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2 minute read
- Clients often research through aggregator sites before booking directly with a center.
- Known as ‘the billboard effect’, studies suggest that aggregators can increase direct bookings by as much as 26%.
- Pair aggregator exposure with strong SEO, easy direct booking, and a professional website to maximize revenue.
Here’s something you might not expect: listing on aggregator platforms like Alliance Virtual Offices helps you attract clients who never book through us at all.
That’s the power of “the billboard effect”.
Platforms like ours build awareness, showcase your space, and drive visibility – so when clients are ready to book, many will click off our site and buy straight from you.
In fact, the boost in direct bookings generated by aggregator visibility can deliver increases of 7–26%, according to studies in the hospitality sector.
Let’s take a closer look at the billboard effect and how you can leverage it to drive more center revenue.
What is the Billboard Effect?
The concept was originally coined by Chris Anderson, an Associate Professor at Cornell University in 2009. He observed that when hotels were listed on online travel agents (OTAs) like Expedia, they experienced a significant uplift in direct bookings – even beyond the bookings made through OTAs themselves.
A semi-controlled “on/off” experiment (2009) found that hotels listed on Expedia gained a 7.5% to 26% increase in reservations via their own channels when compared to weeks when they weren’t listed.
In a 2011 expanded study, which tracked 1,720 bookings, researchers discovered that approximately 75% of guests booking directly with a hotel had visited an OTA beforehand.
And in a 2017 follow-up, Cornell reaffirmed the continued relevance of this effect, noting that while the consumer path to booking has grown more complex, the billboard effect still persists.
Bridging the Hospitality Parallel: Why This Matters for Your Center
Like hotels, virtual office and coworking centers operate within the broader hospitality ecosystem. Prospective clients often browse multiple listing platforms (aggregators) before booking directly on a center’s site.
Even if they don't convert immediately, being visible on aggregators elevates your center’s brand awareness, encouraging direct traffic and bookings through your official site.
Why It Works
Customers often discover you on an aggregator, then choose to book directly for reasons like loyalty benefits, or ease.
By being present in aggregator searches, you're effectively placing a “billboard” that amplifies attention.
As Cornell’s studies suggest, that visibility translates into measurable direct bookings and increased revenue.
While aggregator influence remains strong, clients now navigate through more touchpoints, such as search, metasearch, and reviews, before booking. Still, the billboard effect continues to play a meaningful role in this layered process.
By listing your center on aggregators like Alliance Virtual Offices, you not only boost third-party bookings but also nurture direct business, with low acquisition cost and improved margins – helping your center grow profitably.
How to Leverage the Billboard Effect
- Partner with multiple aggregators. More visibility across platforms means more opportunities to drive both aggregator and direct bookings.
- Incentivize direct bookings. Attract shoppers who compare listings by offering exclusive perks – like discounted meeting space or loyalty bonuses.
- Simplify direct booking. A smooth, user-friendly, and secure website helps avoid losing prospects mid-journey.
- Strengthen your local SEO. Ensure address consistency across platforms, optimize for local keywords, update your Google Business profile, gather reviews, and keep meta data fresh.
- Demonstrate professionalism on your own site. An appealing, well-branded site will build trust and convert visitors into clients.
The billboard effect proves that aggregator listings don’t just generate third-party sales, they also increase your direct bookings by boosting visibility and brand awareness.
By combining aggregator exposure with a strong website, local SEO, and direct booking incentives, your center can capture more clients, build trust, and grow revenue with minimal cost of sale. Partnering with Alliance Virtual Offices puts your space on the map and helps you turn visibility into long-term business growth.
