How to improve your tourist mobile app ratings and avoid bad reviews

Travelers around the world use Android mobile apps or iOS mobile apps to help them travel better, safer, and cheaper. There are a large number of travel applications, but not all of them can satisfy user expectations. Many applications today are attractively designed but are not functional, and they can be complicated and frustrating for the user.

Good design hinges on function more than appearance. Challenges facing travel applications are clear communication with the user while maintaining a simple, intuitive design that builds customer trust and provides a good user experience.

Such problems require some strategic thinking and proper use of user – data insights. To avoid bad reviews, low ratings, and uninstalls, we have to go through some of the challenges and rules when building the application. Here are a few tips about how can we improve our travel app.

Table of contents

• Use a clean and straightforward design without many buttons
• Check best practices for mobile app search
• Improving filtering options can boost your business
• Use different push notifications
• The importance of online booking systems
• 3 ways to get more reviews in your mobile app
• Get to know your customers and adapt to their needs
• Create app suited for your users and save money on the research
• Have ideas for your tourist app, but don’t know where to start?
• There is no secret formula, you need to develop, listen and improve your app

Use a clean and straightforward design without many buttons

Users want the fast solution, so remember to make a design that makes it easy to find accommodation, book a flight, or make a reservation for a table in a restaurant. Make an app design that features great use of white space, clean typography, and a clear CTA.

There shouldn’t be anything that can draw the user’s attention away from solving their problem. Your travel app should be fast, accessible, simple and effective.

Check best practices for mobile app search

The search feature is one of the fundamental ways users interact with the app. They want to visit new places, read about new cultures and the right app can provide a better experience.

There are several important elements to consider when building a search for a travel app.

The search engine should be fast and precise. It must be able to spot typos, to finish mid-sentence or to offer quality search results.

Personalized search suggestion – if you offer users personalized search suggestions based on actual visit history or location, your app can encourage users to book experience they might have not thought to see out on their own and that is a huge advantage in your app.

Build search results effective in a way our target audience likes and needs the best. Show all the crucial information like images, addresses, reviews, prices, etc.

Support quickly editing – the search bar should stick to the top of the screen, and always be available for editing if users change their mind and want to look for something else.

Photo preview – enable users to look through the pics before reading more information about the product. You are working on better user experience because in that way they don’t have to click on the search results if they don’t like what they’ve seen.

Improving filtering options can boost your business

Too much information often causes problems. One way to help users navigate through many options (locations, content, etc.) is to create a list where the user can narrow down the list and find items that satisfied their criteria.

The filter categories your search provides must cover the most important aspects of whatever user will be filtering, based on relevance to user’s needs. User should be able to predict what filter values they’ll find within each filter category, and understand the differences between any filters.

To achieve the goal of keeping filters predictable, the labels of filter categories and values must be easy to understand.

P.S. Find out how to improve filtering options that can boost your business

Use different push notifications

Connect with travelers with push notifications! They are the best way for travel brands to connect with travelers throughout their end – to – end journey.

No other communication channel can deliver the same instant impact when it comes to traveler engagement.

Why we love push messages? Because they can be more segmented and targeted than any other channel, like email or social media network. They can be delivered based on a traveler’s activity or location. There are some types of push notifications for better traveler’s experience.

The welcome push – let the users know all the great things they can do with your great app. Tell them they can book a hotel, visit new places, read about culture, go to adventure, etc.

The cost savings push – you are helping your clients save costs – which ultimately boosts your app and their positive experience.

The reminder to book push – a great way to drive engagement with this kind of messages is to send rich notifications using images, videos, GIFs or audio.

The new feature push – let the user know all about updates and new features in your app. That way they will know that you continuously improve the app and that you care for their better experience.

The feedback push – you can use push notifications to gather feedback on hotels, flights or app.  

The importance of online booking systems

Clear communication and transparency are among the local elements of the continuous relationship between the brand and the client. It is essential to disclose any information that can affect a user’s choice.

We want to avoid users disappointment and situation where they find about hidden fees like paid Wi-Fi, parking or tourist taxes. We can remind costumers to check information about fees on their own and direct them to it. If users are not charged for some services, make sure to include that information as well.

3 ways to get more reviews in your mobile app

Reviews affect or change the choice travelers make. There are a few ways to include and display reviews.

Use third-party review – if you need reviews and rating for hotel or attraction, there are widgets for that.

Photo review – you know what they say – “A picture is worth a thousand words” – reviews don’t have to be textual. Photos have a more impactful effect.

Filtering by reviews – many users would prefer to see the best-rated options before the cheapest.

Get to know your customers and adapt to their needs

Today, there are a large number of travel applications that offer us different possibilities. Use a simple and appealing design, present all the relevant information, use high-quality photos, notify them of changes or app improvements, keep the app updated.

Users will feel a positive user experience if by using your app they can quickly and successfully solve their problem. They will trust you and always come back.

Create app suited for your users and save money on the research

It’s essential to have quality content on your mobile app, and you need to listen to your user’s needs. One of the free version to find what your users think about your app is to check their comments on the App Store.

Use some Excel file and just copy their comment and see with your team or proven development agency, what features next to build. In that way, you are creating your app based on real users, and also, saving money on research of the market.

After you copy all their ideas, see what comes up multiple times and start prioritizing what features next to build.

After the development of new features is done, provide the best description of “What’s new in the app”.

Don’t use too many technical words, use words your user can understand and create better ASO – app store optimization!

After the implementation of all new and fresh features, answer your users to their comments. If they uninstalled the app – call them to install it again, and check all new features suited for them.

Have ideas for your tourist app, but don’t know where to start?

We’re an agency with 7 years in design & development of apps from e-commerce, news app or tourist apps. If you want to check our work, please visit:

• iOS & Android mobile app – Greetings from National Park Krka,
• iOS & Android development for unique tourist experience of Garešnica, Lipik and Banja Luka

A creative icon and spectacular name might make your app stand out in app store search results, but we all know what users first look – average rating and reviews.

There are numerous studies on the correlation between user feedback and app installs, so we really need to work on our 5 stars app.

We know that isn’t the easy task, and it requires a lot of time and effort. Don’t wait until your app is on the app store, make your checklist before developing the app, and make sure you have functionalities suited for your users and test them once your app is live.

There is no secret formula, you need to develop, listen and improve your app

We often forget we make apps for users, not for ourselves. We can make spectacular UX/UI design, create the app on the newest technologies, but all of that is worthless without that vital element of the development process – user’s feedback.

Also, you need to take in mind, that there is no app on the store with no negative reviews. And they will happen for sure – but after reading this article, you know how to approach quickly and carefully, so you can easily turn negative comments into positive ones and help your business and app to boost the install conversion rate.