To better understand the behaviours of Millennial travellers looking to book travel via mobile, Mike Murray, founder of TripCraft, identifies the following no-no's for hoteliers (although it's also valid for anyone who has a product to sell)
Broken or ineffective mobile websites
It’s a well-known fact that consumers have little patience with poor mobile websites; this is even more critical for Millennial travellers who grew up with technology and believe that “it should just work”. Beyond that, there is the additional need to ensure that your product provides a good user experience (UX) as it will drastically improve your conversions and ROI.
Studies show that 57 per cent of users won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site and, because Millennials are heavily influenced by peer recommendations, a poor mobile site (or app) can have a significant negative impact on your bookings and revenue.
Yup, you heard that right: if your mobile website isn’t making it easy and painless for potential guests to search for rooms, compare options and book, it is VERY likely that you’re not only missing out on valuable bookings but also giving them to your competition!
Inconsistencies of user experience across all channels
Ready for another buzzword? Today’s consumers are looking for an omni-channel experience, which, in layman’s terms, means that users want the same brand experience, regardless of the channel through which they engage with your brand.
As a matter of fact, 83 per cent of mobile users say that a seamless experience across all devices is very important. So, in addition to having a mobile website that works well, it is also important that your guests’ mobile experience is consistent across all channels.
You obviously cannot have complete control over your hotel’s branding and the mobile user experience of the indirect channels (i.e. OTAs) but on your own channels, it is integral that you maintain consistent brand presentation and pricing. Whether they book through your desktop website, mobile website, mobile app, email, call or text, your customers should be receiving the same recognition and service at every touchpoint.
Inability to view video via mobile
Did you know that 48 per cent of Millennials view video solely on their mobile device? No wonder they are always staring at their mobile devices!
So it stands to reason that if your mobile site doesn’t have the bandwidth or capability to showcase the videos that you have on your desktop website, almost 50 per cent of your potential guests (i.e. Millennials) will never see your video content. Because we know that video is a highly effective marketing medium for travel companies (45 per cent of leisure travellers booked instantly after watching a video of the travel activity… 72 per cent of business travellers and 74 per cent of affluent travellers booked upon watching a video), this mobile mistake could cost your hotel a lot of revenue.
There you have it: three big problems that will push Millennials into the arms (or to the mobile website) of the competition!
