Hospitality Industry Gets a Boost from IT in 2018

Constant technological advancements are transforming every single industry these days, and the hospitality industry is definitely not an exception. The changes that IT brings to the industry are plentiful and revolutionizing, and there are several areas where they are particularly seen: marketing, automation, self-service, and tech-powered facilities. Let’s have a closer look.

Marketing

Technology is helping hospitality businesses take their marketing to a whole new level. They can now create visual content of significantly higher quality, as well as continually optimize their PPC marketing efforts.

1. Drone Photography and Videos

Drones are making it possible for any business to shoot high-quality videos and capture compelling aerial photos of their hotels, restaurants and other facilities. You know that a picture is worth a thousand words, but do you know how many words a video is worth? According to a Forrester Research finding, a minute of video is worth 1.8 million words.

Therefore, don’t miss an opportunity to drive more customers to your door. Get a professional drone, get your drone license, and start creating enticing photos and videos that you will implement on your website. Your customers will love it!

2. Improved PPC Marketing

You no longer have to make endless guesses to try and understand what your target audience wants so that you can present them with compelling offers while they’re googling something or scrolling through their social media feeds.

There are now dozens of tools to help you optimize your PPC marketing and help you stand out from the competition, always reach the right type of audience, and present the right offers at the right time.

Google Ads Keyword Planner is continually improving and remains the best tool for refining your keyword strategy, but you should also use Google AdWords Editor, Optimizely and iSpionage to further enhance your PPC campaign and make sure it always leads to positive results.

Automation and Self-Service

By providing various automation and self-service options, IT advancements are helping businesses in the hospitality industry considerably improve their efforts. They are now able to automate their repetitive tasks and provide customers with very convenient self-service options, thereby improving both their operational performance and customer experience.

1. Chatbots and AI

AI-powered chatbots enable customers to get answers to their questions 24/7, with absolutely no waiting time. Chatbots provide instant answers, they can interact with multiple users simultaneously, and they are programmed to truly understand what users are saying so that they can give them relevant information.

In order for them to do that and go beyond their predetermined questions and answers, they need to have a great AI system. SnatchBot is a chatbot-building platform that has a very powerful AI system that allows you to apply smart Machine Learning to your NLP (Natural Language Processing) model. You can use the SnatchBot platform to create a chatbot with the best AI – completely for free.

2. Direct Booking Options

Enabling direct booking on your website will provide your customers with a fantastic experience, as they don’t need to give you a call or visit your establishment to book a room, check in and out of your hotel, book a table at your restaurant, or book any other hospitality service you offer.

With just a few simple clicks, using any device they want, they can make their bookings and save a lot of precious time. Your staff will also have more time on their hands, and you’ll save quite a bit of money in the process.

Tech-Powered Facilities

Technological innovations are also facilitating the birth of tech-powered facilities of the future. They are making it possible for any business in the hospitality industry to create truly outstanding customer experiences that go far beyond the self-service as we know it.

1. IoT in Rooms and Facilities

The Internet of Things (IoT) both reduces costs and enhances customer experience, as it is a network of all physical devices, appliances and various other items that are powered by electronics, sensors, and software. By connecting them to one another, they can collect and exchange data necessary for upgrading and personalizing the experiences of your guests.

For instance, you can use IoT to control room temperature in your hotel, and even detect when a room is empty so that your cleaning staff can do their job at the most appropriate time. You can also enable your guests to use their smartphones as room keys, as well as use them to control the lighting and the heating and cooling system.

You can also send various reminders to both your staff and your guests, making sure that your facility is always efficient and effective. The possibilities are really endless with IoT.

2. IT-Friendly Lobby, Meeting Rooms, etc.

IT is increasingly being implemented in lobbies as well. Lobbies have reliable Wi-Fi, various power sockets, USB charging ports, and comfy co-working areas with laptops that are perfect for guests who need to complete some quick tasks or simply need a casual environment to work in.

The same goes for IT-friendly meeting rooms, which are rapidly sprouting from the grounds of numerous hotels nowadays. You can provide your guests with an opportunity to finish all their work-related tasks without ever leaving your hotel, which they would find incredibly convenient, as it would save them both time and money and actually make the experience very pleasant.

3. Online Concierge for Improved Convenience

If you want to take customer experience to an even higher level, you can hire an online concierge, who will help guests book their rooms, make restaurant reservations, book your hotel spa or transportation, assist them with city tours, recommend the best places around the city, provide them with special events tickets, arrange assistance regarding luggage and parcels, and help them with any other travel and hotel arrangements.

Your chatbot can also be your online concierge. Visit SnatchBot’s Bot Store and use one of the pre-built templates specifically designed for the hospitality industry. You can deploy it on any channel you want with a just a few simple clicks and turn every customer’s experience into a delight.

Are you already leveraging some of these technological advances? Are there some other tech innovations that you would add to the list? Feel free to share in the comments section!