome return

visitors with a custom message. By tailoring messaging and

creating content that resonates, you can help guide customers

through dreaming and planning to the booking phase.

Even if a potential guest is still not quite ready to book, your

hotel is likely to remain top of mind as a brand that offers a

personalized experience.

#1 BUILD YOUR BRAND EQUITY

THE BENEFITS

Personalization is key in order to ensure a dynamic user

experience for your website visitors. By personalizing

content, you can tailor the website experience and engage

your audience by serving unique content in the right place,

at the right time, and to the right users.

Utilizing demographic and behavioral targeting makes it

possible for hotels to serve specific messages to various

customer segments. For example, if mobile users are more

likely to search for same-day stay dates, you can conclude

they’re searching for last-minute accommodations. Appeal

to these users with messaging that conveys urgency, for

example: “Stay Tonight: Receive Free Breakfast & Wi-Fi.”

Or, if a user lands on your website from Google or from one

of your social media accounts, you can deduce that they’re

interested in your brand or destination. Present them with a

destination-focused marketing message, like: “Stay at our

boutique hotel in the heart of Manhattan, near the best

shopping, dining, and entertainment in the city.” According

to a Google study, 67% of travelers are more likely to book

with a travel brand that provides relevant information for the

destinations they’re interested in. Providing this relevant

content can engage visitors and move them further down

the path to purchase.

#2 ENGAGE YOUR WEBSITE VISITORS

THE BENEFITS

More direct bookings is the ultimate goal of content

personalization. The objective of tailoring your website content is

to nurture users through the travel planning journey, from their

first website visit to the moment they click the Reserve Now

button.

Although converting every guest doesn’t happen overnight, with

the right personalization strategy in place, the effects will be seen

in no time. By creating unique content for each of your customer

segments, as well as the various phases throughout the travel

planning journey, you can build brand equity, engage your

website visitors, and finally, win more direct bookings through

your hotel website.

#3 INCREASE DIRECT BOOKINGS

THE BENEFITS

CONTENT PERSONALIZATION WORK?HOW DOES

NextGuest Digital’s content personalization application utilizes more than 64 targeting metrics to help you create custom audiences. Once an audience is defined, it’s easy to serve relevant content, such as hero images and marketing messages, to meet your business needs and goals.

THE SCENARIO

A resort property that receives a number of repeat visitors each year noticed their ADR was dropping. In an effort to boost ADR, they decided to personalize elements of their website to encourage users to book their suites, which typically see a longer length of stay.

Before building their audience, they first identified who their target market was: previous guests with high HHI located in key markets. Taking all this into consideration, the resort built a custom audience with the following targeting parameters:

Median Household Income:

$100k+ (to reach people with higher purchasing power)

Has Visited:

The suites page on the website (to target past visitors with a suite-focused marketing message)

Average Cart Total:

$2,000+ (to target guests who stayed longer or booked suites)

OF THE TRAVEL PLANNING JOURNEYPERSONALIZE CONTENT THROUGH EVERY PHASE

DREAMING

Reaching potential guests in the dreaming phase is just as important as reaching those farther into the travel planning

journey. Capturing these guests with personalized content from the beginning increases the chance that they will

later become a guest of your hotel. What types of personalization can be utilized on the website and through

marketing to reach these visitors?

Targeting Metrics:

● The hour of the day is between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.○ People often dream during work hours.

● The website visitor came from a social media channel.○ More people coming from social media are still in the

dreaming phase.● The website visitor has never been to your website before.

○ Oftentimes these visitors are still in the upper funnel.

Content Example:

Update the homepage hero image to include messaging such as “Near Everything You’d Want & Everything You’d Need.” Show this content to travelers most likely in the dreaming phase by targeting visitors who are on your website between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. (people often dream during work hours), visitors who are coming from social media channels, and visitors who have never visited your website before.

OF THE TRAVEL PLANNING JOURNEYPERSONALIZE CONTENT THROUGH EVERY PHASE

PLANNING

The planning phase begins when someone has decided on a destination and begins to plan the details of their trip. At

this point, consumers are researching transportation, hotel accommodations, and activities.

Targeting Metrics:

● The visitor’s average time on the website is more than 3 minutes.○ People in the planning phase typically spend more time

browsing content on the website.● The visitor landed on the destination information page.

○ They are looking for more information in order to plan their trip.

● The visitor arrived at the website from an SEM ad. ○ These visitors are actively looking on search engines for

more information about your hotel and the destination.

Content Example:

Utilize promo tiles on the homepage that link to special offers or discounts in order to encourage visitors to enter the booking phase. Target those whose average time on the website is more than 3 minutes (these people are planning and spending more time browsing content), visitors who land on the destination information page, and visitors who arrive at the website from SEM ads (they are actively on search engines looking for information about your hotel.

OF THE TRAVEL PLANNING JOURNEYPERSONALIZE CONTENT THROUGH EVERY PHASE

BOOKING

The booking phase happens when consumers have narrowed down their accommodation options and are ready to

commit to one. At this phase it’s important to convey a sense of urgency in order to sway users to choose your hotel.

Targeting Metrics:

● The user abandoned a booking.○ These users are qualified and have shown serious

interest in booking your hotel.● The user’s average time spent on the website is more than five

minutes.○ These users are engaging with your content.

Content Example:

Include a promo tile or marketing message on the home page hero image that urges bookings, such as “Book Before They’re Gone.” To capture travelers in the booking phase, target visitors who have abandoned a booking and have been on the site for over five minutes.

WHAT CAN BE PERSONALIZED?

Hero Image Marketing Messages

Body Copy + URL Redirects

Promo Tiles

Special Offers

Behavioral targeting utilizes data collected from a cookie, which

tracks a website visitor’s online behavior. This includes things

like whether or not the user has visited the website before or

how long they typically stay on the website.

Behavioral targeting metrics include:

● visitor type

● last visited

● total time on site

● current session duration

● average time on site

● booking initiated

● time since last booking

● abandoned a booking

● initiated a booking with children

BEHAVIORAL TARGETINGTARGETING METRICS

Geographic targeting looks at a website visitor’s IP

address to deliver content based on where they’re

located. This can be utilized to target specific feeder

markets for hotels, such as international or in-state

travelers. Date and time targeting can be utilized to

advertise limited-time offers or push day-of bookings.

Content Personalization Engine 2.0 geographic and

date/time targeting metrics include:

● current time

● day of the week

● country

● state or region

● city

● time zone

GEOGRAPHIC, DATE & TIME TARGETING

TARGETING METRICS

Booking and conversion targeting is utilized once a user has

completed a booking. This type of targeting can be used to

promote on-property events, restaurants, and more. Targeting

users who have already booked can help boost ancillary

revenue and increase overall guest satisfaction, which promotes

customer loyalty and repeat guests.

Booking and conversion targeting metrics include:

● completed a booking

● check-in date

● check-out date

● most recent booking cart total

● average cart total across all reservations

● most recent booking length of stay

BOOKING & CONVERSION TARGETING

TARGETING METRICS

By tapping into the hotel’s loyalty metrics, such as RFM

value, membership level, and point balance, you can

address loyalty-specific business needs, such as

increasing the number of members and encouraging

current members to continue to the next level in the

membership program.

Loyalty and CRM targeting metrics include:

● visitor generation

● visitor point balance

● visitor membership level

● account age

● number of bookings

● gender

● RFM Value

LOYALTY & CRM TARGETING

TARGETING METRICS

Other targeting options for hotels include device type, device

model, and operating system. These can be beneficial for hotels

with apps. For example, a personalized marketing message can

prompt a mobile user to download your app if they accessed

your website using their smartphone.

Miscellaneous targeting metrics include:

● median household annual income

● query string parameter

● cookie value

● user agent type

● device type

● device model

● screen resolution

MISCELLANEOUS TARGETING

TARGETING METRICS

GOALS

The client wanted to increase conversions and total booking revenue using targeted content within the hotel website.

EXECUTION

The NextGuest Digital team created targeted messaging for the advanced purchase rate aimed at family travelers and California residents. Utilizing the content personalization engine, the team displayed the content to website visitors coming from California, those who had initiated a booking at least seven days in advance, and those who initiated a booking with children.

A CALIFORNIA HOTEL DROVE BOOKINGS WITH TARGETED CONTENT THROUGH CPE

PERSONALIZATION IN ACTION:

22%INCREASE CVR

123BOOKINGS

$72KREVENUE

RESULTSOver one month the hotel saw a 22% increase in year-over-year conversion rates, a 135% increase in

average revenue per visitor, and a 9.6% increase in average revenue per booking across all website visits.

GOALS

The hotel wanted to increase revenue and total website bookings from California residents by creating and implementing engaging promotional content across the website.

EXECUTION

Utilizing the content personalization engine, the NextGuest Digital team targeted California website visitors with enticing marketing messages, header images, and promotional tiles across top pages on the website.

HOTEL DRIVES LOCAL GUEST CONVERSIONS WITH CONTENT OPTIMIZATION

PERSONALIZATION IN ACTION:

$22KREVENUE INCREASE

8KVISITOR ENGAGEMENT

INCREASE

80%BOOKING INCREASE

RESULTSThe hotel more than doubled revenue year over year for the month of June from this

segment and saw an additional 47 nights from the California audience.

NextGuest provides hoteliers with everything

they need to thrive in the digital world. Through

its subsidiary divisions, the company provides

digital marketing, CRM services, technology

solutions, and high-level consulting to some of

the world’s top hotel brands. Based in New

York City, the company is comprised of

NextGuest Digital, CRM, Labs, and Consulting.

Each arm of the company offers stand-alone

services, while together they provide an

all-encompassing partner that helps hoteliers

acquire, engage, and retain their next guest.

www.nextguest.com

(800) 649-5076

hello@nextguest.com

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