“★★★★★” — love, your fan

It’s no secret that the reviews and feedback of your guests is enormously persuasive. The power of social proof is so strong that entire businesses are based on it — businesses like TripAdvisor.

You may draw some inspiration from these leading hotels, and how they are using social proof on their own websites, to great effect. There are a variety of ways to approach the matter.

 

Don’t toot your own horn — let others do it.

Why don’t you take a fresh look at how you’re harnessing the awesome power of social proof?

Perhaps you should be. Explore these examples to decide how.

 

Add a splash of acclaim to your homepage.

 

Here’s a tasteful little testimonial tucked right into the homepage header of Tanque Verde Ranch.

 

First impressions are everything. Why not make a great one? Your homepage offers a number of strategic spots in which to place some glowing quotes from guests.

You might find that social proof fits really well near your header, complementing the images or video that welcomes new site visitors.

Quotes from guests might be placed midway down the page in a rotating, easy-to-browse carousel. They can be sprinkled throughout this page (and perhaps others), enhancing the sense that the acclaim is widespread.

Testimonials might also work well in the footer of the site, offering a candid glimpse into the experience as a nice flourish at the end of your main content.

 

Right from the owl’s mouth.

 

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok puts select TripAdvisor social proof directly on their site, with its branding and everything.

 

TripAdvisor is the “gold standard” of judgement, in the opinion of many. It offers a fairly credible account, and awards and accolades on TripAdvisor are quite coveted. So why not show ’em off?

Think about it: you’re probably aiming to keep people on your site, with the goal of direct bookings and such. If it feels inevitable that folks are going to leave your site to check out your TripAdvisor ratings (then get distracted, then disappear forever)… who not bring some of that TripAdvisor content to your site, and keep them where you want them?

 

Harness the power of social: let guests share their photos!

 

The Crane encourages guests to share their stories as they enjoy their stay in Barbados.

 

You already know the power of word of mouth. When guests talk to their friends about your hotel, your reputation travels at the speed of sound. By including some guest photos as well, you also “harness the speed of light”.

Even for strangers, imagine how persuasive it is to see the smiling enjoyment of real guests! The spirit that is captured in each image is important: the essence of your hotel all boils down to an experience, and storytelling helps to share that experience.

 

Caribe Royale has contests and incentives encouraging guests to post, and to share with friends.

 

One immense benefit to having guest content on your site is the power of sharing. If a guest gets featured on your site, they are likely to share the link, show it off to their friends, and perhaps even influence them to book a similar experience.

Contests can improve upon that sharing process immensely. If your hotel has a guest photo contest, guests have greater incentive to share their photo, so that they can earn votes to win the prize (and bragging rights). In addition, you may prompt contest visitors to provide their email in order to vote — and these folks are prime candidates to follow up with since they are already engaged and interested.

 

We love to help hotels with this sort of persuasive social proof — and we’d love to help yours! Featuring guest photos can attract their friends at the critical “point of inspiration”, and that can lead to a lot more direct bookings.
Just get in touch and we’ll explore this approach for your hotel.

 

Be real.

 

This genuine hotel overview is presented boldly by Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans.

 

Verified ratings can seem like a scary option. With these, you use a third party to collect honest feedback, and don’t do much to affect how it appears. So what’s the appeal?

Nobody expects a hotel to be perfect at everything. (Or maybe there are guests who expect perfection at everything — and maybe they should look for it elsewhere.) By offering a frank account of where your hotel excels, you set expectations well.

 

The pen is mightier.

 

Enchanté Boutique Hotel offers a charming glimpse into their guestbook, right on their site.

 

Here’s an interesting approach to social proof: share snippets right from your guestbook! What a fresh feeling of realness, in this approach.

When you let guests pen their feelings in their own hand, and share that glimpse of the page itself, there’s an extremely tactile, personal feeling to it. These snippets from your on-site ephemera can be especially nice to share on social, as well.

 

A smile means the same thing in every language.

 

It can spark a smile to see the smiling faces of happy guests on the website for Nobleman Boutique Hotel.

 

As humans, we are very moved by the experiences and expressions of those around us. We’re enormously drawn to those little profile pics throughout our online social landscape, and that holds true on your website, as well.

Put in a bit of extra effort, and let the power of smiles work its magic to give your testimonials an extra boost.

A smile means the same thing in every language.Click To Tweet

 

How will you allow your guests praise you?

There was care and effort put into every one of those social proof tidbits. Someone took the time to create every quote, guestbook scribble, review post, and candid snapshot. Consider the care you might put in toward letting them be seen.

Which of these approaches works well for you, and your hotel? Let us know!

And of course if you’d like any help with getting social proof working for you, we’re happy to help. Just get in touch!