A Revamped Mobile Application Broadens User Reach and Elevates User Experience

CapTech’s client, a Fortune 500 global hotel chain, engaged our firm to refine, develop, and launch an Android version of its customer-facing app in an effort to attract new audiences and increase customer loyalty. Expanding the project relationship, the client asked the Customer Experience (CX) team to step into a larger role in defining the product features and enhancements to create a highly engaging travel app. Our ongoing partnership with this client focuses on creating, refining, and designing product features and enhancements across all mobile platforms that positively impact strategy, vision, and performance.

The global hotel chain wanted to expand its user base and engage both new and existing users with a clear vision of being the ultimate travel companion.

The client knew that to stand out in the competitive travel app market, it needed to bring its app to the next level. Customers nowadays seek more than just a place to stay. They want an app that not only finds them suitable accommodations for their journeys but also sparks travel inspiration, encouraging them to explore new destinations. The key focus was on providing customers with an easy booking experience while also offering a comprehensive app with detailed information.

Another critical issue was the lack of personalization options within the app. Many of the app's features were limited in either customization or unclear design, leading to user feedback indicating reduced customer satisfaction. Consequently, there was a potential risk of damaging customer loyalty.

Our initial approach was focused on rebuilding the Android version of the mobile application. In doing this, our team implemented native best practices while also solving for pain points such as ADA guidance and existing features that were confusing and under-utilized. We worked closely with the client’s product and development teams to understand the product release schedule and business requirements to design features that we could test and validate with users.

In our extended relationship with this client, our primary focus is on continuously refining the app, introducing next-level features, and enhancing design experiences for customers.

Our iterative approach begins with a thorough analysis of customer feedback and market trends, allowing us to establish clear and shared product goals.

This valuable insight serves as the foundation for our comprehensive concept creation, where we design wireframes and prioritize content. To ensure the best possible outcome, we conduct testing during this process, seeking to understand user sentiment. Simultaneously, we collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure that business objectives and technical requirements are effectively addressed.

Once we have validated and fine-tuned the concepts, we work closely with the development and product teams to implement an iterative release strategy. This approach ensures that we continuously introduce new features that enhance user engagement and satisfaction.

The overall app enhancements and design updates have yielded impressive results, leading to increased user engagement and a boost in conversion rates.

• Design enhancements to the app's booking flows and features saw a 53% increase in rooms booked via the app, surpassing both desktop and mobile web for digital room nights booked.
• In alignment with ADA guidance, significant improvements have been made to enhance the accessibility of the user experience on both iOS and Android platforms, ensuring a more inclusive and user-friendly interaction for all.
• Completely reconstructed from scratch, the new Android app successfully captivated a diverse global user base, boasting a consistent and expanding adoption rate exceeding 74% of active users, coupled with a notable 45% surge in new member enrollments.