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UX Research
AIRBNB
Introduction
Airbnb is a globally recognized hospitality platform and has revolutionized the way people book accommodations, providing a diverse range of personalized lodging experiences around the world.
Project Type
This is an Academic Project assigned to us by our professor; where he pushed us to apply the fundamentals of UX research in a real life industry setting.
The Problem
Airbnb users lack incentives to revisit the platform for future bookings, and there are identified obstacles in the overall booking process that could be addressed for an improved user experience, such as, too many rental options and non-functional buttons.
The Solution
Implementing a rewards system where upon booking an accommodation, users receive points that they can redeem as discounts on their future bookings.
Establishing key categories, as opposed to presenting an array of options, to avoid clutter and mindless scrolling.
Addressing non-functional buttons and offering feedback to users to instill confidence and facilitate smooth progress.
Research Methodologies
The Competition
We compared Airbnb to two other accomodation booking platforms:
Value Proposition: Platform that provides a wide range of accommodations where users can book activities and also connect with locals.
Position in the market: Global peer-to-peer vacation rental and lodging platform.
Value Proposition: Platform that provides accommodations including hotels, hostels where users can also book flights and car rentals.
Position in the market: Leading online travel agency specializing in hotel reservations.
Value Proposition: Online booking for accommodations tailored more for users that seek larger and more private accommodations.
Position in the market: Primarily focused on whole-home rentals.
Methods of Criteria
During the competitive analysis process, we used these methods to determine the users pain points and any areas of improvement in the Airbnb website:
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Business Comparison
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User Comparison
While searching for any areas of improvement, we always have to keep both the user goals and business goals in mind.
We identified 3 primary business goals to serve as the foundation for assessing the different strategies used by the platforms to accomplish these goals.
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2
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User Acquisition:
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Motivate or promote users to join
Generate
Revenue:
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Service fee charges from hosts and customers
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Featured listings and promotions for accommodation providers
Brand Loyalty
& Expansion:
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Global expansion
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Local partnerships and marketing campaigns
All 3 platforms use the same tactics to reach most of their business goals, however, Airbnb seemed to lack the rewards system method used by Booking.com and VRBO.
Key Finding
After thorough analysis of all 3 of the platforms, we determined the following finding:
Recommendations: Create opportunities for customers to get rewarded for using Airbnb.
Problem:
Airbnb lacks incentives to retain existing customers.
Booking.com: Incorporates a "Genius" loyalty program offering discounts and perks to loyal customers, enhancing user retention.
VRBO: Introduces "OneKey" loyalty program, allowing members to join for free and use OneKeyCash on bookings to access discounts and exclusive benefits.
We decided to conduct further research to implement a rewards system that is best catered to the users needs.
Methodology 1 (User Interviews)
After conducting a competitive analysis, our team implemented a multi-step research process for conducting user interviews which included:
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User Interview Findings
After conducting the user interviews, we discovered the following pain points of the users:
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Users do not like an overload of notifications, such as excessive emails of updates after signing up for the loyalty program.
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Users don't like when it takes a really long time to receive the benefits after signing up for loyalty subscriptions. This delay demotivates them to subscribe, struggling to find compelling reasons to join.
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Users want up-to-date information and contract regulations regarding any loyalty programs so that they feel comfortable with the subscription.
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Users are concerned about having to input their personal information when signing up for a rewards program.
We were able to determine the pain points users have in terms of joining other platforms loyalty programs and through this, we can implement the best rewards system in Airbnb that aligns closely with users' needs and preferences.
Persona
Based on the insights provided by the user interviews, we created a persona so that we can empathize with the users goals and frustrations.
Journey Map
Based on the user interview findings, we created a journey map using the persona, to further uncover the pain points and gain insights from the users' experiences when booking an accommodation on Airbnb.
Although a journey map allowed us to put ourselves in the users shoes, we decided it was best to conduct a usability study to enhance our research insights and observe the user's experience in real-time.
Methodology 2 (Usability Study)
Our team engaged with a diverse group of a total of 10 participants and conducted a usability study. Our study incorporated a mix of in-person and virtual interviews.
User goal: book an accommodation for 3 days.
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Usability Study Findings
After conducting the usability study, we examined the behaviours and pain points of the participants and from the analysis we derived the following findings, listed based on the severity of the heuristics violated:
Heuristics Severity = 1-4 (1 = High) (4 = Least)
1
Excessive Categories: A large number of accommodation options made it challenging for the participant to decide on one type, delaying the booking process and increasing mindless scrolling.
" I can't decide which one to choose! "
Heuristics violated: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
Recommendation: Reduce clutter by creating key categories, rather than listing the options all at once.
2
Inoperable Buttons: During the checkout process, there is an option to edit certain details such as date preferences, room numbers etc. However, this button does not work sometimes.
Heuristics violated: Error Prevention
" Ugh, now I have to go all the way back to edit the dates! "
Recommendation: Correct for any broken buttons, otherwise provide an error message if the function to adjust preferences is not available to them.
3
Non-functional 3-Days Option: Selecting the "3-Day" option produced no outcomes which implies that this feature has no purpose.
Heuristics violated: Visibility of Systems Status
" I clicked on the '3-days' button but nothing happened ! "
Recommendation: Offer clear feedback to the user about the outcome to ensure the users feel comfortable moving forward.
Next Steps
Our next steps entail incorporating these changes into wireframes and low-fidelity prototypes. Then we will assess how these alterations impact user behaviours, specifically focusing on whether they enhance the booking process.
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