What Travel Marketers need to know about Local Search and Mobile

Over the past decade, nothing has impacted travel buying more so than search and consumer access to mobile devices. 

Now more than ever before, the customer buying journey has changed due to increased mobile use, both in travel planning, and while in destination. As a result, the playing field has been levelled for local operators against the big brands and online travel suppliers, who have dominated search for the past decade.

With today’s connected mobile consumer, travel marketers large and small, can impact the mobile and local path to purchase – simply by being there in local search, being accurate, managing reviews, and providing “in the moment” customer service.

What has changed in the customer path to purchase of travel:

The consumer buying journey on mobile devices is primarily local, and focused on immediate access to information such as maps, directions, contact information, and reviews to allow for “*in the moment” decisions.

“Nearly one out of every four Internet users (24%) report using online reviews before paying for a service delivered offline. Of those who consulted an online review, 41% of restaurant reviewers subsequently visited a restaurant, while 40% of hotel reviewers then stayed at a hotel.” comScore

The mobile effect has changed the travel buying path as follows:

1. The mobile user experience is different than on desktop, with consumers looking to complete an action and accomplish a task, instead of browsing.
2. Local and “*near me searches” have increased year over year, with in-destination or “in the moment” decisions impacting purchases before travel and throughout the time while in-destination. (Think with Google)
3. Consumers expect a “mobile first” user experience with easy access to contact information, maps, directions, and reviews. Customers also expect accuracy in listing information, and immediate response from brands in solving problems.
4. Increased Importance of reviews and social comments in gaining both reach and revenue. With reviews highlighted at the top of mobile search real estate, users are more likely to access reviews in making purchase decisions than they would be if they needed to leave the search experience and go to a review website. The number and quality of reviews are also factors in local search engine rankings.

By optimizing and leveraging consumer mobile connectedness, local search, and social review platforms together, travel marketers can ensure that they are visible at every place along the buyers travel journey.

All travel category suppliers from hotels, restaurants and rental cars, to attractions, tour operators and destination marketing organizations need to be optimizing and managing their local and mobile user experience to win with today’s traveler.

Visit aliciawhalen.com For more on the impact of mobile and local search in travel.