Three considerations for online travel sites in 2023

The travel industry breathed a huge sigh of relief as they began bouncing back from the problems of the last couple of years. Bookings are flying in, and there is a palpable sense of excitement as travel companies enjoy the long-awaited rebound in holiday bookings and the resurgence of business travel.

Covid-19 pushed digital transformation forward by between five and seven years, a fact digital travel companies are employing to keep their customers happy, engaged and booking. 

But what do online travel businesses need to keep in mind to keep benefiting from this surge in demand?

How technology has changed the way travel is booked.

Smartphones are everywhere. Globally there are estimated to be over 6.5 billion smartphone subscriptions in 2022, and this is expected to increase to almost 7.7 billion by 2027.

In short, the mobile market for your travel brand will only increase in importance over the coming years. 

Fully responsive websites, which look good on all devices, are essential for digital travel companies to entice customers who want to research and book their holiday on the go. In fact, online travel booking was worth $817 billion in 2020, the largest market share of the $1.2 trillion global travel market.

Though booking via a desktop is still predominant, travellers will often carry out their research and fact-finding via mobile. Optimised for mobile isn’t optional if you want to appeal to Gen Z and millennials.

Using data to improve customer experience

Online travel companies have access to a deluge of data about their customers, potential customers and browsers. However, it needs to be broken down and analysed for this data to be helpful.

For example, before booking anything, customers tend to search extensively for the type of holiday and destination they are interested in. Using that information, you can tailor the content dynamically to be destination-specific. 

Customers searching for an all-inclusive, 5* holidays in Corfu will be served content about their chosen destination, 5* options on Corfu that are all-inclusive and high-end experiences they can enjoy while on holiday in Corfu.

By using their data and providing them with appropriate content based on what they were searching for, you’ll be seen as a one-stop resource for their holiday plans and as a partner they can trust to book with.

Additionally, this data could also be used to persuade them to join your email list and receive destination-specific ideas for the perfect holiday.

An engaging customer experience will make you stand out from the crowd.

Every business wants to hang on to their customers and sell to them repeatedly. It will increase your profitability, customer lifetime value and increase your customer’s loyalty to your business. 

Using data analytics to understand every aspect of your customer's interaction with you will allow you to personalise the service and support they receive.

As well as ensuring the basics are in place to build trust, excellent data security and customer privacy are essential; look at ways to nurture your existing customers, so your travel company is the only one they think of when it’s time to book their next trip.

By understanding the type of travel experience your customer prefers; adventurous, laid back, off the beaten track etc., you can tailor the content you show that segment of your customer base to give them the ideas they need for their next holiday while ensuring they love the effort you’re putting in to cater to their needs.

The opportunities available to digital travel companies as the travel sector rebounds are limitless as long as your customer is front and centre of everything you do.