“Most hotel apps are DOA and still tons of click-bait headlines exposed”

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Co-Hosts

Robert Cole

Show Notes
00:04 – Robert Cole Joins
00:09 – Robert discusses his issues with his recent car rental issues
00:23 AirBnB Lessons in scaling 100X
00:36 Roberts Skift article about Hotel apps and how they need a major overhaul.less that a 1/5 do more than one thing, with only 6% try to do everything. Great stats about updates cycle for the apps and what was ‘left for dead’
00:46 Oracle takes on the Micros integration issues.
00:51 US Hotel demand hits all time high
00:56 How to optimize snippets for voice search.
01:01 The somewhat fluffy article about proper OTA balance to direct channel, more of a clickbait discussion in the article.
01:05 HSMAI discussion and whats happening

How to optimize featured snippets for voice search

How to optimize featured snippets for voice search

1. The Most Egregious Rip-Off I’ve Seen in Recent Years – Thanks, Dollar Rent a Car
I wanted to change my drop-off from DCA to IAD (Same Dates/times – both WAS area airports). If my two-day rental for a Mid-Size SUV was $93.45 total, what was the new price?

2. Lessons Learned Scaling Airbnb 100X
https://medium.com/@jgolden/lessons-learned-scaling-airbnb-100x-b862364fb3a7

3. Most Hotel Apps Still Need a Radical Overhaul

Most Hotel Apps Still Need a Radical Overhaul

4. Oracle Hospitality Stumbled in Micros Integration But Says It Has Recovered

Oracle Hospitality Stumbled in Micros Integration But Says It Has Recovered

5. U.S. Hotel Demand Hits an All-Time High
https://www.cbre.com/research-and-reports/us-hotel-demand-hits-an-all-time-high

6. Facebook wants to do something with WhatsApp and businesses
http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/09/05/facebook-tees-up-whatsapp-to-make-money.html

7. Amazon and Microsoft agree their voice assistants will talk (to each other)

Amazon and Microsoft agree their voice assistants will talk (to each other)

8. Kempinski Hotels Build a Fast, Responsive Website Using Insights from Google’s Site Speed Tools
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-gb/marketing-resources/ux-design/kempinski-hotels-build-fast-responsive-website-using-insights-googles-site-speed-tools/

9. Bad UX: How booking.com deceives clients
https://medium.com/@ilyadoroshin/bad-ux-how-booking-com-deceives-clients-5dc9e9485f32

10. Or, if we want to dive into the OTA-Direct Debate (again)…

1. Ideal distribution plan balances OTAs, direct channels
http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/234769/Ideal-distribution-plan-balances-OTAs-direct-channels

2. To OTA or Not OTA

To OTA or Not OTA

3. OTAs become early choice in high OTA-mix markets
http://www.hotelsmag.com/Industry/News/Details/75241

4. Why there should be no raging war between hotels and OTAs

Why there should be no raging war between hotels and OTAs