Case Study
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Direct Bookings, Fewer Commissions Paid to Other People
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Case Study
More Direct Bookings, Fewer Commissions Paid to Other People
THE EXECUTION
Client Overview
A luxury wine tour operator in British Columbia and a family outdoor ranch in Idaho had the same problem: their best customers were booking through OTAs and paying 15 to 25 percent commission on every reservation. Their own websites were afterthoughts â slow, hard to navigate, and impossible to book through directly.
Duration
6 Weeks
Industry
Tourism and Hospitality
Category
WordPress Development
Year
2024
Challenges & Solutions
Every project started with problems worth solving.
Here is what we found â and exactly how we fixed it.
⚠
Challenge
Over 40% of bookings were going through OTAs at up to 25% commission. Margins were getting hurt.
✓
Solution
Direct-booking-first design with a Book Direct pricing advantage and clean Rezdy and FareHarbor integration.
⚠
Challenge
Multiple experiences and accommodation types all sat on one flat page with nothing to differentiate them.
✓
Solution
Experience cards with filters for group size, season, and category brought booking friction down by 39%.
⚠
Challenge
Mobile visitors made up 72% of traffic but faced slow galleries and booking widgets that barely worked.
✓
Solution
WebP images, lazy-loaded video, and a mobile-native booking flow pushed PageSpeed to 91 on mobile.
⚠
Challenge
Guests would email to check availability rather than book because availability was never shown.
✓
Solution
A live availability calendar with low-inventory signals increased impulse bookings by 28%.
Our Approach
A structured process from audit to launch.
We worked through three clear phases to deliver measurable results.
01
Booking Flow Analysis
Audited both operators' booking funnels and discovered that 40%+ of revenue was going through OTAs at 15-25% commission. Mobile visitors (72% of traffic) faced broken booking widgets and slow-loading galleries that killed conversion.
02
Direct-Booking-First Design
Built custom WordPress themes with experience card catalogues, live availability calendars, and integrated FareHarbor and Rezdy widgets. Added Book Direct pricing advantages, group booking flows, and gift voucher purchasing to recapture OTA revenue.
03
Performance and Discovery
Optimised for mobile with WebP images, lazy-loaded video, and native booking flows achieving a 91 PageSpeed score. Deployed seasonal SEO content, WhatsApp inquiry integration, and TripAdvisor review displays to drive organic direct traffic.
What Sash Delivered
The full scope of work.
Custom WordPress theme suited to nature and hospitality brands
FareHarbor and Rezdy booking widget integration
Experience card catalogue with live availability display
Seasonal SEO content strategy
WhatsApp inquiry button and TripAdvisor review integration
Group booking and gift voucher purchase flow
The Results
Impact at a glance.
The numbers that matter â measured after launch.
+134%
Direct Booking Revenue
41%
OTA Commission Saved
91
Mobile PageSpeed Score
28%
Impulse Booking Lift
Results
Key Outcomes
+134% direct booking revenue
41% OTA commission saved
91 mobile PageSpeed score
28% impulse booking lift
Booking friction reduced by 39%
72% mobile traffic now fully served
WHY IT WORKED
Rapid Deployment
We utilized our internal framework to launch the core experience in record time.
Precision Targeting
AI-driven audience segmentation ensured every dollar spent was optimized for conversion.
Results
KEY OUTCOMES
- +134% direct booking revenue
- 41% OTA commission saved
- 91 mobile PageSpeed score
- 28% impulse booking lift
- Booking friction reduced by 39%
- 72% mobile traffic now fully served
ROI Focused
Data-driven success
LET'S WORK TOGETHER
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