Understand today's travelers, what the goal of your website should be, and the different types of online booking engines to optimize your resort's online presence and encourage direct reservations!

1. Optimizing Your Resort’s Presence For
Online Reservations
Converting Online Visitors Into Paying Customers

2. Introduction
Fun MN Landmark Trivia!
Quick “Poll”
Today’s Traveler
The goal of your web site
What is a “Booking Engine”?
Available “Types” of booking engines
Features of a booking engine
Q & A / Discussion
Agenda

3. Jeff Hebrink
Customer Success Consultant
RezStream
 Over 8 years in the
Resort/Hospitality software industry
 Started with MunsenWare / Guest
Tracker in 1998
 Born and raised in MN. Currently
live in Elk River, MN
 Married with 2 boys
 Enjoy fishing, golfing, boating,
hiking, outdoors. (And TV!)

4. Who is RezStream?
 Established in 2005
 Headquartered in Denver, CO
 22 employees
 Software, website design, digital marketing
 Independent properties
 Average size property is 13 units
Who we are:
What we do:

5. Now, for the good stuff…

6. Quick Poll
Do you currently use a PMS (Property Management
System) at your resort?
Do you currently show availability on your web site?
Do you currently offer online reservations at your resort?

7. Today’s Traveler
Over 148 million reservations are made online every
year (and growing).
Over 60% of ALL leisure travel reservations are
made online
Over 65% are made on “Brand” web site (not
Expedia, Booking.com, etc.)
97% of people now prefer to find business online
Over 50% of today’s travelers will rush to the
keyboard, rather than the phone to make their travel
bookings

8. What is the goal of YOUR web site?
Provide resort information
Showcase your resort
Show amenities
View activities
Showcase area
Get them to MAKE A RESERVATION!!!!

9. What is a “Booking Engine”?
Simply put, your booking engine is an online
system that shows availability and/or makes
reservations 24/7/365. It’s a solution that
communicates with your Property Management
System (PMS) to update your calendar and
availability either real-time or periodic updates.

10. Pros
 ?
 ?
 ?
 ?
Cons
 ?
 ?
 ?
 ?

11. Types of Booking Engines…

12. “View only”
 The ability for users to view a
calendar and check your availability
(real time or periodically updated) or
type in requested dates to see
availability.
 User must call to book the
reservation.

13. Reservation “Request”
 The ability to view availability (real
time or periodically updated) and
fill out a form to “request” a
reservation.
 User must wait to hear back as to
whether the reservation will be
accepted.

14. “Book Now / Make a Reservation”
 The ability to view a calendar or enter
dates and finish the booking online in
real time.
 No waiting for a response, no need to
call.

15. Why do I need a booking engine?
 Can book on THEIR time, not yours
User’s are looking at work, or late at night
 No need to keep looking
They like your property, why go anywhere else?
 Instant gratification
Receive instant response that their vacation is booked
It benefits the guest:

16. It benefits you!
 Can book on THEIR time, not yours
User’s are looking at work, or late at night.
Like having a 24/7/365 employee booking reservations.
 No need to keep looking
They like your property, why go anywhere else?
Don’t let them find another property because they can’t book yours.
 Instant gratification
Receive instant response that their vacation is booked.
No need for you to respond with a call or email (unless you want).

17. “… It allows customers to do their own figuring out of their
specific vacation. For example, they have 8 people and need so
many beds and need a specific time frame. When they call us
up they have already figured out exactly what they need. I think
it sets us apart because they figure things out ahead of time so
when they call they know exactly what they want. It also helps
in that we don't need to keep waiting lists or contact customers
that were looking for a cabin. Often by the time you call them
back they have found something else. Our availability or lack
there of has considerably improved since we went
online. Before we went online with the cloud we used to have to
update ourselves and now we don't have to…”
Linda Schultz, Ten Mile Lake Resort

18. The “Little Things” matter…

19. Matching “Theme”…
Make sure that your booking engine matches your web site!!

20. Booking “Widgets”
 Put one on every page of
your web site.
People want to be able
to book as soon as they
have enough information
to do so.

21. Individual Unit
Calendars
 Individual unit pages on web site AND
individual unit calendars on those pages.
 When a guest finds a unit they like, let them
book it!!

22. Mobile!!!
 Make it easy to book with your fingers!!
 MOST of the people browsing the internet are
doing it on mobile devices.

23. Keep them engaged in the process

24. “Clickable” links
“Clickable” links that will provide more information
without leaving the booking engine.

25. Booking stages
Let them know what “stage” they are in

26. Transparency
Let them easily see selection, prices and be able to
add/remove easily.

27. Sell “Add-ons”!!
 “Get ‘em while they’re
hot!!”
 Showcase add-on
products/packages.

28. Final Thoughts…
Think like the guest
There’s no “One size fits all”
Find the “Right” solution
Ease into it
Ask questions!
Thoughts? Questions?