Creating the perfect travel website

Creating the perfect travel website...

Contents The travel technology experts

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What makes the perfect travel website?

4

Customer focused websites

5

The journey

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Step 1: Research & inspiration

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Step 2: Searching & planning

10

Step 3: Booking

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Step 4: Sharing & reviewing

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Usability

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The importance of mobile

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Evolution of the travel website

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Final tips

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The travel technology experts As an award-winning travel technology provider we’re experts in the online travel market, but we’ve also spoken to a wide range of real users, asking them what they love (and hate) about booking holidays online.

From their responses and our industry knowledge, we’ve created this indispensable guide to creating the perfect travel website. It looks at how your website can enhance each of the four stages of booking a holiday.

We also offer advice and tips on how to improve your website to attract new customers, encourage repeat business and earn yourself a positive reputation within the highly competitive travel market.

Call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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What makes the perfect travel website?

It’s a tricky question. Many travel websites are powered by the latest technology, feature the best promotions and offer the most competitive prices, yet are still making fundamental mistakes.

With travel purchases making up 50% of all online transactions, there’s never been a more crucial time to make sure you’re getting the most from your website. So, what can you do to ensure your travel website comes up out on top?

At Digital Trip we know the key to creating a successful travel website is transforming a mundane and often frustrating ‘process’ into an intuitive and exciting ‘experience’ for the customer.

It might sound obvious, but keeping the customer at the forefront of your mind is essential in building a reputable and trustworthy website.

Transforming the often stressful process of booking a holiday into an experience people can enjoy will give your business a more personal touch and put you head and shoulders above the rest.

Call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Customer focused sites If you give your customers what they want they’ll come back for more, tell their friends, and share their experiences.

• First impressions count. The first thing customers see is your home page, so don’t over-complicate it with mountains of text and irrelevant images. Remember, less is more.

• Use trusted, recognisable logos. This shows you’re a reputable business and makes the customer feel secure. Don’t be afraid to make them visible on your home page and throughout the site.

• Clarity sells - a clear and consistent design featuring a professionally designed company logo are essential in creating brand recognition and preventing confusion.

Call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Customer focused websites also need to take account of the following: • What are you offering? Once you are clear what you’re offering, your customers will be too. Are you a luxury travel company, or do you cater to those on a budget? If you’re offering a range of experiences, make sure you’re not alienating potential buyers with gender or age-specific imagery.

Once you are clear what you’re offering, your customers will be too.

•M ake it easy for the customer to contact you. Display your phone number clearly on the homepage, somewhere it can’t be missed. Users also appreciate a free phone line, call back service or live chat experience to get speedy answers to their queries and avoid abandoned baskets.

Ensuring your website features inspiring copy & images, hassle-free contact methods and engaging design all add to the customer’s sense of trust in your business.

Call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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The journey For potential customers, there are 4 steps when it comes to purchasing their holiday.

STEP 1

Research & inspiration

STEP 2

Searching & planning

STEP 3

Making the booking

STEP 4

Sharing & reviewing

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Research & inspiration A travel website is more than just a place to book and pay for a holiday. A customer’s journey begins much earlier – when they are searching for inspiration.

STEP 1

The research stage is when the customer is ‘just looking’.

They may not have a clue where to go (or even if they want to go on a trip) they are simply browsing. This means that the more useful information the customer can access on your website, the better.

What can your website offer customers at the research and inspiration stage? It’s essential to attract the customer’s attention when they are in the research stage. Information should be exciting in tone and appearance, so make use of engaging imagery and copy.

Offering comprehensive, easy to access guides is a great way to give explorers inspiration. You could organise them by: • Country or City • Purpose – romantic, business, sunshine, escape • Guests – couples, families, solo, large groups • Season

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Displaying information in an easy-todigest format such as ‘top ten’ or ‘the five best...’ is more appealing to read than heavy chunks of text.

This technique is especially effective when combined with a specific customer need, for example: • Top ten destinations for travellers on a budget • Five of the best family-friendly campsites • Ten under-rated cities you’ll wish you’d visited sooner

STEP 1

‘Real’ advice from ‘real’ people adds another dimension to your site. Why not consider featuring guest bloggers who are local to specific regions? Alongside customer reviews, this gives the potential customer a variety of opinions to consider from impartial sources.

Multimedia can also enhance the experience. As well as beautiful photography, you can use videos, audio and virtual tours to give the explorer a range of experiences. This stage is often one of the most exciting and should trigger a sense of desire in the customer.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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STEP 2

Searching & planning Once the customer knows where they want to take their holiday, they enter the next stage – searching and planning.

This stage should begin to fuse their emotional needs (‘I’d love a spa/somewhere for the kids to play/a stunning beach’) with the rational (‘How do I get around? Can I access my emails?’) and should happen in two parts: • Using the ‘search’ function on the site • Processing the search results your site delivers

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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The search tool One of the most important pieces of travel technology on your website is the search function.

If it consistently displays errors or is difficult to use, customers will go elsewhere - that’s why we power all of our sites with our simple and intuitive search and book technology. For the best user experience the search feature should allow the user maximum flexibility and include:

STEP 2

• A ‘give or take’ function on dates, avoiding the dreaded ‘no results found’ message if they are looking at dates which are unavailable.

• The ability to select multiple airports and eliminate travel methods they don’t want to use.

• A ‘most popular’ or ‘highest-rated’ option, meaning lowrated destinations won’t show up in the search results.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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The search results Once the customer has their search results, the process of filtering the information needs to be clear and straightforward.

Allow results to be narrowed down by selecting options based on the customer’s needs, including price, location/distance from airport, trip duration, airport – departure and arrival, facilities and family/pet friendly.

STEP 2

The experience can be enhanced by showing search results on a map, and providing relevant links to extra information such as public transport, restaurants, must-see attractions, and car rentals.

Comparison sites are a popular way to book holidays, so consider offering direct comparisons between two or more locations/hotels so the customer doesn’t have to do so elsewhere. Always display the price of the holiday clearly and in full with no hidden costs. You may also decide to work in partnership with travel aggregators which so often dominate search results.

Once the search has been narrowed down and your customer is happy, progression to the booking process should be seamless. Ensure the next step is clearly indicated - if it’s not obvious how to book, you’ll lose the sale.

The experience can be enhanced by showing results on a map.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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STEP 3

Making a booking Many companies make the mistake of thinking that once the customer has clicked ‘purchase’ they’ve sealed the deal. Wrong. You still need to work hard to complete the booking process:

• Ask yourself whether you need your customers to register on your website. It can be extremely irritating when you’re all ready and excited to book, and then the process is stalled because you’re required to register an account.

• The process should take as few steps as possible and be simple and clear.

• Display your terms and conditions somewhere obvious.

• It should be safe and secure. Use trusted logos which customers will recognise and will prove your credibility. At Digital Trip we use advanced anti-fraud technology as standard for added peace of mind.

• Send a confirmation email with a booking reference, contact details and information pack. If follow-up emails (for example e-tickets) are to be sent at a later date, let them know.

• When selling extra services such as insurance or car hire, never use opt-out tick boxes. It’s sneaky. The customer will opt in if they really want to use these services. Advertise them properly and there’s no reason why they won’t sell.

• Personalised information post-booking, such as downloadable maps and guides, specific to the area. Offering an ‘add to calendar’ option through Google calendars is a great personal touch..

• Make sure the price is crystal clear and transparent, with no hidden costs.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Sharing & reviewing Sharing and reviewing should be a key part of using your travel website.

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Recommended

People who have used your site will end their ‘buying’ cycle with this step, and often begin their next cycle of ‘inspiration’ according to the recommendations of others, so ensure that you:

STEP 4

• Offer a follow-up email shortly after the customer’s return date, providing them with a link to review their trip and contact details should they have any feedback or queries.

• Create a loyalty scheme where points could be accrued through spending and reviewing, they can also be used to provide ‘extras’ such as priority boarding or upgrades.

• Suggest signing up to your newsletter, which should contain personalised information based on previous searches or purchases.

• Allow your customers to rate individual aspects of their trip as well as the overall experience.

• Display the customer’s overall rating within the results.

• Moderate reviews fairly – don’t withhold negative reviews for no reason. If the issue was with the service your site provided, contact them to resolve the matter.

The hotel was fantastic and all the staff were so attentive and helpful

It wa s and perfect for fami some so quiet thing at ni lies worr that we ght ied a bout were before we le ft

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Sharing & reviewing

• Offer a ‘wish list’ service which can be shared with family, friends or other site users.

Wish list

Reviews

• Offer a review system to encompass the customer’s whole journey and show others how user-friendly and satisfying your site is to use. Having a review system turns your website into a platform to share information with others, links you to people with similar interests, creates unique user-generated content (which search engines love) and inspires your customers to book again – hopefully through your site.

ed t a r e n e g r e s U t n e t n o c

Social Media

STEP 4

• Give people the option to talk about their reviews via Social Media including Facebook, Twitter and blogs, allowing you to connect with your customers directly and be part of the conversation. It also increases your online presence and exposes new audiences to your services.

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Onlin

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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It’s the usability of your site that determines how successful you are.

Usability Consistency is paramount. Set your tone and fill your site with unique, descriptive copy that is rich in keywords and search terms. This improves your ranking with search engines and gives your site a personal feel, however too much text can be off-putting so keep it short, concise and to the point.

Ensure your website: • Works as well on a mobile as it does on a desktop • Functions in all browsers and doesn’t rely on JavaScript or Flash • Is clear and easy to navigate, with clear categories and sub-categories • Consistently uses the same colours, fonts and button styles throughout

• Is easy to view. Never feature horizontal scrolling or use excessively long pages.

• Places the most important information at the top of your page. If a customer doesn’t scroll down, you want them to see the most important bits.

• Features prominent contact information - don’t hide from customers – encourage them to approach you.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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The importance of mobile technology As a new study by Expedia reveals, more travellers are consuming travel content on mobile devices than on PC*.

To be successful, ambitious online travel agents need to develop a multi-screen strategy to reach these consumers and take advantage of Google’s new ‘mobile-friendly’ ranking system.

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Figures show that online travel bookings in Europe alone via mobile devices increased from 11 per cent in 2013 to 20 per cent in 2015.

In the UK, the figures are even more impressive with 50% of UK travellers now making bookings on mobile devices*. In addition, more than 40% of online travel-related queries now come from mobile devices.

Newly-developed apps and mobile websites are proving to be an essential way in which to engage with these customers and drive up the number of online bookings.

But a ‘smart’ mobile strategy doesn’t just stop at the booking stage, it allows travel businesses to create an enhanced user experience by offering flight and itinerary notifications, restaurant recommendations, the chance to share experiences as they happen, and access to last-minute deals.

The total travel audience in mobile is equal to that of PC, and the mobile-only audience is slightly larger than PC only.*

*Source: ‘UK Travel Decisions in a Multiscreen World’: Expedia Media Solutions

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Big features for small screens The perfect travel website must work as well on a mobile device as it does on a desktop computer.

Frustrating user experience, limited features or poor design are all factors that can prevent potential customers completing their bookings.

That’s why at Digital Trip we recommend an integrated online strategy that incorporates our new mobile platform, enabling customers access to the same advanced features found on a desktop website - from booking flights, hotels and travel extras to finding inspiration with destination guides, all from the palm of their hand.

A mobile platform will also help you get ahead of your competition by improving your SEO.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Digital Trip’s new mobile platform has been built by experts from the ground up to offer users the best possible experience on both iOS & Android devices.

Powered by the award-winning Content Management System ‘eVolve’, it’s quick and easy to manage content. For mobile enabled modules, you only need to update once and your changes will take affect across all devices. call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Evolution of the travel website As travel technology experts we know that technology is a key player in the evolution of the travel market.

To stay ahead of the competition online travel companies need to look beyond video, social and rewards programmes to create websites that fully meet the growing expectations of their increasingly tech-savvy customers.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Key elements shaping the future of the travel industry Big data This allows your business to be even more targeted in your marketing efforts. With big data you are able to create anything from personalised websites, customised offers and a meaningful user experience – in real time. Invest in big data and the potential for your website is almost unlimited.

The ‘Internet of Things’ This is used to describe a multitude of devices that are connected to the internet – and one another. It is big news in the business world, and in a travel context it could mean anything from passengers receiving alerts about waiting times to airlines being aware of passenger movements within the airport.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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All websites created

by Digital Trip use innovative technology to automatically block fraudulent transactions

Payment systems Alternative payment systems such as PayPal, Google Wallet and Apple Pay are rivalling more traditional feecharging systems. This technology will have an impact on business in terms of enhanced data, better tracking and improved planning processes.

Security With the huge growth in online fraud, the need for stringent security measures to protect your site has never been more important. All websites created by Digital Trip use innovative technology to automatically block fraudulent transactions whilst allowing genuine customers to complete their purchases.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Some final tips Inspiring content, intuitive searching, a safe and secure booking process, and space for customers to share their views are all vital for the perfect travel website, but here are a few other key factors to consider:

Keep focussed, stay consistent, and never forget that it’s all about the customer, ensuring they have the best possible experience whatever device they are using.

Test your website thoroughly.

At Digital Trip we utilise a stringent checking process before any site we create is put live.

Analyse your site.

Which are the areas of high traffic?

Where do you have the best click-through rates? Use your success in one area to improve a less successful part of the site.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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Ensure your website is future-proof Digital Trip use a ‘modular’ approach to travel technology – allowing your website to adapt and expand.

Take a multi-screen approach Ensure you cater for the growing number of users who book their travel on mobile devices.

Think like your customers If you were booking a holiday for yourself or your family what would make you feel special and looked after?

Equally, what would irritate you?

Employ a marketing strategy. Expose your business to the world, and get people talking.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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There’s clearly a lot to consider when creating the perfect travel website, but by choosing Digital Trip as your technology partner you can ensure you meet the expectations of your customers today, tomorrow and for years to come.

call 0844 357 7973 / email: info@digital-trip.co.uk / visit: www.digital-trip.com

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