Successful eCommerce case: the story of Airbnb (2)
Miguel Nicolás
26/03/2018
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Discover all you can learn about Airbnb and how to apply it on your eCommerce. Get inspired by the best ones!
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Recently, we dedicated an extensive post to the way Airbnb applied growth hacking on its eCommerce strategy from the beginning. The subject is so exciting and it has interested you that we believe we should go further and analyze the lessons that can be taken from Airbnb, one of the brands that make better things in online marketing.
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What else can I learn from Airbnb?
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First, I am going to ask you to have a look at the platform, but as it was not just a travel portal. In fact, being analytical, it is not rather than a marketplace where third sell their products (in this case services). It has its product cards, shopping cart and checkout.This nuance is important because sometimes we forget about it, it seems that the nature of the product defines the business so much that makes us forget the basics.
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The product
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Since I am insisting on it so much, I think it would be better to start talking about what Airbnb sells and how it does so on its website.Airbnb does not sell short-term stays in apartments, if you think that it is the case you are wrong fully. What you can buy when booking is something much deeper: behind the apartments lie experiences and a completely different space that allows you to live like a local in any place of the world.This was true from the beginning but they have been turning more and more their business towards the experiential model including what they have called experiences. These are events organized by residents in a given country that can be contracted no matter if we are be hosted on Airbnb. They promise to make us experience their culture more closely.
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INSIGHT: you have to find what defines you and become it your competitive differential advantage. Airbnb has been able to draw two lines of business of the same concept, closely related, but independent.
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Categories
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In this regard, it is very clear that they do their own thing. What matters are the search engine and filters (in fact, the search box is the most outstanding feature of the Airbnb´s home). As they have a large range of accommodation and an audience with very specific needs in terms of dates and geographical frameworks, they trust almost everything to the search... but with a certain degree.
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When you are looking for accommodation you can filter by:
- Dates (obviously)
- Number of guests.
- Type of accommodation: apartment or whole apartment, room in a shared house or dormitory room.
- Price.
- Instant booking: some guests can book directly and others require express approval.
- Type of trip: it is interesting to see how they segment between family and work trips. In the first, they give preference to features such as television or kitchen included, while the latter include spaces to work and good connection to the Internet.
- Other filters: almost anything you imagine, from services like air conditioned to accommodations for smokers or in a particular neighbourhood... There are many of them.
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INSIGHT: Never undervalue the importance of internal search engine since it has too much weight in the way users interact with your business. The same applies to filters, it is worth studying how they work and enhance those more attractive, in the same way that Airbnb has removed the option of family and work from the "other filters" giving them the entity of submenu item.
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Product descriptions
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Although they sell three different products based on the original holiday rentals, the structure of the description is very similar both in the accommodation itself, restaurants and experiences.
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The predominance of visual is always well marked. The images are large occupying almost 80% of the space on the scroll line. Over the photo there are two important buttons:
- Share: we do not usually travel alone and also, at the time of the hiperconexion, everyone likes “posing" so it is great to be able to share our next destination on social networks.
- Keep: this is much user-oriented and his way of using the platform. We tend not neither choose the first apartment nor make a single experience. So, it is clear that the platform will allow you to create your lists (in fact, they can be multiple)
Under the title and the picture of the host (that is very important to provide credibility), we find several icons (number of guests, number of beds and bathrooms, dormitory) at a glance. All clear at a glance.To the right we see the exchange rate box with price, date selector, stars and number of reviews, number of guests to stay, a huge button to check availability and, on many occasions, a small call to action with copies like "there are many people interested in this accommodation".This box is really well designed: it has all necessary, the typography is clear,the button is readable, it contrasts in size and color...and also the scroll follows you (this is important because the description is extensive) -
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The descriptions are very detailed, focusing on the characteristics of the accommodation and the district or the description of the experience. They are always generated by the user but the truth is that when you create the ad you are guided very much asking for a minimal extension and highlighting what must add.
After some elements (they do not skimp on icons) such as services, the distribution of beds for accommodation, the house rules defined by the owner, or the cancellation policy, here comes one of the strongest points: rates.Rating and reviews are basic for the way Airbnb works. If we need the information provided by other visitors to a hotel, we have more doubts when we traveled to a private home. Airbnb request properties to be valued based on 6 criteria:- Veracity of advertisement: is true what is offered?
- Communication: does the host answer questions quickly?
- Cleaning: was all right or should be improved in any way?
- Location: is it in the best place? do you have good access tothe interesting tourist destinations?
- Arrival: has it been easy to get to the apartment? was the host available? has he made us wait?
- Quality: is it worth staying here in general terms?
The the experiences´s card are somewhat different in terms of layout and design but also maintain a certain consistency and uniformity with the rest of the site. -
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INSIGHT: analysis and scores of users are more and more important. Airbnb knows this and they do not leave it 100% to customers´discretion since they are given some parameters that are key to the community and respond to the fears and doubts of the own customers.In addition, Airbnb uses an intelligent way to encourage analysis publication and is that when you evaluate a guest or host sends you an email notifying you about it. However, you are not allowed to see the contents of the review until you publish or after a certain period of time. Who can resist to know what people are saying about oneself?
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As you can see, there is much to learn from Airbnb, a lot of things can be deduced and applied to any eCommerce. Which do you choose?
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Read the complete serie here:I
mages | Airbnb, Unsplash.