How to create a travel app and make it really well

Millennials introduced new ways of traveling that involve modern technologies. Now it is hard to imagine a person traveling without a smartphone or tablet allowing to stay online. It means the market for travel apps is only going to grow. Learn what to concentrate on while creating new tourism related application to make it ever more useful and profitable.

According to the Opera Mediaworks research of 2016, 85% of users used mobile devices to book travel activities, and 45% relied on mobile apps. No doubt it was and still is an uprising trend. Now even more people, especially young ones, plan traveling spontaneously and on-the-go. Here comes the idea, and the next minute the tickets are already booked.

Travel agencies with their organized tours start having less work. Sharing economy platforms make it easier than ever to contact the service providers directly. It triggers the development of new on-the-edge mobile apps that can cover arising demands of modern traveling industry customers.

What do most successful travel apps offer their customers

First of all, most popular applications have simple designs. Simplicity is a must now. Clean and clear user interface makes people want to come back. Remember, it only takes 5 milliseconds for average user to evaluate the design during the first interaction. Make these moments count.

Customers’ attention can be drawn by different sets of functions. Here are some of the most appreciated features by all users regardless their personal traits. It is hard to imagine a successful travel app without these elements integrated.

Personal account

Travel apps are often used for planning and keeping all the information in one place so incorporating private accounts is important. Not only it provides convenience for the customers, but also helps gather more information about users during the registration.

Booking services

Most trips start with booking. Popular apps usually suggest customers to schedule everything from flights to hotels to local tours. It allows to form personalized offers as well as create loyalty programs in partnership with different airlines or accommodations.

Navigation

Even if someone wants to get lost, they want to at least have a chance to get found again. Nice navigation system is a benefit so that the user doesn’t have to switch the app for a map. There also might be troubles with connection in some regions, so inbuilt offline maps are always handy.

Transportation

Sometimes it’s not enough to find a location on a map when foreigner wants to get somewhere. There are special transportation apps, but incorporating this feature into a travel application is a great idea to keep users from leaving.

Weather forecasts

Booking a flight, it never harms to know what the weather is going to be in a destination spot. Simple forecast notification a couple days before traveling can possibly save a traveler from packing wrong clothing.

Translation

Almost no one learns new language before a trip to foreign country. Even though usually it’s not a problem to get around with English only, simple useful phrases

Social interactions

People don’t usually stop communication during traveling so integrating social media sounds like a good idea. Routes tracking, cool restaurants and bars, impressing sights, happy pictures — these are things users often share with their loved ones. Again, make it simple without leaving the travel app.

There is always a way to make these features even more convenient and lucrative than they are already presented in existing apps. But there is also a way for the wider step towards new features that can make an app truly outstanding.

How to make a travel app even better

Basic features integrated well through handy design can bring an app to the market, but only unique traits can take it more than one step ahead of the competition.

Of course, there are no general recipes for those traits, otherwise they would stop being unique. However, there is an advice that can help find inspiration: think about narrow targeting. There are skaters, cat lovers, musicians, runners, book fans — all of them travel from time to time. Not many of them have their interests integrated in a travel app in any way.

It is a precise art of creating a new app that is easy-to-use and resourceful at the same time. It can be a true challenge. Nobody wants to waste time while being on the road. Everybody wants reliable answers and immediate solutions. So, keep that new travel app simple and helpful. That is a key. Success will follow.

Originally published on https://qoderoom.com/blog