2016 Top Hospitality Trends
2016 is quickly coming to a close – so Bartercard, the operator of the world’s largest trade exchange, recaps the top trends shaping business in the ever-changing hospitality sector.
Digital wallets
Think of all the things inside your customers’ wallets – more than likely they’re so full of cards, receipts, coupons and cash they can’t even close up! Cue the digital wallet – a virtual wallet app that lets customers securely store their credit cards and make purchases in-store off EFTPOS machines. Australia’s banks are currently battling it out for their share of this market as Apple Pay has locked third-party providers of digital wallets out of the iPhone. It certainly shows it’s a contested space set to grow!
Customer continuity
Making sure you’re providing continuity across every customer-facing point of your business is important especially if you’re are going to grow and stand out. Your social media pages, website and mobile app, if you have one, should all match and feel like your physical store. Your website should be mobile responsive and customers should get the same experience across each of your platforms. This flow means customers can reach you and vice versa through multiple points including desktop, tablet and mobile, and receive the same quality experience every time. Customise your content to each platform but keep your message and branding consistent.
Connection economy
Some of the most successful companies are changing the world without investing a cent into the basic components at the core of their business. Facebook connects users without creating any content, Uber pairs drivers and passengers yet doesn’t own vehicles (and recently launched UberEATS – delivering food at the tap of a button), and Airbnb doesn’t own any real estate. The hotel alternative is currently valued at $24 billion and used by more than half a million guests per night worldwide (huffingtonpost.com). The connection economy is about building relationships rather than assets and making connections not only between buyers and vendors, but also between customers. What partnerships can you create to make use of assets already in place?
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November 15th 2016
