DATA ANALYTICS APPLICATIONS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Attracting new customers and encouraging them to return are constant challenges in the hospitality
industry. In a competitive sector where potential customers have a wide range of options to choose
from, it is essential to find effective ways to stand out from the crowd. Customer analytics solutions can
be very effective here, identifying problem areas and improving marketing efforts. Here are some ways
data analytics can help boost hospitality business.

A unified customer experience

Many customers use multiple devices when browsing, booking, and following up with hotels. It is
therefore important not only to have a mobile-friendly site or app, but also to ensure that a guest can
transition smoothly from one platform to another. Their data should be easily accessible regardless of
how they booked or what device they are using to check reservations or other details. Creating a
seamless, multi-platform experience will not only create a better booking experience and increase the
likelihood of purchase, but will also encourage the consumer to return next time they go on vacation.

Consolidate data from multiple channels

Between travel agents, discount websites, and direct bookings, customers have multiple ways to find and
book rooms and services. It is important to ensure that the business has all the necessary information
about the guest’s reservation in order to provide good service. But this data is also very useful for
analytics. Data from multiple channels can be used to determine how guests find the property, what
they are looking for, and how direct bookings could be increased.

Targeted marketing and discounts

Targeted marketing is a valuable tool. Not every guest is looking for the same things, and to send every
customer the same promotions is to inundate people with information they don’t care about. This can
cause people to ignore promotions or leave mailing lists altogether. By using customer analytics
solutions, it is possible to send each person only those promotions that are likely to interest them,
resulting in higher conversion rates and improved customer satisfaction.
These analytics can also target site visitors, not just those on an email list. Analytics tools can identify
first-time visitors and offer them a discount, for example. They can also track demographics such as age
and region, making it possible to create more targeted ad campaigns based on that information.

Predictive analytics

This is an invaluable tool in many industries. Rather than simply determine how successful a given
initiative has been, predictive analytics can recommend the best course of action for future projects.
They allow a business to “test” several options and determine which one is most likely to succeed, or to
estimate consumer reaction to a specific planned initiative. Investing in strong analytics can save
considerable amounts of time and money.

Create a consistent experience across properties

One way to improve customer loyalty and satisfaction is to make their data accessible to every property
within a brand. If one hotel has learned of specific preferences and needs from a previous visit, that data
should be accessible throughout the chain. This allows each hotel to take advantage of information that
has already been collected, and to provide the customer with a consistent, seamless experience.

These are only a few of the ways that data analytics can improve business in the hospitality industry.
Whether the focus is on conversions, retention, marketing, or other dimensions, analytics can create
noticeable improvements when used strategically.