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If Only I Could Create the Perfect Travel Website (2008)
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Transcript of If Only I Could Create the Perfect Travel Website (2008)
If only I could make the perfect travel website
Jason Till, Digital Production Director, Designate
It would• Know what I like
• – e.g. architecture, kite surfing, good food – and make suggestions
• Provide believable reviews• from people like me
• Have multimedia • - a short video documentary of the
destination. IPIX and photo gallery• Show me an interesting events calendar
• which could be personalised to me and integrate with my Outlook diary
• Give me a map-driven itinerary• with local transport information which I
could download using to my mobile device, display on a map and share with other people by bluetoothing it to them – with GPS
• Be beautiful to look at
• Alert me• via a widget, gadget, or RSS feed when a deal which was relevant to me appeared
• Know my budget• but know when I’d be prepared to break it.
• Know where I lived• and be able to calculate the price of my train ticket to the airport and compare this with
different airport locations and the total holiday cost• Provide group travel functionality
• (which could integrate with Facebook).• Have a “wish list / shortlist”
• which other people could login to and see and add to.• Be easy to use• Never break
There’s no such thing as the perfect travel website
- but most of the functionality I’ve mentioned already exists across a number of them
Legacy systems can constrain how travel sites
work
But you still have a lot of control over brand (selling,
imagery) and usability
Today
• A quick anatomy lesson• Audience research – what this tells us about what people
want • The importance of the brand and communication• The (broken) customer journey• Some dos and don’ts• Building blocks you need, process and specialist skills
A basic anatomy lesson
Basic anatomy of a home page
Newsletter registration
Search
Brand logo
Hero shot with deals
Promos
Clearly-placed contact number
Listed deals / offers
Behind the scenes it can be complex
Templates
Content
Inventory“Selling”content
DestinationGuides
Weather Events UGC
3rd party 3rd party3rd party
XML / Webservice XML / Webservice XML / Webservice
3rd party
3rd party
3rd party
XML / Webservice
ContentManagement
Travel search
Booking
3rd Party data
Secure payment gateway
BookingCRM
Sign up
SEO
12
34
5
Analytics
RSS
Multimedia
What is perfect?
Traveller (generic)
Price Location Inspiration
Flexibility Rich Content
Childcare Choice
Extras Fun
Luxury
Deals
E-commerce DirectorOptimised for SEO
Data captureConversion High margin
Low booking latencyLow click to book
Low cost of maintenancePerformance Easy upkeep
TRUST
The challenge is to tie these
together
Understanding the traveller
Examining Travellers’ primary motivations
Career motivated
43%
Entertainment motivated
31%
Family motivated
26% Efficiency
Control
Compare/contrast results and details.
Slow-to-load Web sites
Elaborate Flash-based intro screens
Not enough detail
Social computing
Audio, video, colour
Virtual tours
Highly impulsive – excellent target for cross selling and last minute offers – RSS feeds etc.
Poor design
Too much text
Safety, security and privacy guarantees
Childcare
Flexibility
Unknown brand
Source: Forrester's Technographics Q2 2007 European Benchmark Mail Study” & Designate
Communications
Travel research is among the most popular online activity
50%
50%
48%
46%
40%
39%
28%
Use free Web-based email (e.g.,Hotmail)
Research holiday destinations
Prepare trips online (maps, directions)
Read news online
Use IM
Use reference sites
Look up sports information
Base: Online Europeans leisure travellers(multiple responses accepted)
Source: Forrester’s Consumer Technographics® May 2007
Travel dominates online leisure category usage
10%
5%
12%
11%
13%
18%
16%
8%
4%
13%
10%
11%
17%
11%
24%
24%
27%
27%
29%
37%
44%
Videos/DVDs
Music tracks (e.g.,MP3s)
Clothing
CDs/tapes/records
Event tickets
Books
Leisure travel
Researched online
Researched online, boughtoffline
Bought online
Base: Online Europeans leisure travellers(multiple responses accepted)
Source: Forrester’s Consumer Technographics® May 2007
European “Lookers and Bookers” are an elite group
Offline leisure travellers
Online leisure travellers
Age 54 39
% Male 45% 53%
Education (upper) 14% 37%
Income (upper) 19% 41%
# leisure trips/year 4.8 5.5
Base: Online European leisure travellersSource: Forrester’s Consumer Technographics® May 2007
Old customer journey
---Broken---
Life’s getting complicated
New customer journey
Looking Decided On location Back home
Tra
velli
ng
Tra
velli
ng
a destination OR experience
sharing memories
thinking about the next trip
Inspiration
research
experiencing
communicating
“Iterative Ideation”
Travel sector companies aren’t as good as they could be at selling
online
“Advertising at its worst has been killed by the Internet”*
• Sites don’t differentiate brands or tailor their product offering to suit people’s needs nearly enough
• Competition is still largely focussed on price and volume represented as “choice”
• As the research shows, customers want more
*(Maurice Saatchi)
Research has shown that strong online branding increases purchase intent but only if the site meets basic usability standards.
Rational / practical
emotional
Design for the emotional and rational
65%
50%
41%
37%
37%
33%
46%
50%
36%
31%
46%
25%
Travel is an area in which I indulge myself
Price is more important to me than brandnames
I will pay more for travel products that saveme time and hassle
I will pay above-average prices for betterquality travel products or service
Staying within my budget is more importantthan going to my first-choice destination
The company I buy leisure travel fromdoesn't matter as much as getting the
absolutely lowest fare/rate
All onlineleisuretravelers
Bookers
Trust - More than 2/3 need reassurance
More than ½ could be inspired to spend more
1/3 will pay more for quality
More than 1/3 people will pay extra if the site can dynamically package and the usability is good
An interesting split – shows that people will shop around if they don’t get what they want
You can attempt to get 2/3 of people to indulging themselves
Lookers
Bookers
Base: Online Europeans leisure travellers(multiple responses accepted)
Source: Forrester’s Consumer Technographics® May 2007
Aligning user and brand
User Emotional Rational / practical
• Adventure• Escape• Romance• Luxury• Spa• Nightlife• Sport• Culture• Food
• Where is it?• Who do I call?• How do I get there?• Does the site work properly?• Is it in my price range?• Can I get a refund?
Brand Image(brand position)
Action(brand delivery)
• Is the proposition supported by the content?• E.g. if it promises the “best holidays” is this
backed up by a an engaging, rich / rewarding user experience?
• Does multimedia and imagery support promise?• Is the imagery / layout / aesthetic appealing for
the target audience?• Language – tone of voice, clarity, lack of jargon.
• Does the site support the user goals (e.g. book / register / search)?
• Is the site language easy to understand?• Are the icons and graphics easy to understand?• Does it meet accessibilty requirements?• Does it display and the functionality work in all main browsers
Site efficiencyYour “hygiene factor”the fundamentals
Site effectiveness – Your differentiation –
the opportunity
Get the emotional proposition right - The Creative Brief• What’s your proposition?• What are your objectives?• What’s the market insight?• What are the consumer insights?• What’s the single most important thing to say?• Reasons to believe (compelling truths)?• What do you want them to do?• How do you want them to feel?
Case Study
From this…
… to creating an emotional proposition that resonates with people’s interests
• Kayaking
• Surfing
• Kitesurfing
• Coasteering
• Mountain biking
• Gardens
• Country and coastal walks
• Country parks
• Museums and galleries
• Performing arts
• Arts and crafts
• Food and drink
Think about how the BBC has repackaged Ski Sunday• More lifestyle• More like Top Gear• Not just the racing and results• Placing normal people in the picture, not just
super-athletes• More magazine-like – features on food,
adventure, wildlife, trekking, training • More inclusive
Design for real users
Get the practical / rational stuff right: apply a user-centred design approach and achieve true usability
• Design for real people• Create personas (pen portraits) and think about their objectives• Use these to help model your route through the Website
• Test your assumptions with real people• Increases ROI No single rule of thumb, but…
• Case studies for e-commerce sites after a usability-led redesign have seen over 100% increase in revenue.
• Investment generally considered to payback 10:1• Increase transactions / purchases• Increases traffic• Retains customers• Attracts more customers• Increases user satisfaction
• http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/usability_resources/usability_in_the_real_world/roi_of_usability.html
Get it working in ALL main browsers
31/1/2008 W3 Counter.com
Let’s look at some examples
Search
Promos
RSS feeds
Some “inspiration” (if limited)List of Deals
Brand logo
Contact
✗ Menu 2 X too long – needs to be kept to 6 or 7 items for usability
✗ Confusing / unclear categorisation
✗ Unclear proposition – no anchoring statement or strapline ✗ No emotive
photography
Brand logo
Sign up
Contact
Search
Deals
Offers Inspiration
Award
RSS feed
Social book-
marking
✗ Benefits not sold
✗ No brand positioning ✗ no strapline ✗ imagery could be better
Brand logoSearch
Deals
Offers
✗ no positioning ✗ no strapline ✗ limited imagery ✗ no sign up✗ no differentiation ✗ no contact
RSS
Clear positioning
Inspirational “hero shot”
Clear layout; good use of imagery
Simple navigation menu
✗ Text too dense – needs to be broken up
Good anchoring statement (if wordy)
Inspirational “hero shot” and good use of imagery
Clear layout
Simple navigation menu
✗ no deals ✗ no contact number ✗ positioning could be stronger – maybe a strapline
Excellent positioning strapline Beautiful hero shot with inspirational message
User generated content
Text resizer – good usability accessibility
Clear layout and design
Excellent positioning strapline Beautiful hero shot with inspirational message
Good inspiration / selling copy Clear
layout and design
✗ deals could be pushed
“Coffee Table Websites”
Excellent positioning statement
Clear brand proposition
✗ even though it’s a “quality” Website, offers could be pushed
Categorised by experience - with inspirational copy - it’s not all about price and location
Beautiful imagery
Official logos inspire trust
Clear brand proposition with Excellent positioning statement
Categorised by experience – more inspirational
Beautiful imagery with simple, emotive copy
Award winning – builds trust
Not afraid to sell offers
Clear anchoring statement
Beautiful imagery Emotive selling / seasonal offer
Search help clearly appeals to how real users think
✗ E-mail sign-up below “the fold”
Towards perfection
Shortlists
Gadgets and Widgets
Microformatshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microformats (technical).
Lastminute.com’s “add to my calendar” function.
Expedia’s UGC rating system
Getting more out of mapping
Results categorised by type of experience
Search returns further results within a 10 mile radius Distances from
accommodation shown in miles
Less than perfectFunctionality that fails to deliver
Calendars!
Calendars!
Calendars!
Calendars!
Calendars!
Almost perfect…
Errors
Errors
Errors
Errors
Any London?
I want Gatwick and Heathrow NOT Stansted or Luton
Email sign-up problems
Email sign-up problems
Email sign-up problems
Getting there
Traditional Website Map
Deals / offersDestination
guidesReviews Booking
Home
Search / results
About Contact Help T&Cs
Understanding your site within context of the customer journey will make your site work harder
Product pages
How would you like to
book?
Home
Search
Browse
Promos
Searchresults
Brief itin.
Full itin.
Maps
Hotels
Dates
Telephone
Callback
Online
Call me
Your personal pages
My info I tems for dist
Personal sales
consultant
Form contents
to call centre
Pre holiday
Family and
friendsDay’s itin
Hotel contact details
During holiday
Questionnaire
Post holiday
BookingFlow
Corporate
T&C J obsPress
releases
Booking Assistance
Reviews Tours reunited
Photo / video gallery
Community
Tell a friend Wallpapers
Online Qstnre
Opening hours
Green issues
Create your own brochure
Countrypages(maps, climate,
travel tips etc.)
City pages
InsurancePersonal
sales consultant
User utilities
Travel Extras
Currency converter
Inspiration
Planning
Booking
Experience
Share
Offers(detail)
Post tour
Grouptravelform
Call centre
Getting to a simple result can be complicated…
By Jesse James Garrett of Adaptive Path - http://www.jjg.net/ia/
Visual design is late in the process.
Surface
Strategy
Scope
Skeleton
Structure
How to get there
Discover
Design
Develop
Define
Deliver
Strategy
Scope
Skeleton
Structure
SurfaceDelivering the User
Experience
Delivering the project
Testing, iterative prototyping, focus groups
Understand marketing objectives, target audience, benchmark the competition and
create the proposition.
Create audience personas – pen portraits of people
Iterate / apply learning
Benchmarks and KPIs
Lifetime testing
Apply to ongoing site improvement
Key performance factors - usability
• Is the essential content available where needed?• Is essential function available where needed?• Are category and subcategory names clear and mutually exclusive?• Does the site use language that’s easy to understand?• Does the site use graphics, icons, and symbols that are easy to
understand?• Is text legible?• Are interactive elements easily recognizable?• Does the site perform well?
A “recipe” for creating the perfect travel Website
• Establish a clear brand proposition: differentiate• Make sure this comes through in all content – words, pictures, moving images
• Get to know how people think about holidays – experience – take your top 20 destinations and re-categorise all the holidays into “experiences”
• Test with real users before you commit to a final design• Think about where your Website sits in the overall customer journey and what
features you can employ to extend it’s reach, and where you can push information to them, and pull them back in to create content for you.
• Employ an Information / User Experience Architect (from a usability or design agency)• Keep an eye on the detail – small issues can irk big time• Make sure it works in all main browsers and doesn’t rely on Javascript• Keep benchmarking your site against others.• Keep testing your site for performance - fix it if it breaks
Thank you for listening