THE importance of a mobile responsive website for holiday parks and campsites has been underlined in a new study looking holiday booking trends in 2016.
Purchases via mobile devices will account for 40% of all sales by 2019, the UK holiday and planning trends report by Mediahawk claimed. Their survey showed that in 2015, one third of those they questioned used a tablet or mobile device to book their trip.
Their report stressed the importance of a mobile responsive website for UK holiday parks and campsites, stating: “Start optimising for mobile now – it takes longer than you think to get it right.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the demographic who were more likely to book on-line were those aged 18-34, which accounted for 20% of current overall sales. Further analysis showed that men were more likely to book their holiday via a mobile device.
“It’s important to understand the traveller’s intent when using different devices. Overwhelmingly, smartphones are used for making last-minute bookings and research,” the report stated.
“Contextualising the experience is critical. Smartphones allow you to identify the user’s location, enabling you to tailor content and offer a customised, immediate deal. This personalised experience, coupled with the notably impulsive behaviour of smartphone users, allows you to leverage those spur-of-the-moment opportunities.
“Tablets are great for browsing, research and booking in a similar way to the PC or desktop, but are infinitely more accessible. Think of the ‘couch surfing’ nature of these devices. It’s easier than ever for a potential customer to respond immediately to a TV ad, turning spontaneous research into an immediate conversion.”
The Mediahawk report also highlighted other key factors that influence people before they book their holiday on-line, with one of the biggest being review sites, such as TripAdvisor.
“48% of respondents had used travel review sites to research their holiday. Online reviews, social media and personal recommendations form the pillars of many travel consumers’ research, yet they have made the path to purchase much more fragmented,” the report said.
“Every channel that creates content is an opportunity to drive bookings – reviews play a pivotal role in the purchasing decision. Driving these lower-cost, higher-value enquiries is essential. Optimising your presence on online review sites allows you to capture consumers at the most important stage of their journey. Linking these opportunities directly to inbound enquiries enables you to accurately measure the performance of these channels.”
Off-line, the telephone still has an important role to play, Mediahawk said, with 45% of their survey respondents using the phone to make an offline booking.
“Our survey found that it is the higher-spending older generation. Some 52% of the 55+ age group spent more than £1,000 on their last break and were much more likely to book by phone. For higher-priced breaks, telephone calls were critical to overcome any reservations customers had and to reassure them.”
But the study indicates that a mobile responsive website for UK holiday parks and campsites is key, with more and more people using this method to research and, ultimately book their holiday.
Is your website mobile responsive? All our sites are designed with mobile technology at the forefront, allowing users to get a have experience whether they are viewing the site on an iPhone, an iPad or a desktop computer.
Call Pitched today on 01726 418 118 or get in touch to see what we can do for you.
