One of the main issues during the presentation was 'Signature Photos' for each hotel. Since web bookers may be scanning a long list of potential offerings on Travelocity, Expedia, TripAdvisor, etc... is the photo of your hotel going to 'grab the users attention' and make them click on your
listing?I happened to use a listing from TripAdvisor as an example of how a great Caribbean hotels love to show photos of swimming pools when they have the best beaches in the world if they turn the camera in the other direction.
If I saw this photo - I might scan right past it if I was looking for a hotel with a beach.
As a consumer, I assume that a hotel will present their best feature - and this photo makes me assume that this hotel doesn't have a great beach - if they did, wouldn't they show it?
I made the remark that from this photo - this hotel could just as easily be in Kissamee, Florida as in the Caribbean... it was a rather generic photo...
Hoteliers love showing off the things that they build, maintain and walk past every day - walls, front doors, porticos, pools and furniture (especially beds) - while travel shoppers are looking for beaches, magical aquamarine waters, something different and special that will enhance a unique vacation Experience....
The GM of the hotel happened to be sitting right in front of me and very firmly told me that 'this pool is one of the top 10 pools in the Caribbean - we win awards all the time and it is a stunning infinity pool that overlooks the ocean".....
The woman sitting next to him said - "Oh, people LOVE infinity pools" - and she was right....
But this photo doesn't give the travel buyer any idea - it undersells the property...
If the photo captured the spectacular infinity pool with a palm tree, the magical blue/green water and perhaps a glimpse of the hotel or beach... it would be the type of 'signature photo' that STOPS SHOPPERS from scanning and converts lookers to bookers....
To be fair, this hotel does have some good photos on TripAdvisor that do show its unique position between ocean and bay and next to legendary Dawn Beach... but if travel shoppers don't respond to the first photo/listing they see - they'll never click on the hotel and then again on HOTEL PHOTOS to see the good stuff....
So, remember that consumers are assumers....
They will assume that you feature your very best photo....
and make snap judgments in the 'blink of an eye' as to what hotel in a long list will appeal to them.... Look for your own 'signature photo' that has a high information quotient that sets you apart from the competition....
You'll sell more rooms as soon as the change is made.....
Caribbean Consulting will be working with two new hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico this week - and our first step is always to define a new client's 'signature photo' that forms the base of our product positioning and information distribution....
