Let’s face it, who loves an online booking form? Not us. More often than not they’re confusing and cumbersome — and frankly, ain’t nobody got time for that.
So when our clients, national bar chains Revolution and Revolución de Cuba, needed their online booking systems optimising, we knew just what to do. It was time to put the customer first; and make booking a table online an easy, efficient — and dare we say, enjoyable? — experience.
The challenge: Taking an outdated and inefficient online booking system and optimising it for an increasingly demanding and time-poor audience, in order to maximise conversions and secure business revenue.
Despite driving lots of user traffic on the website, the legacy booking forms were not converting much business; in fact, conversion rate was less than 1%. This was primarily because the system was outdated, clunky and time-consuming. For example, booking forms would open on the same tab as a new page and require users to continually flick between pages to check for more details — far from ideal user experience (UX).
The bottom line was that the existing system was not fit for purpose. Especially for Revolution and Revolución de Cuba’s target audience; tech-savvy, happy clickers, with increasingly high expectations of their digital experiences. When it came to online booking, they wanted instant results, with minimal effort.
Commercially, both brands measure website performance through pre-booked party revenue — so our team needed to revolutionise the digital booking journey in order to maximise online conversions.
How could we create an effective booking system tailored specifically to our target audience?
By examining the existing systems using web analysis software Hotjar, we were able to fully understand exactly how our users were interacting with the existing system. Then, we combined our knowledge of conversion rate optimisation (CRO) best practice with extensive customer research — including customer surveys and Q&A sessions — to inform a new system that would deliver exactly what our users wanted.
Video recordings of the customer journey showed users ‘dropping off’ throughout the existing booking process, so the solution was clear — make the system as quick and hassle-free as possible, allowing users to book there and then, and with minimal form input.
Once the analysis and research was complete, we mapped out the entire booking process using wireframes — enabling us to identify the required changes and include all of the potential routes for users. The finished result? A single pared-down booking system suitable for use by both brands, despite the individual nuances of each website.
The newly designed forms house clean, clear dropdown boxes whereby users can select their desired bar location, time of booking and party size. Copy is concise and most importantly, the forms feature the minimal number of viable fields required to complete a booking; reducing time and effort for users and making for a more efficient user journey.
All in all, we made it much easier for users to complete the desired action — or ‘convert’. Revolution’s sales team could then follow up these conversions to finalise, and eventually monetise, the booking.
Crucially, the new system has been built specifically for a mobile-first audience, with slide-sideways ability reducing the need to scroll with horizontal interactions for a seamless user experience. The forms themselves became on-page elements, rather than directing users to a separate page (as did the previous booking forms), making users less likely to abandon their booking.
Next, to roll the new system out online and test its efficacy. This is where things got really cool…
We began by directing 10% of site traffic to the new forms as part of a prototype split test. On monitoring performance and seeing an increase in conversions, we would then gradually increase this percentage to eventually phase out the old system. Online tracking not only allowed us to see how the new forms performed in action and monitor how users interacted with them, but also helped us to iron out any potential snags before setting the forms fully live. Online polls also encouraged users to give honest feedback on the new system — with overwhelmingly positive reviews all round.
And so, the results were in: the new system was significantly outperforming the old one. Online bookings went through the roof and conversion rate soared; website users were happy and so was the client.
30.34% increase in enquiries
94.97% increase in party-specific enquiries*
*all statistics for Revolution only
As a result, we’re looking to replace the legacy booking forms and integrate the new booking forms across the site.
So what now?
Although the booking system project was a resounding success, our work is far from done.
CRO is an ongoing process and we’ll look to continually update and refine the customer journey for optimal user experience. Great UX isn’t possible if you’re not up to date with the wants, needs and desires of your target audience — and remaining in touch with these is what keeps Revolution and Revolución de Cuba ahead of their competitors.
Cube3 works with ambitious brands, delivering sustainable business growth through digital innovation, brand and marketing performance. Give us a buzz on 0161 615 1900 or visit our website if you would like to learn more about what we do.
