As mobile technology continues to develop, so do the potential uses for it, with more and more mobile apps being created to fulfil various needs. Such accessible technology is increasingly fitting in to our day to day lives, particularly with travel apps, in a way that say books, or a desktop set up, is lagging in.
A desirable source
Whether booking a flight, mapping a route, or discovering the most jaw-dropping angle from which to admire the Eiffel Tower, mobile technology is gradually growing to become the most desirable source. Even travel agents are struggling to keep up. This said, research shows that trusted sources such as family and friends are currently used equally to mobile technology by travellers for information ahead of their trip.
It is to this effect that, mobiles seem to be mostly used for planning and scheduling. With popular travel apps such as FlightTrack and Packing Pro still very new, it’s exciting to know that there is still so much room for growth.
Another benefit of using a mobile is its time-effectiveness. Information can be acquired instantly, proving it to be very popular with last minute travellers, with mobile web traffic to travel sites increasing by 72% in the last six months, and accounting for 17.4% of all travel sites’ traffic.
The four phases
There are four phases in using technology for travel: inspiration, shopping, booking, and sharing. Research shows that desktops, tablets, and mobiles are all used in each phase. Desktops are used highly in the inspiration, shopping, and booking phases. The ability to combine the use of both mobiles and tablets however, give them more scope for possibility, and mobiles show a particular use for sharing information.
As it has been found that apps aren’t often used for the shopping phase, owing a lot to the small screen, mobiles overall are more prominent in searches, with an average of thirty one minutes spent on travel research, and then with 59% of users transferring to a desktop or tablet to make the purchase (34% doing the reverse). However, online use of mobiles is set to increase over the next five years, as more people require web access on the move, and more people using mobile devices for convenience.
Functionality will be the game changer
Functionality plays a big part in the growing trend of travel apps. The practicality of being able to have everything you need, like passports, boarding prices, and rental contracts, as well as things like currency converters, weather reports, and maps, on one device is always going to give mobile technology, or more specifically, smartphones, the upper hand in the travel game, particularly when 47% of users expect to use their devices once at their destination. Smartphones have, in that sense, become essential to travelling. The huge benefits of mobile technology for this reason are going to make it harder for other devices and sources to compete.
If you’re looking to make a move in to the travel app market, or would like to know more about how travel apps could increase business for you, why not get in touch, we’re always happy to chat.
Tradebox Media are an award-winning software development agency based in Cardiff, UK.