Too short a run
One week does not cover a booking rhythm. Two full weeks are the minimum, often four are needed.
Travel and bookingIndustry
A/B testing for
travel and booking.
Weekdays, holidays and prices swing. A good test setup still measures the change.
- Main goal: Booking completed
- Segments by source checked
New product page
RunningAll goalsThe main goal decides
VariationVisitorsBooking completedRevenue per visitorMain goalBooking flow startedRate
AOriginal4,800Baseline1.4%Baseline7.5%
BNew page4,800+14.3%1.6%+12.0%8.4%
Segments by sourceMain goal, change
Organic search+11.8%
Paid search+13.1%
Email+12.4%
The gain comes from more than one source, not from a single campaign.
The pattern
What skews tests
on booking sites.
Campaigns in the middle of the test
A discount period changes the visitor mix, visible in the segments by source.
Only the booking measured
Many visitors compare first and book later. Entering the booking flow is the more honest primary goal.
Concretely
Tests to start with
Simplify the search
Fewer fields, dates pre-filled. Goal: search started.
Price with the total
Total instead of per-night price. Goal: booking started, guardrail: checkout abandonment.
Show availability
X left, honestly and verifiably. Goal: booking.
Move cancellation terms up
Flexibility as a selling point. Goal: booking.
Measuring
The right goal
The main goal is starting the booking, or the booking with revenue. At the end, check the sources: if the gain comes from one campaign only, it is not a gain.
Matching platforms
Other industries