Local room hosting service Airbnb is launching a major update to its mobile web experience to reach more users who access the site from their smartphones.
The Airbnb update includes a visual upgrade and improved user experience to make the mobile site easier to use for potential guests. In addition the update will also make future development easier for the company as it moves to a more responsive design.
Airbnb says around 20 percent of its web traffic comes from mobile devices but that the mobile usage will increase as users become more comfortable with browsing and booking reservations on their mobile devices.
The company already has mobile apps that many existing guests are familiar with for booking reservations but the new Airbnb update will give users who aren’t familiar with the service a better introduction to its marketplace of places to stay.
It will also serve to provide more of a consistent experience for users who go back to the site later or book a reservation through their desktop browser.
One of the primary focuses for the company has been to clean up the presentation of its homepage for mobile users, making it more simple and elegant. The utilitarian search function has been scrapped and attractive full screen images have been introduced to entice users into browsing more listings while highlighting potential destinations at the same time.
The search page has also been updated to make finding places to stay more intuitive. Results are presented with large images and convincing descriptions to make them more appealing than the small thumbnails users were previously greeted with.
Airbnb also improved their mobile listing pages making them easier to book. As users scroll down listings they can learn more about the host and the listing, which starts with a big image that highlights the space and details that are easy to understand above the fold.
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