THE BRIEF
A leading travel booking application sought to gain deeper insights into how consumers interact with their platform during the travel planning and booking process. The aim was to uncover key factors influencing booking decisions, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the app, and discover opportunities for improvement to enhance user experience and satisfaction.
OUR APPROACH
To address the client’s objectives, we adopted a two-phased qualitative research approach:
- Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): We conducted a series of focus group discussions to explore the broader consumer decision-making journey when planning and booking travel. Participants from diverse demographics and travel habits shared their perspectives, helping us understand the key drivers and barriers influencing travel planning behavior. These discussions revealed insights into:
- How consumers decide on travel destinations.
- The tools and platforms they consider when planning trips.
- Factors that drive their choice to use a travel app.
- In-Depth Interviews (IDIs): Building on the findings from the FGDs, we conducted in-depth interviews with app users to dive into their hands-on experience with the platform. This phase focused on:
- The step-by-step process of booking travel services (flights, accommodations, packages) using the app.
- The features they found most valuable or challenging.
- Any unmet needs or areas of friction during the booking process.
By combining these methods, we were able to construct a comprehensive view of consumer behavior, highlighting both their expectations and actual experiences with the app.
THE OUTPUT
The findings provided a wealth of actionable insights for the client:
- Consumer Decision-Making Insights:
- Strengths: The app’s wide range of offerings, competitive pricing, and user-friendly interface were highly praised. Consumers appreciated the platform’s ability to consolidate multiple travel options in one place.
- Weaknesses: Some users experienced difficulties with payment processing and navigating certain features. Others expressed a desire for more personalized recommendations.
- Opportunities for Improvement:
- Simplifying the payment process, especially for international transactions.
- Enhancing the app’s recommendation engine to better tailor suggestions to user preferences.
- Introducing features like flexible booking options and real-time customer support to address pain points.
- Market Opportunities:
- Expanding into related services such as travel insurance, itinerary planning, and localized travel experiences.
- Leveraging data from user behavior to offer predictive suggestions for travel plans, enhancing customer retention.
Conclusion
Our research enabled the client to gain a clear understanding of how consumers interact with their app and make booking decisions. By addressing identified pain points and capitalizing on new opportunities, the platform can further strengthen its position as a leading travel service provider and deliver an even more seamless and satisfying experience for its users. This case study underscores the importance of qualitative research in uncovering actionable insights and driving strategic improvements in digital platforms.