Transitioning to Digital Car Booking: New Opportunities for the Industry
The technological advancements associated with the twenty-first century, in particular the widespread adoption of commercial Internet usage, have revolutionized the way in which consumers seek and buy products and services. This revolution has resulted in the obsolescence of certain industries and jobs while simultaneously providing new opportunities and new jobs over the course of its disruptive nature.
One industry that faces unprecedented opportunities now is the travel industry, along with all industries directly or peripherally related to travel, including hotel, aviation, and car rental industries. The car rental industry is one that has been especially susceptible to industry disruption, and it now has several different opportunities available to it. From working alongside Lyft to provide rental cars to Lyft drivers to providing increasing numbers of online options to consumers, car rental agencies have an excellent opportunity for action now. One of the most salient actions to take would include competitively designed car rental website development.
Structure & Functionality
The most important consideration to take into account when first designing a car rental website would be its structure, namely its functionality for end-users. No matter how visually appealing a website maybe, if it lacks functionality, too many other functional websites will attract potential customers elsewhere. The most effective websites will be those that are simple to use, and they will also be highly accessible so that anyone who has any exceptional difficulty with sight or hearing will still be able to book cars with relative efficiency and ease.
Furthermore, the website should also not require excessive steps taken by the consumer. If the consumer has to click too many times, they will likely elect to take their business to a website that is less time-consuming. Since the overarching goal of a car rental website would be to convert potential interest into a profitable rental, ensuring a fast, easy checkout process will be necessary to increase the likelihood of a conversion. Depending on the available funding, including an effective, empathetic chatbot may also help address common consumer questions while providing instantaneous customer service.
Design & Aesthetics
Once the engineering underlying the structure and functionality of a car rental website reaches fruition, attention can then be turned to the overall design and aesthetics of the website. Well-designed websites also imply significant effort and strong attention to detail, traits that appeal to consumers when determining which company to frequent for their business.
For instance, it would be helpful to look into the psychology of various color schemes to ingratiate the website more deeply with the customers’ interests, and very clear photographs and related visuals of all the possible cars should be available for customers’ perusal. In addition, the website should be laid out cleanly, with an option to always return to the homepage, which can be embedded within the company logo. It is always helpful to test one’s self with a given website as well, namely having a few different people give their honest opinion of the design, as truly constructive feedback will be vital for the successful design and implementation of your website’s aesthetics.
Final Considerations
When developing an effective car rental website, it is critical to take into account not only the content and the functioning of the site but also its feasibility on different platforms. Specifically, the website should be formatted in at least two different ways: a desktop version and a mobile version. An absence of a mobile version may result in the absence of business, particularly given the growing transition from desktop to mobile, from the enterprise level down to the individual consumer level.
Ideally, an effective mobile app will accompany both versions of the car rental website, which could provide even greater insight into the data analytics of customers. However, this app would need to ensure high levels of security against potential breaches from enterprising, self-styled entrepreneurs in cyberspace.
