CASE STUDY
From Idea to Global Travel Marketplace Platform
LocalHalt is the hub that that connects people seeking authentic experiences with hosts and locals offering unique stays and inspiring things-to-do. A platform where people can list, discover and book unique stays and things-to-do sourced from the local community.
THEIR STORY
Platform To An Unforgettable Trip
They knew that an unforgettable trip is built on the special experiences you share with friends and family. Yet the elements of the trip like where to stay and what to do once you get there are often difficult to find and even more challenging to book.
They are trying to change this.
The idea is to carefully curate their offering of high-quality accommodations, tours and activities, display them beautifully, and make them easily bookable online.
They are dedicated to making travel planning enjoyable, so people can focus on what matters - creating memories that will last a lifetime.
"It’s a struggle to juggle people, projects, clients, deadlines, and expectations — especially when you’re the underdog competing against larger companies. Blend is like us, they get it. That’s why we partnered with Blend.
THE CHALLENGE
Striving Toward Aggressive Goals
LocalHalt, a fast-growing company offering stays and experiences similar to Airbnb, needed a robust digital platform to compete in the online marketplace. Their existing website lacked essential features to handle a large volume of listings and provide a seamless user experience for both guests and hosts. They needed a full-fledged marketplace that could:
Allow users to easily search for and filter properties and experiences by location, price, and availability.
Provide a simple booking engine to handle payments and reservations in real time.
Create a user-friendly interface for vendors/hosts to list and manage their properties.
Ensure a smooth, intuitive experience for guests from search to booking.
Offer scalable architecture to support future growth and expansion in various locations.
LocalHalt’s goal was to attract both guests looking for stays and experiences, and hosts seeking an easy-to-use platform to list their properties. The challenge was to develop a marketplace that balanced the needs of both user groups while delivering a seamless, high-performing experience.
THE SOLUTION
Transforming The Company, One Business Channel At A Time
Our digital marketing agency partnered closely with LocalHalt to design and build a custom marketplace from the ground up. We focused on two main areas: user experience (UI/UX) and backend functionality.
UI/UX Design: We designed an intuitive, visually appealing interface that catered to both guests and hosts. The design was optimized to ensure smooth navigation, quick search results, and minimal friction during the booking process. Key features included:
Advanced Search & Filter Options: Guests could filter stays and experiences by location, price range, availability, and other criteria, making it easier to find the perfect match.
Responsive Design: The platform was optimized for mobile and desktop, ensuring a consistent experience across devices.
Streamlined Booking Process: We developed an easy-to-use booking engine that allowed users to view availability in real-time and make secure payments directly on the platform.
Marketplace Development: The backbone of the platform was a powerful, scalable backend that supported:
Host Dashboard: Hosts were given a comprehensive dashboard to manage listings, set availability, communicate with guests, and track bookings and payments.
Booking Engine: We integrated a booking engine that handled reservations, availability checks, and payment processing, ensuring a smooth and secure transaction process for both guests and hosts.
Data Analytics & Reporting: Hosts and LocalHalt’s management team could access detailed analytics on booking trends, guest preferences, and revenue performance.
Scalability & Security: The platform was built to scale as LocalHalt expanded its offerings in new regions, with a strong focus on performance optimization and data security to protect sensitive user information.
Unlocking New Customer Potential
The launch of the new LocalHalt marketplace was a resounding success.
Key results include:
Increased User Engagement: The advanced search functionality and streamlined booking engine significantly improved user engagement, with a 25% increase in booking completions within the first 3 months.
Host Onboarding Growth: The host management dashboard simplified the process of listing and managing properties, leading to a 40% increase in new hosts signing up on the platform.
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: User feedback revealed a 30% improvement in customer satisfaction, with guests citing ease of use, search capabilities, and booking efficiency as major improvements.
Scalable Growth: The platform’s flexible architecture allowed LocalHalt to expand to 5 new regions within 6 months of launch, meeting its growth objectives ahead of schedule.
By delivering a tailored solution that met both the technical and business needs of LocalHalt, we helped them create a marketplace capable of competing with industry leaders like Airbnb, while providing a unique and user-centric experience.
25%
increase in booking completions
40%
increase in new hosts signing up
30%
improvement in NPS
