The user experience is an issue that you must take into account whether you are planning to present your hotel online for the first time or if you want to change your old website. Your website is not for you, it is for your customers. Create it with them in mind.
Why users get tired and leave your website
If I enter your website and two seconds later I get a pop-up that scares me to death, I’m leaving.
If I am interested in subscribing to your newsletter and it takes me more than 30 seconds to do it, I get tired, leave and forget about you.
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These are just some examples of bad UX. The user should enjoy browsing your website, not suffer to find the content they are interested in. You have to make him fall in love from the very first moment and guide him all along his journey. They must want to come back, use your website in their usual queries.
What is user experience? The user as the center of everything.
The user experience consists of the user finding what he/she is looking for on our website.
It is the philosophy we follow when creating a product or service, such as a corporate website or online sales (such as the sale of direct bookings from your hotel website). The UX is to always be thinking about the users and how they are going to feel when browsing our website.
First of all: you must know your target. A user accustomed to technology is not the same as an audience without great web knowledge. Don’t create doubt in their minds as to whether they are in the right place.
The 4 pillars of user experience
Usability: Your website must be easy to use for your target. Think about who your audience is and don’t make it difficult for them.
2. Utility: Offer all the functionalities that the user needs when visiting your website. Such as, for example, your own booking engine or your contact details or links to social networks.
3. Accessibility: Limit to three clicks to reach any point on your website. Information should be easy to find. Create an intuitive website.
4. Functionality: Optimize your website to load in the shortest possible time. The user will thank you and so will your business.
Bad practices to avoid
1. Do not force them to download an application.
It is one of the worst mistakes you can make. It is very likely that users will leave instantly. Don’t force them to do something they don’t want to do, don’t invade them. Let them follow their path, let them get to know you and let them decide when to take a step further.
2. Do not seek to increase your clicks at the expense of your user.
In the end it will help you to position much better that the user wants to return to your website and consider you a reference page than the time you can steal at the expense of their dissatisfaction. Make it easy.
3. Endless forms
If you really want to convert your user, minimize the subscription steps as much as possible. You’ll have time to gather more data! Now just ask for what you are really interested in, such as their email address. Also, if they enter any incorrect information, clearly indicate where they made a mistake and never make them start filling out the form again.
This recommendation will also be very useful in your booking engine forms. If the user is already about to book you, make it as easy as possible!
4. Simple and good is twice as good
Simplify your web page and avoid excessive text. Do not include very complex functionalities. For example, your booking engine should be very visual and intuitive, that’s all it takes. Offer the user what they want and leave the complexities for another format: you can send an email later explaining more details about the booking or offering extra services.
Your user experience in the long term. A happy user is your best promoter.
No one should know your website better than you. Check it constantly, and not only the Home. Navigate as if you were just another user. Would it be easy for you to find the information you are looking for? Are the images of high quality? Do the texts flow or are they too heavy?
Maintaining your website is not something that can wait. Don’t revise your website every five years, add small changes that will make it survive the passage of time and changing trends.
Remember that the Internet is alive. Take advantage of the ease of making changes in the online world and adapt to changes in the way the user navigates.
Working in UX does not mean working more expensively, but it does mean earning more. The cost is the same if you have the knowledge and the right team and the benefits are much higher. Keep in mind that a good user experience will be noticed in the number of conversions of your website.
