Travel shouldn't rest on its laurels

"Letter to the editor" from Mark Simpson, managing director of Maxymiser:

Travel websites may be coming out on top of consumer surveys for design but there is no excuse for standards to slip when it comes to personalisation, lengthy registration processes or ease of use, all of which are vital for online success (Reference: Travel websites lead other sectors in design).

By utilising content optimisation techniques, travel companies can continuously compare conversion rates against different versions of the same web page based on real-time customer behaviour, and automatically present the most effective content to consumers.

Even the most basic content changes, such as changes to button colours, have proven to deliver significant results.

For example, through a number of subtle alterations to content and calls to action on the third page of its site, which equated to a few hundred possible page combinations, National Express was able to increase visitor engagement and drive 14% more visitors through to successful conversion on its coach booking website without impacting on brand identity.

Content optimisation can also be extended to support tailored messaging, with content presented based on the keyword search, traffic referrer or time of day.

Add in behavioural targeting, and organisations can present a landing page that reflects the consumer’s previous online activity, tailoring the content in line with proven interests – and achieving considerable conversion uplift as a result.

Having successfully invested in the core web design elements, the travel industry is already ahead of the game.

However, if they are to maintain this pace and position they must now move beyond the creative elements and look more closely at the overall user experience, if they are to translate their web investment into bottom line returns.