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tourism and travel in the digital era

Posted by simon ashwin On Friday 28 Mar 08

Even more so than the publishing and automotive industry, it’s the travel and tourism sector that’s been most affected by the expediential growth of the internet.

In particular, its Web 2.0 trends such as user generated content, communities of travelers, interactive experiences and Facebook Applications that are changing the way in which consumers’ research, plan and transact their travel experiences.

While developing a digital strategy for a travel client, I stumbled upon a statistic – over a quarter of all US travel related sales will be made online. That’s led to a huge shift in every aspect of running an organisation within the travel and tourism industry.

At a recent seminar, Travel & Tourism in the Digital Age, (staged by the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) at the KPMG Auditorium in Sydney), about eighty industry leaders and members attended to listen to four speakers, in what I believe was a good insight into the ways in which the web, technology and the travel industry are merging.

Some of the key challenges that are facing the sector are;

1.     User empowerment
2.     Users seem to be working it out faster than many businesses
3.     Lack of industry and overall business knowledge to help guide travel businesses: worst still, lots of hype.
4.     Retail discounters like wotif.com.au
5.     Unbranded discount travel

It’s obvious that key players in the travel and tourism industries are taking the lead with tackling these challenges - and those that don’t...

the business of social networking

Posted by simon ashwin On Monday 24 Mar 08

You’ve probably noticed a new buzz in the office. The watercooler is looking unloved and your staff seem to be happily spending more time on their PCs.

Has everyone stopped gossiping and decided hard work is the new rock’n'roll?

It’s unlikely. It’s much more likely that yet another office has fallen under the spell of social networking. You might have even overheard so-and-so saying they ‘Facebooked’ someone the other night.

But what does all this noise about social media and web 2.0 mean for your business?
It’s not just a short-lived craze but potentially something that will have a longer-term impact on how you interact with your staff.

The increasing popularity of social network sites such as Bebo and Facebook - both growing at a rate of knots - shouldn’t be ignored. If one member of staff creates a profile for themselves it won’t be long before there’s five more, and then 10 and then whole departments. And once all your staff are interacting online you’ll suddenly find you’re going to have to sign up too.

It’s not just a short-lived craze but potentially something that will have a longer-term impact on how you interact with your staff.

Employees have always had lives outside work but social networks are breaking down the barriers that separate these different threads. Private lives are going public - which means the relationship between employer and employee is changing, becoming more informal, more intimate.

This means it’s important to be open-minded. Exploits that might previously have only been tittered about in the...

7 essential tips: building a strong social media profile

Posted by simon ashwin On Wednesday 12 Mar 08

If you’re a new or not yet established brand, how should you use social media to build a reputation for yourself?
Apart from making sure your product/website is relevant to the social media channel, it is also useful to participate in social media communities as an end-user or brand representative.

What are some qualities which contribute to the growth and eventual popularity of a social media profile? Assuming that you aren’t a niche celebrity and don’t have a well-established brand name, what characteristics of your profile should you develop for maximum social media presence?

To uncover these factors, let’s take a look at social news communities, sites which allow their users to have editorial control over the popularity/visibility of content. Although I’m using social news as an example, note that the points I make apply to other social media channels such as networks, forums, blogs as well.

This article is not just for end-users or webmasters but businesses who want to learn how to start using social media to develop a stronger online reputation.

How to Build a Popular Social Media Profile: 7 Helpful Characteristics

These characteristics are no secret and they apply to both new social media users as well as already popular brands seeking to leverage the exposure that social media gives.

In my opinion, here are the 7 characteristics of a successful social media profile:

1. Strong Profile Visibility: Developing Brand Recognition

A good social media profile is...

what is web3.0?

Posted by simon ashwin On Wednesday 05 Mar 08

Lately I've been seeing a number of articles describing Web 3.0. Is Web 3.0 just another buzz word fueling the pundits and press or does it have some substance? One fallacy that is perpetuated by buzz words such as Web 2.0, 3.0 is the impression that the introduction of new technologies and approaches happens all at once negating prior technologies. In reality technology change is evolutionary. For example adding an improved consumer UI using AJAX or Flash to a Travel 1.0 platform may change aspects of the application to be more engaging, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the software is Travel 2.0 throughout its underlying code.

So what is Web 3.0?

A common mantra expressed around Web 3.0 is that software will be more pervasive, faster and cheaper to deploy. Web 3.0 applications will understand the semantics of Web sites enabling new levels of machine-to-machine communication. Personalization will filter information to deliver information that is more relevant to the consumer delivered on the device of there choice. Information itself will be dynamically generated reflecting the needs of the supplier to sell perishable inventory. With the travel industry still struggling to integrate Web 2.0 features and functionality (e.g. user generated content, new UIs using AJAX or Flash) the arrival of Web 3.0 will likely take some time to manifest itself in travel applications.

five ways to go green with your website

Posted by simon ashwin On Saturday 01 Mar 08

Earth Day and other initiatives build awareness of how we can work to save resources, reduce waste, and recycle what is already in use. As you build and develop your company’s website, here are some ideas to ‘Go Green’:

1. Offer email sign-ups as an alternative to traditional mailings. Give Customers an option on how they receive sale notices, coupons and special offers. A registration for email notices that would replace paper snail mail is a winning solution for both the company and the customer.

2. Report Green programs in your industry. No one knows your industry better than you, so who better to report on what is happening in the areas of reduction and recycling initiatives? This reinforces the brand as a thought leader and builds customer loyalty.

3. Partner Up. Many companies now have philanthropic partnerships and Green solutions in place – or building. Feature these on your website. A paper supplier can provide information on the work it does with a tree farm, bringing possible customer donations to the same good works. Matching schemes and other support should be showcased.

4. Give Green Options. Customers are becoming more and more savvy about Earth-friendly products, so highlighting them on your website or even on a microsite can be a smart tactic. Products made with recycled material like recycled paper, or produced in a responsible manner can all be big draws.

5. Link It. Providing links to Green initiatives is a lo-cost and straightforward way to highlight a company’s stance. For...

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