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Online Sales
Your hotel's revenue is now driven almost entirely by online channels:
- •Website booking engine
- •OTAs (<a href="https://www.booking.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Booking</a>, <a href="https://www.expedia.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Expedia</a> etc.)
- •Metasearch (<a href="https://www.google.com/travel/hotels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Hotel Ads</a>, <a href="https://www.trivago.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trivago</a> etc.)
- •Call center & WhatsApp line
- •low web reservation rate,
- •high OTA commission,
- •dispersed campaign management
This FAQ page covers the most frequently asked questions about Online Selling; nets through web bookings, OTA balance, metasearch and performance ads.
Brief Summary
Online sales strategy; It combines website + booking engine, OTAs, metasearch (Google Hotel Ads etc.), performance ads (Google/META) and call center/WhatsApp line into a single revenue plan. The goal is not just occupancy; It is to increase profitability with the correct distribution of roles between channels: OTAs work for visibility and volume, web direct and lower costs, metasearch for showcasing the web during price comparison, and call centers for winning and upsell the undecided guest. In a successful setup, technical integration (PMS–channel manager–OTA–booking engine), parity and price/offer architecture are clear; To increase web conversion, the speed–UX–booking engine flow is improved and a clear “why web?” The value proposition is defined. On the performance side, ROAS, metasearch reservations, channel-based net income/commission and direct share are monitored regularly; Channel weights and campaign plans are updated as the season/market changes. In an incorrectly designed structure, low web reservations, high OTA commissions and inefficient campaign spending become chronic.
Brief Summary
Online sales; It is a revenue model that aims to reduce the commission burden by managing web, OTA, metasearch and call center sales in a single strategy and increasing web conversion.
Frequently Asked Sample Queries
- What is hotel online sales strategy?
- How can I increase bookings from my website?
- How do I offset OTA commission?
- How does Google Hotel Ads metasearch work?
Overview of Online Sales Strategy
What is hotel online sales strategy?⌄
Hotel online sales strategy; It refers to planning the website, OTA, metasearch, call center and advertising campaigns to support each other. Aim; To increase both occupancy and profitability by investing in the right channels in the right markets and dates.
Does “online selling” just mean using OTA?⌄
Not. OTAs are an important part of online sales, but strategy;
- •web booking engine,
- •metasearch (<a href="https://www.google.com/travel/hotels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Hotel Ads</a> etc.),
- •performance ads (Google/META),
- •call center & WhatsApp,
- •loyalty and repeat bookings covers the flows
Why should OTA + web + metasearch + call center be considered together?⌄
Because the guest;
- •sees you on OTA and looks at your website,
- •cannot make a decision on the web and writes to WhatsApp/call center,
- •When you compare prices on Google, you come across it in metasearch.
What should be the main goal in online sales: occupancy or profitability?⌄
Both of them. However, it is more accurate to think in terms of occupancy in the short term and profitability in the medium and long term. Constantly "filling occupancy by undercutting prices" will weaken your brand and revenue structure in the long run.
Can the online sales strategy remain constant all year?⌄
No. As season, market and economic conditions change;
- •price levels,
- •channel weights,
- •campaign periods
Who is the Online Selling FAQ suitable for?⌄
- •OTA is suitable for all hotels with increased commission burden,
- •low web booking rate,
- •managed metasearch and campaigns in a disorganized manner,
- •who want to increase their direct booking share.
Short Questions
What exactly is an online sales strategy?
It is a strategic framework that allows you to manage your hotel's web, OTA, metasearch and call center sales under a single revenue and channel plan.
Where do I start to get more bookings from my hotel website?
By improving the booking engine, UX design, speed and price/offer visibility and defining a clear value proposition for direct (flexible cancellation, special benefit, etc.).
How can I offset OTA commissions?
While using OTAs for visibility and occupancy, you can balance the commission burden by making direct booking attractive on web and call center channels.
How do metasearch channels contribute to online sales?
Metasearch channels such as <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/hotels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Hotel Ads</a>; It provides a powerful showcase for direct booking by displaying your web price side by side with OTAs when searching for a guest hotel.
How should I establish the web-OTA-call center balance?
Clarify the role of each channel; By positioning the OTA for visibility, the web for direct, and the call center for winning and upselling the hesitant guest.
Who is the Online Selling FAQ suitable for?
For all hotels, especially in tourist areas, that want to increase their online revenue, increase direct share and reduce OTA dependency.
Service Scope: Web, OTA, Metasearch & Performance Ads
What does Online Sales Service include?+
- •web booking engine and site conversion analysis,
- •OTA strategy and channel balance,
- •metasearch (<a href="https://www.google.com/travel/hotels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Hotel Ads</a> etc.) setup,
- •Integration of Google/META ads and online sales flow,
- •PMS–channel manager–OTA–web booking engine evaluation of links,
- •reporting and optimization suggestions.
Why is the web booking engine critical for online sales?+
- •When the guest presses the reservation button on your website,
- •the screen he sees,
- •ease of selection,
- •perception of speed and security
Where is the OTA balance in online sales?+
OTAs:
- •showcase that makes you stand out in certain markets,
- •critical for occupancy and the start of the season,
How do metasearch channels (Google Hotel Ads etc.) work?+
- •As soon as the guest searches for your hotel,
- •it shows your web price side by side with OTA prices,
- •directs the clicking guest to your hotel web booking engine.
What is the relationship between performance ads (Google Ads, Meta Ads) and online sales?+
- •Showing the correct message and price to the guest searching for "hotel name + price" on Google,
- •capturing the guest at the decision stage with remarketing and funnel campaigns on social media,
- •bringing this traffic to a well-optimized web & booking engine,
Process & Operation: How to Establish an Online Sales Strategy?
How to start an online sales strategy?+
<ol>• • • • • • </ol>
Current channel mix (OTA/web/call center/metasearch) analysis,
measurement of web reservation rate and conversion rates,
OTA commission and performance analysis,
review of advertising (Google/META) and metasearch campaigns,
determination of direct reservation targets,
creation of new price & channel plan.
What can be the first 3 steps to increase web booking rate?+
<ol>• • • </ol>
UX & speed: Website design, mobile usability, page speed.
Booking engine optimization: Number of steps, fields, trust and payment options.
Direct value proposition: A clear “why here” advantage over OTA.
What should I do to reduce OTA addiction?+
- •attractive benefits for web & call center (flexible cancellation, special request, small gestures),
- •strengthening direct booking with metasearch and brand search campaigns,
- •slowly reducing the share of low-performance OTAs,
- •establishing remarketing flows that will attract guests who find you in OTAs to the web/call center.
How to establish the right price strategy in online sales?+
- •BAR (Best Available Rate) logic,
- •season, market, channel-based differences,
- •parity and advantage balance between OTA-web-call center,
- •channel-based planning of campaigns and packages,
- •revenue management data (pick-up, forecast, pace).
How should web-OTA-call center integration be on the technical side?+
- •Price/inventory flow to OTAs via PMS and channel manager,
- •web booking engine integrated with PMS or channel manager,
- •call center reservations are opened under the same structure in PMS.
Performance & Reporting: How Well Does Online Sales Work?
What metrics should I use to track online sales performance?+
- •web conversion rate (site to reservation),
- •channel based revenue and occupancy,
- •OTA vs direct share,
- •number of reservations sourced from metasearch,
- •campaign (Google/META) based ROAS and reservations,
- •average commission/profit margin.
How to increase web booking rate?+
- •simplifying the site and booking engine if it is multi-step and slow,
- •describing the rooms and price clearly, understandably and visually powerfully,
- •highlighting the trust elements (comments, security, payment),
- •offering logical advantages that are “only for the web” (benefits, not discounts).
How to reduce OTA addiction?+
- •setting a target for direct booking share,
- •focusing on attracting the subsequent reservations of guests coming from OTAs to direct,
- •establishing a strong value proposition and loyalty structure in direct,
- •planning marketing campaigns with a web/call center focus instead of OTA.
How do metasearch channels (Google Hotel Ads etc.) work?+
- •price and availability are synchronized via PMS–channel manager–metasearch,
- •when the guest searches for the hotel on Google, the web price and OTA prices appear side by side,
- •there is an opportunity to increase direct booking by pulling the click to the web booking engine.
How often should reports be checked in online sales?+
- •weekly: campaign and channel performance,
- •monthly: channel shares, commission load, web conversion rates,
- •seasonal: strategy revision and lesson learned analyses.
Low Web Bookings, High OTA Commission, Campaign Inefficiency
What are the most common reasons for low web booking rate?+
- •weak or insecure-looking booking engine,
- •slow and mobile-friendly website,
- •lack of a clear advantage for direct,
- •clearer and more attractive appearance in OTA,
- •confused price and room description.
Why is high OTA commission a critical problem?+
- •With every OTA reservation, your hotel's profit margin decreases,
- •A hotel that grows only with OTA becomes more fragile in times of crisis,
- •brand control and customer relationship shifts to OTA.
How to understand inefficiencies in metasearch and campaign management?+
- •low number of reservations compared to the budget spent,
- •Campaigns falling below ROAS targets,
- •especially clicks that do not convert into direct reservations,
- •incorrect or unclear targeting.
What happens in the long run if the online sales strategy is designed incorrectly?+
- •being stuck in constant price cuts and campaigns,
- •decline in profitability,
- •weakening of brand perception,
- •direct channels remaining weak and OTA addiction becoming chronic.
How dangerous is the “let's just fill it out, we'll see about the profitability later” approach in online sales?+
Provides occupancy in the short term; but in the long run:
- •your price will be positioned below,
- •you will not attract the right audience but only the audience looking for the "cheapest",
- •your brand value and future pricing power will weaken.
Productive Search & Industry-Focused Online Sales Questions
Why is online sales critical in destinations such as Antalya, Belek, Kemer, Side, Bodrum, Alanya?+
- •most of the guests find the hotel online,
- •the season is short but busy,
- •price and competition are very high.
What should be focused on in online sales for resort hotels?+
- •package and concept description (AI, UAI, HB etc.),
- •room and facility visuals,
- •child & family advantages,
- •long stay and re-booking opportunities.
How should the online sales strategy in City hotels differ?+
- •price/product suitable for business travel and short stays,
- •OTA balance with MICE and corporate agreements,
- •campaigns for mobile and last minute reservations.
What should be taken into consideration when using metasearch in Türkiye in general?+
- •correct PMS–channel manager–metasearch connection,
- •using the budget in the correct segments and dates,
- •clear tracking and conversion tracking,
- •Balance between OTA prices and web prices.
How should the online sales strategy integrate with hotel digital marketing?+
- •SEO, SEM, social media, metasearch and OTA visibility;
- •must be parts of the same revenue and channel strategy,
- •campaign message and price should not conflict in different channels,
- •direct and OTA roles should be designed "together".
Mini Online Selling FAQ
Is a web booking engine required for every hotel?+
Yes; If you want to be a direct channel in online sales, a properly working booking engine is essential.
Is just working with OTA enough in the long run?+
It provides occupancy in the short term, but in the long term it creates high commission and direct independence problems.
Do you need a big budget to enter Metasearch?+
No; With the right targeting and controlled budget, it can be run efficiently, especially in brand name searches.
If my website is poor on mobile, how much will my online sales be affected?+
Seriously. Many guests search and book the hotel from their mobile device; A mobile site with a slow or poor UX means direct loss.
Is it a problem to be strong on OTA and weak on the web?+
Yes; This situation makes OTA dependency permanent and increases the commission burden.
Should I highlight price or value when selling online?+
Price is important but not enough alone; It is healthier in the long run to explain the value offered (concept, experience, flexibility).
Can I grow my online sales with just Google Ads?+
Google Ads is a powerful tool, but it alone is not enough; Site & booking engine optimization, OTA balance and metasearch are also important.
Is it enough to update the online sales strategy once a year?+
No; It is necessary to re-look at least during pre-mid-post season and important market changes.
Should I go to every market with the same price when selling online?+
No; It may be more efficient to use price and campaign strategies that differ according to market dynamics; but parity and agreements must be observed.
Can I get the Online Sales service only as "audit + strategy"?+
Yes; You can obtain a strategy document that analyzes your current online sales structure, shows risks and opportunities, and includes the channel-price-campaign balance and carries out the implementation with your own team.
Collaboration and Action Questions for Online Sales Strategy
How can I get a quote for an Online Sales strategy with DGTLFACE?+
- •When you share a brief brief with the type of your hotel (resort, city, boutique, chain),
- •OTA and direct channel mix,
- •your web reservation rate and direct share,
- •your current OTA commission load,
- •metasearch and advertising campaign usage status,
- •the main problems you are experiencing (low web reservation, high commission, inefficient campaigns, etc.)
What does the “consult an expert” call clarify on the online sales side?+
In this meeting, we clarify together:
- •how much income you want to come from (OTA vs. direct),
- •what status the web & booking engine is in,
- •how your metasearch and ads work,
- •areas of quick gain in the short term and strategic changes in the medium term