Dove Nest Booking Site Design
Project Overview
Since short-term rentals profit the most from high quantities of short stays, Dove Nest needed a way for guests to book outside of the crowded Airbnb search list. The key objective was to create a visually engaging website that showcases amenities and a booking process that anyone unfamiliar with technology could use.
Problem
Dove Nest is a newly opened vacation rental property that has increasing competition in a tight-knit small lake-town community. With online bookings being its only revenue stream, it needs a strong online presence to book guests.
Constraints
The project was on a limited budget. This led to compromising on more technical aspects of the site and less customization.
Role
UX + UI Designer
User research, Data Visualization, Creative Ideation, Design strategy, Task flows, Wireframing, Prototyping, Interaction design, Visual/UI Design, Copywriting, Photography
Duration
3 months, Summer 2021
Empathize
The persona, Carol, is an older housewife in the metropolitan area who needs to book a place to stay because she is planning a nearby relaxing vacation for her and her friends. As a stay-at-home mom who cannot travel very far, she wants to book a trip close by for her friends that will create lasting memories.
Research
I conducted a survey with a group of people that fit Dove Nest’s persona demographics. Their answers would give insights into the website’s content hierarchy.
“ I would rather a host leave too much information. ”
The Dove Nest had been recently renovated on a much grander scale than most other rental houses. This appealed unanimously to the participants as all said they look for nicer appliances and furniture in their accommodation. It was also mentioned multiple times how an owner’s communication directly affected their experience. A website and booking process that was user-friendly and clearly showcased Dove Nest’s aesthetic and amenities was key.
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Sticky Note Grouping
With the exploratory research, I conducted a competitor analysis and saw a gap in the lack of guest reviews. From the survey, I knew this was of huge value to people during their decision-making process. The biggest gap that our competitors had that I could take advantage of was their sites’ navigation. Some were overcrowded, overwhelming the user on where to start to complete their task. Some had jargon in their headers that was not intuitive for the majority of users. The Dove Nest had an opportunity to provide simple navigation that would match the need of our older users to effectively book us for their stay.
Goals
- A direct-booking option for guests that facilitates trust.
- Have a user-friendly self-booking process.
- To increase Dove Nest’s booking rate, thus increasing overall profit for the owners.
Ideating
Broadening
I built out the user flow map for someone to book the Dove Nest on the site. I sketched out multiple wireframes on paper, brainstorming multiple ideas for how the site could solidify.
Left Side Home Page Wireframe
Right Side Booking Page Wireframe
Narrowing
By continuing to be user-centric, I narrowed in on the guest’s deeper need of creating meaningful memories with their friends and family. As my own photographer and editor, my shots highlighted a spacious and luxurious home that I knew would appeal to the target audience.
Responsive Design
It was important that the desktop and mobile experience of the site were consistent, which meant focusing on the layout and what content constituted space on the screen.
Navigation Menu
Booking Process
Features
Booking
With booking being the biggest concern for users, I prioritized the booking flow to be as easy as possible. The booking page has five different entry points from the home page, with the booking button being the biggest CTA above the fold of the screen. The form strictly asks for pertinent information in order to avoid confusion.
Simple Navigation
The hamburger navigation menu bar cleans the header for the main task to be executed. The booking button is the prominent action to take and the hamburger menu makes this obvious. It reads vertically in popularity of what is important to users.
Testimonials
The testimonial section rotates through first-hand accounts of guests’ stays at the Dove Nest. This is based on research insights that users trust and rely on testimonials in their buying process.
Gallery
The gallery page creates an immersive experience of a typical stay in the house. There is ample detail of the house through pictures of every room and the luxurious amenities that our target audience seeks.
Local Guide
The local guide section shows how the house is not only a central location for all guests to start, but also provides the user with having all the information they need to plan their vacation in one spot.
“ Every detail was covered with clear instructions and flawless branding of the Dove Nest… Exceptional in every way. ”
Results
On average, the Dove Nest monthly bookings are 24.77% greater than when it was only listed on third-party booking sites. This product will facilitate profits passively for the owners. I will continue to measure results after connecting Google Analytics to the site to measure drop-off rates and conversion rates in the booking process.