UPDATE:
Tnooz-TripAdvisor webinar: VIDEO for Reputation management and beyond - webinar on which these article was based.
NB: This is a guest article by Brian Payea, head of industry relations at TripAdvisor.
In a previous article on Tnooz, I mentioned that the vast majority of travelers have a better overall impression of hospitality businesses when they engage with the traveler community and show they are taking their comments to heart.
I also noted that travelers give owners and managers a lot of credit for offering courteous and thoughtful responses to traveler reviews.
Research by TripAdvisor and others continues to give strength to these assertions and underscores the importance of effective reputation management.
A commissioned survey of more than 2,100 travelers conducted by Forrester on behalf of TripAdvisor reveals some very compelling findings, chief among them that travelers find user-generated reviews important when making booking decisions, and also that the presence and tone of management responses have a significant impact on their impression of lodging businesses.
The following are a few questions lodging owners and managers often ask me when I’m attending speaking events or hosting TripAdvisor master classes. The data provide the answers.
How important are traveler reviews?
According to the survey, 81% of travelers find user reviews important when determining which hotel to stay at during their trip.
For perspective, while a few said they weren’t swayed either way, only 3% of travelers said they don’t find user reviews important when determining which hotel to book. What’s even more compelling is that nearly half (49%) of travelers surveyed won’t book a property unless it has reviews.
Why do travelers write reviews?
The number one reason travelers cite for writing a hotel review is to "share a good experience with other travelers."
This is consistent with TripAdvisor’s own findings: the average rating on TripAdvisor is positive (four on a scale from one to five).
Should I post management responses?
The travelers surveyed are very clear on this point, as 71% said that seeing a management response to reviews by an official hotel representative is important to them.
Still not convinced? Sixty-eight percent of travelers said that it they were considering two comparable properties, the presence of management responses on one would sway them in its favor.
Should I respond to both negative and positive reviews?
According to the survey, lodging businesses benefit from responding to both positive and negative reviews.
Of those surveyed, 79% of travelers said a good management response to a bad review reassures them, and 78% said a good management response to a good review makes them think highly of the hotel.
But, be mindful of your tone – 60% of travelers said an aggressive management response to a bad review makes the hotel look worse. These findings are compelling and good to keep in mind when monitoring traveler reviews and posting management responses.
The key takeaway from the survey is that if you’re not engaging with the online traveler community and effectively managing your online reputation, your competition might just be the one benefitting, especially if your competitor is posting thoughtful management responses and taking traveler feedback to heart.
NB: This is a guest article by Brian Payea, head of industry relations at TripAdvisor.
