Software as a service (SaaS) has been around since the 1960’s, but it wasn’t until 1999 with the launch of Salesforce’s successful customer relationship management (CRM) platform that SaaS hit the headlines. Now, with the digital revolution in full swing the quantity of SaaS providers has grown exponentially, and the gap that once existed between the quality and customization capabilities of SaaS versus custom-developed solutions has all but disappeared.

SaaS in tourism
The tourism industry is a great example of a SaaS-loving sector where hotels, resorts, airlines and activity providers are all turning to SaaS solutions to help grow their sales and reduce costs. The profit-building power of SaaS can be clearly seen in the online direct booking arena. Many lodging suppliers, destination management organizations, and resorts have turned to SaaS providers to optimize their direct booking channel.

The Aspen Snowmass rebrand
To see how far modern SaaS has come since its early days we can take a look at the recent rebranding of Aspen Snowmass. Aspen Snowmass consists of four world-class ski resorts located near Aspen, Colorado. Its name is synonymous with quality and it only works with the very best suppliers. In recent years, Aspen Snowmass has undergone some massive changes, including a full corporate rebranding in 2021.As part of that rebranding, it worked with its various suppliers to ensure its new brand identity was accurately reflected across all of its communication channels.

Aspen Snowmass had been using SPOTLIO’s online Direct Booking Platform since January 2018 to sell lodging, ski passes, rentals, lessons, and activities. Based on its close, long standing relationship with SPOTLIO, Aspen Snowmass was confident that it would be able to manage the rebranding of its platform-based, direct booking pages.

The whole rebrand took around two weeks with constant communication between the Aspen Snowmass team and SPOTLIO to ensure the design and functionality requirements for the platform were understood. The flexibility and customization capabilities of SPOTLIO’s sophisticated SaaS Direct Booking Platform were put to the test. After working closely with Aspen Snowmass using proven project management techniques, SPOTLIO was able to redesign every element of Aspen Snowmass’ direct booking pages.

SPOTLIO is an expert in online direct sales and its customer base reflects that: Vail, Aspen Snowmass, Steamboat, Copper Mountain, Killington, Boyne Resorts, Baqueira, and many more. SPOTLIO helps its customers sell more through their direct booking pages by increasing conversion rates, and average cart values. It’s a perfect example of powerful, sophisticated SaaS meeting the complex needs of a demanding customer base. With its tried and tested platform, SPOTLIO is able to customize the whole look and feel of the booking pages together with the search experience, cart, and checkout.

The images below show some of the before and after screenshots that demonstrate the depth of customization that a modern, SaaS solution is able to offer its customers. Every design element from the layout to icon design and color scheme was changed to align with Aspen Snowmass’ new corporate branding.

In these images you can see the before and after screenshots of the main lodging’s search in the direct booking page. The fresh new design has been applied. The basic layout, which has proven to optimize conversion rates, remains intact. But, nearly every other element of design has been changed:

• The background image has been moved into the banner, keeping the search results noise-free and easy to read.
• The multi-product tabs and cart stand out and have more impact.
• The booking journey is clearly visible giving a better user experience.
• The sophisticated filter and sorting functions have also been given the same modern redesign.

The idea behind modern SaaS is to avoid the costly, time consuming work of reinventing the wheel for every customer. Instead, it aims to build just one, high-performing wheel and works continuously on that wheel to make sure it remains one of the very best on the market. On top of that, SPOTLIO offers the deepest level of customization possible so that each customer feels like that wheel was made just for them.This is SaaS, seen working perfectly in the rebrand of Aspen Snowmass. Through a monthly subscription, companies now have access to sophisticated digital solutions that can often be set-up within a few days. The attractive, subscription pricing model also helps companies with their cash flow and financial planning. As the business environment grows ever more complex, subscribing to a high performing, flexible digital solution that comes with its very own team of experts is the key to securing success for your business in the long run. In addition, as SaaS providers are committed to keeping their solutions up-to-date and compatible with the latest technology, companies are free to focus on their core activities.

Find out more about SPOTLIO’s customization capabilities!