Stand Out With Mobile-Friendly Solutions Designed for Hospitality

Today’s consumers are more self-reliant and tech-savvy than ever before. They’ll scour social media, Google, venue websites, and more to research properties and find the best venue for their event, whether they’re planning a corporate retreat, hotel block, reunion, or wedding. And a lot of this venue research is being done from their phones.

But consumers are using their phones for more than just research; they trust their phones to execute event contracts and spend significant money. It’s no surprise that consumer spending on smartphones is expected to reach $728 billion by 2025.

While mobile-friendly may seem like a no-brainer, much of your competition is skipping ahead and implementing shiny new and valuable technologies like VR (virtual reality) and hotel robots. Don’t get us wrong; the industry is capitalizing on mobile-friendly solutions to improve room bookings, expedite check-ins, and even provide room keys. On the events side, though, some of the more operational procedures that can significantly impact a property's bottom line, but aren’t as Instagram-worthy, are still outdated.

What does it mean to be mobile-friendly?

Being mobile-friendly means a website or digital system (such as a mobile app) is explicitly designed for a small screen, making it easy for consumers to take action using their phone rather than on a larger computer monitor.

The beauty of this approach is a simpler, faster customer experience that meets consumers where they are (on their phones 24/7). Being mobile-friendly doesn’t mean you abandon web-based solutions if people need or prefer those, but as you’ll see, consumers are increasingly choosing mobile solutions for speed and convenience.

Benefits of mobile-friendly technology for the hospitality industry

There are a forecasted 6.84 billion smartphone users in the world today walking around with digital access to countless opportunities in their pockets. By ensuring the tools you use to connect with your customers and prospects are designed with mobile in mind, your property is set up for success.

Here are just a few benefits that come from a mobile-friendly approach to your event-driven business:

1. Accelerate your customer relationship: Today's consumers use their smartphones to run their professional and personal lives. With mobile-friendly solutions, it’s easier for customers to take action immediately to further their relationship with your property—no more waiting until they get to a computer.
2. Standardize and centralize your team's internal processes: The days of paper and pen are nearly gone. Digital solutions can provide visibility to critical information across teams, such as the status of contracts, payments, contact information, and event details—all with just a few clicks.
3. Use one solution for all of your events: A standard mobile-friendly solution for booking an event or group sale–whether it be a corporate retreat, birthday party, or a room block–lets your team and your customers enjoy a streamlined process from start to finish.

Bolster the benefits of mobile-friendly technology with ROH

Providing your customers (and staff) with a smooth, digital solution that’s representative of the corporate brand gives your property a considerable advantage over the outdated and cumbersome processes that your competitors are using today. ROH’s revenue optimization platform makes everything easier internally too, with proven benefits that leading hospitality brands are already experiencing today.

• 57.5% of payments made through ROH are completed on mobile
• 81% of payments made through ROH are paid early or on-time, compared to an industry standard where nearly 80% are paid late
• Properties experienced increased efficiency with a collaborative workflow between finance and sales

Here’s an example of how mobile-friendly tech makes a difference. Let’s say a potential event host is choosing between two properties and waiting to receive the contract from each before making a final decision. One property sends a digitally branded contract that looks beautiful and allows them to immediately view, sign, and pay their deposit from their phone. The other sends a PDF that needs to be downloaded, signed, uploaded, and emailed back in addition to mailing or hand-delivering a physical check. Those are very different experiences that speak volumes about the sophistication level of your organization. As a consumer yourself, which would you choose?

The hospitality industry is competitive (as you well know), and there are a lot of strategies available to make your venue stand out. Leveraging mobile-friendly technology designed for the hospitality industry to increase efficiency and revenue is a feature that will set you apart.

To learn more about how ROH can help your property group or hospitality brand drive increased revenue, conversions, and collaboration, schedule a free demo.