Direct Booking Index™
Before redirecting demand to your direct channel, establish whether that channel can actually receive it. This instrument scores conversion capability across six dimensions and returns the constraint that is binding first.
Scores are indicative and weighted from engagement diagnostics across 412 properties. The binding constraint identifies which dimension limits the others — fixing it first is what makes downstream work pay.
RUN THE FULL DIAGNOSTIC →How the index is scored
Six dimensions, weighted by how strongly each predicted direct-share movement across completed engagements. The index deliberately weights capability above current position, because a property cannot hold direct share it is not equipped to convert.
| Dimension | What it measures | Weight | Top-quartile marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel position | Current direct share of room nights | 20 | Above 50% |
| Conversion capability | Session-to-booking rate on the direct engine | 22 | Above 3.0% |
| Mobile parity | Mobile conversion relative to desktop | 18 | Above 0.85 |
| Checkout friction | Steps from room selection to confirmation | 14 | 3 or fewer |
| Payment coverage | Methods available at the point of payment | 14 | 4 or more |
| Demand infrastructure | Recovery, metasearch feed and reconciled measurement | 12 | All present |
Fix the binding constraint first
The full diagnostic evidences each deficit against a named data source, quantifies it in currency, and sequences remediation so that no work is committed ahead of the capability it depends on.
Why capability outweighs position
The most consequential decision in a commercial programme is sequencing, and the most common error is buying demand before the channel can transact it. A property that redirects demand to a checkout abandoning most payment attempts converts a conversion problem into a commission problem — the guest leaves, completes the booking through a marketplace that can transact, and the property pays for the click and the commission. We apply a hard gate in engagements: no incremental acquisition spend is committed until payment-step abandonment is below 60% and mobile conversion is within one third of desktop.