Ixigo Activation Flow Redesign

Activation flow redesign, Onboarding teardown, Growth strategies, User research, Activation metrics

Introduction

Ixigo is an Indian AI-based online travel portal, launched in 2007. Headquartered in Gurgaon, Ixigo aggregates and compares real-time travel information, prices and availability for flights, trains, buses, and hotels, and allows ticket booking through its associate websites and apps. Its vision is to become the most customer-centric travel company, by offering the best customer experience to our users.

Why users use Ixigo flight app?

1. Having an easy flight ticket booking experience (Functional Goal) — Fast, efficient and easy booking experience
2. Seeking information about booking — Flight status, web check-in, airport rules and guidelines for travelers, fare drop alert etc
3. Saving Money (Financial Goal) — Best deals and offers across the airlines, banks, payment methods etc
4. Aspirational (Social Goal) — Influence people in the network, want to share experience with friends/family/social media, etc

Who is as an activated user?

An activated user is defined as the user who book flight ticket on Ixigo.

Insights

User insights

• 52% of the total users we spoke to had booked flight using Ixigo for flight booking. Out of these, more than 75% booked flight using Ixigo because they had great first booking offer.
• A lot of users mentioned that they don’t use Ixigo anymore because they find competitors offering better discounts. Ixigo doesn’t have many card offers.

Observations

• Users using Ixigo assured had 10–15% higher retention than other users.
• Ixigo highlights the cheap flight booking and many offers right from the search result to installing the app. Once user installs the app, they don’t see offers until the page just before payment method selection. So many users drop before that and don’t explore the offers on Ixigo.
• Highest drop is at the pricing page. Most users first come and check the prices then go to other platforms and book wherever they find the cheapest tickets.

Discovery

1. Web search

✅ When searching for Ixigo keyword, It highlights the core value prop like cheap flight, deal of the day, Ixigo assured, etc

✅ Ixigo highlights its Indian AI based travel company in it’s description

✅ Ixigo description clarifies it also allows train, bus, hotel booking etc

❌ Ixigo doesn’t rank in top 5 in any of the flight related keywords when searching on web

❌ Competitors ranks higher and mentions offers in the search results itself which will attract price sensitive users

💡 Improve SEO to rank Ixigo higher in flight related keywords

💡 Improve the description of the platform to attract new flight users by highlighting the offers, services offered etc

Cognitive bias at play

• Confirmation Bias

Aha Moments

• Flight starting at only Rs.1499 on Ixigo

2. Advertisements and social media

✅ Catchy and humorous social media posts

✅ Advertisement targeting right set of customers with the offers they would be interested in i.e. bank offer as mentioned above

✅ Collaboration with movies and movie stars to promote Ixigo

❌ Engagement on social media posts are not good enough

💡 Collaborate with travel influencers to attract right target audience for the platform

Cognitive bias at play

• Authority Bias

Aha Moments

• Power/core users experiencing mini Aha moment when their favorite movie star promotes the brand they love

3. App store

✅ Ixigo ranks as a first result in app store after the advertisements

❌ Searching for keyword Ixigo ranks train app higher than flight app

❌ When user starts typing Ixigo it ranks Ixigo train in search result but flight app is not there

❌ Ixigo competitors advertisement ranks higher in flight related keywords

❌ Ixigo competitors advertisement ranks higher in Ixigo specific keywords

💡 Ixigo should be the first result when searching specifically for Ixigo related keywords

Cognitive bias at play

• Anchoring bias

4. Play store search

✅ One of the top 5 results when searching flight or flight booking related keywords

✅ clear and easy to understand title

✅ Highlight the cheap flight value proposition

✅ Highest rating among the top competitors and search results — 4.6

✅ Logo emphasize on flight booking, easy to understand JTBD

❌ When searching keyword Ixigo it directly leads to IRCTC train app page

❌ Competitors ads are ranked higher over Ixigo search result

❌ App description says IRCTC authorized partner which is important for train and not flights

❌ Iixgo flight app is not even listed in related apps to Ixigo train app

❌ Ixigo name doesn’t involve any travel related verbs while competitors does which makes it easy to remember and understand what it is about

💡 Improve ASO to display both the apps when users search for keyword Ixigo

💡 Improve the description of the app to attract new flight users by highlighting the services offered i.e. — flight, hotels and train booking

Cognitive bias at play

• Picture Superiority Effect

On Boarding Tear down

1. Play store app page

✅ App title emphasize on cheap flight — value prop

✅ Really good ratings and 10M + download establish the social proof

✅ There is a video covering overview of the app and talk about all the features

✅ Play store images cleverly covers all the value propositions with how it will look like when using the app

❌ App description says IRCTC authorized partner which is important for train and not flights

💡About app description can be very crisp and clear covering two important value prop — refund(Assured) and flexible booking(Assured flex)

Cognitive bias at play

• Social proofing
• Picture Superiority Effect

2. Play store about app details, ratings, and reviews

✅ Flight coupon codes and offers on the app details page itself — leads to better installation rate

✅ Most of the users rated app as 5 star builds the trust around the app

✅ Top reviews are 5 star and really good — another social proofing

✅ Ixigo replied to all the top reviews shows that it cares about its users

✅ About app section highlights the offer for new users

✅ Details of key value proposition — Ixigo assured an all the other important features for users like — live flight status, flight tracker, smart web check-in, Smart fare alert etc

✅ Awards establish trust around the product

✅ Very detailed data safety section makes it more transparent

✅ Allow users to request for data deletion

❌ Shares location, personal and financial info with other organization which can raise privacy concern for some users

💡Make use of events & offers section to highlight the current discounts which can lead to more installation

Cognitive bias at play

• Social proof
• Anchoring Bias

3. App splash screen

✅ Logo emphasizing on the flight travel app image

💡 Use this opportunity to educate users on what all features are and prime about what to expect

Cognitive bias at play

• Priming

Suggested Changes

4. App signup/login flow

✅ Clear value prop mentioned

✅ Signup/login is optional

✅ Easy signup/login options via mobile number, facebook and google

✅ Auto verify OTP for signup/login

✅ One click signup/login using google

❌ Continue button is enabled even though there is no input from users, clicking it gives erroe that number is not valid

💡 Change the CTA to prime users and have progressive disclosure. For example — change it to Get OTP.

Cognitive bias at play

• Spark effect
• Progressive disclosure
• Priming

Suggested change

Aha Moments

• Let user explore the app without asking for personal details like phone number etc.

5. App home page

✅ Default selected travel mode : flight — JTBD — functional goal

✅ Highlight the other important feature for users like fare alert and flight status

✅ Ixigo has been priming users to give discount on flight booking since play store details page and highlights the same with coupon codes in the homepage

❌ Scrolling compacts the search section into Enter information to search which is misleading as it just scrolls up

❌ Advertisement

❌ Asking to share an app even without letting users experience the core value

💡 Quick shortcut for return trip beside the date selection field

💡 Highlight Ixigo assured & Assured Flex — core value prop

💡 Display different offers/discounts for new users, existing users, card offers, bank offers, promo codes etc.

💡 Add categories which might have special price offers i.e. Students, senior citizen, etc.

Cognitive bias at play

• Default bias

Suggested change

6. Search results

✅ Reminding Ixigo assured benefits while fetching the flight details

✅ Quick whatsapp share option for search results

✅ Easy price comparison view date wise

✅ Different sorting and filter options in the bottom

✅ Many different categories for filtering the search results

✅ Filtering by airlines display the cost for each airline for quick comparison

✅ Non stop filter is one click accessible

❌ Sorting default option is cheapest but the way prices are shown it confuses the users. Currently users have to manually calculate the discounted price to understand that cheapest option is displayed first.

❌ Banners are not clickable hence even if user is interested to know more, they can’t.

❌ Redundant filters

💡 Use strike price bias to display the discounted price

Cognitive bias at play

• Labor Illusion

Suggested change

Aha Moments

• Flat 12% off offer with coupon code mentioned upfront
• Quick search results sharing available on whatsapp is very useful in group booking
• Filtering airlines has price estimation mentioned in filter options

7. Flight selection

✅ Important details like time, airport names, terminal numbers, etc displayed at the start.

✅ Clarification on check-in luggage guidelines

✅ Transparent cancellation policy

✅ Highlight the benefits user will miss if does not choose Ixigo assured or flex

✅ Using loss aversion to make user opt for Ixigo assured or flex

❌ Redundant information in flight summary section

❌ Using strike price for basic plan creates confusion for users whether it’s free or not

❌ User is more likely to go with default selected and cheap plan as it will take efforts to check and understand what other plan offers and strike price makes it unclear that how much extra money user have to pay for those benefits

Cognitive bias at play

• Labor illusion
• Strike price
• Loss aversion
• Default bias

Suggested changes

Aha Moments

• Assured plans with full instant refund and flexibility benefits
• More discount for subscribing to assured
• Clear cancellation policy with date and amount

8. Add travelers

✅ Save traveler’s details from the past bookings

✅ Easy selection of the travelers and their details

💡 Add adult title could be changed to Add traveler

Aha Moments

• Previous traveler details saved on platform

9. Seat selection

✅ Easy seat selection with price details

✅ Display price and traveler’s name when selecting seat

✅ Display seat information once selected with the total money spent for this feature

❌ This step could be avoided or made optional and make booking process shorter

💡 Better CTA like — Select seat instead of asking user to pay

Aha Moments

• Free seats available to choose

10. Payment & booking

✅ Time allocation to reserve the seat and complete the booking

✅ Flight details, traveler details, final fare prize, selected payment option clearly mentioned

✅ various payment methods

✅ Saved payment options used previously

✅ Easy option to add new method

✅ Highlight the recommended payment option with benefits of using it

✅ Immediate mail and whatsapp notification for pending payment

✅ Link to complete booking process in whatsapp message

✅ Asking user to wait for 18 minutes if money is deducted before booking again

❌ Recommend payment option is displayed when user has selected another option already

💡 Highlight the recommended payment method on payment page instead when user has already selected payment method

💡 Partner with BNPL to provide more options for payments

Cognitive bias at play

• Aesthetic-Usability Effect
• Spark Effect

Aha Moments

• Successful payment and ticket booked

Changes suggested in activation flow

• Use the splash screen to educate users about the app and provide social proofs to build credibility.
• Easy toggle between one way and round trip.
• Added option to choose the category for special prices like senior citizen, students, armed forces.
• Shortcut to search non-stop flight in the search query form only.
• Highlight the top offers and Ixigo assured on home page.
• Show discounted price using strike prices.
• Social proofing when asking users to opt for Ixigo assured.
• Remove extra screens for adding travelers details, ask to add travelers below price breakup.
• Moved seat selection to the final payment review page to shorten the on-boarding process.
• Recommend the payment method with high success rate at the time of payment.
• Partner with BNPL player to provide more payment options.
• Better CTAs priming the next step instead of generic CTAs like continue, proceed etc.