HotelClub.com raises conversions by 24%

February 11, 2004 |

HotelClub.com reported a 24% improvement in visitor-to-buyer conversions after implementing Web site changes from a study performed by NetConversions, Inc..

Operated by Flairview Travel, HotelClub.com relies heavily on user feedback channels to aid business decisions including Web site development. This has proved a successful investment with the company registering year on year growth of up to 500% in the past five years.

HotelClub.com has found that its strength in customer research and development provides an edge over other competitors, particularly in saturated markets including Europe and North America. Today, users have enormous choice within the online travel market, to remain successful HotelClub.com has invested the company’s resources in the research.

HotelClub.com has established its own tools to monitor customers’ online experiences. HotelClub.com has incorporated a customer survey online - this provides customers a forum to rate HotelClub.com and the hotel. Such initiatives have lead to website modifications (in terms of functionality and appearance), the inclusion of a customer membership program and the launch of a last minute service. In late 2003, Flairview Travel expanded its customer research program and for the first time employed a third party provider, NetConversions. NetConversions tracked and researched selected HotelClub.com pages to improve the conversion rates amongst HotelClub.com users.

Ms Chloe Lim, Director of Marketing said, “We have been working on the Web site so intensely, that we believed that it was time to enlist the advice of an independent source.�? NetConversions tracked over 28,000 visitor sessions and collected micro-statistics such as mouse clicks, scrolling, and typing behaviours. The NetConversions research yielded a series of recommendations that were presented to HotelClub.com. Selected recommendations were introduced to the Web site and were tested on an additional 8,000 sessions. This research spanned six months and resulted in a number of design and functionality changes, improving the overall user friendliness of the Web site.

“The NetConversions within-page data enhances current Web reporting tools to truly understand what users are experiencing when they reach a Web page. This data allows Web managers to act upon the information to see improvements in acquisitions from 24% to as much as 214%,�? says Adrian Chiu, Senior Manager of NetConversions.

In summary, Ms Lim explains, “In all, we were very pleased with NetConversions results, especially with the 24% improvement. We had ideas of changes to the site, but the NetConversions data helped us back up our ideas, confirm some ‘hunches’, and provide insight into other areas of opportunities.�?