05// June 07
Web 2.0 Technologies
I was listening to a podcast about folksonomies so I wrote a post about it on my blog which someone read via an RSS feed and as a result updated the definition on a wiki; what the hell are you talking about!!! These are just some of the buzzwords surrounding the “new” Internet. In this article we look at some of the applications or services that are shaping Web 2.0.
This article is the 2nd part of a 3 part series about Web 2.0. In part 1 we looked at What is Web 2.0 and built up a picture of your website as a tiny piece of a much larger experience with engaged customers connecting through technology. In part 3 we look at how some of the Web 2.0 technologies can be applied to the travel industry to create Travel 2.0.
In this paper we will introduce you to VoIP, blogging, RSS, wikis, multimedia sharing sites and for those still hanging in there we have a few extar geeky technologies summarised.
04// May 07
What is Web 2.0?
The Internet has entered a new, more social, participatory phase; a second phase if you like a new, improved Web version 2.0. This paper establishes that Web 2.0 is more than just a buzzword, but rather a revolution of technologies that in their construct are changing the way people interact with one another.
This is the first part of a three part series that will be published over the next three months as part of our monthly article series. In the second part we will look at some of the technologies that are synonymous with Web 2.0 and in the third part we apply these to the travel industry to look at what is Travel 2.0.
03// April 07
Successful Website Redesign
Companies that do serious business over the Internet like Hostel World, Expedia, and eBookers continually measure the results of their website redesign efforts in order to provide a realistic perspective for ongoing development against expected benefits. But, what about companies considering their first major redevelopment in many years? For most, the cost seems almost inhibitable. In this paper we set out the fundamentals of tackling such a project including the most important considerations in web redesign to ensure your project meets budget and expectations; as well put forward a Return on Investment argument.
While the last decade involved getting a decent brand site up and running, the next phase of evolution in the industry must be to employ tools and technologies to better understand customers and cater efficiently and effectively to their varied needs. Referred to as Web 2.0 (Travel 2.0) new technologies and social changes are transforming the way all tourism businesses operate, create products, and relate to customers. The socialness of the Internet encompasses fast growing peer to peer activities like blogging, RSS, file sharing, open source software, pod-casting, search engines, and user generated content.
02// March 07
Creating a Relationship with your Customers
Travel should use the Internet to create an ethos of an emotive network that employs feedback loops to filter out marketing spin by letting users remove it manually from a wiki, shout it down in their own travel blogs, or simply let it create dust because they don’t tag it as cool. A personal, emotive and trusted network remains.
XSD has coined the phrase creating an Emotive Travel Internetwork: authentic content, connecting technology and an engaged customer.Technologies like email, instant messaging, blogs and RSS feeds assist travellers to form these emotive networks where they engage in mutual communication and support. These travellers are having conversations about the companies they travel with through these connecting technologies. A leading edge web strategy should aim to connect with these travellers at an emotional, personal level. No sane customer wants to be messaged to - what they want is engagement with companies on a personal level. In this paper we explore some of the online opportunities that exist to create a relationship with your potential customers and thereafter provide a more engaging experience via your website, blogs and booking processes. We introduce some of the newer technologies on the Internet such as community sites like MySpace or Yahoo! Answers, RSS feeds for syndicating content, and interactive online media such as review site forums and blogs. Once you have turned these lookers to customers the relationship is only just starting. Sure you know about delivering a product but we look at some of the other contact points that travel companies neglect to provide which may lead to happier customers, better word of mouth and even increased revenue from further sales. Remember it costs less to get more money from an existing customer than to attract a new customer.
01// February 07
SEO and Internet Marketing
SEO is simultaneously science and bullshit. While there is a fair understanding as to how search algorithms are constructed of guess work - what weighting does Google put oninward links, heading tags, metadata etc. Further search algorithms are regularly changing taking into account the evolving nature of the Internet. For example, links are regarded as very important as they are seen as an endorsement of a web page by a third party. So everyone started links pages and reciprocal links regardless of likeness. Not quite what Google had in mind. The solution; Google devalues the amount of weight it gives to reciprocal links and inbound links on pages with lots of links. The purpose of an Internet Marketing strategy is clear and simple – to generate more and better quality traffic to your website. The website thereafter takes over with the purpose of converting that traffic to customers (known as the looker to booker ratio). This paper focuses on how to generate more of the right customers to your website. “ The right customer” is an important phrase. Search engine and Internet marketing that focuses purely on traffic numbers is a flawed strategy. Rather the focus should be on identifying the ideal customer (those customers willing to spend their time and money with you) and attracting them to your website. The goal of the Internet Marketing strategy is to create the perception of authority, credibility and authenticity of your brand wherever the customer comes in contact with the your URL, be it the first time or after multiple points of contact. Assuming that all customers that type your URL in directly arrive at your site because of an intrinsic brand value generated by all offline and online channels, the measurable concern of an Internet Marketing Strategy is with all visitors who come to the site through search engine listings or links from other sites. The following paper covers four distinct but inextricably linked elements:
- Website Optimisation
- Search Marketing
- Link Campaign
- Content Syndication