Hotel Propeller Blog

10 Benefits of the Virtual Walkthrough

10 Benefits of the Virtual Walkthrough

With nearly five billion people active on the internet as of October 2020, this is where most of your potential customers go when they want to learn more about your hotel.

Your website is your most pivotal and influential marketing platform. Your future guests will visit to not only book a room but see if your property is the perfect fit.

As such, you want to make sure your hotel stands out from the crowd. You want to help your future guests make the best buying decisions possible, and one way to do this is to give them an inside look at your hotel.

In this article, we look at the 10 benefits of the virtual walkthrough.

#1: Virtual Walkthroughs Build Trust

By having a virtual tour on your website, you first show website visitors you have nothing to hide.

In addition, you build trust by showing them intimate areas of your hotel. Not only should you highlight your rooms and bathrooms, but you want to highlight all of your amenities as well.

For example, if you have a restaurant, go behind the scenes with your chef. If you have a spa, venture into the back, and meet the providers. You can highlight your swimming pool, laundry facilities, business office, front desk area, and more.

This gives your potential customers an idea of your offerings and boosts their trust in your property.

#2: Virtual Walkthroughs are Transparent

There’s nothing worse for a hotel guest than opening the door to their room and finding out it isn’t what you described.

This is where the virtual walkthrough comes in. Because you are showing them exactly what the room looks like, there is nothing left to imagine.

You are showing them what you describe in your text. They can see into every corner of the room and assess cleanliness, size, and comfort.

#3: Virtual Walkthroughs Help People Learn About You

Some types of information can be better learned with visuals.

By offering them a virtual peek inside your hotel, you help potential visitors get a fuller understanding of where they’ll stay. A hotel or other place to stay can be sold and understood using text information, but it can often be full understood with more information that hits more of the senses.

Your virtual walkthrough helps you reach more people because they’re less likely to bounce off your website if they can engage with it. They can read about it, possible listen to an interview about it and also use the visuals, like photos and virtual tours, to learn about where they may want to stay.

#4: Virtual Walkthroughs Save Time

If your hotel welcomes groups of people, having a virtual walkthrough on your website saves them time and a trip to your city.

For example, let’s say a large group is having a business convention in your area. In the past, they would have sent someone to scout out the properties in the area.

If you offer a virtual walkthrough on your website, they can do this online from the comfort of their office. The company saves employee time and doesn’t have to spend someone to look at hotels.

This just might give you the competitive edge as well.

#5: Virtual Walkthroughs Increase Sales

Increased sales are another of the virtual walkthrough benefits that has great potential for your hotel.

This is because customers can go right to your virtual walkthrough to see if they like your hotel. For example, if they are looking for something family-friendly, they can tell if you showcase parents with kids in your virtual tour.

Or, if they’re looking for a hotel with a restaurant and a pool, they can see it right online.

Your virtual walkthrough meets your customers’ needs when they’re searching. They can see the area you are in, what your rooms are like, what amenities and food offerings you have, and if your hotel looks like the perfect fit.

Because they never have to leave your website, they’re also more likely to book right then and there.

virtual tour benefits

#6: Virtual Walkthroughs Give Your Customer Control

When you add a virtual walkthrough to your website, you put the control right in the hands of your web visitors.

They can watch what they want to watch, skip parts they aren’t interested in, and laser focus on the parts they’re most curious about.

#7: Virtual Walkthroughs Leave a Lasting Impression

Any piece of information can leave a lasting impression. A passage in a book. A snippet from a podcast. A scene in a film. Depending on a situation, a visual can leave a lasting impression.

By giving your website visitors a 3D experience with your virtual walkthrough, your hotel will be top of mind for a long while especially if the person sees something in particular that strikes them.

In addition, you only have one chance to make a first impression, and your interactive virtual tour is a great way to do that.

#8: Virtual Walkthroughs Add Value

Another virtual walkthrough benefit is that it gives your website visitors a strong sense of value. (tweet this)

Your audience realizes you care enough about their overall user experience by providing them a great virtual walkthrough. You show your brand cares, and you value them by letting them in your hotel right on your website.

#9: Virtual Walkthroughs Meet People Where They Are

People are viewing your website on their phone, their laptop, their tablet, and even their desktop.

By providing them a virtual tour that is accessible on all these devices, you meet them where they are.

You then take it one step further and let them book right from your website.

#10: Virtual Walkthroughs Increase Website Retention

Finally, your online virtual walkthrough increases engagement and keeps website visitors on your site longer.

Your target audience may even come back multiple times to show friends and family why they’re so excited about your property.

Final Thoughts on Virtual Walkthrough Benefits

Today’s travelers expect a virtual walkthrough on your website. If you don’t offer one, they just might leave for a competitor that does.

By offering a virtual walkthrough, you increase a website visitors time on your website. In addition, they’re more likely to make a reservation with you because you offer this virtual peek at your hotel.

The virtual walkthrough gives your website visitor complete control. They can view at their own pace, looking at your hotel from various angles.

It gives you the competitive edge, and the virtual walkthrough benefits for your property are enormous.

We are your hotel’s digital advertising specialists. Whether it’s a new website, search engine marketing, social media marketing or website design, we are here to help. Contact us today to start a conversation about your hotel’s digital advertising needs.

Images: Sigmund and Tim J on Unsplash

 

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