7 steps to make a

successful travel app

A practical guide for travel & tourism

Our consumer app with user generated mobile travel tip is used

in 95 countries

Strategy and mobile apps for travel & DMOs. Created more than

65 apps

Hi there, we’re Everplaces. We work with mobile, today we’d like to share our learnings with you.

Find a solid problem to solve

Magazine/ iPadInspiration, dreaming, relaxing, in my own time

WebsiteInform, assist, inspire, brand, explain, transact, complex

MobileAction, research, now, find, share, do, fact check, personal

Must be suitable to natural form

STEP 1

Existing problem or use case, and actually useful

Novelty features like Augmented reality and QR codes are great in concept, but we have yet to see real success using them

Decide your goalSTEP 2

• Awareness: Apps only work for awareness if indirect, so through social spread. See loyalty.

• Loyalty: Improve stay with information, happier visitors, increased margins, returns

• Generate UGC: Gives indirect awareness via social, builds trust, creates photo library

Examples of useful, loyalty creating apps

Convenience Friendly Personalized Rewards

First we decide what the application should be able to do, which problem does it solve?

It needs to be✓ Obvious & Easy to use✓ Fast performing

Then we prioritize and take away most features till we’re left with a simple concept. Most apps fail the very first time people open them because of too much functionality

✓ Simple

FunctionalitySTEP 3

Mountain High app for your next ski and snowboard experience.

User interface design (UI)

Yahoo weather app Spies travel agency

STEP 4

Design is a deal breaker on mobile, because it has such big impact on the user experience. In the last few years the bar for good design has risen dramatically. Simple is good!

Too much choice

Visualize

Use images to give info at a glance, instead of text.

Every click requires effort, so work to reduce the amount of required effort from the user to make it as easy as possible to get an overview.

You have one chance to capture people: the first time they open the app. 48% of people who have a negative first experience is less likely to open the app again

What will the user do the first 30 seconds?

1) App needs to open in 2 seconds

2) Open on overview screen or a clear use case

3) Test what people press

4) Reiterate. Hide or cut other features that confuse. Eradicate dead loops

Make a killer landing experienceSTEP 5

• Favorite function• Useful information: programme, deep info, dictionary or maps• Deals or offers• Encourage internal contact, like newsletter / Facebook ‘like’

Give people a reason to come backSTEP 6

• People don’t share just because they can. It has to make sense for them.

• Make actions that instill pride, achievement, self image or helpfulness sharable. Pre-fill text and make easy

• Consider integration of social media streams

• Consider reviews or star rating function

• Cross promote Instagram/ Twitter

Encourage sharingSTEP 7

‣ Likes ‣ RT‣ Repin

Tip: Light actions are key on mobile

Trustworthy means transparent• Photos that are reliable (ok if primary image is photoshopped, but add extra) • Descriptions mention both the positive and negative • Make it clear why these places are recommended• Additional info: like 360 degree view, floor plan, info• Use external contributors

- Bloggers or local heroes- UGC- Feeds from external sites

• Ability to rate, like and comment

Optimizing content for credibilityToday’s hottest commodity is insider tips, and the general trend goes towards authenticity

Work smart. Same content, many places

Central CMS

You

UGC

Other media

Example of app content which is also accessible on client’s website, via a content widget

Example of app content as an interactive display on location, visitors can navigate with mouse

Economics

Commissioning your appsIt easily costs $80,000, and takes 4 months plus specs to build a complex top tier app. But that’s very rarely required. Don’t be talked into functionality you don’t need. You can use app building platforms if you select the purpose carefully, prices from $6,000.

Functionality that should be faster and cheaper‣ Same info for all users‣ Content filtered by location‣ Locally stored / hardcoded‣ One way sync that needs a backend, like places/events‣ External feeds

Functionality that’s expensive‣ 2 way interaction, like comments and user interactions ‣ Integrations with your database‣ User accounts, personalization ‣ Augmented reality, games, etc.‣ Multiple languages done well

‣ New technology makes it possible to re-use the base code

‣ Reduces time-to-market from around 4 months to 4-8 weeks

‣ Reduces cost by about half

‣ In our case, we specialize in visual travel and location-based apps focused on maps

‣ Enables custom apps centered around your property, your experience and offer personal service

The new app-making engines

Pitfalls

‣ Outsourcing to cheap countries‣ Under quoting complex features‣ Saving money on design‣ Agencies & web people with limited mobile experience‣ Changing your mind along the way‣ Not budgeting for maintenance and upkeep‣ Expecting no iterations

Commissioning your apps

Bonus: Three opportunities to engage and be useful in-destination.

RoutesCycling, trails, road trip

InterestBeaches, organic farms, food, historic

Demographics For families, romantic spots, gay

PracticalDirections/ Emergency/ Travel phrases

Tailor each app to a specific target group

Films Sound of Music, The Killings, Da Vinci Code

Fame Beatles Liverpool, HC Andersen’s footsteps, Tudor England,

FestivalsFood & Christmas Markets

Use the momentum created for youAwareness is the most expensive part of marketing, so if you have waves already created, make sure to capitalize with an app that can engage deeper

Food festivals bring people and revenue to the city

China, now the biggest travel spender

Can we help?

Learn morebusiness.everplaces.com/knowledge

Mobile strategy - App development - User generated content

Tine Thygesen, CEOtine@everplaces.com