In today’s digital age, mobile bookings have become a crucial aspect of the travel industry. With the majority of consumers now using their smartphones to research, plan and book their experiences, it’s essential for tour and activity providers to optimize their websites for on-the-go navigation. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll analyze the topic in detail and discuss how the Regiondo booking system can help you capitalize on this growing trend. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Looking for a booking system optimized for mobile navigation? Regiondo is the answer. To learn more, book a free demo with one of our consultants.
Understanding Mobile Booking Behavior
According to a recent study by Google and Ipsos, 79% of travelers book their vacations after conducting research on their smartphones. More importantly, 48% of users purchase their tickets directly from mobile. The bottom line is that by catering to the needs and preferences of mobile users, you can tap into a larger pool of potential customers and increase your overall revenue. As always, this is easier said than done, as smartphone shoppers tend to behave differently than desktop ones, often making last-minute purchases and seeking a more personalized experience. To effectively reach this audience, you need to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and optimized for smaller screens.
Mobile-First Web Design
Mobile-first and responsive design (meaning your site seamlessly adapts to different screen sizes and provides an optimal user experience across all devices) is critical to engaging and converting your audience. This approach involves building your site from the ground up with smartphones in mind, rather than treating them as an afterthought. For best results, consider the following suggestions:
Fast loading times
- Slow loading times can lead to high bounce rates and lost conversions as users abandon your site in favor of a faster competitor.
- To improve load times, optimize your images, minimize the use of large files, and take advantage of browser caching.
- Consider using Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) to create lightweight, fast-loading versions of your web pages specifically for mobile devices.
Clear and concise content
- Prioritize the most important information and make sure it’s readily accessible.
- Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and headings to break up your content and make it easier to scan on smaller screens.
- Use simple, jargon-free language that is easy to understand, even for users who are quickly browsing your site on the go.
Easy navigation
- Mobile-friendly navigation should be intuitive and easy to use with one hand, as many users will be navigating your site with their thumb.
- Use a clear, hierarchical menu structure that allows users to quickly find the information they need.
- Make sure your search function is prominent and well-functioning, as many mobile users prefer to search for specific content rather than browse through menus.
Calls-to-action (CTAs)
- Make your CTAs, such as “Book Now” or “View Experiences,” highly visible on mobile screens.
- Place your CTAs strategically throughout your mobile site so users can take action when they are ready to book.
- Consider using sticky CTAs that remain visible as users scroll down the page, enabling them to book at any point in their browsing journey.
Regiondo’s booking system features a responsive design that ensures your customers can easily browse, choose and book your tours and activities from their smartphones. Learn more by visiting our official website.
How to Streamline the Mobile Booking Process
In addition to a mobile-friendly website design, your priority should be to streamline the booking experience to reduce friction as much as possible. As you know, people have even shorter attention spans when navigating on their smartphones and are more likely to abandon a purchase if the process is too complex or time-consuming. For best results, focus on these key areas:
- Minimize form fields – Ask for only essential information during the booking process to reduce frustration and increase completion rates.
- Provide a progress indicator – Let users know how many steps are involved and where they are in the process.
- Offer guest checkout – Allow customers to make bookings without creating an account to reduce barriers to purchase.
Regiondo’s booking system allows you to keep form fields as short as you want and reduce friction. With its streamlined checkout process, it makes it easy for your customers to book your tours and activities on the go.
Leveraging Mobile-Specific Features
To further enhance the booking experience, consider leveraging mobile-specific features that address the needs and preferences of smartphone users. Here are a few examples:
- Click-to-call – Allow users to call your business directly from your website with a single tap, rather than having to manually copy and paste your number, so they can easily get in touch with you when they have questions or concerns.
- GPS and location-based services – Use geolocation data to provide personalized recommendations and directions to your tours and activities, helping users find experiences that are relevant to them.
- Push Notifications and SMS Reminders – Send timely reminders and updates to users’ smartphones so they don’t miss important information or last-minute changes to their bookings.
Mobile Payments
To maximize bookings and generate more revenue, it’s imperative to offer a variety of payment methods that accommodate the preferences of smartphone users. Some popular payment options are:
- Credit cards – Offer secure credit card payments directly through your booking system, ensuring that users can make purchases quickly and with minimal hassle.
- PayPal – Allow users to complete their bookings using their existing PayPal accounts.
- AliPay – If you are targeting Chinese tourists, consider offering AliPay as an option since it is one of the most widely used payment services in their country.
Regiondo securely processes your users’ transactions and supports a wide range of payment options, from credit cards to AliPay, to meet the unique preferences of different markets and customer types. To learn more, click here.
Partnering with OTAs
Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) play an important role in driving bookings for tour and activity providers. By listing your experiences with resellers with a strong mobile presence, you can tap into a larger pool of potential customers and increase your visibility in the marketplace. As we explained in our blog post on the subject, choosing which OTA to partner with takes some thought, as each one attracts a specific audience. However, these are the most popular online travel agencies among our customers:
- GetYourGuide – With a user-friendly mobile app, GetYourGuide is a popular choice for travelers who want to book tours and activities on their smartphones.
- Viator – Owned by TripAdvisor, Viator offers a mobile-optimized website and app that make it easy for users to discover and book experiences on the go.
- Klook – This Asia-based OTA has become increasingly popular on a global scale in recent years, offering a mobile-first booking experience and a wide range of tours and activities.
- Musement – Part of the TUI Group, Musement is a fast-growing OTA with a mobile-friendly website and app that focuses on providing personalized recommendations and a seamless booking experience for tours, activities and events.
To optimize your OTA listings for mobile, try these tips:
- Use high-quality images and videos optimized for mobile screens.
- Write compelling descriptions that highlight the key features and benefits of your tours and activities.
- Offer mobile-exclusive deals and discounts.
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on your OTA listings, as they can strongly influence booking decisions.
Regiondo’s Channel Manager integrates with over 200 OTAs and resellers, allowing you to manage your bookings and availability across multiple channels from a single platform. This way, you can streamline your booking processes and maximize your visibility on a global scale. Click here to learn more about our Channel Manager.
Creating Mobile-Exclusive Offers and Discounts
To further encourage mobile bookings, creating mobile-exclusive offers and discounts is probably the most effective strategy you can adopt. By offering promotions that are only available through mobile channels, you can create a sense of urgency and exclusivity that encourages users to book on the spot. To give you some inspiration, here are a few examples:
Last-minute deals – Offer special discounts for tours and activities that are booked within a certain timeframe, such as within the next 24 hours.
Mobile-only discounts – Provide promo codes or discounts that are only available to users who book through your mobile website or app.
Location-based offers – Use geolocation data to show targeted offers to users near your location, encouraging them to book on the go.
When creating mobile-exclusive offers, keep the following best practices in mind:
- Make the offers prominent and easy to find on your mobile website or app.
- As mentioned above, use clear and concise language to communicate the key details and benefits of the offer.
- Likewise, establish clear terms and conditions to avoid confusion or disappointment.
- Promote your mobile-exclusive offers through targeted advertising and social media campaigns.
- Use push notifications to alert users of new mobile-exclusive offers and encourage them to take advantage of the deals.
Conclusion
As mobile bookings continue to grow in importance for the tours and activities industry, optimizing your website for smartphones has become an urgent necessity.
Let’s recap the key takeaways from our guide:
- Understand mobile booking behavior and the importance of catering to smartphone users.
- Implement a mobile-first, responsive website design.
- Streamline the mobile booking process by minimizing form fields and offering guest checkout.
- Leverage mobile-specific features such as click-to-call, GPS, and push notifications.
- Offer a variety of mobile-friendly payment options.
- Partner with OTAs that have a strong mobile presence.
- Create mobile-exclusive offers and discounts to drive bookings.
Regiondo’s powerful booking system and mobile-specific features make it easy for tour and activity providers to optimize their websites for smartphone navigation. Ready to take the next step? Book a free demo with one of our consultants and discover how we can help you sell tickets online, manage reservations and generate more revenue.
