Smartphones dominate our attention throughout the day. They have come to change the very nature of how we interact with the world around us, including the way we do business.

When it comes to the travel and hospitality space, mobile has dramatically reshaped how it works, also in favor of the consumer. And, with rising expectations for mobile interactivity, consumers have become more demanding about the types of services available to them.

Here are some statistics to help you understand how far mobile devices have penetrated the industry:

  • TripAdvisor is the most popular mobile app in the travel industry, with more than 230 million downloads and 150 million monthly active users.
  • Mobile travel bookings have grown 1,700% between 2011 and 2015, rising from 1% to 18% of online revenue.
  • 40% of travel sales came from mobile devices in 2017, and it is projected to reach 50% by 2021.
  • 88 percent of leisure travelers will switch to a different app or website if yours doesn’t meet their needs.
  • More than 50% of travelers do not have a fixed destination in mind when planning a trip, and 60% will search for their next trip from a mobile device.
  • 1 out of 3 boarding passes will be delivered via mobile by 2019
  • 66% of users prefer restaurants with a rewards scheme and 78% will use a mobile app if offered discounts.

The bottom line is that mobile devices are here to stay. In fact, it will only become more important in the daily life of the consumer, so it is imperative to adjust your hospitality business to take full advantage of mobile devices.

The hotel industry invests heavily in online marketing (about $6 billion in 2016, to give you an idea) and uses it to attract customers and drive conversions. However, online engagement using only paid advertising is rapidly losing its appeal.

More and more companies are reviewing their strategy and attempting to incorporate the mobile experience into every stage of the travel experience, from research to sharing travel feedback to your hotel stay.

The role of mobile phones in the research phase

Previously, your travel research didn’t necessarily involve surfing the net. She would call a travel agent after a short online search and trust him to get a discount on the entire ‘package’.

Travelers these days pride themselves on their “research skills” and their ability to create a great experience while also getting the best deals for themselves. And much of their research takes them to social media sites, like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, and user review platforms like TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet.

This means you need to incentivize your existing customers to share their ride online. Signups, reviews, photo sharing, custom hashtags, and blog writing are all popular strategies for inviting contributions.

But do not leave everything in the hands of the guests. Hotels must also be actively involved in creating and distributing high-quality content. Focus on value-driven things that make your potential consumers think: “These guys seem to know what they’re talking about when it comes to travel, so I’ll check them out!“And don’t forget to optimize content for reading on smartphones, because searching on PCs is so out of date. Also, partner with experts, specialists, and influencers to enrich your content and give it credibility.

Now that you’re creating valuable content, make sure it’s visible on Google. Have a solid SEO strategy so that you appear in the best search results. Plus, get a Google business listing for your hotel and maintain NAP (name, address, and phone number) consistency across platforms like Yelp, Yahoo, Foursquare, and TripAdvisor.

A virtual concierge is even better. Guests can access this service on their mobile, allowing them to view your hotel’s amenities, visit local attractions, or even look for upgrade opportunities. You need to use the power of video to your advantage to offer them online tours as well.

From booking to arrival

There is always a time lag between when guests make a reservation and when they arrive at your hotel. Businesses rarely use this period, but with a little thought, you can communicate with your guest and offer them value-added services.

Communicate with your guests on their mobiles, but in a way that doesn’t count as spam. Provide them with useful information about the locality, introduce them to tourism options and inform them about the events happening around the hotel. And if they like something, let them reserve seats using their smartphones.

You can even eliminate the check-in line and other procedures with the help of a mobile app. Guests can choose their rooms, opt for add-ons, and have seamless check-in to give them more control over their stay. Not only will this free up your staff for other aspects of the business, but you’ll also earn points for being proactive.

The hotel lobby and the room

People would ignore its lobby because there is nothing there to capture their interest apart from the graceful seating arrangement and eerie silence. You can change that and use this space to really interact with guests, using mobile phones.

SoftBank’s Pepper humanoid robot is one of those innovations that really caught my eye. This bot is a great way to funnel customers into using the range of mobile services you may have, while also paving the way for affiliate services and programs.

Pepper can be programmed to chat with customers, answer questions and give directions; its functionality is like that of Amazon’s Alexa. With Pepper, however, there’s a robot in front of customers that can dance, look around, play music, light up, blush, and even take a cool selfie with passersby.

Pepper can even capture email addresses and phone numbers, and can be programmed to message customers with links to your mobile app, loyalty programs, and more before and after their hotel stay. With Pepper, you can capture the data you need to create a truly personalized experience for your guests, which is tea which is why most hotels now look favorably on mobile devices.

Finally, your application

You may have been wondering when we’d get to this, since we’ve pretty much covered everything else. We won’t try to convince him why he needs an app, but he knows that having a mobile site isn’t enough. The apps themselves take your customer engagement to the next level, and given the competition in the industry, you need to leverage your mobile advantage as much as possible.

An ideal application should have the following characteristics:

  • Ergonomic design, intuitive user interface
  • Careful selection of essential features
  • brand consistency
  • Cross-platform compatibility (iOS, Android, etc.)
  • Convenient booking options
  • News – Local and Industry Related
  • Back-end analytics
  • Image gallery / virtual tour
  • Low level
  • Loyalty program integration
  • Events calendar
  • Flight information, weather updates, dynamism.
  • Social sharing prompt

As technology becomes increasingly personalized and mobile, your involvement in hospitality shouldn’t be far behind. While these suggestions are extensive, consider implementing some (if not all) to see the kind of boost you get in your engagement – ​​personal experience is the best teacher.

All said and done, mobile engagement really allows you to engage with your guests in a personalized and more proactive way, which does wonders for your brand image. In addition, it also allows you to overcome the clutter of the competition, which seems like a win-win situation to me!