Hotels4U.com is claiming a 5.52% rise in online hotel bookings and a 61% increase in searches on mobile devices.
Multi-channel move paying off, says Hotels4U
Hotels4U is claiming a 5.52% rise in online hotel bookings and a 61% increase in searches on mobile devices.
This follows optimisation of its site by digital marketing firm Webtrends as part of a move towards more multi-channel distribution.
On its mobile site, Thomas Cook-owned Hotels4U has seen a 61% increase in searches on mobile devices, with a 22% lift in visitors viewing hotel pages on the mobile channel.
Additionally, Webtrends helped maximise conversions from aggregator websites by providing real-time options and alternatives for bookings if preferences were unavailable.
This had a direct impact on improvements to the customer experience and increased the retention rate from these sites by 18.29%, according to the company.
The 5.52% lift in online bookings followed a number of tests to the latter pages of the buying cycle.
Hotels4U head of e-commerce Steven Moore said: “Through mobile site optimisation with Webtrends, we have been able to solve part of the puzzle that plagues every marketer today – the multi-channel problem.
“We felt we were missing a clear opportunity with visitors who browse on their smartphones on the go.
“Webtrends was able to develop a solution without placing additional burden on internal resources. Their recommended designs have driven a 61% increase in search and 22% lift in visitors seeing our hotel pages through our mobile channel, effectively making it easier for our customers to find what they are looking for and facilitating the multi-channel journey.”
Webtrends regional director for travel Geoff Pennells added: “The travel industry is very, very competitive as online has now become the preferred way for consumers to book their holidays.
“To see a 5.52% increase in conversions is a fantastic result for a company that processes as many bookings as Hotels4U does.
“Hotels4U is wise to the opportunities presented by the boom in smartphones and has moved early to optimise its mobile platform and become a true multi-channel player.”
