There are two big reasons guests don’t adopt a hotel’s app, and we have two ideas on how to change that.
Tech is integral to just about every part of our lives, yet hoteliers still run into guests who are reluctant to use their app. Surely guests want access to all the services and amenities a hotel has to offer right at their fingertips. So what gets in their way? What roadblocks prevent guests from adopting a hotel’s app and utilizing its tools?
There are two main reasons hotel guests don’t use hotel apps – poor usability and lack of multiple functionality.
- The Burden of Tedious Steps
Today’s consumers are accustomed to using apps on their mobile devices that offer a one click experience. Hotel guests expect the same ease of use in a hotel’s mobile key and mobile app. Yet, hotel mobile apps frequently require multiple steps to set up or are confusing to navigate. If guests feel an app will take more time to figure out than they perceive the features are worth, they’ll give up before even hitting “download.” Even Apple is making it easier to use hotel apps, specifically mobile room keys (per their iOS 15 update announcement).
- The Woes of a Single-Use App
In the Age of Apps, it’s far too easy to end up with multiple apps on your mobile device that waste space and data. Which is why users are often resistant to single use apps. They don’t want to download an app that they will only use once. Users are accustomed to apps with multiple features and uses.
Both complex usability and single use apps can put a significant damper on hotel app adoption. So what can be done to improve app usage?
Two Ways to Break those Barriers
- Use Deep Links to Improve Usability
If you are unfamiliar with deep links, they are links that can take a user directly to a certain page within an app. Instead of users landing on a homepage after signing into a mobile app, a hotel can use deep links to direct them to a specific page that touts services the hotel is trying to promote or to content targeted to what people are seeking, such as a check in page. For instance, a hotel can send a welcome email to a guest before they arrive that includes a direct link to the app’s check in page. When a hotel’s app is linked directly through an email, it saves the guest from having to open the app, sign in, and then find the check-in button. And if a guest hasn’t downloaded the hotel’s app yet, a deferred deep link can be used, which allows the guest to take a quick detour to download the app, then pops them right back on the intended in-app page.
And bonus! Deep links are just as, if not more, secure than analog routes of checking in because any link sent to guests goes directly to their email address, preemptively verifying who they are.
- Offer More Functionality
Hotels can keep guests happy by offering a multifunctional mobile app that enables them to easily do things such as request room service, adjust their room temperature, or book an in-hotel event via the app. Guests may be more inclined to use a mobile app if they are shown how its features can be used to get a more personalized hotel stay.
This is another reason why deep links are one of hotel tech’s hidden gems. They can be used to take guests directly to in-app promotions, messagings, room-key and more. Deep links are the perfect avenue to show guests what your app has to offer with one simple click. This saves them from wasted time navigating and gives hoteliers endless opportunities to intentionally direct app traffic.
The gist of all this? The best thing hoteliers can do for hotel app adoption is to get their guests where they need to be quickly and effortlessly.
To learn more about tools to boost hotel app adoption, request a demo today.
