Travel companies must move beyond the basics of smartphone apps, according to travel industry research firm Phocuswright.
By 2020, worldwide smartphone subscriptions are projected to top 6.1 billion. Consumers are now experts at navigating apps and mobile sites, and using their mobile devices with almost the same ease as using their desktops. Now that travel companies are catching up, with multiple apps and iterations under their belts, it’s time for them to move beyond the basics.
Phocuswright’s Mobile Travel Landscape 2015: A Multi-Region Report reveals five hot topics that are inspiring the next wave of mobile travel innovation:
* The Mobile Experience
* Deep Linking
* Payments
* Beacons
* Mobile Messaging
?The next phase of mobile travel is all about delivering a timely, relevant and customised traveller experience,? says Phocuswright’s research analyst Cathy Schetzina Walsh. ?That means understanding who the travellers know, what they like, where they are in the travel process and what problem they are trying to solve. Travel companies can achieve this by leveraging context, anticipating needs and empowering travellers to personalise their experience.?
The popularity of mobile apps has created a new era of ?walled gardens?, but there is increased focus on building deep links between apps to foster a seamless user experience and enable cross-app marketing and advertising opportunities.
“Deep linking can improve mobile search, make mobile advertising and marketing campaigns more effective and boost conversion,” Schetzina Walsh says. “Over the next few years, deep linking will become an increasingly important element of the mobile booking funnel.?