Apple Maps Adds Direct Booking to Your Hotel Digital Marketing Toolkit
TLDR:
Make sure that you are taking advantage of this free opportunity to drive more traffic to your hotel website’s booking portal. We explain the latest update, how it works, and how to take advantage of this functionality in your hotel marketing strategy.
For years, Google My Business has incorporated a booking button in listings, giving Google searchers and Google maps users an express path toward checking out a hotel’s options from search results. Recently Apple Maps quietly introduced this capability. With the significant iOS U.S. market share, setting up your listing and “Book” button is a no-brainer.
Why Apple Maps Hotel Booking Matters
Should hotels manage their Apple Maps listing? Absolutely. Today, approximately 53% of U.S. mobile device users carry iPhones, a sizable majority. Apple Maps is the default iPhone navigation program, pre-installed in Apple’s iOS operating system. This does not mean that 53% of mobile phone users navigate using Apple Maps, however. Google enjoys a dominant share of usage as many iPhone users elect Google Maps instead, and usage statistics are notoriously hard to come by. Speculation aside, millions of U.S. mobile devices rely on Apple Maps, and any new capability for your hotel marketing strategy should be eagerly adopted.
We recommend ensuring that you have claimed your hotel’s Apple Maps profile. Once you have done so, setting up the Book button for your hotel is straightforward.
Add the Book Button to Your Apple Maps Listing
Most hotels carefully manage their Google My Business information (if you aren’t, you should!). It’s time to do the same with Apple Maps. The steps to do so are:
- Visit https://mapsconnect.apple.com/ and log in. You’ll need an Apple ID to do so. We recommend creating one that can be shared across your business. You can only have one administrative login.
- Make sure you’re able to access the phone number for your business.
- Search for your hotel’s name and address.
- Confirm the address and details listed in Apple Maps, and correct them if necessary.
- Verify your listing, which Apple conducts by calling your business phone number.
Now, add the “Book” button to your profile using the Action menu. Choose “Add an Action” and define the link used in booking. You’ll notice that an third-party online travel agency (OTA) like TripAdvisor is the default link as you’re setting this up. Why leave it that way? Link your website’s booking portal to drive direct traffic and revenue to your hotel.
Using Apple Maps in Your Hotel Digital Marketing Strategy
With millions of active Apple Maps users nationwide, claiming your business and adding a direct booking link should be an essential bit of housekeeping for every hotel. It can only amount to more booking traffic and revenue. Does it suggest or enable new hotel marketing strategies? Not exactly. However, this new capability suggests a new attention to measurement and targeting.
For example, hotel marketers should pay attention to booking traffic sources as a general practice. What kinds of devices do your visitors book from? Are they typically mobile or desktop users? Android or iOS? Understanding how your visitors arrive at your site and book can help with ad targeting, asset development, and optimized web experiences for these visitors. It also underscores the need for device-agnostic marketing that introduces your hotel to likely visitors, driving bookings on your site through the platforms your guests prefer.
Looking for help managing your hotel’s listings and integrations? Wondering if your marketing is as mobile-optimized as it should be? This is what we do. Reach out to us today for a conversation about how we could drive measurable revenue for your hotel.