The New Consumer Journey For Travel Customers
More and more travel customers are turning to their smartphone to get the information they need before making a purchase. In fact, conversion rates in the past year have grown by 88 per cent on mobile travel websites. Users are also spending more and more time researching before they make a decision, as they are faced with so many options while planning a trip. This has meant that the typical consumer journey for travel customers has changed. This is something we will assess further below.
Micro-Moments
When designing the perfect user experience for travel consumers, marketers look at each micro-moment. Micro-moments are the little moments, i.e. the “I want to go” moments, “I want to know” moments, and “I want to buy” moments, which occur throughout the travel consumer’s journey – this starts from the moment they get the idea to go on a trip somewhere, to when they actually go on the trip. When we experience a micro-moment, we typically reach for our mobile phone to find the information we need.
A person can have hundreds of micro-moments throughout the entire travel journey. If your travel brand is not there for these moments, you are going to miss out to the competition. Thus, your marketing plan should always begin by looking at the journey, and splitting it into different sections. So, what do travellers usually do when they are booking a trip? Firstly, they decide that they want to go somewhere. Once this decision is made, they have the moments whereby they plan the trip, after which they actually book it. The final micro-moments are focused on exploring throughout the trip. If you split the journey into these four sections, you can make sure you are there for most of the micro-moments your potential customers have.
“I want to get away”
So, let’s begin with the “I want to get away” moments. During this period, consumers check out different places on YouTube. They also conduct searches on Google, enquiring about where destinations are, what there is to do in the location they are considering, and such like. You need to create content that will ensure your brand is there when they conduct such searches.
“I want to plan my trip”
The next stage is the planning moments. Now, the consumer begins to put the finer details together. They determine where they are going and when. Most consumers do not book via the first airline or hotel brand they come across, representing an excellent opportunity for you to capture their business during this phase in the consumer journey. Consumers will enquire about the best time of the year to travel, how much the holiday will cost, flight times, and all of the other logistics.
“I want to book my trip”
Next, we move onto the booking moments, which is a critical stage in the consumer process. This is the point whereby users are ready to part with their money and make their final booking decision. More and more people are booking their flights on the go, and if your website is not optimised for mobile, you will miss out. Make sure the booking process is as easy as possible.
“I want to explore the destination”
Finally, we have the experience moments – the user is ready to make the most of the destination in question. In the beginning, the micro-moments will revolve around getting to grips with the surroundings and finding out what is nearby. After this, users start getting more specific and they decide on activities to do while there. This is enhanced further by the fact that most travellers choose new destinations – only around 18 per cent of leisure travellers intend to revisit somewhere they have already been.
All in all, if you are to market your travel company as effectively as possible, you need to ensure your brand is there at every micro-moment the consumer has. The four categories mentioned above merely scratch the surface but should aid with getting the ball rolling.
