E-commerce software company Monetate has published an interview with Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) practitioner Danielle Schwolow of Florida-based digital agency Multiplica US on the subject of Conversion Rate Optimization and the Travel Industry.

Key points:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making it easier for digital travel marketers to "provide exceptional experiences...and win bookings with the least spend."
• CRO for travel requires a "series of ever-evolving experiments" run in parallel across device types.
• Travel CRO differs from that for retail in that customers have to consider and make multiple decisions - when, where, what to do, etc. - making trip planning and booking a complex and lengthy process.
• Retargeting -e.g., storing a user's search history to avoid having to go back to Square One - can produce double-digit improvement in clickthrough rate.
• Using AI to personalize content in real time is "pretty cool stuff."
• Effective personalization for CRO requires a strong testing strategy that works with your brand and marketing team.
• Clunky end-of-funnel checkout processes - too many form fields to create account, etc. - result in cart abandonment.
• Marketers should be able to make simple ad/website changes (text, colors, etc.) themselves without involvement of creative or development people.
• Multi-touch retargeting makes it easier for users to engage with a product with fewer clicks.
• In testing, always have a specific goal, and a KPI to measure success.
• Biggest travel CRO challenges:
  • Lack of data
  • Poor data
  • Lack of clear strategy
  • Fragmented marketing
  • Avoiding overextending resources

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For further insights into the application of Artificial Intelligence to Web Content Management and Digital Experience Platforms, see the Gartner report Applying AI to WCM and DXP - Key Use Cases.