How I got there

At Expedia, virtually every project first ships as an A/B or A/B/C test. When results are positive, the change usually becomes part of the experience. If a test doesn't perform as expected, the team revises and iterates.

Nudge, don't shove

The copy needed to provide immediate value without feeling salesy.

Expedia research found that unauthenticated travelers need instant value to justify creating an account. One way to do that: show a clear cash benefit in the form of OneKeyCash, the currency of the One Key loyalty program.

That lines up with a core user task:

I want to know how much OneKeyCash I've earned for this booking.

Expedia's Growth and Loyalty research team had already pinpointed the top tasks users want to accomplish at each stage of the funnel. Those top tasks became the foundation for content users would actually engage with.

I chose the right words

Travelers are skeptical of language like "Join for free" or the pushy, gym-membership energy of "Join now."

What they actually wanted was a clear, honest call to action. So it was no surprise that straightforward language — "Sign in," "Sign up," and "Create an account" — drove higher conversion than "Join for free," where hidden-cost anxiety kicks in and trust quietly walks out the door.