Internet Basics for Business
Introduction The Internet, web 2.0 and the Tourism Industry Initial assessment of my website Top 10 tips for your website Website 101, Mobile website or Mobile application Search Engines Converting a prospect to a guest Managing Your Online Reputation Get Connected (ATDW)
Internet, Web 2.0 and the Tourism Industry
The Internet, web 2.0 and the tourism industry Statistics: (97%) consumers search for businesses online for products and services 74% purchased Travel, accommodation, memberships or tickets of some kind. (ABS data) Benefits: Web 2.0 describes websites that go beyond static web pages Web 2.0 is all about sharing customers comments Customer reviews can increase sales Challenges: Having a website is not enough 5 year old websites need to upgraded Reputation Management Your online identity is determined not only by what you post, but also by what others post about you whether a mention in a blog post, a photo tag or a reply to a public status update, - Google
The Internet, web 2.0 and the tourism industry Having just a website is not enough Be present on third party sites and online distributors Monitor your web presence and what people are saying about your business Ensure that your website caters to the needs of your customers Respond to your reviews
Initial assessment of my website
Initial assessment of my website Ask yourself: 1. Can I find my business on the Internet? Do a Google search 2. Visual design Professional, photos, video, newsletters 3. Functional and accessible Clear navigation, loads quickly, mobile friendly 4. What is my technology like? CMS, check email, book online, tracking and hosting 5. Online bookability Book Now with credit card clear, distribution integrated 6. Customer engagement social media outlets Trip Advisor and Google + Business, social media pages, contact details on every page
Top 10 tips for your website
Top 10 tips for your website 1. Keep it simple 2. Booking should be easy 3. Omit needless words 4. Keep your welcome blurb clear and simple, don t use more space than necessary 5. Ensure that you have clear navigation around the your site 6. Ensure every page has a search box 7. Always highlight the current location 8. Provide current imagery with people in them 9. State clear benefits in your text and provide a clear point of differentiation 10. Be personable and lively Source: Steve Krug Don t Make Me Think
Website visual design and content Your website is like your shopfront, and first impressions count. Consider your branding throughout. Ensure it is easy to use for your customers. Frustrated customers will go somewhere else. A good content management system and good original design is vital.
Website Mobile Site or Mobile Application
Website, mobile website, mobile applications (Apps) Static Website Standard website designed to be optimal for desktop internet Dedicated Mobile Website Gives mobile users the ultimate experience in browsing on their mobile devices Mobile App Application you can download and install on your mobile device
Best practises for mobile sites 13
Best practises for mobile sites 14
Best practises for mobile sites 15
Tools to easily create mobile versions of your website www.dudamobile.com 16
Search Engines
Search Engines Why Search Engines? Market share Global (Desktop): Google 83% Bing 5.63% Yahoo 8.08% Market share Global (Mobile): Google 81.02% Bing 3.21% Yahoo 7.25% You Tube is the second largest search engine in the world and is owned by Google
Search Engines How Do Search Engines Work Search Engines use robots to crawl you site. The robots: Understand what your website and business are about Index all your web pages in their database List your website s pages on the first page of results when a potential visitor enters keywords that describe your product Increase targeted visitation to your website and eventually grow your bottom line 19
Search Engine Optimisation What Do I Need to Know? Search Engine Optimisation takes time. Search Engine Optimisation and Web Design are two different professions. Questions for SEO professionals: Are you small business specialists? Can you provide case studies and detailed outcomes? Ask for a clear list of services. Ask them how you will measure effectiveness. Be cautious if the company says they will guarantee number 1 rankings or that they will submit your site to numerous search engines. Neither of these are guaranteed.
Converting a prospect to a guest
Converting a prospect to a guest 1. Ensure you have a functional and modern design 2. Content 3. Place a call to action button in as many places as possible 4. Easy to check out and online booking system 5. Ensure contact details are on every page
Managing your online reputation
Online Reputation Management Your online identity is determined not only by what you post, but also by what others post about you whether a mention in a blog post, a photo tag or a reply to a public status update, - Google
Online Reputation Management Common websites that allow reviews for travel: Tripadvisor Google + Truelocal Yelp Cruise Critic Facebook and other social media outlets allowing experience sharing
Online Reputation Management Monitoring what is being said Google Alerts You can monitor what people are saying about you on the internet. Includes: Press coverage Reviews Your own site Trip Advisor
Online Reputation Management Replying to reviews 1. Respond to both positive and negative reviews Silence is consent Shows you are serious about your business and customer service You can often turn into a positive customer service experience. 2. Assess your goals for negative comments Change their view Rebutt Learn about how to improve your business. 3. Criticism Legitimate or Fake? Be transparent and honest If true, don t ignore or hide and issue a statement addressing what has been done If false, respond professionally and politely ask for the comment to be removed.
Get Connected (ATDW) and NSW Connect (TXA)
What is Get Connected? Get Connected is Destination NSW s website membership program. Membership is open to all tourism operators within New South Wales Get Connected members gain access to an internet based system, the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) The Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) is a central content and distribution platform for the Australian tourism industry. By listing a product once in the ATDW database, you will benefit from being listed on Destination NSW s consumer website and through ATDW's extensive distribution network. 29
ATDW Content Flow 30
Benefits to listing with Get Connected/ATDW Cost effective online marketing Easy one off listing for multiple distribution Have control of your content Update anytime Listed on www.visitnsw.com Listed on the popular www.australia.com and over 60 different websites 31
Digital Distribution from Get Connected/ATDW 32
Your product listing Descriptions Images and Videos Geo-coded, Map ready Location and Contact details Social Media Links Quality Assurance Memberships 33
Exercises & Resources
Exercises Write down 5 words that you think your customers use to search for your business. When you go back to the office look at your website, at each page and see if these words are present anywhere. Do you currently read your reviews? How would you manage a negative review about your property or product? Do you have a listing on the ATDW?
RESOURCES USEFUL LINKS https://adwords.google.com/o/keywordtool Use this tool to explore the keywords most relevant to your product http://www.ret.gov.au/ntaf For general information about T-QUAL accreditation http://atdw.com.au/ For information on the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse and current distributors http://getconnectedregister.dnsw.com.au/getconnected.asp Get Connected/ATDW registration page http://www.atdw.com.au/tourismekit.aspx Tourism e-kit free digital educational tutorials for the tourism industry in Australia
Tourism E-Kit tutorials Initial Website Assessment Tutorial 2 Internet & Web 2.0 Tutorial 11 Mobile Websites Tutorial 13 & 14 Website, Mobile Site or Mobile Application Tutorial 17B Search Engines 101 Tutorial 19 Converting a Prospect Tutorial 24A ATDW Tutorial - Tutorial 31 37
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