With thousands of Rate Connect campaigns active on trivago, independent hoteliers like you worldwide are eager to learn the ways they can run theirs as optimized as possible.
To help you maximize your potential for direct bookings with trivago’s Rate Connect, log in to trivago Business Studio and follow these three easy tips and tricks to optimize your campaign.
Tip #1: Check your impressions
To illustrate the stages in a traveler’s online journey on trivago—from the moment they search for accommodations in your area to their clicks on your deals—the Home page in your Business Studio offers the latest analytics on how travelers are engaging with your property.
Impressions, for example, tell you how often you appear in search results. Keep in mind that it doesn’t mean that a traveler looked at your profile. If the number is low for your property, there are steps you can take to influence your visibility, especially in the months leading up to a high travel season.
For hoteliers with a CPA campaign (pay-per-stay or pay-per-booking), consider bumping up the commission rate on direct bookings if the current one is on the lower end.
As for a CPC campaign (pay-per-click), there are four bidding goals to choose from in order to impact visibility. Although a higher bidding goal could consume a monthly budget a bit quicker, the more direct bookings generated due to that higher bidding goal can reduce the cost-per-acquisition over time.
You can always return to a lower commission rate or bidding goal during the slow and off seasons, but don’t pause your campaign. You want to keep it active, so that trivago’s algorithms can continuously optimize it for better performance.
Remember, too, that travelers are always on the hunt for great deals. For example, our research revealed that they start planning their summer vacation about 51 days in advance. In the end, it’s best to keep your attractive website rates visible on trivago throughout the year, so that you never miss out on direct bookings.
Promote your official direct rates to boost bookings
Tip #2: Find out where travelers are booking
For the distribution of clicks, it’s good to see an equal balance between the clicks to the OTAs and to your website. However, if you notice that the distribution tips in favor of the OTAs, that could be an indication your website rates on trivago aren’t enticing travelers to book directly with you. To encourage them to click through to your booking page, your website rates need to be more competitive than the standard, advertised room rates.
Don’t forget, travelers also filter by price on trivago. Higher-than-average room rates for your property can lower your impressions.
Here’s how a quick search on trivago can tell you if your website rates are competitive:
- Refer to the Markets page in Rate Connect to see where your campaign is active.
- Go to the localized trivago platform of those markets. For example, if your campaign is active in the US, Germany, Spain, and Italy, then you’ll search on trivago.com, trivago.de, trivago.es, and trivago.it.
- Search for your property in your active markets.
- Compare your website rates against the competition’s.
Are your rates just right, or do you need to make an adjustment?
Tip #3: Have a full and attractive profile
To further influence a traveler’s decision to book with you, you want your trivago profile as appealing as possible. Here’s what you can do in your Property Details to ensure that.
- Double-check that you’ve indicated all your services and amenities. That way, you’ll show up in travelers’ search results when they filter for the ones you offer.This can also help with your impressions.
- Show only high-quality photos that project your property and unique selling points at their best. You can have up to 30 on your trivago profile.
- Have your description available not only in your native language, but also in the language of the markets where you’re promoting your website rates. The more unique your description is, the better.
And our bonus tip:
Make sure your website is working for you. One that’s optimized, especially for mobile-connected guests, will benefit your conversion rate. How easy is it to book on your website? Give it a try as if you were a traveler to find out.
