Despite so much attention being focused on the Internet at present, it can all seem rather daunting to those who have not yet put a toe into the Internet sea, metaphorically speaking.
Just understanding the new vocabulary is challenging enough with many strange new words coming into play.
Knowing how to start can be tough and the budgets allegedly being spent by some companies are decidedly off-putting. Questions like what’s the first step? how much will it cost? can I afford it? does anyone know the answer to these questions? are often asked.
Any company, from a major multi-site organisation to a single branch retailer, can have a successful Internet presence. In many ways, the greatest opportunities lie with the smaller tour operators and agents. Their local presence, specialist knowledge and deep customer relationships are the envy of large companies and make Web marketing a very attractive proposition and a powerful tool in maintaining market share.
The starting point is planning. This will prevent you doing the equivalent of going shopping for a pair of black trousers, buying a pink coat for twice as much money as you’d budgeted for, wearing it once and then giving it to Oxfam.
The first stage is to think carefully about what you want from your Web site. Don’t just think about what you want today because this may restrict future development. Think about the market in five years time and ask yourself some soul-searching questions such as where will the company be? what kind of products will it sell? and what will give it a competitive advantage?” Don’t view the Internet as an opportunity to load your brochures onto the Web site, sit back and wait. That’s a bit like asking superchef Gary Rhodes to make you some toast.
Look at what other people are doing in this country and in the US, both in terms of travel and non-travel. Although I believe each company should adopt a uniquely differentiated positioning, there may be some inspiring ideas that you can adapt and incorporate.
Talk to others within your organisation at all levels and canvas their views. Break with tradition and introduce yourself to your Information Technology department or systems expert.
All your ideas should then be sorted into short, medium and long-term plans according to cost, time to market and any other relevant factors. If you plan to start with a very basic Web presence and develop over a period of time, then focus on features that will be most appreciated by your customers. If you plan to have a very sophisticated site with interactivity and on-line functionality, make sure you are completely happy with the financial and manpower resource required to support and maintain it before committing yourself.
Next consider the architecture or route map of your site. If the navigation through your Web site is not intuitive and is the Internet equivalent of Hampton Court maze, your customers will be deeply frustrated and will not visit your site again.
There are multiple ways of working through a Web site and the route selected by the customer is probably different each time. I think the best way of creating your route map is by writing each feature or function on to a separate Post-It note and moving them around until it makes sense. While this is rather Blue Peter style, it’s a very effective way of visualising how the site will work, how big it will be and how areas link up.
And finally, remember what a wonderful, powerful tool the Internet is. The longer you wait to get involved, the harder it will be to take advantage of the new e-volution.
- Audience: consider who you’re targeting, i.e. existing customers via a new channel or completely new business. Segment them using relevant criteria, e.g. age, lifestyle, product category, purchase frequency or spend. Compare and contrast the needs, motivation and buying behaviour of each segment.
- Purpose: be clear on your objectives, what you want to achieve and what response you want. Set measurable targets (e.g. number of visits and bookings) so you can justify the investment and test its success objectively.
- Research: consider how to achieve each objective and canvas the views of colleagues and advisors. Look at what other travel and non-travel companies are doing but don’t copy them.
- Plan: formulate short, medium and long-term strategies and consider how they dovetail with existing off-line activities. Be a devil’s advocate and think through all those nasty ‘what if’ scenarios.
- Sign off: add any extra manpower costs and a healthy contingency to your cost benefit analysis before signing off the investment.
- Development: agree a development, testing and integration plan, assigning delivery dates and responsibilities for each phase. Plan your marketing efforts to drive people to the site now.
- Launch: brief your staff, colleagues and advisors and involve them in the process. Watch, monitor and refine. Good luck!