Travel industries have been active creating transaction in mobile site leveraging on mobile apps to reach global audience. Such companies created new technologies that ease traveler’s journey providing an effective way of travel information notifying consumers about latest travel deals and offers.
In the era of smartphones, with the rapid expansion of mobile broadband and wireless technology, travel companies have used SMS to communicate with consumers and to attract new clients. SMS remained to be the most important means for travel companies to interact with consumers on an ongoing basis to build customer loyalty. SMS enables companies to send out important marketing messages allowing customers to be updated with special deals and promotions. Mobile devices can also drive customers to the websites and home pages generating more traffic.
Currently, many major travel and hotel brands have a mobile presence that is aimed at driving reservations and bookings. Travelers rely on their mobile devices to stay connected while on the go when they may not have access to a desktop computer. To tap into this opportunity, several companies continue to develop apps to ramp up their mobile existence.
However offering an optimized mobile site is no longer sufficient to fully engage and retain worldwide customers. Hence travel companies are creating new ways to actively engage and add value to their customers who are constantly on the go. Although offering an optimized mobile presence is a first step, travel companies can build on this by actively delivering relevant information to the customer incorporating methods such as push notifications, SMS, and email notifications.
Mobile marketing strategies have become increasingly important for the hospitality and travel industry and recent studies confirm that trend is set to continue. As the global mobile device usage has increased rapidly, mobile has moved into first place as consumers’ primary media resource. Consumers are now using their mobile devices for everything related to travel, from reading travel reviews to shopping for vacations and booking hotels. Hoteliers and others in the travel industry also found effectiveness of mobile to reach their customers. Research findings predict that mobile devices would overtake PCs becoming preferred devices to surf the internet and to look for services. This has been the case within many emerging markets forcing companies to focus on mobile digital strategy.
Travel brands are banking on this simple and accessible applications to reach customers around the world. Among such companies, Jovago Africa’s leading online hotel website simplified its mobile user experience by turning to manageable simple images allowing customers to make bookings through their mobile devices. This is available through the app with a convenient interface for smaller screens. Although free app download option may attract people to download an app to their phone keeping them interested to use the app for the long haul is much harder. Introducing a full version that’s visually optimized for smaller screens and input-optimized for finger and gesture control is a perfect way to keep page visitors interested industry operators say.
“Technology is limitless and it drives us to innovate every day to introduce new services” says Alexander Burtenshaw, Country Manager of Jovago Ethiopia. “Over the past couple of years we have increased our emphasis in mobile as an additional revenue stream easily reaching out to customers.”