Overall topic: Hotel Websites Are Chasing Planners Away Set-up: Many hotels are losing opportunities with a weak website experience on their meetings and events pages. How can hotels engage and build trust with prospects beyond the RFP? 1. What problems do you see with most hotel websites? 2. How could this be directly impacting their revenue? 3. What are some tips you suggest to increase direct inquiries from the website? ATTENDEES: Sam Dunning, Breaking B2B Cory Falter, Lure Agency
Summary: In this episode of InnSync, Cory Falter chats with Sam Dunning, founder of Breaking B2B, about why so many hotels are losing business with poorly optimized meetings and events sections on their websites. Sam shares his expertise in B2B web design, emphasizing how a streamlined, user-friendly experience can boost engagement and trust, especially for non-professional planners. They discuss everything from simplifying RFPs to using social proof to attract more high-ticket bookings. Watch for valuable tips on turning your website into a 24/7 sales machine for business events.
[00:00:00] – Introduction Cory welcomes Sam Dunning from Breaking B2B for round two on InnSync. They kick off by discussing how hotel websites often fail to provide a good experience for meetings and events.
[00:01:30] – Common Website Issues Sam highlights the neglect of B2B sections on hotel websites. They often treat event planning as an afterthought, resulting in confusing, long RFP forms that frustrate planners.
[00:03:00] – The New Non-Professional Planners Cory explains that many inexperienced planners are now responsible for booking large events. These new planners struggle with the confusing information found on hotel event pages.
[00:04:33] – User Experience & Lost Revenue Sam dives into how poor website experiences are driving away planners. Instead of engaging, many websites bombard visitors with long forms before even providing basic venue details.
[00:06:50] – What Planners Need Sam outlines key elements planners want to see: clear venue information, testimonials, event photos, and simple answers to their most common questions.
[00:10:00] – Missing Social Proof Cory and Sam explore how hotels miss out by not providing social proof, such as video testimonials and case studies, on their event pages. Unlike leisure booking pages, event sections lack reviews and success stories.
[00:12:00] – How to Convert Visitors into Leads Sam discusses how the best B2B websites answer common questions upfront and remove barriers to conversion, turning visitors into qualified leads.
[00:14:36] – Why Pricing Transparency Matters They highlight the importance of offering at least a ballpark range for event pricing. Being transparent saves time and ensures only qualified leads move forward.
[00:17:20] – Website Breakdown: Live Analysis Cory walks through a live breakdown of a hotel event page, showing how unclear messaging and a lack of relevant content confuse potential planners and hurt conversions.
[00:24:00] – Quick Fixes for Hotel Event Pages Sam shares easy improvements for hotel websites: use clear headlines, provide social proof, and add FAQs that answer the most common planner questions.
[00:27:00] – Conclusion Cory and Sam reflect on the missed opportunities hotels face with poorly optimized event pages. Sam offers advice on how to enhance these sections and boost leads.
Conclusion: In this episode, Sam Dunning explains why many hotel websites are driving away planners with confusing event pages. By making simple changes, you can turn your website into a 24/7 sales machine. Watch for actionable tips and don’t forget to subscribe!