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Successful Searches See a +22% Increase in Conversions

Streamlining how users search for hotels, entertainment, and break types — delivering core capabilities with an NPS of 43.2 and a +22% conversion uplift from successful searches.

Business Transformation  ·  2024

Situation

Warner Hotels aimed to improve the search and discoverability experience as part of a larger website update. The target audience — primarily Gen X, Boomers, and Post-War generations — required an easy-to-use interface that would simplify decision-making. Constraints included a new technology stack limiting real-time data flow, check-in rules restricting availability, and the complexity of cruise-like packages including activities, entertainment, and meals.

Search results
Search when
Search type
Task

Design and implement a search feature that catered to Warner's guests while navigating technical limitations and ensuring future scalability. Core objectives:

  • Allow users to search multiple hotels at once.
  • Enable users to choose dates or duration of stay.
  • Offer flexibility to select number of rooms and guests.
  • Allow searches for entertainment options.
  • Enable filtering by break type.

The solution had to launch as an MVP by Q1 2024, with core features delivered immediately and room for future enhancements based on user feedback.

Actions
01
Wireframes and Feature Mapping

Created full feature wireframes based on the desired roadmap, then scaled back to an MVP focusing on core functionality first — accounting for the limitations of the new technology stack.

02
Simplified Search Design

The search was broken into four sections — Where, When, Who, and Type of Break — each tailored to Warner's diverse audience:

  • Where: Hotels listed by county or region with checkboxes for multiple selections.
  • When: Conversational headings with visual calendars showing available check-in days.
  • Who: Number of rooms and guests per room, with tips for larger groups.
  • Type of Break: Search box to filter by entertainment or break type, with single or multi-select.
03
Full-Screen Search Interface

Designed the search interface to take up the entire screen, presenting information in a focused, distraction-free way to support Warner's older demographic.

04
Prototyping and Testing

Multiple rounds of user testing with prototypes. A pre-launch survey sent to 36,000 guests achieved a 16% response rate, with 72% completing tasks without issues. A second survey to 5,000 users produced an NPS of 43.2 — confirming MVP readiness.

Search iteration
Search iteration addressing user pain points identified post-launch
Result
  • Search Effectiveness: A -26% decrease in search effectiveness due to no-results pages — reworked post-launch to offer clearer guidance on broadening search parameters.
  • Conversion Rates: Successful searches led to a +22% increase in conversions.
  • Overall Site Performance: The site saw an 8.2% increase in overall conversion rate and a significant improvement in revenue per user.

The business is confident in the MVP's impact, with user feedback guiding the next phase focused on improving the When and Type of Break sections.