About this Episode
With so many activities that can help drive conversions online, hoteliers need to allocate their budgets to the activities that generate the best results. In this episode, Dr. Diana Driscoll, LEED AP, founder of Hotel Rescue™ and president of Ridgeline Hospitality and award-winning optometrist, states that “the vast majority of online reservations are made either at the image gallery or one click later” and explains why imagery is such an effective conversion tool when used consistently online.
Learn:
• What motivates people to make decisions when confronted with imagery
• How to use compelling imagery to get attention and convert guests
• Ways to appeal to business travelers and leisure travelers
Click for Video Details
- Episode #48
- Posted on August 30, 2010
- Duration: 13:54
- Captions:
What activities help hoteliers drive conversions more effectively?
Look at things from a business standpoint - where do we get the most bang for our buck? Imagery is critical online
Vast majority of online reservations are made either at the image gallery or one click later
What motivates us to make decisions when confronted with imagery?
Sub-conscious level of the brain makes an immediate decision
Conscious level of the brain tries to back up the sub-conscious
Image is much more compelling if it touches on an emotion and stimulates the senses
Hoteliers can use compelling imagery to get attention and convert guests
Pictures of food stimulate the sense of taste
Showing an empty bar is a less compelling image
On average, it takes men approx. 2.5 seconds to decide whether to act when seeing an image
You don’t have much time to attract male business travelers
Business travelers should feel that your hotel will make them more successful
Women are primary family/leisure trip planners
Capture the leisure traveler by addressing rational concerns consistently across all sites
To convert potential guests: be consistent and make your imagery compelling
Use emotive or lifestyle imagery to convey compelling reasons to stay at that hotel
Use your imagery consistently
- Embed Link:
14 Comments
I enjoyed this! Well done!
Thank you for posting this. Very interesting information, and I love the way it was presented. I’m on the development/engineering side of the business, but my wife owns an interactive marketing agency. I’m looking forward to passing this on to her as well.
We are always looking for ways to increase customer/target engagement, and with a primarily male customer base, we have less time than I thought! Thank you for your thoughts. Great work, Diana!
Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, John (and for not tearing me to pieces over the 2.5 second rule-of-thumb!)
I hadn’t given much thought to utilizing this information for other businesses, but you are right! An excellent point.
Thank you for watching…
Great presentation! Dr. Diana did a wonderful job interjecting concepts regarding the psychology of perception and decision-making – things that most of us would never consider. Her energy and wealth of knowledge make her an inspiring guest. I would like to hear more about this and other subjects within her vast areas of expertise. I hope you have a chance to have her on again in the near future.
Nice presentation, Diana, really gets you thinking. Being in the experience business myself, the notion of creating compelling images really resonates, but doing that is not always easy. However, I believe that the best starting place is your brand. What’s the overall message you’re trying to relay? If you define that, you’ll be half way there. Let’s say it’s “comfort, home, warmth, heritage” . . . . images immediately come to mind. If it’s “modern, clean, progressive, sleek”, a completely different set of compelling images then come to mind. So, for my 2 cents, I’d say — start with brand, and the right imagery will follow.
Thank you for your comments, Lee. I think you are spot on! Define your brand first, and use compelling images to reflect that for the potential hotel guest.
Thank you for watching!
Wow, Diana this is really interesting stuff. I always knew visual imagery was critical, but listening to you about this topic really made me understand the physiology and psycology behind how people react to images. Really great! I would so love to hear you speak more in depth on this topic. ,
Thank you so much, Glenn. It is always fun to see how science can guide our business decisions! (admittedly, it is especially gripping for nerds like me).
I’m so happy that you watched!
Fascinating stuff, and from an eye doctor turned hotelier, no less! I agree that static photos of empty rooms aren’t terribly compelling. Video is increasingly popular on travel sites, but difficult to produce cheaply. The most compelling imagery is that provided not by hotels but by travelers – and it’s okay if it’s a bit amateurish; in fact, it’s more engaging. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your thoughts, Dan. I, too, generally enjoy the guests’ videos and photos — and they lend a certain level of credibility to corporate imagery. But when the cost of professional imagery is spread out over all of the potential genre (websites, blogs, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, print ads, YouTube, etc.), imagery can be very cost effective. I think a mix of professional and amateur imagery is likely most effective, don’t you?
When we look at the fMRI’s of brains while people are looking at truly compelling imagery, it convinces me as a scientist and artist, that well done professional imagery is probably the most bonding with the guest.
Fun stuff mixing science, imagery, bonding and this thing we call social media! We live in a great time.
Thank you again for watching and for your insightful (pun intended) comments!
Seemed to cover business more than leisure. Didn’t really get into what you meant by consistency across all travel website. Since we don’t have control over other websites, is she saying be consistent with other sites? What are the factors leisure travelers are looking at? Is it family bonding, relaxation, fun, luxury; should we strive to appear more than what they think they can afford? Trying to draw a parallel to the business traveller striving to be more successful.
Thank you for watching, Edith and for your excellent questions. The consistency that I mention involves the platforms that you have at least some control over the content. For example, if you have great imagery on your web-site, be sure it is consistent with what potential guests will see on YouTube, your Facebook (or blog, should you have one), the images put on Flickr and Twitter, your print advertising, etc. The needs and the desires of the leisure traveler tend to be much more diverse than those of the business traveler, so I would explain your guest experience according to the strengths of your hotel (is it the location, the culture, the scenery, the relaxation, the adventure – you get the idea). As far as encouraging the guest to to want to be able to strive to be in your hotel – absolutely showcase those strengths – make the potential guests want to strive to be in your hotel, but always be honest and transparent when doing so. Great questions. Thank you!
Awesome stuff, Diana!
Imagery really does play an important role. Principles like “social proof” and similar theories address this area well. Social media itself is dependent upon cues, much like traditional advertising and PR, so naturally this should apply to every industry’s promotional activities. Nice job!
Thanks, Mark! Looking for “social proof” and cues is easy to accomplish with visual imagery. and when it taps into the subconscious level of the brain almost immediately, it can be powerful indeed. Appreciate you watching!
2 Trackbacks
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by VFMLeonardo, William C. Reichard, Diana Driscoll, Hotel Rescue, Diana Driscoll and others. Diana Driscoll said: @wreichard Will! big honor here (it takes so little with me. ha) http://ht.ly/2×4q0 [...]
[...] president of Ridgeline Hospitality and award-winning optometrist in her VTV interview titled Using Your Hotel Marketing Budget Wisely with our Chief Marketing Officer, John [...]