The Brittany Ates Marketing Portfolio

For this part of my digital marketing plan, I focused on how Expedia can use web analytics to support the proposed Expedia CultureConnect feature. CultureConnect is a digital travel-planning tool that would help travelers discover culturally relevant destinations, local businesses, experiences, safety-aware tips. and personalized travel ideas through Expedia’s website and mobile app.

Web analytics is important because it helps companies understand what users are doing online. Instead of guessing what travelers want, Expedia can use data to see how visitors interact with the CutureConnect page, what content gets the most attention, and where users may stop during the planning or booking process.

Why Web Analytics Matters for CultureConnect

Travelers often visit several websites, apps, and social media pages before booking a trip. Because of this, Expedia needs to understand how users move from interest to action. Web analytics can help answer important questions such as:

• How many users visit the CultureConnect page?
• Where are visitors coming from?
• Are users clicking on the destination search tool?
• Are travers starting or saving itineraries?
• Are users clicking on local business lisitngs?
• Are visitors completing bookings?

This information would help Expedia improve the travel-planning experience and make better decisions about marketing, website design, and customer engagement.

Key Google Analytics Events to Track

Google Analytics 4 would be a helpful tool for Expedia because it tracks user actions as events. For CultureConnect, Expedia could track events such as:

• Page view: A visitor lands on the CultureConnect page.
• Destination search: A user searches for a city destination.
• Start itinerary: A traveler begins creating a personalized travel plan.
• Partner click: A visitor clicks on a local business, restaurant, tour, or experience.
• Booking: a user completes a hotel, package, activity, or experience booking.

These events are important because they show more than basic website traffic. They show whether visitors are actually engaging with the CultureConnect feature.

Landing Page and Heat Map Design

The CultureConnect landing page should be simple, clear, and easy to use. The top of the page should include a strong headline, a short explanation of the feature, and a clear call-to-action button such as “Start Planning.” The page should also include a destination search bar, sample itineraries, local business highlights, and travel tips.

A heat map would help Expedia understand which parts of the page receive the most attention. For example, the heat map may show that users spend the most time near the headline, search bar, and “Start Planning” button. These would be considered high-attention areas. Medium-attention areas may include sample itineraries or local business listings. Lower-attention areas may include footer links or content placed too far down the page.

The visual data would help Expedia adjust the page layout. If users are not clicking the main button or are missing important information, Expedia change the design, move content higher on the page, or make the call-to-action easier to find.

Recommended Measurement Tools and Metrics

Expedia should use several tools together to measure the performance of CutureConnect. Google Analytics 4 can track user behavior and website events. Google Tag Manager can help manage tracking codes. Google Ads can show paid performance. Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar can provide heat maps and session recordings. Looker Studio can organize the data into dashboards.

The main metrics Expedia should track include:

• Website users
• Traffic source
• Engagement rate
• Click-through rate
• Destination searches
• Start itinerary rate
• Save itinerary rate
• Partner clicks
• Booking conversion rate
• Cost per conversion
• Revenue connected to bookings

These metrics would help Expedia understand if CultureConnect is helping travelers move from interest to actual bookings.

Web Analytics would help Expedia improve the CultureConnect experience by showing how travelers interact with the website and app. By using Google Analytics, heat maps, and important performance metrics, Expedia can better understand customer behavior, improve the landing page, and increase the chances that visitors become active users and customers.

This strategy supports the overall digital marketing plan because it connects marketing activity measurable results. For Expedia, the goal is not only to attract visitors but also to guide them through the travel-planning process and encourage them to book through the platform.

References:

Google. (n.d.). Create or modify key events. Google Analytics Help.

Google. (n.d.). Introducing the next generation of Analytics, Google Analytics 4. Google Analytics Help.

Google. (2026). Google Analytics developer documentation. Google for Developers.

Hotjar. (n.d.). Heatmaps. https://www.hotjar.com/product/heatmaps/

Microsoft Clarity. (n.d.). Free heatmaps & session recordings.

Zahay, D., & Roberts, M. L. (2018). Internet Marketing (4th ed.). Cengage Learning US.