Holiday Gems had built strong trafficglossary×TrafficTraffic refers to the number of users visiting a website, app, or digital product over a given period.Open glossary term→ through SEOglossary×SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)SEO is the process of improving a website’s visibility in search engines like Google through content, structure, and technical optimisation.Open glossary term→, but conversion ratesglossary×Conversion RateConversion rate is the percentage of users who complete a desired action compared to the total number of users.Open glossary term→ weren’t where they needed to be.

Users were browsing, comparing and dropping off before completing a booking.

In a highly competitive travel market, that gap between trafficglossary×TrafficTraffic refers to the number of users visiting a website, app, or digital product over a given period.Open glossary term→ and conversionglossary×ConversionA conversion is any action a user takes that aligns with a defined goal, such as making a purchase, signing up, or completing a task.Open glossary term→ is where revenue is lost.

The challenge was clear. Understand where users were struggling, why they weren’t converting, and what needed to change to turn intent into bookings.

The booking journeyglossary×Pain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term→ wasn’t supporting decision-makingglossary×PrioritisationPrioritisation is the process of ranking tasks, features, or initiatives based on their importance, impact, and effort.Open glossary term→.

Key information was either missing, hard to find, or introduced too late. Users were forced to searchglossary×SearchSearch is the functionality that allows users to find content or information by entering queries. It relies on indexing, metadata, and relevance algorithms to return useful results.Open glossary term→, compare and validate details themselves, often leaving the site to do so.

Pricing was a major issue. Costs increased later in the journeyglossary×Pain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term→, creating uncertainty and breaking trustglossary×TrustUser confidence that a product, service, or organisation will do what it promises.Open glossary term→.

Navigationglossary×NavigationHow users move around a website or product.Open glossary term→ added frictionglossary×FrictionFriction refers to anything that slows users down or makes it harder for them to complete a task. It can be caused by poor design, unnecessary steps, unclear messaging, or technical issues.Open glossary term→. Important details like baggage, flight carriers and flexibility options weren’t clear when users needed them.

Visually, pages were dense and cluttered. Important actions were easy to miss, and users hesitated rather than progressing.

The result was predictable. Users dropped off, not because they didn’t want to book, but because they didn’t feel confident enough to do so.

The focus was on building a clear, evidence-based understanding of where and why users were struggling.

I conducted a multi-layered researchservice×User ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service→ programme combining usability testingguide×Usability TestingObserving users complete tasks to identify usability issues, friction, and barriers to success.Open guide→, eye tracking, heuristicglossary×HeuristicA heuristic is a general rule or principle used to guide decision making.Open glossary term→ analysis, competitor benchmarking and data analysis.

Testing was carried out in a controlled environmentglossary×EnvironmentA specific setup where software runs, such as development, staging, or production.Open glossary term→ designed to replicate real-world behaviourglossary×BehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term→, with a mix of new and returning users across different travel needs.

User interviewsguide×User InterviewsDirect conversations with users to understand behaviours, needs and motivations.Open guide→ explored expectations, decision-makingglossary×PrioritisationPrioritisation is the process of ranking tasks, features, or initiatives based on their importance, impact, and effort.Open glossary term→ and trustglossary×TrustUser confidence that a product, service, or organisation will do what it promises.Open glossary term→ factors. Eye tracking showed where attention was focused and, more importantly, where it wasn’t.

Heuristicglossary×HeuristicA heuristic is a general rule or principle used to guide decision making.Open glossary term→ analysis and competitor reviews provided contextglossary×ContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term→, highlighting where Holiday Gems fell short and where others were setting better expectations.

This combination made it possible to move beyond surface issues and identify the root causesglossary×Root CauseThe underlying reason a problem exists.Open glossary term→ of poor conversionglossary×ConversionA conversion is any action a user takes that aligns with a defined goal, such as making a purchase, signing up, or completing a task.Open glossary term→.

The booking journeyglossary×Pain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term→ was restructured to support how users actually make decisions.

Key information such as flight details, baggage and pricing was surfaced earlier, reducing uncertainty and the need for users to searchglossary×SearchSearch is the functionality that allows users to find content or information by entering queries. It relies on indexing, metadata, and relevance algorithms to return useful results.Open glossary term→ elsewhere.

Pricing was made more transparent, with clearer breakdowns introduced earlier in the journeyglossary×Pain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term→ to rebuild trustglossary×TrustUser confidence that a product, service, or organisation will do what it promises.Open glossary term→ and reduce drop-offglossary×Drop-offDrop-off refers to users leaving a journey before completing a desired action or reaching the next step.Open glossary term→.

Information hierarchyglossary×Content HierarchyContent hierarchy is the prioritisation and ordering of information to guide users through content in a clear and meaningful way. It determines what users see first, what stands out, and how information is consumed.Open glossary term→ was improved to prioritise what mattered most, making pages easier to scan and reducing visual clutter.

Accessibilityservice×AccessibilityFind accessibility issues early, improve usability, and build products that are more inclusive, usable, and compliant.Open service→ improvements ensured content was easier to read and navigate, supporting a wider range of users.

The result was an experience that answered questions before users had to ask them.

Conversion ratesglossary×Conversion RateConversion rate is the percentage of users who complete a desired action compared to the total number of users.Open glossary term→ improved as users were able to complete bookings with more confidenceglossary×ConfidenceConfidence is the level of certainty in a decision or outcome based on available evidence.Open glossary term→.

Accessibilityservice×AccessibilityFind accessibility issues early, improve usability, and build products that are more inclusive, usable, and compliant.Open service→ improvements made the site more usable for a wider audience, supporting both compliance and performanceglossary×PerformancePerformance refers to how quickly and efficiently a system responds to user actions and processes tasks.Open glossary term→.

Customer support enquiries reduced, as users no longer needed to leave the journeyglossary×Pain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term→ to find answers.

The business gained a clearer understanding of how it compared to competitors, and where to focus future optimisationglossary×OptimisationOptimisation is the process of improving a product or journey to increase performance, usability, or conversion.Open glossary term→ efforts.

Most importantly, the experience moved from one that created doubt to one that supported decision-makingglossary×PrioritisationPrioritisation is the process of ranking tasks, features, or initiatives based on their importance, impact, and effort.Open glossary term→.

This project reinforced that conversionglossary×ConversionA conversion is any action a user takes that aligns with a defined goal, such as making a purchase, signing up, or completing a task.Open glossary term→ problems are rarely about trafficglossary×TrafficTraffic refers to the number of users visiting a website, app, or digital product over a given period.Open glossary term→.

They’re about clarityglossary×ClarityClarity is how easily users can understand what is happening and what they need to do.Open glossary term→, trustglossary×TrustUser confidence that a product, service, or organisation will do what it promises.Open glossary term→ and effort.

If users have to searchglossary×SearchSearch is the functionality that allows users to find content or information by entering queries. It relies on indexing, metadata, and relevance algorithms to return useful results.Open glossary term→ for information, question pricing, or second-guess their decisions, they hesitate. And hesitation leadsglossary×LeadA lead is a potential customer who has shown interest in a product or service, typically by providing contact information or engaging with content.Open glossary term→ to drop-offglossary×Drop-offDrop-off refers to users leaving a journey before completing a desired action or reaching the next step.Open glossary term→.

The role of UX in these situations is simple. Remove doubt. Reduce effort. Make the next step obvious.

Get that right, and conversionglossary×ConversionA conversion is any action a user takes that aligns with a defined goal, such as making a purchase, signing up, or completing a task.Open glossary term→ follows.