Loveholidays
INTRODUCTION
Loveholidays, headquartered in London, is the fastest-growing online travel agent (OTA) in the UK. Founded in 2012 by Alex Francis and Jonny Marsh, the company has quickly risen to prominence in the industry.
With a team of 239 dedicated professionals, loveholidays offers customers the opportunity to create tailor-made holidays through their innovative “discovery search” feature. Unlike traditional travel platforms, loveholidays allows users to filter their search based on personal preferences and desired holiday attributes, rather than starting with a specific destination and travel dates. This unique approach empowers customers to explore and discover their ideal vacation experience
MY ROLE
I joined Loveholidays as head of UI during this time as a startup, over seven years, was involved in major projects that included continuously and systematically A/B testing all customer-facing products.
Adopting a mantra of “get better every day,” we consistently searched for usability improvements, which enhanced the user experience and increased conversions on e-commerce platforms from start up to a valued at £280M+
OUTCOMES
Mobile first site redesign, improving on brand conversion, Improved efficiencies within the product design department, Systematically testing with 1000’s of A/B tests, Expanding into New Markets.
No.1 most profitable company in the UK
https://travelweekly.co.uk/articles/328724/loveholidays-tops-sunday-times-bdo-profit-track-100
2nd fastest growing company in the UK
https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/love-holidays-profit-trebles-as-bookings-surge-18998
CLIENT
Loveholidays
PROJECTS
Design their first mobile website and made continuous improvements.
Optimised our hotel only product
Systematically testing with 1000’s of A/B tests
Lunched to new markets including Ireland & USA
Design the basis of the products USP hotel + fight
Build out comprehensive design systems.
Revolutionising Holiday Search: Introducing the ‘Hotel-Then-Flight’ Approach
In this project, we redefined the traditional holiday search experience by prioritising users’ desires over logistics, introducing a groundbreaking “Hotel-Then-Flight” approach.
Key elements of our approach included:
Understanding User Behaviour: Through extensive research at Loveholidays, we identified a key insight: a significant percentage of users were unsure of their holiday destination but had a clear vision of the experience they wanted. This led us to challenge the conventional travel booking process, which typically starts with selecting a destination.
Experience-First Search: We shifted the focus from the “how” to the “where” by allowing users to explore hotel options first, based on their desired experience or budget. This approach empowered users to be destination-agnostic, selecting their ideal holiday experience—whether it be an infinity pool with a sunset view or a boutique hotel—before finalising their travel arrangements.
Flexible and User-Centric: By enabling users to choose their hotel first and arrange travel details later, we created a more flexible and intuitive booking process. Users could set a budget and explore various destinations that matched their preferences, leading to a more personalised and satisfying holiday planning experience.
This innovative “Hotel-Then-Flight” approach revolutionised the way users search for holidays, aligning with our belief that the experience is at the heart of travel planning. It allowed us to offer a truly unique and user-centric way to book holidays, setting us apart from traditional travel sites.
Systematically testing with 1000’s of A/B tests
We focused on maximising purchase intent by employing a methodical approach to testing and feature development.
Our strategy included the following key elements:
Agile Testing and Rapid Iteration: We employed cost-effective and rapid testing methods to quickly identify which features resonated most with users. By starting with minor adjustments (“small, small”) and progressively scaling up (“big, big”) successful features, we were able to test concepts at minimal cost and then invest in the most impactful ones. This iterative approach allowed us to reach a large user base swiftly, continually refining our offerings based on real-world user data.
Becoming Best-in-Class: Once we identified the features that significantly improved user engagement and purchase intent, we focused on refining and perfecting them to ensure they were best-in-class. This dedication to excellence ensured that the features not only met user needs but also set us apart from competitors.
Driving Purchase Intent: We paid close attention to the factors that drive purchase intent, from user trust in the product offerings to the clarity and transparency of pricing. By aligning our testing efforts with these drivers, we were able to create a seamless and persuasive user experience that significantly boosted conversions.
This project exemplified the importance of agility and focus, showing how quickly iterating on ideas and committing to the best ones can lead to substantial gains in user engagement and conversion rates.
Launched a MVP hotel only product
In this project, we successfully launched hotel only product.
Key elements of our approach included:
With a MVP Implementation we looked to introduce a hotel only user journey into our existing web application. We wanted to test the market as cheaply as possible to find out if there was enough demand for the project. We utilised meta sites such as TripAdvisor, and Trivago for traffic volume and created a UX journey that was in effect bolted on to our current flows.
30% Uplift in Cross-Sell from Hotel-Only to Holiday Product
In this project, we focused on enhancing the user journey for those entering our site via meta channels, leading to a significant 30% uplift in cross-selling from hotel-only to holiday packages.
By targeting meta traffic—users who already knew where they wanted to go and were primarily looking for the best price—we were able to leverage their existing satisfaction with our offers and convert them into higher-margin holiday package buyers.
Our approach involved several key strategies:
Product Matching: We ensured precise matching of properties, images, prices, and room options to align with users’ expectations. This was crucial for instilling confidence that users were seeing accurate and valuable offers.
Building Trust: We recognised that trust is multi-faceted. Users needed to trust that the prices they saw were accurate, that their payment information was secure, and that the images accurately reflected the hotels. Trust also extended to our ability to fulfil their orders reliably.
Competitive Pricing: We offered discounted prices to users coming through meta channels, allowing us to remain competitive without cannibalising our margins from non-meta traffic.
Effective Cross-Selling: By cross-selling users into our holiday packages, where our margins were higher due to ancillary products, we could be more competitive on meta sites. This was crucial, as our competitors mainly focused on hotel-only bookings.
Launched a mobile first website
In this project, we successfully launched a mobile-first website designed to cater to the growing number of users accessing our services via mobile devices.
Key elements of our approach included:
Mobile-First Design Philosophy: Recognising the shift towards mobile usage, we prioritised a mobile-first design approach. This meant creating a streamlined, intuitive user interface optimised for smaller screens, ensuring a seamless experience across all devices.
Responsive and Adaptive Design: We implemented responsive design principles, allowing the website to adapt fluidly to different screen sizes and orientations. This adaptability was crucial in providing a consistent and engaging experience, whether users were on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop.
Performance Optimisation: Understanding that speed is critical on mobile, we focused on performance optimisation. We reduced page load times, minimised data usage, and ensured the site was quick to respond, even on slower networks. This effort was essential in keeping users engaged and reducing bounce rates.
User-Centric Features: The mobile-first approach also led us to rethink and enhance key features, such as simplified navigation, touch-friendly interactions, and streamlined checkout processes. These improvements made it easier for users to find what they needed and complete their transactions quickly and efficiently.
By launching a mobile-first website, we significantly improved user engagement and satisfaction, positioning ourselves to better meet the needs of our increasingly mobile audience.
Expanding into New Markets: Launching in Ireland & USA
In this project, we successfully expanded our offerings into new markets, including Ireland and the USA, by strategically launching with a minimum viable product (MVP) and then iterating based on market feedback.
Key aspects of our approach included:
Market Entry with an MVP: We began our expansion with a focused MVP, offering only the hotel product. This lean approach allowed us to enter new markets swiftly, minimise initial investment, and quickly gather valuable insights from early adopters.
Addressing Market-Specific Challenges: Entering the USA posed unique challenges, such as managing complex flight connections and adapting our packages to meet local preferences. We tackled these issues by closely analysing user behaviour and iterating on our offerings to better fit the market’s needs.
Iterative Development: After the initial launch, we worked backwards, gradually introducing additional products and services based on user demand and market readiness. This phased approach ensured that we could adapt and optimise our offerings in real-time, leading to a more seamless and successful market entry.
By strategically launching with a simple product and evolving based on feedback, we were able to effectively break into new markets and set the stage for further growth.
