First of all, many of the technologies that used to work wonders on websites are now essentially defunct such as Flash™, which is supported on a few browsers but not by Apple's™ products. HTML5, which has emerged as the new standard, seems to provide many of the functions that Flash™ does, but simply converting an existing website to the new technology won't do. It has to be designed for the new user and devices.
Websites that were designed three or more years ago, were mostly built on the premise that a mobile user would use a "mobile friendly" shadow site and this emerged as a way to serve those browsers. That is if mobile browsing even existed when the site was created. No one was thinking in terms of today's dominance of mobile devices and the change in guests research and booking behavior. Today you can create an html5 site which is navigable from either a PC browser or a mobile device, create a stand alone mobile website or both.
Google expects mobile travel research on phones to increase 68% and 180% on tablets next year. On PCs research growth is expected to be 0%. 40% of leisure travelers and 36% of business travelers book overnight accommodations (hotels) from their mobile phone's browser instead of on apps.
In the same study Google asked what the main reasons for not booking on a mobile device were, with the number one reason being that the websites are hard to see/read/navigate on a mobile device. For more information on this check out the Google study.
What this boils down to for anyone creating images or using them on a website, is that the interface on a mobile device and the functionality of the website have become more critical for the small screens. Properties that haven't already done so need to make sure their online presence works seamlessly and effectively with mobile devices and that the functionality allows guests to browse and book smoothly.
Photography is playing a more critical role in communicating who a hotel/resort/spa is with its' ability to convey mountains of information that would take pages to cover in text (text that is hard to read on a small screen). The images need to be proportionally larger on the small screens than they would for a PC screen and they also need to be easily navigable and quick to load. A prospective guest needs to have a positive impression of your property after just a few seconds of flipping through a gallery. Every image is critical starting with the first, which must compel the viewer to the second and then the third image etc. The old adage that "a photographer is only as good as his/her last image" applies to hoteliers in this case as well. Each image must engage the prospect and lead them further into your properties online presence while creating the "curb appeal" you want to project.
The new mobile technology, while changing the dynamic of how prospective guests browse for hotels, also is a boon to anyone marketing with images. These devices have wonderful screen quality which is sharper than most PC screens and the touch screens make it extremely easy to create an intuitive interface for your site.
More to come. Next we'll explore how to plan your image.
