Website for a hotel or B&B: get guests to book direct

You're competing with another tab

A guest who lands on your hotel site almost always has Booking.com or Airbnb open in another tab. They're comparing: is the room really as nice as in the photos, and will I get a better deal here?

Their fear: a room that disappoints, or a worse price than elsewhere. What they're looking for: a special experience, and the freedom to cancel if their plans change.

Your site doesn't need to be prettier than Booking. It needs to be more honest and more personal.

Start with a small step

Booking direct is a big step. Unbounce's benchmarks show that the bigger the commitment, the lower the share of visitors who take it. For accommodation the median was 3.7%.

So make the first step small: "Check availability". Someone picks dates and sees which rooms are free, without committing to anything. The "Book direct" button only comes after that.

On your first screen, say where you are, what kind of stay you offer, and that date search field.

Rooms with real photos

Then your rooms. For each room:

• Real photos in real light, with something that shows the size. A wide-angle lens that makes a small room look big feels like deception on arrival.
• The size in m², the bed and the bathroom.
• A from-price, so the guest can compare with the other tab.

Why book direct?

Many hotels write "Book direct for the best price". Only list advantages that are really true:

• A lower price than on booking sites, if that's the case.
• Free cancellation up to a certain date.
• Breakfast, parking or a late check-out included.
• Direct contact with you, for special requests.

An advantage that doesn't hold up when checked costs you more trust than it earns.

Reviews and surroundings

Show your Booking.com or Google score, with the number of reviews. Choose reviews that say something specific about the room, the breakfast or the hospitality.

Then describe your surroundings. What's nearby, how far is the station, where can you eat? A guest doesn't just book a room, but a stay in a place.

Practical information and cancelling

At the bottom, everything a guest wants to know before booking:

• Check-in and check-out: from and until what time.
• Parking, pets, children, accessibility.
• Cancellation terms, clear and not in small print. For many guests this is the deciding factor.

The total price

Before payment, show the guest the total price, including tourist tax and other mandatory costs. According to the ACM, the Dutch consumer authority, you state the total price from the first moment. An amount that suddenly goes up at the last step is the fastest way to send a guest back to the other tab.

Does your booking system use another domain? Then say so, so the guest isn't alarmed when the address bar changes.

Fake scarcity

"Only 1 room left!" It's on many booking sites. Only put it on your own site if it's really true at that moment. According to the ACM, scarcity that isn't true is misleading.

The tone

Sensory and specific: breakfast with eggs from the farm down the road, the view from the third floor. A luxury hotel can sound calm and restrained, a family-friendly B&B practical.

Better left out

• Room photos that make reality look better.
• A booking domain without explanation.
• No cancellation terms.
• "1 room left" when it isn't true.