What is Channel Manager;
If you promote your accommodation through multiple online channels, such as online travel agencies, so-called OTAs, Booking.com Airbnb, or even your own website or social media, you will definitely need the help of a trusted channel manager.
Channel manager is a specialized software that allows you to automatically distribute property listings across multiple booking channels. It allows you to update your prices, availability, calendars and listings across all channels you advertise on in real time, thereby eliminating the risk of overbooking or duplication.
The channel manager ensures that availability is always up to date on any promotion channel where guests can book. This means that if a visitor makes a reservation on a website such as Booking.com for example, the availability will automatically change both in the Booking.com as well as on Airbnb, our website and all other channels.
With a channel manager, you will be able to distribute your listing across different channels and therefore, diversify your booking sources. It will also allow you to update and sync information automatically and instantly across all channels – leaving a very small margin for error. Channel manager systems are an essential tool if you want to avoid mistakes such as overbooking or incorrect availability on different booking channels.
I need a channel manager for my accommodation;
The channel manager is required if:
- Manage one or more accommodation or hotel regardless of size
- You are present in more than one booking channel (Booking.com, Airbnb)
- You want to improve how you manage your different channels
- You want to eliminate the risk of cancellation due to availability error (double booking)
What a channel manager offers me;
Saving time
One of the biggest benefits of using a channel manager is that it can save you a lot of time. By automating the distribution of your channel, you remove repetitive tasks that you would otherwise have to do manually. For example, updating calendars, prices and descriptions one by one on each platform you advertise on.
Avoid duplication
Double booking or overbooking can be a nightmare-if you’ve ever had to cancel a guest booking, you’ll know it. However, if you use channel manager Software, you will never have to worry about these cases. Stable, two-way synchronization is key. With a channel manager, your availability is instantly updated across all sales channels every time you receive a booking this drastically reduces the risk of overbooking.
Increases your bookings, occupancy and revenue
Another advantage of channel manager is that they allow you to diversify your distribution. They can give you access to booking channels that you have never considered necessary, but they fit perfectly into the profile of your property or business guests. Channel managers can synchronize between 3 and 300 booking channels at the same time!
Ultimately, more visibility of your listings leads to an increase in bookings, occupancy and revenue.
Connectivity with other applications
Channel managers are easily interconnected with a variety of tools such as PMS, revenue management systems, housekeeping applications, etc. Digitization and program connectivity leads to minimizing working time, increasing efficiency, bookings, and ultimately maximizing profits from your property or hotel.
How to choose the best channel manager;
By searching the internet for Channel manager programs you will see that there are thousands. What should be the criteria for choosing one of them?;
The competition in the companies that promote these programs has created solutions for any kind of business that deals with the promotion of tourist accommodation or hotels. So we can find from a simple channel manager that manages a simple accommodation with a presence on three or four platforms to a complex program designed for a hotel with connections to more than 300 channels.
The purchase and installation of a channel manager is a serious matter that must include an analysis of the accommodation and the market addressed in order to select the channels we need to have a presence.
In addition, the majority of new channel managers also include solutions that allow us to optimize the ranking (SEO) in the various channels, manage the pricing policy and many other possibilities.
An important part after the choice of channel manager is the initial implementation of the program in the operation of our property. The activation process often requires cooperation with the team of the company providing the program to configure it. There are programs that the process is done relatively easily by activating connection to the various channels by US and other programs that the whole process is done by the developers of the company while training its operation to one of the members who manage the accommodation or hotel.
Channel manager programs are billed either by a one-time monthly subscription or a percentage of reservations. Also, several of them also require a lump sum of initial activation. Contracts concluded are usually annual or monthly subscription with a right of withdrawal where applicable.
TitusCFU offers you solutions with integrated channel manager programs that meet your needs. We can help you choose the right program, whether you own an apartment or manage an entire hotel. After analyzing the market in which you want to have a presence, we offer you the best possible solution that includes implementation, management and continuous support of the operation of a channel manager.
Trust TitusCFU to promote and grow your business.