For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Travelers Are Cashing In On Loyalty Programs

How US Online Travelers Redeem Travel Loyalty Points And Rewards

by Henry H. Harteveldt, Elizabeth Stark, November 16, 2009

Travel loyalty programs may be old news, but that old news pays the bills and generates revenue in the billions of dollars every year for travel companies. Forrester data shows that half — 52% — of all US online travelers actively use travel loyalty programs, . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Hotels Will Rely On The Web To Survive 2010

by Henry H. Harteveldt, November 3, 2009

The global financial crisis hit the hotel industry particularly hard in 2009. A survey of 27 hotel professionals shows an expectation that business will have to be "bought" with low pricing for the balance of 2009, but cautious optimism exists for room . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Emotional Experience Design

Creating Online Experiences That Deeply Engage Customers

by Ron Rogowski, October 26, 2009

As consumers increasingly look to connect with companies online, lackluster Web experiences will damage many brands. But better functional design won't solve the problem. Instead, Forrester recommends that companies master the three principles of a new . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

The Online Travel Brands That Win With US Leisure Travelers

Expedia, Priceline, And Hotels.com Stand Out As Favorites

by Henry H. Harteveldt, Elizabeth Stark, October 21, 2009

Forrester data shows that 56% of US online leisure travelers research travel using online travel agencies (OTAs), 34% use discount travel sites like Hotwire, and 18% use metasearch sites like Kayak.com. When we asked leisure travelers what sets online . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

How To Improve Searchable Self-Service Online

eBusiness Professionals Must Focus On Site Search And FAQs To Deflect Call Center Calls

by Diane Clarkson, September 11, 2009

Searchable self-service and frequently asked questions (FAQs) are among the most commonly accessed customer service touchpoints, but there is a lot of room for improvement. Poor performance plaguing searchable self-service and FAQs surfaced in a recent . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Why Travelers Contribute Ratings, Reviews, And More Online

Travelers Are More Likely To Share Good News Than Bad News

by Henry H. Harteveldt, September 10, 2009

More than six in 10 US online leisure travelers regularly participate in travel-focused social media activities like rating a hotel. The more frequently people travel, the more likely they are to read or watch other traveler-generated content. Content . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Poor Content Could Cost Travel eBusiness Money

Hotels Are Particularly Vulnerable Due To Inadequate Online Content

by Henry H. Harteveldt, Elizabeth Stark, September 8, 2009

Online travel content is in true need of a makeover. What written and visual content there is on travel sites — in particular, hotel supplier Web sites — is generic, poorly organized, and confusing. Travelers have had enough: Just half of US online leisure . . .

For Consumer Market Research Professionals

Technographics® Survey Highlights: Leisure Travel In Asia Pacific  (500 KB PPT)

by Olesia Klevchuk, September 3, 2009

This highlight deck summarizes the key findings related to travel from Forrester’s Asia-Pacific Technographics Survey, Q2 2009. This is the third survey highlight in a series from the Asia-Pacific Technographics Survey, Q2 2009.

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Europe's Online Travelers Challenge European Online Travel Success

by Henry H. Harteveldt, September 3, 2009

In Europe, 73% of travelers are now online, up from 64% in 2007. They, however, feel the brunt of the recession — 38% of European travelers are financially worse off now than they were a year ago. Europe's online leisure travelers use technology but don't . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Service Seekers Are More Loyal Than Price Seekers

Examining Four Segments Of Consumers Across 12 Industries

by Bruce D. Temkin, August 31, 2009

In previous research, Forrester created four segments of consumers based on their interest in low prices and good customer service: Service Seekers, Price Seekers, Price & Service Seekers, and Others. We examined the loyalty of these segments across . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

How To Make Travel Customers Feel Valued Online

by Diane Clarkson, August 19, 2009

Making leisure travelers feel valued is more than a "warm and fuzzy" objective. There are significant business benefits to making leisure travelers feel valued — namely, these travelers are more likely to be loyal brand advocates. However, most travel . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Air Passenger Interest In In-Flight Internet Access Grows

The Longer The Flight, The More Likely Passengers Will Pay To Go Online Aloft

by Henry H. Harteveldt, Elizabeth Stark, August 10, 2009

In 2005, Forrester identified that one-fifth of passengers were interested in accessing the Internet on any flight. In the fourth quarter of 2007, nearly as many passengers — 17% — expressed interest in accessing the Web on a 1-hour flight. By Q4 2008, . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Using Digital Channels To Calm The Angry Traveler

by Henry H. Harteveldt, August 4, 2009

Travelers are fed up. There are 15% fewer travelers who enjoy using the Web in 2009 than there were in 2007. Just one in three US online travelers feels that travel Web sites do a good job presenting travel choices, down from 39% in 2008. Travelers feel . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Travel Web Site Customer Service Is Far From Perfect

Travel eBusiness Customer Service And Support Benchmark, 2009

by Diane Clarkson, Elizabeth Stark, July 27, 2009

As part of a larger analysis of 90 Web sites, Forrester evaluated the accessibility and availability of online customer service and support among 30 leading travel Web sites. Only 12 of the travel Web sites we reviewed received a passing score, and overall . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Travel eBusiness Must Champion Mobile Booking Benefits

by Diane Clarkson, July 22, 2009

One in three US online business travelers and nearly one in four US online leisure travelers own Web-enabled mobile phones. Roughly one-half of these travelers have used their mobile devices for travel-related mobile data services such as flight alerts . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Multichannel Is Still A Myth For Retailers

Companies Continue To Struggle With Cross-Channel Contact Strategies

by Sucharita Mulpuru, June 29, 2009

Retailers have been striving to provide seamless multichannel shopping experiences in order both to stay ahead of the market in an increasingly interconnected world and to align themselves with consumer multichannel behavior. In a recent report, Forrester . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

How Satisfied Are Spanish Consumers With Online Customer Experiences?

by Jonathan Browne, June 18, 2009

We asked more than 1,700 Spanish consumers how satisfied they were with their experiences on top Spanish Web sites. The majority of consumers were satisfied or very satisfied. El Corte Inglés scored highest in consumer satisfaction, while Area PC came . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

How Satisfied Are Italian Consumers With Online Customer Experiences?

by Jonathan Browne, June 18, 2009

We asked more than 2,000 Italian consumers how satisfied they were when using top Web sites in Italy. Most consumers were satisfied or very satisfied with their experiences. eBay led in satisfaction ratings, while ePRICE came last in our list. The most . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Undecided Travelers Offer A New Opportunity For Travel eBusiness

by Diane Clarkson, June 5, 2009

Planning a leisure trip online without a specific destination in mind can be tantamount to fitting a square peg into a round hole. The standard destination-based navigation offered by most travel Web sites does not meet the needs of the 20% of leisure . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Why Web Site Customization Is Crucial For Travel eBusiness

by Henry H. Harteveldt, Elizabeth Stark, June 4, 2009

Web site customization — allowing site visitors to select displayed content and rearrange page layouts — is more than a decade old, but only a handful of travel Web sites offer it. One-third of US online leisure travelers use personalized portal or content . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

How Satisfied Are Dutch Consumers With Online Customer Experiences?

by Jonathan Browne, May 27, 2009

We asked more than 1,000 Dutch consumers about their satisfaction with Dutch Web sites. The majority reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experiences. Bol.com had the highest satisfaction rates, while Bruna came in last. Dutch . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

How Satisfied Are Swedish Consumers With Online Customer Experiences?

by Jonathan Browne, May 27, 2009

We asked more than 500 Swedish consumers how satisfied they were when using top Web sites in Sweden. The majority of consumers were satisfied or very satisfied with their experiences. Blocket achieved the highest satisfaction rates, while eBay trailed. . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Using Channel Satisfaction Data To Build The Business Case For eBusiness

by Carrie Johnson, Elizabeth Davis, May 26, 2009

Forrester recently released a report showing the results of a survey of more than 4,500 US consumers and their level of satisfaction with Web, phone, and in-person interactions across 12 different industries. The report allows eBusiness and channel strategy . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Online Travel Agencies' Cross-Channel Experience, 2009

An Industry Look At This Year's Best And Worst Of Cross-Channel Design

by Adele Sage, May 22, 2009

As part of a larger analysis of 16 firms, Forrester evaluated the cross-channel experiences of four large online travel agencies — Expedia, Orbitz, priceline.com, and Travelocity. Overall, the travel agencies ended up with the highest average score compared . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

The Ancillary Products US Airline Passengers Want — And The eBusiness Challenges Airlines Face

by Henry H. Harteveldt, May 22, 2009

With everything but the oxygen mask sold on an à la carte basis, North American airlines have become stores with wings. Forrester data shows unexpected interest in different ancillary products. For example, 47% of US online business passengers would pay . . .