Buy a Hotel and Optimize Its Mobile Features

You’re at a coffee shop. People are on their phones. You’re at the DMV. People are on their phones. You’re walking down the sidewalk and someone bumps into you…because they’re using their phone. It’s easy to see how absorbed the world is in their mobile devices – it’s all around us every day. When you buy a hotel, you need to be sensitive to this fact. You more than likely have some mobile features in place already, but in this “on to the next thing” society, you can’t rest on your laurels. Today in the Southeast International Hotel Brokers blog we’ll talk about how to continue to be relevant in the mobile space after you buy a hotel.

Evolving with a Mobile World

Don’t let the prospect of an ever-changing mobile environment intimidate you. Luckily, it’s become easier than ever to upgrade and change your systems to meet the demand of mobile users. The most important thing is to pay attention to the trends, see what the competition has in place, and make sure you’re not falling behind. When you buy a hotel, you’ll have to adjust strategy based on whether you have a franchised property or an independent property. A franchised property makes it easy. Corporate will most likely already have mobile measures in place and, depending on the company, they’ll most likely be caught up or innovating the mobile hospitality landscape. If you buy a hotel that isn’t an established name, you may need to come up with your own strategy for mobile. Whether you outsource the work or you do it in-house, there are certain expectations you’ll have to meet.

How You Can Keep Up

Innovating and forward thinking is great, but your hotel needs to at least be on par with hotels of similar stature. Falling behind will cause guests to be dissatisfied and can cause you to lose business. Let’s look at some of the bare minimum measures you should have in place.

Mobile-Optimized Website

More bookings happen from mobile phones than ever. If your hotel website isn’t optimized for mobile phones, you risk frustrating potential customers. Websites that aren’t optimized for mobile are difficult to navigate, and users may just give up and find a hotel that makes it easier.

A Mobile App

While not necessarily required, it’s highly recommended to create a mobile app when you buy a hotel. There’s so much that a mobile app can offer customers. Here are just a few things they can do for your guests:

• Make and Cancel Reservations
• Track Loyalty Points
• Mobile Check-In
• Order Room Service
• View Hotel Amenities
• Much More

Not having a mobile app is a big missed opportunity. Plus, you can send mobile app users special deals and offers in the slow seasons to drive revenue. It’s easy to see why having a mobile app is quickly becoming essential to the hotel industry.

Keep it Simple

Remember, your mobile upgrades don’t need to be complicated. In fact, sometimes simplicity is appreciated. Just look at what works best for your business model and implement accordingly. As long as your mobile features work well for guests, they’ll be much more satisfied.

Buy a Hotel with Southeast International Hotel Brokers

If you’re currently in the market to buy a hotel, contact Southeast International Hotel Brokers. We walk you through the entire sales process while removing a lot of the hassle. For more information, give us a call or view our website.