SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 6, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Online property management software company Frontdesk Anywhere has enabled hotels, motels and other lodging properties to tap into the power of Facebook by creating a simple way to book rooms using the world's most popular social network.
Frontdesk Anywhere's latest update means that potential customers can book a room while never leaving the social network. With an estimated one billion people using Facebook, it is a vital way for hotel owners to get in on the potential of online markets.
Frontdesk Anywhere co-founder Joe Kiernan said: "If you look at the stats on Facebook usage, it is truly staggering. People are already using social networks for a wide range of services. It is no longer just for posting photographs and keeping in touch with friends. Data shows that more and more people are using it to compare holiday destinations and to search for places to stay. Hotel owners are aware that having a presence on Facebook is vital to their business. Now we're making it easy for potential customers to not only see your hotel on Facebook, but to book a room with the click of a button while never leaving the site."
Facebook remains the leader in online social networking. Figures show that 93% of adults in the US have a Facebook page and worldwide, Facebook has over 1 billion users. One quarter of active users log on to their account five times or more per day. A particularly interesting stat for those in the hospitality sector came from a survey by Traveler Technology in 2010. It showed that nearly 13% of online social networkers have used Facebook or a similar network to shop for travel.
And industry is noticing the trend. 77% of business to consumer companies have acquired customers through Facebook. Facebook provides people a platform they are comfortable with in a setting they are already using and hotels across the world are noticing a steady rise in the number of referrals it is bringing. Facebook is becoming as important as online tourism sites like TripAdvisor in terms of the number of customers it can bring to a hotel.
This announcement by Frontdesk Anywhere comes on the back of a recent upgrade that saw the company give its clients a way to connect to over 130 online travel agencies worldwide such Expedia.com, Travelocity.com and Orbitz.com to name but a few. The Facebook upgrade is similar in its simplicity and effectiveness.
Frontdesk Anywhere co-founder Thomas Lyle said: "Together with our FDx Channel Manager, which tracks and centralizes all bookings, whether made online or through traditional methods, these advances are creating real improvements in how our clients are doing business. We want to open them up to new potential customer bases while also cutting the amount of time they are spending managing their online inventory and sifting through paperwork, instead of focusing on the guest and improving their experience.
"Our clients have noticed these improvements and we have been getting fantastic feedback. We look forward to more advances over the coming months as we work to create further solutions for accommodation managers."
About Frontdesk Anywhere
Frontdesk Anywhere is a leading provider of innovative hotel management software for independent properties. To date, over 700,000 hotel guests have had their stay managed with Frontdesk Anywhere — from the initial online booking process through arrival, onsite operations and checkout. The company is focused on converging processes traditionally performed by separate systems into a single all-in-one productivity application. All modules are seamlessly integrated within the application and accessible from any computer and most mobile devices. The company is a privately held corporation based in San Francisco, California.
For further information please visit FrontdeskAnywhere.com
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