Constantine Hallax, VP of Business Development at TripCase, shares five core mobile principles to help the travel industry drive new business and customer acquisition

In 2011, the Mobile Marketing Association of Asia famously released statistics showing that of the 6 billion people on the planet, 4.8 billion possess a mobile phone, yet only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush.

As attention grabbing as that statistic is, the reality is that we in the travel industry are just starting to unlock the full potential that the mobile ecosystem offers. In recent years, the mobile device and software categories in travel have seen significant innovations that have helped improved the lives of business travellers. In fact, while there is no doubt that mobile innovations have transformed the entire travel experience, we still face some significant challenges.

Some of the major issues that constrain mobile usage in the travel space include screen size (too small), slow connections, roaming charges, intrusive ads, GPS accuracy issues, unclear and exploitative privacy policies and permissions, overheating and battery issues; all contributing to a poor user experience.

Drawing on our experience in bringing the TripCase app to market, here are five principles for travel industry success in the mobile ecosystem. 

1) Integrate services to minimise steps. Leonardo Da Vinci once said: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” When considering mobile, the travel industry needs to adopt a ‘less is more’ mentality, so it’s important to proactively integrate as many related services as possible. In a business travel context especially, mobile users need to complete tasks quickly, so the less steps needed, the more efficiently the user will operate. 

2) Design for quick, at-a-glance scanning. If you’re designing a mobile product for travelers, you should become familiar with the term ‘glanceability’. This refers to displaying important data and information to users in a clear, easy-to-read way. For example, when a traveler is running from gate to concourse gate in an airport, a ‘glanceable’ user experience is essential. Make it easy for the user to get important information quickly, without having to repeatedly move in and out of applications.

3) Leverage established UX design patterns. As mobile users move from one app to another, the publisher needs to design with the goal of keeping the user’s cognitive load to a minimum. By incorporating common interface components, such as those used by popular websites and social media platforms, the user’s familiarity with the design patterns will make the toggling back and forth easier to handle. 

4) It’s all about context - display the right info at the right time. When designing a mobile app for the travel industry, it’s crucial to make sure that the services and information provided have the proper context. For this to happen, the platform or system must ‘know’ the mobile user’s real identity, their identifying characteristics and their real-time location. Keep in mind that it’s possible to go too far. Developers must find and maintain the balance between utility and intruding on a user's personal privacy.

5) Remember the late adopters. As mobile developers race to win over the millennial demographic and the ‘digitally native’ generations to follow, we make a big mistake when we overlook the latecomers to the mobile tech party. Consider Apple, where the design approach centres on the concept of ease-of-use as opposed to feature-packed complexity. Yet, there are no shortages of tech-savvy users who like complexity among Apple’s customer base. In other words, even if an app solves the biggest, most pressing problems, if it’s not simple to use, it could be considered worthless to the busy travel consumer. 

A travel industry veteran, Constantine Hallax is the Vice President, Business Development at TripCase, the free iPhone and Android app that helps millions of travellers manage their trips. Follow us on Twitter @TripCase on Twitter or email Constantine.Hallax@sabre.com