TRAVELtech: Global Review proves what we all knew - Consumers are almost impossible to predict

At TRAVELtech we heard from Karen Grinter of Global Reviews - a company that undertakes usability surveys. She conducted a survey with 98 users on their web searching actions to search tests:

1. Find the cheapest flight from Melbourne to Perth from Tullamarine, arriving before midnight and with check-in

2. Find the cheapest hotel in Brisbane, 5 mins from Botanic Gardens, with a pool and for less than $400 for two nights.

Here is a quick summary of the results of the survey:

Search: 47% started with a search engine

• 32% used the search engine via an installed search bar;
• 37% entered in a brand name, a large proportion searched a full URL in Google. In effect treating it the means for using a browser;
  
• Of these 18% clicked on a paid advertisement - the rest clicked on organic listings; and
  
• 0% (yes ZERO percent) looked at the second page.

Aggregaters: 44% went to an aggregater. In a specific Wotif Example Grinter noted that despite there being two places in the Wotif search results for the consumer to view a map. Not a single clicked on that link. Instead they left the site and looked to Google Maps or Whereis and sometimes (but not always) returned to Wotif to book. Consumers simply did not see the map links despite what industry people would view and very prominent links.

Suppliers: 6% went direct to a supplier (in the first instance) but 45% of aggregater visitors (in the case of the air ticket) indicated they would normally go from the aggregater to the supplier to book to avoid paying booking fees and because they trusted the results more.

Themes

• All about the first page in SEO
• Air aggregaters and buying traffic and losing sales to suppliers
• Consumers continue to miss buttons and tabs that we think are clear and obvious