Premier Inn Top Multichannel Travel Study With Best in Class Mobile Site

LONDON, April 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

UK hotel chain Premier Inn has topped the latest eTravel Multichannel Benchmark study from eDigitalResearch with a best in class mobile site.

The eDigitalResearch study asks a group of profiled mystery shoppers to assess their entire travel digital customer experience across 17 of the leading travel websites, mobile sites and mobile apps. The results found that users particularly liked the homepage, booking process and overall design and usability of all three of Premier Inn's digital touch points. Surveyors were particularly impressed with the simplicity of Premier Inn's mobile site and mobile app homepages, making it quick and easy to search for available hotels whilst their multichannel booking process allows users to easily amend their bookings with optional extras.

The overall eTravel multichannel league table was once again dominated by the hotel sector, with Late Rooms, Hotels.com, Booking.com and Best Western all completing the top five.

Elsewhere in the benchmark, low-cost airline EasyJet's website came out on top for the website section of the study. Users particularly rated the initial research and search sections of EasyJet's online customer journey thanks to their fun and engaging interactive flight map. However, poor ratings for their mobile presence meant that EasyJet only managed just a top ten overall score for the entire multichannel experience and highlights the importance of ensuring that all digital touch points are well integrated and seamless.

The results found that, like their retail counterparts, travel brands are failing to provide the same customer experience to mobile customers as their more established online presence. There has often been a big emphasis in recent years on travel brands engaging with online users and providing that 'inspirational' factor to encourage bookings. However, these latest multichannel results suggest that travel brands are failing to inspire and engage with users on mobile channels, with both mobile sites and apps scoring particularly poorly for the initial research section of the digital customer journey.

Derek Eccleston, Commercial Director at eDigitalResearch, comments, "Consumer confidence in mobile touch points has soared over the past couple of years as more and more of us start browsing and buying from our smartphones. As a result, consumer expectation of digital touch points has also changed. Before the emphasis was very much on functionality and usability. However, our latest eTravel Multichannel Benchmark results show that not only do users want a mobile site or app that is quick and simple to use, they also expect mobile touch points to be fun, engaging and inspiring."

"Whilst some travel brands are doing a brilliant job of inspiring their online customers, these results demonstrate that the travel industry as a whole needs to look at providing more engaging and inspirational content on their mobile touch points".

For the full eTravel Multichannel Benchmark results, please complete the following short registration survey: https://ecustomeropinions.com/survey/survey.php?sid=176568744

About eDigitalResearch 

eDigitalResearch help businesses grow by providing bespoke Voice of the Customer feedback programmes designed by passionate researchers, technical specialists and graphic designers all under one roof. We work closely with clients to deliver a range of insight solutions including real-time Customer Experience Management, multichannel 'in the moment' Voice of the Customer feedback, as well as flexible insight and technology partnership options.