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Travel companies ‘driving away customers’ due to poor online user experience
Online travel companies are missing out on bookings and actively encouraging users to visit rival websites, new research claims to show.
A study of more than 25 travel websites revealed that hidden charges, cumbersome search functions and booking forms that are hard to find are among the top mistakes made by some of the UK’s biggest online travel agencies.
According to web usability consultancy Webcredible the study provides “unique insights” into common errors made by online travel companies and reveals the main reasons why holidaymakers might click away from a travel website.
These include:
*Hitting them with extra taxes and charges at the checkout
*Not allowing them to be flexible with their dates
*Not using ‘print-friendly’ page layouts
*Not promoting competitive prices on the home page
The report provides advice on changes travel companies can make to their websites to encourage repeat visits increase conversion rates.
Company director Trenton Moss said: “The travel sector experiences one of the highest levels of comparison shopping online, with a massive one in four visits to travel websites coming from another site in the same category.
“Users are unlikely to hang around for long if they can’t find what they’re looking for, but by making a number of easy-to-implement changes online travel companies can significantly improve the satisfaction of their website visitors, ultimately leading to increased bookings.”
Webcredible compiled the Online Travel Sector Usability Report following user testing and expert reviews of more than 25 travel websites in June and July. The report is available to download from the Webcredible website: http://www.webcredible.co.uk/travel
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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