INSIGHT
Love at first tap: How to make your corporate travel app irresistible
You want your employees to fall head over heels for your chosen corporate travel app – but what should be love at first sight often feels like a journey from enemies to lovers.
And encouraging employees to embrace new technology requires more than crossing your fingers and sending a simple mass email. It's about sparking genuine engagement, and to achieve that, taking cues from the expert matchmakers: tech marketing teams.
Just as Cupid carefully aims for true love, these teams skillfully guide the adoption of new tech, making the journey from resistance to adoption a bit more like a rom-com than a tragedy – and keeps your travellers safe in the process.
Account for different user types
Let’s start with a simple fact: Tech adoption isn't a one-size-fits-all journey . It's more like navigating the varied dating preferences of each of your travellers. To encourage adoption, it's crucial to speak their 'love language’.
Early Adopters – When it comes to innovative tools, they wear their hearts on their sleeves. Early adopters are self-motivated to try new technologies. They fall fast and hard, so you won't need to do much convincing to get them on board with your mobile app. Lean on these users to spread the love among their colleagues and attest to the app’s capabilities.
Value Seekers – This is typically the largest group you’ll need to woo. Lovebombing won't work here; they need to see the practical value. They’re pragmatic and comfortable with the old way of doing business travel. To win them over, value seekers need to see how your travel app simplifies travel, offers new benefits, and makes their journeys safer and smoother.
The Dawdlers – This group is taking the breakup with the old ways quite hard. They’re reluctant to move on to your travel app till the old methods are inaccessible. Identify these travellers and reach out to them directly, or maybe recruit an early adopter to play the role of a mobile matchmaker.
4 ways to make your travellers love your new mobile app
1. Build your travel app's dating profile
Blind dates are often disappointing. But going in blind to your new travel tech? That’s even worse.
If you want your value seekers to swipe right on your travel app, you have to let them know how it’s a good fit for them. Before launching your app, acknowledge the pain points of your old travel procedures. Then, campaign for it! Highlight how this is an improved solution that will treat its users better.
Not sure what travellers are looking for in a travel app partner? Here’s some features to help get you started:
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Good listener – Everyone travels differently. Some travellers prefer the window to the aisle seat, some really love a particular hotel chain. A mobile travel app can track all of your personal habits, and it’ll help filter your choices for future bookings too.
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Even better communicator – You aren’t left hanging with no one to help you! Your mobile app should easily provide one-touch phone calls to your travel team as well as 24/7 on-demand chat support.
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In it for the long haul – Whether at the airport, on the road, or checking into accommodation, our mobile app lets travellers change course and modify plans from the palm of their hand.
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Open book – No fumbling around in your pockets or suitcase; it’s way easier to have all your travel plans and documents stored digitally in one app,
2. Activate incentives (but skip the flowers)
Roses and chocolate hearts may win over some, but it takes more than that to get your travellers on the side of your travel app. A rewards programme can be a powerful tool to encourage employees to use your mandated travel app. Consider offering rewards to travellers who avidly use your app, leading to travel perks, or even recognition within the organisation.
3. Invest in couple’s therapy
We can’t forget the role emotions play in this process. Change is hard – and the only way to overcome that hurdle is to accept it.
Let employees ‘date’ the app before they commit to it. Provide proof that this app works for them, such as through one of the following strategies:
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Lunch and learns – These are open lunch hours where employees can relax, enjoy their meals, and engage in a short presentation about the change plan. Make it enticing by catering lunch if it's an in-office event or sending e-gift cards for remote sessions.
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Personal-based forums – Tailor meetings to specific departmental or individual traveller preferences to encourage nuanced conversations. The goal here is for attendees to feel heard and understood with their questions, so this would be a great opportunity to reach out to your dawdlers.
4. Hear them out
Healthy communication is key to any relationship, and it's no different here. Create continuous feedback loops to ensure you're in tune with your travellers' needs. It may seem silly that you need a ticketing system for your travel programme, but allowing travellers and employees to submit feedback, bugs, issues, and hopefully even a few compliments in real-time ensures they are being heard and you are never in the dark with where your change plan currently stands.
Let us play Cupid!
With a sprinkle of charm and a dash of cupid's magic, you're on your way to creating a perfect match between your travellers and your mobile app. All it takes is a bit of determination, and perhaps a touch of guidance from corporate travel change experts. Lucky for you, we know just the ones who excel at this.