Comments on: What would you do with Hotwire.com? http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/ UIE\'s latest insights on the world of design Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:08:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Melissa http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/comment-page-1/#comment-81353 Melissa Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:47:47 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/#comment-81353 Hi there - I manage the User Experience team here at Hotwire and first off I wanted to say that I'm enjoying this conversation. It's always good to hear other people in the field talking about your site. Multi-city and one-way flights are features that users often look for, however, our current business model does not support these features. So rather than completely have them missing from the site (potentially causing user frustration and abandonment) our approach is to call out the features in the place that the user would expect to see them and provide a means for users to access them through Expedia (our parent company). We do message that the user will be leaving the site once they click. Keep the feedback coming... thanks. Hi there – I manage the User Experience team here at Hotwire and first off I wanted to say that I’m enjoying this conversation. It’s always good to hear other people in the field talking about your site.

Multi-city and one-way flights are features that users often look for, however, our current business model does not support these features. So rather than completely have them missing from the site (potentially causing user frustration and abandonment) our approach is to call out the features in the place that the user would expect to see them and provide a means for users to access them through Expedia (our parent company). We do message that the user will be leaving the site once they click.

Keep the feedback coming… thanks.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/comment-page-1/#comment-81244 Jonathan Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:03:41 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/#comment-81244 I'm assuming there's a business agreement to forward people to Expedia for multi-destination/multi-flight. I might also presume that Hotwire is one of Expedia's subsidiaries, but that's largely irrelevant. What I'd say is that if they want to make the handoff more transparent to the user, I'd get ahold of an API for Expedia, and parse the information directly to Expedia. If Expedia was willing, I'd try and get Expedia to provide me with the same service they do now, but utilize our branding. That would make life a little easier for everyone. I’m assuming there’s a business agreement to forward people to Expedia for multi-destination/multi-flight. I might also presume that Hotwire is one of Expedia’s subsidiaries, but that’s largely irrelevant. What I’d say is that if they want to make the handoff more transparent to the user, I’d get ahold of an API for Expedia, and parse the information directly to Expedia. If Expedia was willing, I’d try and get Expedia to provide me with the same service they do now, but utilize our branding. That would make life a little easier for everyone.

]]> By: Lucy http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/comment-page-1/#comment-81226 Lucy Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:50:54 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/#comment-81226 I think my gut instictinct would be to be hesitant about advertising the service without the functionality, but if the business wants it sometimes it's hard to say no. If it were me doing it and the business really wanted something before we had the functionality then I thiink I'd push for a spot of A/B testing. Admittedly not easy across domains, but it's one of those things that there's not much precedence for and you've got an almost unlimited ability to alienate users. If it were possible with expedia and you had the capability to get accurate figures on conversion, I'd want to trial it that way and keep a close eye on how different implementations where going, and if there was any benefit in advertising the option at all. May let it run for a day, then review and repeat until comfortable with the solution. I think my gut instictinct would be to be hesitant about advertising the service without the functionality, but if the business wants it sometimes it’s hard to say no.

If it were me doing it and the business really wanted something before we had the functionality then I thiink I’d push for a spot of A/B testing. Admittedly not easy across domains, but it’s one of those things that there’s not much precedence for and you’ve got an almost unlimited ability to alienate users.

If it were possible with expedia and you had the capability to get accurate figures on conversion, I’d want to trial it that way and keep a close eye on how different implementations where going, and if there was any benefit in advertising the option at all. May let it run for a day, then review and repeat until comfortable with the solution.

]]> By: P.Arora http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/comment-page-1/#comment-81061 P.Arora Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:43:52 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/#comment-81061 Let me begin by saying that I'm a designer too and would definitely care about the user experience and either not advertise the service on the site or integrate it well with expedia, but we need to keep in mind that for business folks there is much more than design, if you think from a Product Marketing perspective the first thing is more users (eyeballs), revenue and things of that nature. The second problem is that sometimes it is not that easy to integrate services from two different companies into one, the backends can be different, etc. End of the day the business people will measure this OK user experience of sending user to a different site by number of reservations...they may say it was great we got X number of reservations from Hotwire, let's advertise more expedia services on Hotwire. To make the story short...in the business world there is much more than design and we designer need to show the business world the ROI of any design recommendations, only then things will change or every business school should have a required course on Usability or User Experience. Let me begin by saying that I’m a designer too and would definitely care about the user experience and either not advertise the service on the site or integrate it well with expedia, but we need to keep in mind that for business folks there is much more than design, if you think from a Product Marketing perspective the first thing is more users (eyeballs), revenue and things of that nature. The second problem is that sometimes it is not that easy to integrate services from two different companies into one, the backends can be different, etc. End of the day the business people will measure this OK user experience of sending user to a different site by number of reservations…they may say it was great we got X number of reservations from Hotwire, let’s advertise more expedia services on Hotwire.

To make the story short…in the business world there is much more than design and we designer need to show the business world the ROI of any design recommendations, only then things will change or every business school should have a required course on Usability or User Experience.

]]> By: Ashley McKee http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/comment-page-1/#comment-80920 Ashley McKee Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:08:39 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/#comment-80920 And I thought Hotwire was bad. Thanks for pointing out those sites. I did a search for a flight from Hamilton to Chicago through House of Travel and Hamilton never appeared in the results...it automatically searched from Auckland to Chicago. I <b>know</b> you can fly from Hamilton to Auckland. I wonder if smaller countries are resisting the move to book travel online rather than book with an agent to prevent job loss. House of Travel also has an interesting slogan: "How Kiwis see the World." Hmm... And I thought Hotwire was bad. Thanks for pointing out those sites.

I did a search for a flight from Hamilton to Chicago through House of Travel and Hamilton never appeared in the results…it automatically searched from Auckland to Chicago. I know you can fly from Hamilton to Auckland. I wonder if smaller countries are resisting the move to book travel online rather than book with an agent to prevent job loss.

House of Travel also has an interesting slogan: “How Kiwis see the World.” Hmm…

]]> By: Kai http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/comment-page-1/#comment-80874 Kai Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:15:47 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/#comment-80874 Classic post. I couldn't help myself but to have a look at flight booking engines in New Zealand... aahrgs, it's so shocking: http://www.bloginblack.de/archives/000870.cfm Classic post. I couldn’t help myself but to have a look at flight booking engines in New Zealand… aahrgs, it’s so shocking: http://www.bloginblack.de/archives/000870.cfm

]]> By: blog.dsetia.com» Blog Archive » What would you do with Hotwire.com? http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/comment-page-1/#comment-80351 blog.dsetia.com» Blog Archive » What would you do with Hotwire.com? Fri, 22 Jun 2007 22:55:24 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/#comment-80351 [...] Ashley McKee points out how Hotwire.com advertises a “multi-city” search functionality that it actually doesn’t have, and asks what you recommend Hotwire do to fix it. Source: [Link] [...] [...] Ashley McKee points out how Hotwire.com advertises a “multi-city” search functionality that it actually doesn’t have, and asks what you recommend Hotwire do to fix it. Source: [Link] [...]

]]> By: Zephyr http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/comment-page-1/#comment-80332 Zephyr Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:52:51 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/06/22/what-would-you-do-with-hotwirecom/#comment-80332 What would I recommend? Hire a good interaction designer and listen to him/her. ;-) What would I recommend? Hire a good interaction designer and listen to him/her. ;-)

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