The booking process is the bread and butter for many online businesses. After all, this is the point that secures them as a customer, and possibly someone who will come back time and time again.
However, getting an experience down will not be easy and driving sales is no simple task, especially considering the number of steps some have to take. Not to worry though, as we’ve compiled a few simple steps for you take in assessing how you can improve. Check them out below.
Make The Mobile Experience More Enjoyable
Perhaps one of the most important aspects you need to assess in your accessibility is how mobile-friendly you are. According to SmartInsights, 71% of our digital minutes are spent on our phones, which isn’t just for viewing content. People use their phones for a lot of extensive research, with travel and vacation falling into that category.
Utilize Images Well
Too much text can be a distraction for your readers. Plus, as a company trying to sell an experience, having images up of what that will be like is imperative to gain trust, as well as providing an accurate view of your product or service. As noted by Hubspot, 74% of social media marketers note that visual assets are one of the most important things, which can help bolster your firm’s social shares tenfold.
Include Links From Your Social
Another important aspect in considering how social plays a role in the customer experience is where your customers are reaching you. According to Pew, 79% of online users have a social media profile, which is a huge market for you to tap into. Make sure your social posts have a short link for people to access the page you want them to reach, as doing so will help increase visibility.
Implement a Chatbot
While chatbots have been a relatively new phenomenon in the tech world, they’ve quickly gained steam as an excellent solution for customer service. As Smart Message notes, 85% of all customer interactions will be performed by a chatbot by 2020, which is not only saving businesses money but helping them make more as well.
Be Available For Any Call
Even if it’s considered an underrated feature to most firms, expanding your point of contact for any inquiry is vital. According to a survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, 51% of respondents reported that having a reliable form of contact was a “must have” for any business. And while it may seem obvious, you’d be surprised at the number of companies that lack in this area.
Dedicate Time to Quality UX
An easy experience isn’t just about the processes around booking a trip, but the actual design elements that get to that point. UX is a sophisticated science, as 77% of agencies believe that poor UX is one of the most significant weaknesses a business can have. And considering that if most of your business is mostly online (or, trying to increase their presence online), then it’s not a bad idea to start considering the investment in a solid redesign.
Include Multiple Payment Options
This one is stupidly simple, but also somewhat imperative. Having multiple payment options will allow you to accept more business, and in return, more customers.
Cut The Excess to Avoid Slow Load Times
Slow load times can absolutely kill your business. According to Kissmetrics, an average person only waits between 6-10 seconds before they leave a page. And while that may not seem like much, you’d be surprised at how much on your page could not only be slowing you down but cutting into your potential sales as well. Take the time to run proper tests and have someone assess how you might be able to increase load times/speed.
Guide Them Through With The Right Questions/Categories
Although it’s similar to UX, having a good dialogue between your customer and your site is critical. This is going to determine the type of booking they need, when they need it, etc., but with the goal of doing it in a fast and efficient manner that closes the sale. A good rule of thumb here is that the fewer questions, the better, but be mindful of building trust.
Know What’s Going on With Your User
If you haven’t already started to delve into Big Data, then it’s never too late to start. This is going to teach you not only the types of customers that are visiting your site but on what pages and where they’re hovering over. Utilizing this information is only going to improve your business; because as Waterford Tech states, with data production expected to be 44x greater in 2020 than it was in 2009, this is a trend that isn’t going away for awhile. Furthermore, it’s going to provide insights you haven’t had yet, which will always provide you with a better sense of your digital marketing efforts. This is one of the main reasons why businesses use booking software.
As you start to dig into the booking experience of your site, what are some things you might consider changing? Comment with your answer below.