Wordpress & SEO Manager
April 7, 2016
Airbnb has been very successful, to say the least. Of course, an innovative business model has been a big factor, but a great user experience has played a big part.
While travel brands have generally been slow to adapt to the Web, brands like Airbnb (and Booking.com) are and will continue to lead the way in terms of user experience.
So, here is a selection of Airbnb’s UX delights…
Table of Contents [ Hide ]
1 Simple search bar
2 Pages of search results
3 The ability to search by moving the map
4 Urgency
5 Social proof
6 Images
7 Clear presentation of information
8 Price Bar Chart
9 Neighborhood Guides
10 Forms/Check out
11 Bad user experience
12 In summary
Simple search bar
When you head to Airbnb's homepage, users' attention tends to focus on the search bar. It's simple to get started, too: enter your destination, check-in/out dates, and number of guests, and you're there.
Compare this to the ibis list of greece consumer email homepage (both shots show what is visible to the naked eye). The search bar does not stand out from the other elements on the page.
Search results pages
The presentation of site search results is very important.
Ease of use, ability to customize the selection to your needs and find key information can induce more bookings. Here, the presentation is clear, and there are many ways to sort and filter the selection of homes on offer.
The ability to search by moving the map
I love this, as it fits the way I like to search. Let’s say you’re looking for somewhere near the centre of town (Seville in this case) or perhaps near a beach or other attraction – this feature allows you to search around that area without having to start over or correct your search radius. It also works well, loading new results quickly and allowing a quick preview of apartments helps.
Performance mapping is a key tool of most travel sites, but Airbnb does this as well as anyone.
Urgency
Airbnb uses urgency well. This is a useful tactic, as it puts pressure on the customer to decide whether to book or not.
