The term omnichannel has become a marketing axiom currently; however, mastering this strategy it is becoming a matter of concern for the marketing executives in the travel and hospitality industry.
It has become the trend for customers to reach out to several touchpoints for inspiration, price comparisons and customer reviews before finally choosing between different services.
The mission for travel brands, therefore is to satisfy the need for consistency of content available across all channels. At the same time, Netflix, Amazon and others have pushed forward the level expectations.
Starting a booking on your mobile and continuing the process at your laptop while maintaining the booking process will be like starting your favourite TV series while commuting with your mobile and continuing the chapter on Netflix when you arrive home.
Omnichannel touchpoints between travelers and brands serve as crucial perspectives for accomplishing a goal as they create an overall customer experience.
Interestingly, it is responsible for delivering a unique customer experience irrespective of the device used or channel preferred at every phase of the travel cycle i.e. from search to comparison, booking, and experiencing the service.
As a consequence, we have two related aspects:
- The omnichannel factor related to the capacity and consistency of the channels used
- How the different channels are also consistent during each phase of the traveler’s journey
For instance, companies can interact with the same message across different channels,and they can adapt it based on the different stages of the customer journey - inspiration, booking, post-booking, and in-destination.
Directing travelers to the right choice for trips
In the past, vacation deals had helped many travel brands get noticed. However, today this is not enough, as vacation deals have become just a part of the story.
We’re seeing a shift in people’s attitudes on materialism.
There has been a visible surge in spending on experiences rather than possessions and travel brands need to find effective ways to manage omnichannel touchpoints to satisfy this demand.
VP Global Business Development at Sitel Group, Joe Reynolds states that the trip experience is appearing to be more about customizations and offering opportunities to book.
Travelers are indeed spending more time on looking for stimulation and performing an online search before choosing a travel brand.
And even when they proceed towards the purchasing journey, it comprises of many concerns and queries that should be addressed for a better customer experience.
This is the main reason why the omnichannel based methodology needs to be a key part of the strategy within the travel and hospitality industry.
It is also absolutely key that the user experience reduces friction as much as possible during the booking process for any channel - consider Amazon’s one click buy.
It is great to see hotels leading innovation with new ways to make it easy, for example Iberostar has included voice in its online booking process. Usability and design are also crucial.
People want to feel safe and secure on a site and know that they are getting a high-quality service. Companies like Airbnb or B2B content providers like Smartvel, does this very well.
The omnichannel tactic is the only line of attack
Omnichannel does not simply focuses on digitalization.
It’s also about keeping focus on the location of your clients and ensuring that regardless of which channel of communication they choose, they achieve a similar experience; be it a phone call to customer support, messaging over social media, or using the live chat option available on the website.
This is the most difficult part, and where leading brands make a difference, with training, branding, and investment in service.
It is important for businesses to provide their clients with consistent access to information and present their views in a clear manner.
Travel brands worldwide are embracing an omnichannel approach over traditional rapid purchase processes, making sure that more potential customers are happy to go through the entire purchasing process rather than just skip to the payment check out.
Live chat on websites helps as agents can instantly address the concerns of potential consumers and help them move forward from the consideration stage instead of stepping back.
As their journey progresses, customers will be encouraged to call customer support directly or opt for social channels.
Travel brands can also make their regular bricks and mortar touchpoints interesting by inviting potential clients to their experience centres, allowing them to take a virtual tour before making a purchase.
Whatever the channel, customers want a seamless experience.
A recent study conducted by Phocuswright revealed that 40% of consumers use tablets to search online for holiday destinations. Travel brands can introduce dedicated apps focused on innovative search tools to deliver a visually rich experience to potential clients.
For this, a travel brand can provide clients with a complete guide that offers information about hotels, local events, restaurants, and cheap flights to their desired destinations.
Companies such as Singapore Airlines or LATAM are already adding this value with third party suppliers like Smartvel.
Upselling
Whether clients have just booked a flight or are staying in the hotel they can also benefit from the same content on their portable devices while on the go.
The level of flexibility and the number of choices at a traveler’s fingertips have never been greater.
It leads to a whole new era as travel companies become trustworthy destination guides,so it is important for them to deliver a consistent message across all touchpoints.
Not only would this ensure the delivery of a seamless experience but also support brands to upsell on the experience in the form of tours, restaurants, events, and a lot more.
The rise of association and correlation among travel brands and their clients has been the most influential revolution the travel industry has ever seen.
Lastly, 360-degree marketing initiatives are going to become common for addressing the demands of the omnichannel design.
It means selecting the appropriate channels for online communication, merging old school practices with digital and social media policies.
As travel brands learn to adapt to the travelers’ use of various devices and channels to search online and make a purchase, it is clear that omnichannel marketing is here to stay.
Many technology companies like ours support travel brands as they adapt their strategies. Just don’t get left behind.