Last February 26th we held our first webinar of the year called Online Sales: Boosting eCommerce for bus companies with Artificial Intelligence.

The main objective of this meeting was to share what we have achieved in the sector through our digital ecosystem. In it, we delved into the impact of new functionalities and innovations, which have enabled our allies to lead the evolution of the bus sector throughout the region. 

In the webinar —led by José Luis Landaeta, Head of Customer Success at Reservamos SaaS, and Oscar Jiménez, Product Manager— we touched on 5 points to consider to improve the search engines of bus companies’ websites:

• The digital experience of the traveler
• Intelligent and personalized search engine
• Importance of SEO for conversion
• The most important metrics for your eCommerce success
• Evolving your eCommerce to adapt to each traveler

The digital traveler experience

80% of ground transportation travelers in Mexico look online for their tickets. Hence the importance of bus companies’ eCommerce to guarantee unique search experiences for their travelers. 

Do you know how your user interacts with your website and their purchasing experience? Don’t worry. We share with you how the digital traveler travels through the sales funnel:

Sales Funnel

TOFU: Interest. At this stage, the user searches based on a need. Our job is to have all the information to supply that need and take him to the site to convince him to buy.

MOFU: Consideration. At this point, the user already knows your business and how you can help him to solve that need. However, he has several alternatives to evaluate, so we make the process as simple as possible.

BOFU: Conversion. In the last step, we need to give them the confidence to purchase online. This is achieved by ensuring an agile and secure purchasing experience, which even encourages repurchase. 

But, how do we optimize our partners’ eCommerce through the Reservamos SaaS technological ecosystem? 

Based on the measurement of the sales funnel, at Reservamos SaaS we work hand in hand with our partners to develop innovations and updates that increase conversion and sales in their digital sales channels.

José Luis Landaeta, Head of Customer Success at Reservamos SaaS.

Within the technology and development teams, we can measure the traveler’s journey throughout the entire purchase flow, from the moment he arrives at the website until he completes the ticket purchase. 

We follow all the steps to make them as simple as possible and achieve the purchase. In this funnel analysis process, we map the moment when users stop being interested in us, and with this information, we work with the development team to improve the shopping experience. 

The top of the funnel is the best moment for when the user arrives. We capture the opportunity to connect with them through a search widget that convinces them that our allies are the best travel option.

Intelligent and personalized search engine

At Reservamos Saas we prioritize, in the search engine, the most important moments for the user, so that the eCommerce of a bus company can connect with the digital traveler. 

Within the search engine, the traveler decides what to look for, where to look, and how to make the purchase. At this crucial buying stage, we delve into user behavior to streamline their purchase, giving them options, for example, by preloading origins and destinations, to give them the best experience. In this way, in just two clicks we can deliver results towards a possible purchase intent.

47% buy a trip for the same or next day

In addition, within the search engine, we can display recent trips, save history, and pre-fill information such as origin and destination. Through our technology, we can leverage these learnings, measure their performance, analyze them, and maintain a constant and agile pace of innovation to improve the performance of our partners’ pages. 

Since implementing our search widget, we have achieved a 3 percentage point growth in our partners’ eCommerce conversion. For every million users that enter the pages, 30,000 new users make their purchases.

Oscar Jiménez, Product Manager, Reservamos SaaS.

Importance of SEO for conversion 

For the search widget to have a significant impact we need to attract the right traffic. With the help of SEO strategies, we can raise the quality of users coming to the page and capture those who have a purchase intent. 

When a user performs a Google search to travel from one destination to another, we can capture that purchase intent if our page has all the information needed to solve the search need. 

In this way, a bus company can position itself in the first place in the search engine. Hence the importance of having all the necessary information, so that the user reaches us through the offer of routes, schedules, prices, and so on. 

The main benefits of implementing SEO 

Increases visibility: 

• Keyword research for the industry and target audience.
• Optimization of relevant content for your audience. We must make sure it is informative, useful, and easy to understand. Search engines value valuable content and rank it higher.
• Link building is crucial for SEO. Getting quality links from relevant and reputable websites improves your domain authority and can increase your search engine rankings. 

Improved Ranking: 

• Pages in the top spots increase credibility and trust with the traveler, resulting in improved sales. In addition, +75% of clicks go to the top 3 places, hence the importance of positioning.

Every Google search is a potential sale for a bus company’s eCommerce. With the help of Landing Pages for key routes, we can capture those searches and position our partners organically. 

Through Landing Pages, we ensure that we bring the right traffic to our partners’ eCommerce sites, and within their eCommerce sites, we guarantee their conversion to sales. This has allowed us to achieve 22% more traffic coming from these searches, that is, if a company has one million visits per month, we can capture 200 thousand extra visits, and the best thing is that they do not cost the bus company. This initiative makes it possible to take tremendous advantage of the traffic already on Google.

José Luis Landaeta, Head of Customer Success at Reservamos SaaS

Metrics with which we measure your eCommerce success

Maintaining high conversion rates and improving the Average Order Value (AVE) are key metrics for our partners. One way to achieve this is through the ‘Round Ticket’ functionality. Through certain product initiatives, we incentivize this return ticket, guiding the user to save time and money.

70% of tickets purchased are one-way

Direct Profitability	CR: A higher percentage translates into higher sales. AOV: Each traveler spends more on each purchase, which translates into increased revenue.
Resource Optimization	CR: Maximize the efficiency of your marketing campaigns to convert visitors into purchases. AOV: You can generate more revenue with fewer transactions (especially in low seasons).
Sustainable growth	CR: A positive purchasing experience builds a traveler’s loyalty. A user will not spend more than 10 seconds in your eCommerce if you have nothing important to offer them.  AOV: Indicative of traveler satisfaction. A satisfied traveler is more likely to recommend your business.

To achieve strategies that allow us to increase the conversion of users who complete a purchase is necessary:

• Constant innovation – Adapt with agility what travelers require to finalize their purchase.
• Optimized Inventory – Runs needed in the time necessary for the season. 
• Correct pricing strategy – The combination of these factors has led us to have optimal conversion levels.

Working with customers allows us to leverage technology to increase the conversion of our allies. The more users make the purchase, the more revenue the bus company has.

Evolving your eCommerce to adapt to each traveler

We care so much about the memorable experience for each traveler that we are constantly transforming ourselves to be a specialized technological ally.

So, through Platform AI we guarantee unique purchasing experiences, powered by Artificial Intelligence. In this way, we achieve:

Increases traveler satisfaction:

Personalized attention: travelers feel valued when they receive personalized attention. It creates a closer connection with them.

Improve traveler retention: 

Personalizing the offer for specific users can incentivize repeat purchases.

Personalized recommendations: 

By offering product and service recommendations, based on browsing and purchase history, the chances of travelers finding something they want to buy increase significantly.

Purchase history and favorites: 

Allowing users to easily access their purchase history, favorite products, and abandoned carts creates a more convenient and efficient experience.

Improves brand perception: 

A personalized experience reflects genuine engagement with the traveler, which can strengthen loyalty and positive brand perception.

That’s why it’s critical to have a specialized technology partner to help better connect with your digital travelers through your direct eCommerce, ensuring unique online purchasing experiences.