Trek Travel designs active travel vacations that take riders & hikers to some of the most breathtaking places on earth. Their website is the gateway to these experiences, and every booking matters.
But despite strong interest, their checkout flow was creating friction for users.
To complete a booking, users had to create an account and log in before reaching the checkout. This mandatory step had been adding friction, especially for first-time visitors.
The result?
In January 2024, only 26.8% of visitors completed an online booking. By December 2024, that number reached 31.7%, and online bookings are reportedly crushing +40% in 2026.
Our Approach
We approached the project the way a RevOps team tackles any conversion bottleneck. We started by mapping the full revenue flow, then we identified friction points, and finally understanding how each of their systems, from the website to the ERP, affected the customer journey.
The biggest blocker was clear. The mandatory login step had evolved into a revenue leak.
To fix this without disrupting Trek Travel’s tightly connected ERP logic, we designed a two-part solution that aligned user experience with revenue operations:
1. Modal-Based Login & Registration
Authentication was moved into a lightweight modal, eliminating page redirects and keeping users inside the booking flow. This preserved data continuity, reduced drop-off, and ensured the CRM and ERP still received clean, structured customer information.
2. Guest Checkout
We introduced a true guest checkout path, allowing customers to complete their booking without creating an account. Account creation shifted to a post-purchase step, where it supports long-term retention rather than blocking initial conversion.
These two minor, but important changes, reduced friction, improved funnel velocity, and aligned the booking process with RevOps best practices.
Execution & Validation
The project was structured into four phases:
- Analysis & Preparation: Identified friction points and mapped dependencies.
- Design & Planning: Created user flows and interface concepts, refined through client feedback.
- Development: Front-end and back-end teams collaborated to build the solution around clear milestones.
- Deployment & Monitoring: Post-launch monitoring ensured stability and smooth adoption.
Our QA team ran multiple testing rounds to catch edge cases and validate the experience.
Results
The impact was immediate. Express Checkout reduced friction and gave users a faster path to booking.
In December 2025 and January 2026, Trek Travel saw a 25% year-over-year increase in online bookings. Express Checkout alone accounted for 15% of that growth.
- Express Checkout share of total online bookings:
- December: 9.8%
- January: 16.2%
The rest of the growth came from broader conversion improvements. However, Express Checkout was a key driver.
Final Takeaway
For Trek Travel, it was more than just a UX tweak. It was a strategic fix that turned hesitation into action. By removing barriers and unnecessary steps in their path to purchase, we helped more customers say yes to the adventure.