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If you have ever talked to a web design agency about a Serviced Apartment Internet Booking Engine then you have probably heard them talk about the Three-Click Rule. The Three-Click Rule is an unofficial website navigation rule that suggests that users should be able to get anything done on a website using no more than three mouse clicks. HotelTonight.com a mobile app have a 3 taps and a swipe rule which guarantees no longer than 10 seconds to complete a booking, but is this rule science fact or just an Urban myth?
As far back as 2003, Joshua Porter of User Interface Engineering wrote an article that should have killed the 3-click rule for good. He found that the number of clicks affects neither task completion nor user satisfaction. Porter stated:
“…the Three-Click Rule does not focus on the real problem. The number of clicks isn’t what is important to users, but whether or not they’re successful at finding what they’re seeking.”
The research not only debunks the myth but shows that people will click 5 or 6 times before failure rates rise above 20%.
INTERNET BOOKING ENGINE
What does this mean for Serviced Apartment Internet Booking Engines? How do we ensure that as many of our customers are able to complete a booking via our website. What can we learn from others, lets take a look at how Airbnb’s booking engine works. How many clicks does it take to make a booking?
So 6 clicks looks to be the absolute minimum number of clicks to make a booking. This assumes that the customer has logged into our website and that they already have stored credit card and billing address details. If this is a new customers then we have a much greater number of clicks and user data entry.
3-Clicks is impossible so don’t be fooled by web agencies telling you that your Serviced Apartment website needs to fit the 3-click rule because its rubbish. You need to focus on making the journey for the customer as simple and obvious as possible.
