As many as 85 percent of those who frequent hotels consider WiFi access the most important amenity a hotel can offer, according to a study conducted last year by TripAdvisor, and 88 percent expect it to be free (if it's not free to use in a room, 65 percent of guests will go to areas where it is). Individual locations can try to control user expectations as much as they want, but local online marketing that doesn't acknowledge the "always on" habits of its users, especially those on vacation, run the risk of missing important clicks, and the revenue they could represent.
Such moments are prime opportunities to address the specific needs of consumers through targeted internet marketing. A recent Hotel News Now piece featured the opinions of marketing analyst Noah Elkin, who outlined the appeal of these kinds of strategies.
"Hoteliers that can target ads and content through search, they may be able to connect with consumers that way," Elkin said "For hotels and individual chains that have booking apps, you can certainly target consumers with offers through that mechanism as well."
And easy-to-use apps are just one tool members of the travel industry have at their disposal to be more present in the lives of their potential customers. Mobile advertising can take advantage of both the devices travelers are using and the services and types of businesses they are looking to find—and chances are any trip to a new location will bring with it many searches.
Key Media solutions is a top resource for important trends in travel marketing, and can be a great asset to a local company looking to best reach an audience eager to make use of their business.