Your marketing efforts have worked! A traveler has found your property’s website via your Blog, SEO or PPC efforts. Maybe they subscribed to your email list via Conversion Optimization or have revisited your website from ads on social media thanks to Display and Retargeting. Finally they click on your call to action to book, pick the dates… and then they’re gone. Another case of cart abandonment.
NB: This is an article from TravelNet
Cart abandonment is a problem that any e-commerce business sees on a regular basis. On average nearly 70% of all shopping carts are abandoned. No matter the reason for the abandonment, their actions show enough interest in your property to begin the booking process. Even though they are planning on leaving you or have already left you, don’t give up just yet! Here enters Cart Abandonment Software!
With an estimated $1.78 trillion left as uncompleted purchases in the travel industry, it’s necessary to target those shopping on your site, and ensure that they not only make it to your booking engine, but complete their purchase.
Cart Abandonment Software allows you to re-target travelers that have already made it to the bottom of the funnel. By monitoring when travelers are abandoning their shopping cart on your site, you can send them real-time, targeted emails and exit intent pop-ups that lead them to go back to your site. These guests that have abandoned your booking engine are ready to travel and for whatever reason didn’t book. Here are 3 reasons why travelers leave a booking engine, and how to get them back.
1. Looking for deals
Many travelers will see the price, but instead of booking they decide they want to search for a better price or a coupon code. Once they leave they may get distracted and never come back.
To combat this, simply remind them that booking direct gives them the best price OR offer a coupon code as they attempt to leave the booking engine. This makes the traveler’s job easier and keeps them on your booking engine. It also saves you money from OTA and/or coupon site fees.
2. There was a genuine problem when they were trying to book
We all know that things don’t always go exactly as planned and a booking engine or internet connection can fail. To the disappointment of the traveler, they have to re-insert all of the information again. In this case, cart abandonment software can be a tremendous help to the traveler.
One way to help fix this issue is to send an email stating “Did something go wrong?” You should link back to their cart so they can easily finish the booking. Even if they left the booking engine for another reason, this message can be effective. It gives them a link back to their cart and it shows that you are trying to be helpful and not over sell.
3. Comparing prices
Your property probably isn’t the only location where the traveler is looking. It’s easy to check the prices of multiple resorts without hassle. Keeping track of all of the prices and properties can be confusing for the traveler and they may lose sight of your resort. They already considered you so it is your job to remind them that you exist.
By sending an email drip campaign (including the “did something go wrong” email) you can remind them of your property. This can get them back to your website as quickly as 20 minutes after abandonment or up to a few days, keeping your property at the top of their mind.
As you can see, Cart Abandonment Software not only drives bookings at the bottom of the funnel, but is a great resource for travelers as well. By helping solve the reason that they are leaving your booking engine, you will see increased conversions and revenue. Why let another direct booking slip through the cracks?
