Travel is a booming online business that continues to grow year after year. In Southeast Asia, it's become the second biggest e-commerce category. When you look at all the powerful online tools and resources available to help people make travel planning easier for them, it's no surprise.
Consumers can now shop and compare competitive prices on their own terms. There’re no more middlemen meddling the process with their own sales agenda. In the end, customers are concerned with getting a good deal. Whether it’s a weekend getaway, dream vacation or business trip, travelers look for the lowest price possible. Ask a seasoned traveler and they’ll tell you it’s a big part of the thrill of travel planning.
Price isn't Everything
Although a driving incentive, price alone won’t guarantee the sale. After getting excited about a great deal, many prospective customers bail out of a purchase transaction at the last minute. They get second thoughts and hesitate before committing. Why should I trust this travel business? Is the payment process really secure? Could my credit card details be stolen?
Data shows that security is a key factor in a customer's decision. No matter how great a deal is, any doubts about the payment process will sabotage the sale. Customers want peace of mind when they are shopping online. A travel business needs to build trust with prospective buyers and make sure they feel confident about the purchase.
“I like the idea of being able to book my trips online. It would be much more convenient. But I'm not sure about how secure it is to be sharing my credit cards details on my laptop or mobile phone. My greatest fear is being billed for transactions I didn't make because someone stole my personal data.” – Mariel Lim, Malaysian, 24
Security is Key
Even though the factors driving a purchase decision can vary from country to country, price and security remain at the top. Across the region, a great deal supported by a secure payment process makes for a strong value proposition.
Built-in Trust
Winning a customer's trust is never easy. Usually it needs to be earned by building a relationship over time. How can a small business with no track record gain the confidence of a prospective customer?
Partnering with a recognized brand that already carries a seal-of-trust can be an effective way of bringing credibility to a business. When a customer reaches checkout, a proven payment option will give them peace of mind that their data is secure and protected. By leveraging a partner’s brand equity, trust becomes a built-in element of the business. You in effect become trustworthy by association.
Securing Success
A recognised, proven payment option is not just a sales tool to seal the deal with a prospective customer. It's also an effective way to secure customer relationships and ensure the health of a business. It might also give you some peace of mind. On the one hand, it makes sure that your customer's data is secure and on the other hand it protects you as a merchant from fraudulent transactions.
Any problems and you lose the customer forever and risk not only your reputation, but the business as whole. A successful transaction adds trust to a business' brand equity and turns prospects into loyal customers ready to come back for another sale. A proven payment option might be the best ally to grow your business into a big success.
A Security Perception Checklist
Here are some key points to bear in mind when building or updating your travel e-commerce site for maximum trustworthiness.
Have a recognized online payment partner
As mentioned, this is a powerful way to give your site a measure of instant credibility. Be sure to display the logo or seal of the partner prominently.
Make sure your site is well designed and works flawlessly
Nothing sets off alarm bells in the mind of a consumer more than a site that looks like it was designed by an amateur. Ensure your site looks up to date, that the pages look good in all major browsers and that there are no broken links.
Feature prominent offline contact information as well as some information about your company
Prospective customers want to know that there are real people, with a real office, behind the site. Make sure they can find out about who and where you are and how they can contact you for support, complaints or queries.
Make sure your site has privacy, legal & cancellation policy information
Many consumers look for this information before they make a booking. Ensure you have links to this information in the footer of your site and ensure you keep it up to date.
Link to a page on a social media channel such as Facebook
There’s no better way to set peoples’ minds at rest than to show them evidence of satisfied customers. If you maintain a page for your company on a social network such as Facebook, you can feature reviews from past customers as well as give a human face to the company.