Travel apps are underperforming websites says eDigitalResearch

Travel firms have been found wanting when it comes to the service offered by their mobile apps compared to their traditional websites, the latest study by eDigitalResearch has found. The market research specialist reports in its eTravelBenchmark study that mobile travel apps are underperforming their desktop equivalents by 4.2% on average. Lufthansa and hotels.com were…

Travel firms have been found wanting when it comes to the service offered by their mobile apps compared to their traditional websites, the latest study by eDigitalResearch has found.

The market research specialist reports in its eTravelBenchmark study that mobile travel apps are underperforming their desktop equivalents by 4.2% on average.

Lufthansa and hotels.com were both found to have top performing apps achieving scores of 84.8% and 87.7% respectively.

The hotels.com score did not include customer service ratings, and when these were taken into account Eurocamp came top of the chart with a score of 83.6%.

The Lufthansa app was said to be simple and easy to use.

Derek Eccleston, head of research at eDigitalResearch, said: “Mobile is such a big part of our lives nowadays.

“Our research shows that over half of the UK population now has access to a smartphone device and are using them now on a regular basis to browse and buy.

“As more and more consumers start to use smartphone’s, their confidence in the channel is growing and they’re beginning to feel at ease with using their mobile to purchase just about anything, including their holidays.

“It is therefore imperative that brands take the time to develop a mobile solution that is quick and simple to use.

“These results show that, if brands really want to impress and delight their customers, they must provide the same, or similar, features and functionality across all of their customer touch points.”

EDigitalResearch research from July 2012 showed 45% of smartphone owners have already used their handheld device to purchase a travel product.

The firm said its research has shown that having a quality app improves a brand’s reputation for customer service.

A copy of the full eTravel Benchmark report can be downloaded from the website after completing a short registration survey. https://ecustomeropinions.com/survey/survey.php?sid=657621547.