Why Hotels Should Be Utilizing Push Notifications
Hotels are finding more effective ways to communicate with guests, whether to keep them abreast of changes that would affect their stays or to keep them informed about policies, discounts and special offers. Most hotels use some form of hotel messaging platform to inform guests about their reservations, when their rooms are ready in the event they should arrive early or also to help guests’ checkout more efficiently. A recent study found that mobile users receive an average of 64 notifications per day. A separate study reported that the average customer spent 4 hours per day checking their phones. 42% of millennials checked their phones 10 or more times per hour and those over 60 years old, also checked their phones 3 or more times per hour. Finding a direct and convenient way to engage with customers is an important way for hotels to increase bookings, how can push notifications help?
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What are Push Notifications?
Push notifications are alerts that are sent directly to mobile phones or laptops by an app, they pop up alerting users that they’ve received a message, an e-mail or a reminder. Push notifications are brief notifications that direct customers to a company’s app or website, but users must choose to opt-in to receive these notifications and can opt-out at any time. Once users download an app, they are asked to opt-in for push notifications, these notifications can be of an Instagram comment or of an incoming text message, email or weather alert. Push notifications are alerts that pop up on your screens and do not require phone numbers, but require users to download an app in order to receive them.
What are In-App Messages?
In-app messages are communications that customers receive while they are using the hotel’s app and do not require users to opt-in. Businesses can use push notifications to send out brief alerts to customers that directs them to messages within the app. In-app messages offer customers longer and more detailed information and can include pictures, videos and links to websites or to special offers.
Why Should Hotels Invest in Push Notifications?
Push notifications drive users to your company’s app or website and allow hotels to promote services and offer incentives to customers. They can also be used to update guests on any changes in service that may affect their hotel stays. Push notifications have a much higher opening rate than email and as a result, hotels and other businesses can expect an increase in customer retention and guest engagement. Push notifications also allow hotels to send more personalized and tailored messages to customers and enables hotels to provide information in real time. This is a valuable tool that would allow hotels to generate revenue by offering promotions and incentives to users, push notifications have a 90% open rate and hotels can expect an increase in website or app traffic.
- 90% of push notifications are opened.
- Push notifications boost app engagement by 88%.
- 65% of users visit the app within 30 days of enabling push notifications.
- 92% of users engage with push notifications, only 8% of recipients ignore them.
- The opening rate is 50% higher than that of email marketing.
- The click rate is 7 times higher than that of email marketing.
- 70% of users find push notifications to be useful.
- 55% to 60% of app users agree to receive push notifications.
- 52% look for relevant information and offers in the push notifications they receive.
- 40% interact with push notifications within 1 hour of receiving them.
How Can Hotels Benefit from Push Notifications?
Push notifications are designed to capture the user’s attention and direct them to time sensitive messages, offers and promotions on your app or website.
Send Incentives and Offers
Push notifications are a great way for hotels to offer discounts and incentives that would increase their bookings. Hotels can also use push notifications to generate revenue by exposing customers to all the services that they provide.
Promote New Services
Push notifications can drive customers to your app or website with information about new restaurants, spas, attractions and other experiences that guests can take advantage of during their stay.
Notify Guests About Important Updates
It is a critical time in which hotels need to keep the lines of communication open with guests. Push notifications can be used to keep guests abreast of policy changes related to COVID-19, as well as other important updates that would impact their stay.
Get Feedback from Guests
Hotels will have the opportunity to gather valuable feedback from guests that could be used to improve upon the guest experience.
Re-engage With Customers
Hotels can use push notifications to re-engage with customers and push them towards their apps and websites. If customers haven’t visited the app or website in over 30 days, push notifications can be used to re-connect with those customers by sending tailored notifications.
Target Customers Based on Location
Push notifications can be tailored to audiences based on their location and can be designed to offer information to guests at a particular hotel or users in a particular city or country.