Hideaway Report Member Journey

The Hideaway Report is a subscription-based editorial brand that provides reliable, candid reviews of the world's most distinctive hotels, exceptional dining experiences and unique local adventures.

Background & Goals

The Hideaway Report is a subscription-based editorial brand that provides reliable, candid reviews of the world's most distinctive hotels, exceptional dining experiences and unique local adventures.

The Challenge

Implement a new CRM, drive lead acquisition and conversion, build a new user experience, increase brand advocacy.

User Personas

The user personas below are a semi-fictional representation of the Hideaway Report's ideal members based on market research and real data about existing members.

These personas include demographics, behavior patterns, and motivations based on phone interviews with new digital members (2019) and InfoGroup Data Analysis of 2018 New Members (2018).

Existing Lead-Capture User Flows

Previously, the lead capture method was a hybrid of both a metered paywall and trial memberships. New site visitors could view between one and three pieces of content before being prompted to sign up for a Guest Pass (trial).

Improved Lead-Capture User Flows

Taking research from both current users and industry lead capture methods, I restructured the lead capture flow. The first iteration of this new flow was a split test: 50% of traffic could sign up for a trial without entering payment details, the other 50% would have to provide their credit card details in order to access the site.

Content Paywall

Instead of using modals that disrupt user experience, I opted for inline ads. The user is able to preview a few lines of text and then must sign up for a trial to see the full article. Along with the article fade, we also hid all hotel names and added trial CTAs site-wide.

Lead Nurturing

During the trial period, users receive 3 emails over the course of 7 days. The emails provide them with the most engaging travel content focusing on where to stay, where to eat and tips on making the most of every vacation.

According to Constant Contact, the travel industry's open rate is 13% and click rate is 6%.

Results

The split test ran for 60 days and the credit card required trial was determined to be the most effective for lead to member conversion. For users who signed up for a trial and didn't convert to membership, a hard paywall is in place prompting membership purchase.

Membership Renewal Flow

In combination with email and print efforts created by the Senior Membership Manager, I created on-site experiences for paying members whose membership is ending within 6 months + those whose membership has lapsed.

Traditionally, the Hideaway Report did not offer an auto-renew option for members. Once that functionality was implemented, I created inline ads with slight animation to promote this new payment option.

For users who are closer to their expire date, I created ads prompting subscription upgrades along with standard renewal.