Hotels.com, a prominent online travel agency, plays a crucial role in helping users plan and book accommodations for their travel needs. Recognizing the significance of providing an exceptional user experience, we conducted usability testing for Hotels.com to gain valuable insights into the platform's functionality, user interface, and overall usability.

Purpose and Objectives:

The primary objective of this usability testing initiative was to better understand the user experience on Hotels.com and identify areas for improvement. We sought to answer specific questions related to user interactions with key features, including the ability to book multiple rooms, search for accommodations in specific neighborhoods, find specialty amenities, create an account, explore alternate services like car rentals, and contact customer support.

Through this usability testing, we aimed to achieve the following goals:

1. Task Completion Rate: Measure the success rate of users in completing essential tasks on the platform.

2. Time on Task: Evaluate the efficiency and ease with which users navigate through different features.

3. Error Identification: Identify any points of friction or errors encountered by users during their interaction with the website.

4. User Satisfaction: Gauge overall user satisfaction with the booking process and user interface.

5. Navigation and Information Architecture: Assess the effectiveness of the website's navigation and information architecture in guiding users through the various stages of booking.

Study Methodology:

To gather these insights, we employed the UserZoom Go platform, facilitating remote unmoderated usability tests. This platform recorded both screen interactions and audio feedback from participants. Five users participated in the study, with one using a tablet and the remaining four using their smartphones. Participants were asked eight pre-study questions, completed six tasks, and responded to four post-survey questions, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of their experiences.

Pre-Study Questions:

1. Informed Consent and Acknowledgment of Recording.

2. Confirmation of a quiet environment for clear audio.

3. Assurance that no personal information is required for task completion.

4. Gathering demographic data: age, occupation, gender, travel frequency, and past experience with online travel agencies.

Task Scenarios:

1. Booking multiple rooms for a group trip to New Orleans.

2. Searching for an apartment near the French Quarter with at least 3 bedrooms.

3. Finding pet-friendly hotels for a trip to New Orleans.

4. Creating a Hotels.com account.

5. Searching for rental car services for the trip.

6. Resolving an issue when unable to cancel a trip due to a third-party reservation.

Post-Survey Questions:

1. Reflection on the overall experience, likes, and dislikes.

2. Future intent to use Hotels.com for travel plans.

3. Suggestions for improvements or changes to enhance user experience.

Expected Outcomes:

The usability testing aimed to provide concrete and actionable insights to guide improvements in search functionality, mobile optimization, accessibility, and user assistance and support. By understanding user pain points, preferences, and satisfaction levels, we intend to contribute valuable recommendations for optimizing the user experience on Hotels.com.

Problems Identified:

1. Map Viewing Absence: Users expressed a desire for a map view to locate accommodations, suggesting a lack of spatial awareness in the booking process.

2. Pop-Up Dislikes: Negative feedback was received regarding pop-ups at the beginning of tasks, indicating potential user frustration and interference.

3. Sort & Filter Struggles: Users encountered difficulties using the Sort & Filter option, implying challenges in navigating the platform for specific amenities.

4. Mixed Satisfaction with Prices: While some users liked how prices were displayed, indicating a positive aspect, the mixed responses suggest a need for further investigation.

5. Usability Concerns for Car Rentals: Users struggled to find specialty features when searching for car rentals, indicating potential usability issues in a specific domain.

6. Future Usage Concerns: A significant portion of users expressed hesitations in using Hotels.com in the future, revealing potential concerns about the platform's overall usability and satisfaction.

Approaches:

1. UserZoom Go Platform: Leveraging the qualitative UX research platform, UserZoom Go, enabled remote recorded unmoderated usability tests, capturing both screen and audio data for in-depth analysis.

2. Task-Oriented Goals: The study focused on collecting data related to task completion rates, time on task, error identification, user satisfaction, and navigation and information architecture, aligning with the study's goals.

3. Comprehensive Pre-Survey Questions: Pre-survey questions gathered information about participant demographics, travel habits, and opinions on the reliability of online travel agencies, providing context for user behavior.

4. Realistic Scenario-Based Tasks: Task scenarios were designed to mimic real-world travel planning situations, ensuring that users engaged with the platform as they would in practical scenarios.

Results:

1. Task Completion Rates: Most participants successfully completed the tasks, but two individuals faced challenges, emphasizing potential usability issues.

2. Usability Issues: Identified issues included the absence of map viewing, pop-up dislikes, struggles with sorting and filtering, and challenges with specialty features like car rentals.

3. Mixed Satisfaction Levels: While users appreciated the display of prices, the overall mixed satisfaction levels, including future usage concerns, indicated areas for improvement.

Lessons Learned:

1. Importance of Realism in Tasks: Designing realistic and scenario-based tasks provided valuable insights into how users interacted with the platform in practical situations.

2. UserZoom Go for Remote Testing: The use of the UserZoom Go platform facilitated remote testing, capturing diverse user experiences on various devices.

3. Diversity in Devices: Recognizing the diversity of user devices (tablet and smartphones) highlighted the importance of optimizing the platform for different screen sizes and interfaces.

4. User-Centric Recommendations: Recommendations were framed to address user needs and concerns, emphasizing the importance of user-centric design improvements.

5. Continuous Iteration: Usability testing is an iterative process. The identified issues and recommendations should guide ongoing improvements to enhance the overall user experience on Hotels.com.

Recommendations:

1. Improve Search Functionality: Enhance the search feature for more intuitive and accurate results.

2. Mobile Optimization: Optimize the website layout, fonts, and interactions for seamless mobile experiences.

3. Accessibility Improvements: Conduct a thorough accessibility audit and ensure compliance with standards (e.g., WCAG).

4. User Assistance and Support: Provide easily accessible help resources to assist users during the booking process.

In summary, the usability test for Hotels.com revealed a mix of positive and negative user experiences. The study provided actionable recommendations, emphasizing the importance of addressing specific pain points, optimizing for mobile use, ensuring accessibility, and continuously iterating based on user feedback.