Digital interaction strategist Maxymiser has compiled data taken from a survey of 1,000 users in the United States over the age of 18, to define the multichannel traveler and how the sample is consuming travel inventory across devices.
The survey results show a consistent push towards a majority using several devices to plan and book travel, which supports the industry trend towards creating device agnostic solutions that works across interfaces wherever a consumer is.
Planning across devices
The respondents are still primarily using desktops to research trips, with 46% using only desktop sites. This continues to make sense, given the larger screen size. 17% are using a mix of websites and mobile websites, while 18% are also using mobile apps in addition to both desktop and mobile websites.
Regardless of the fact that the largest percentage is on desktop, the trend is shifting more towards the mix - especially as mobile websites and apps become more sophisticated and able to deliver the same experience across devices - so users can pick up a search started on another device, for example.
By optimizing each experience, the travel brand can work towards building a more loyal and engaged following no matter what device they prefer.
Mobile bookings on the rise, driven by hotels
Mobile phones are growing in popularity for actual bookings, driven by the success of location aware apps like Hotel Tonight that allow quick hotel bookings. Flights are gaining ground, which has been an ongoing challenge given the difficulty of managing multiple flight options on a smalls screen.
Nonetheless, the vast majority of respondents did not feel comfortable using a smartphone to book, and they continue to use laptop/desktop interfaces to purchase most travel bookings. The survey didn't explore how the location - ie. being at work - affected these results.
The impact of loyalty
Current common wisdom in the industry is that loyalty is diminishing as far as a driver of business. Millennials seem to be trending away from using loyalty programs as differentiators. This particular cohort doesn't match that trend, however, as 68% of respondents claimed that the loyalty program of travel suppliers had a significant impact on their decision making.
There seems to be no set path here - loyalty programs, when well executed to deliver specific results targeted to brand objectives, can still wield sway over a traveler's decision making process.
Despite this, promotions and discounts are a driver for conversion, as far as content types are concerned. Ratings and reviews are also very important to travelers:
The crux of the research boils down to the importance of creating compelling, consistent user interfaces that bring the user clean, crisp and relevant information when they want it and how they want it. No small feat, but one that is increasingly important to compete against the larger players with a large technology advantage.
The full report can be downloaded here.
NB: Device image courtesy Shutterstock.