How travel websites earn more leads: what our A/B tests show

Most visitors to a travel website are planning, not buying. A long stay abroad is a big, expensive decision, and few people make it on their first visit. On the travel site we tested, the pages that earned more leads gave those planners a softer first step and the details they wanted before asking for theirs.

Travel visitors are planning, not buying

The site sells extended stays abroad to an older audience. Its goal is a lead: a visitor who asks for more information or joins the mailing list. Many visitors arrive early in planning. They want to see the places, the price and what is included before they talk to anyone.

That shapes every page. A page that asks for a commitment too early loses people who would have been glad to say yes a week later.

A focused landing page beat the homepage by 17.8%

Paid campaign traffic used to land on the homepage, with full navigation and many paths away from the lead form. We tested 2 focused landing pages in its place.

The version built around locations, star ratings and a single button won. Over 24 days, leads rose 17.8%. The version that led with the lead form did not match it. Removing competing calls to action, and holding the form back until visitors chose to act, gave the page 1 clear next step.

Evidence · Homepage · Won

Does a dedicated campaign landing page beat the homepage for leads?

24 days · responsive · We sent campaign traffic to 2 focused landing pages instead of the homepage.

+17.8% conversion

Read the full test →

If you pay for travel traffic, send it to a page built for that visit. For more on landing pages, see How to convert website visitors into customers.

A softer first step lifted leads 14.6%

A landing page for solo travelers linked visitors straight into the booking app. That is a big step for someone still exploring. We updated the copy and pointed the links to location pages instead, where visitors could see what a stay in each place looks like and ask for more details.

Over 62 days, leads rose 14.6%. The variation led from the early weeks. Traffic to this page was low, so we let the test run longer to build confidence.

Evidence · Landing page · Won

Do location page links on a landing page earn more leads?

62 days · responsive · We updated the copy and pointed the page's links to destination pages.

+14.6% conversion

Read the full test →

Putting the form first on location pages did not help

On location pages, the destination details came first and the lead form sat below. We tested swapping them, so visitors ready to act could do it sooner. It started well, then reversed. Leads measured -3.6% over 13 days with no positive trend, so we paused the test.

Evidence · Location page · Not significant

Does moving the lead form up a location page earn more leads?

13 days · responsive · We swapped the lead form and the experience details on location pages.

-3.6% conversion

Read the full test →

Visitors preferred to read about the destination first. Later rounds kept the details first and tested ways to bring readers back to the form once they were ready.

Our usability tests said the same thing

We also ran 3 rounds of usability tests on this site. Testers knew who it was for within seconds, but kept asking what was included, what the fee covered, and what the cancellation and visa rules were. They wanted those answers before giving their details. The A/B tests above show what happens when a page respects that. We cover the full findings in Usability testing a travel website: what testers told us.

Low traffic? Test bigger changes and run longer

Travel sites often have pages with modest traffic. The solo traveler test needed 62 days to reach a confident result, and it paused twice when the testing tool hit its monthly traffic limit. On low-traffic pages, test changes big enough to move the number, like where a link leads, rather than small tweaks to wording or color. And plan for a longer run.

Where to start on a travel website

• Send paid traffic to a focused landing page with 1 next step.
• Give early planners a soft first step, such as a location page or an information request.
• Show the details before the form: places, price and what is included.
• Answer cost, cancellation and visa questions where visitors decide.
• Show reviews from real travelers, and say where they come from.
• On low-traffic pages, test bigger changes and plan for longer runs.

For the basics of testing, see What is CRO in marketing?

Travel visitors are planning, not buying. Give them a next step that fits.