Travel shoppers react badly to Facebook Like buttons

Asking consumers to 'Like' a page during the search and booking process may not be the best approach, according to a new usability study. Participants strongly disliked the buttons and stated they “really hate the pushy appearance of a company asking for an endorsement.”

Social media can work very well on travel sites, but much depends on the context. For example, Hyatt links to its YouTube channel so users can see videos of hotel rooms and facilities before they book.

The addition of reviews from sites like TripAdvisor can also be incredibly useful for consumers, and makes perfect sense for travel firms, as users are just going to head there anyway.

However, the context is all important, and asking consumers to 'Like' a page during the search and booking process may not be the best approach.

According to the report:

Participants strongly disliked the buttons and stated they “really hate the pushy appearance of a company asking for an endorsement” or “begging” a user to ‘Like’ their company or brand without any benefit to the user.

A better solution would be to include 'like' buttons in follow up emails or surveys. If customers have enjoyed their journey or the hotel, then they will be predisposed to hitting the button.

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