Many travelers are unaware that online booking sites are more than just platforms for booking vacations. They use sophisticated algorithms and strategies to influence your choices.
We are in a world where every click counts, this applies to both an e-commerce site and reservation sites. The latter, in fact, deploy ingenious tactics to encourage you to travel. International Drivers Association travel expert Julianna Marshall reveals how these strategies can influence your decisions without you even realizing it.
The sites use algorithms that adapt results to your behavior, except that this is not always to your advantage
Sites like Booking, Lastminute, Promovacances, Expedia, Opodo and many others know how to handle what we can call “ artificial emergency “. Here we want to talk about messages like “ Reserved now “, which create this feeling of urgency. Often, it is better to resist temptation and take some time to compare offers.
Obviously, there is the power of algorithms, combined with the inestimable value of flight booking, accommodation or even car rental sites. They now use sophisticated programs (based on predictive analytics and machine learning), which anticipate your preferences and budget.
For this, they use your search history, your device and even browsing time. In the end, you receive recommendations. But they are not always the best. The idea of the sites: to maximize their profits, sometimes adapting search results to your behavior, which can have an influence on your decision.
Between fluctuating prices and countdown type mentions, so many reasons to be wary before booking
The deception of dynamic pricing is unfortunately not a myth either. Prices may fluctuate depending on various factors, such as demand, time of day, geographic location or device used. To avoid pitfalls, compare prices and use different browsers.
Pay attention to customer reviews too. They can be helpful, but don’t rely on them blindly. Some sites will in fact favor offers or advertisements with the highest ratings, just to create an illusion of quality.
A bit on the model of artificial urgency, countdowns, limited-time offers and the famous “ best prices guaranteed » can prompt you to act hastily. But you have to take a step back and compare market offers, which could, without rushing you, reveal better deals. For Juliana Marshall, the good recommendations are to ignore everything that may seem very tempting to you, and thus to compare, to ignore pressure, to read the conditions carefully and to book directly on the official websites of the establishments for example, like those of hotels, which can sometimes offer better prices. “ Knowing is half the battle », concludes the expert.
Source : International Drivers Association
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