Hotels Leave Money on the Table by not Optimizing Their Websites for Tablet.

iPad and other tablets starting to challenge old web shopping behavior, gives a look into how tablets are fundamentally changing the way consumers are browsing and shopping online.

So the question is, why are retailers failing to meet the expectations of this new class of online shoppers?

4Hoteliers Image Library“Tablet users want to interact, inspect, even ‘play’ with products through their device, and retailers that deliver an immersive, fun experience are the most likely to see their tcommerce (tablet-commerce) sales increase,” says author Cathy Boyle.

When shopping online, tablet users, like all consumers, want to be immersed in the story of the hotel they are looking that. They need to see what the experience will be like before they decide to book, and this experience cannot be conveyed on a website that is not properly optimized for the shopper’s device.

If you’re still skeptical that optimizing for tablet will be worth it, these stats will show that consumers are turning to tablets to research and book hotels:

-> Travelocity says 55% of all its mobile bookings are now coming via tablet devices
-> Trip Advisor’s tablet page views increased 250%, 66% of mobile revenue comes from tablet devices
-> Wave Collapse survey found 22% of respondents said a hotel reservation was the last purchase they made on their tablet

eMaketer believes retailers – and I think more importantly hotels – are leaving money on the table when they do not have a defined tablet strategy. They state “Ignoring the growth of tablet shoppers is unwise when optimization and experimentation are low-risk, high-reward propositions,” and I could not agree more. “Winning over tablet shoppers means inspiring and entertaining them with storefronts built for touch, movement and sound.”

We have proven time and time again that hotel shoppers are compelled by engaging visuals that tell your hotels story. But giving consumers these visuals in a desktop layout, when they are using mobile device, is not enough. Your website must be optimized for the device they are using so they get the “full experience” of your hotel and feel confident enough to book with you.