The Gloria Hotel Dubai is leading the way in the hospitality industry with the incorporation of a website, SEO and booking engine bundle from the travel industry’s very own Sabre Holdings
When I read the article about the Gloria Hotel Dubai I was encouraged. I have been trying to help businesses and individuals alike in this region get to grips with Digital Marketing for the last 4 years. I was encouraged to read that a hotel (of which there are many in Dubai) is seeing the value in holistic web solutions to increase their bottom line revenue. I’m not familiar with the Sabre offering of tools and solutions, but I am familiar with their industry leading flight booking system, which I used many years ago in Canada during my ‘industrial placement’ year on the outskirts of Toronto.
What spurred me to put 21st century pen to paper was the fact that in this region, there is so much going on within the Digital World but so much of it is not providing the kind of value that is should. Companies are trying certain things online but the consumer is not responding, which tells me there is a gap in the market. Like so many things in this part of the world, others have to go first. It has to be seen to be working before others will try it. This is demonstrated perfectly in the questions asked by companies and individuals evaluating a Digital strategy, or any deliverable within it. One question in particular. ‘Who have you done this for already?’ Whilst I understand the reason for this question, it also makes me understand that a lot of companies and individuals are still stuck in the old way of doing business, basing their decision on ‘covering their own ass’ and then of course price. Value is not something that is really understood and pioneering a way forwards and leading the way, doesn’t seem to be the way forwards. I often answer the question with the explanation that what has been done for someone else, in terms of their digital strategy, is really irrelevant to your business and the way that your digital strategy will be designed.
For anyone that reads this and is looking at a Digital Strategy or any of the executables within one, I urge you to take Monique Jaspers-Wijn (VP of BD EMEA, Sabre Hospitality Solutions) words to heart and make the change – “Even today, hotel websites are created according to design aspects without much attention for sales conversions. The tight connection of website content and services offered by the hotel’s booking engine is most important to drive online conversions and eCommerce,”
I know this is particular to their software and to the hospitality industry, but the message rings true across the board. Start paying attention to the things that matter in your business – YOUR CUSTOMERS – how can you offer your customers a better service that they are willing and happy to pay for. How do you offer it to more of those customers? How do you become visible to those customers? How do you make their journey with you as simple as possible? How do you communicate with them? What channels? Where do you need to be visible? Are they even online??
From a business perspective, how can you show your shareholders, internal and external increased revenue, increased profit, increased interest in your product or services across various channels, that you are pushing the business forwards by understanding and utilising this awesome tool called the internet?
If you are thinking about your digital presence, your online marketing, your digital marketing strategy, your SEO, PPC, social media approach, your online PR or your business blog, drop us a line at strategy@maximumnetgain.com and we will help you decide how to offer your customers a holistic online experience like the Gloria Hotel Dubai.
