How To Use Your Channel Manager More Effectively At Your B&B
Developing a B&B distribution strategy is absolutely necessary to increase the bookings at your property. A vital cog in this strategy is a channel manager, which will eliminate manual processes, reduce the risk of double bookings, and give you the chance to accept more reservations than before.
There are many ways you can use a channel manager to make sure you’re enjoying the largest benefit possible.
The following tips will help you improve your B&B channel management strategy.
Always work on increasing the number of channels and distribution agents that you use
A channel manager is your portal to an expanded distribution network. You need to develop a vast, diverse distribution network filled with a variety of online travel agents to maximize your bookings through your channel manager.
As you connect to different channels, you will uncover new ways that can be used to attract additional guests to your property. When you add new channels to your B&B distribution network, you will be able to increase bookings as well as profit. There’s always room to generate more revenue, so you should never consider your distribution network to be complete.
Manage your availability and offer advanced bookings
The best channel managers work with a property management system that can broadcast the live availability of your property. Without live availability, travelers could double book the rooms at your property for any given date, resulting in frustration and cancellations. This is one of the most frustrating circumstances for an innkeeper to deal with, so it’s best to avoid it at all costs.
Recognize that different types of guests prefer to reserve a room at different points in their booking journey. Millennials, for example, love to grab a last-minute room using their mobile device. Older travelers who are enjoying retirement are more likely to book several months or even a year in advance. Manage your availability so that you allow bookings from every type of traveler who may be interested in staying at your property.
Be sure that your B&B channel manager is integrated with your property management system and online booking engine
By selecting an all-in-one booking system, you will benefit from a fully-integrated channel manager that works cohesively with your property management system and online booking engine. This means that when you receive a direct booking from your website, your property management system is instantly updated and your entire distribution network is alerted to your new availability. Without this integration, it can be difficult to manage a complex B&B distribution strategy and you may lose out on bookings as well as revenue. In addition, you leave yourself at risk for overbooking or overselling rooms at your property, which is a nightmare for your front desk management team to deal with and also will impact your reputation amongst your target market segment.
When you make the most out of your channel manager, you will increase your bookings, boost the revenue at your B&B, discover new target market segments and increase your brand recognition around the world. In many respects, your channel manager is your key to unlocking success in the hotel industry.