travel masters

Over the last 10 years, the travel business scenario has changed significantly. Today selling travel products is all about ‘best’ rates. To sustain in the battle to offer the ‘best deal’ and ‘best fare’ to the consumers, travel business owners have been forced to reduce almost all of their possible profit margins.I still remember when a service fee of $6 was a norm across online sales of air tickets. Commissions and contracts were available to travel agents. Cancellation fee on hotels were healthy.The emergence of large online travel agencies changed the rules of the business across the globe. Fuel prices and global economic conditions added to the challenges of earning healthy margins. Travel became the most competitive business. Commissions dried up. Segment fees reduced and “no fee” became the new best seller.On the Travel Technology side, along with successful implementations, I have heard stories of many failures where travel businesses were not able to derive what they wanted from technology. Most of the time the key reasons for failure has been:Over ambitious technology goal on a constrained budget Lack of ‘competitive’ Travel Technology expertise Poor IT team and management, suffering from ‘over promise’ and ‘under deliver’ In this ecosystem, how could a travel business set about defining an effective Technology Strategy for itself?As a travel technologist, I have many motivations to say “buy my software”, but in my experience that’s not a good pitch. After carefully analyzing various successes and failures in the industry, here is what I feel I have learned:Step 1: Identify what Travel Technology you needWell, it is easier said than done. Most of the time not articulating the technology needs well is the biggest hurdle in Technology Strategy. As a travel business, here is what you could do to clearly articulate the need for technology.Pen down the technology needs of the organization as envisioned by the business owner / key management personnel Consult with people external to the organization such as technology consultants, Travel Technology companies, GDS account managers, CRS / Suppliers and Travel Technology bloggers Let a technology company interview you and recommend a solution. This is generally free most of the times. Pursuing one or more of these three exercises diligently will build enough knowledge base about what your internal Technology Strategy should be. Identify and validate these thoughts with inputs from internal operations and marketing teams.Step 2: Build vs. Buy?This is considered the most complex question. The answer lies in dividing Travel Technology needs in three buckets.ProprietaryCustomizedOut of the BoxWhat is proprietary?It is important to identify your differentiator as a travel business. Most of the time, proprietary defines a piece of technology which reduces OPEX corresponding to your business operations or is the biggest revenue generator corresponding to your business model.What is a customized need?Is there any part of your technology needs that could be sourced through an existing technology solution, customized per your need?What can be out of the box?This might be the most effort intensive part of your technology needs and may require a tremendous investment to build. Getting an out of the box solution that meets the majority of your requirements and configuring it as per your needs, is the ideal way. How to evaluate an out of the box solution is in itself a comprehensive process.Now we come to the next complex part of this exercise.Step 3: Identify the right budget and vendorIdentifying the right budget and the vendor is the most common shopping problem in every business sector. It takes a lot of time and energy to reach to a decision.Let’s compare technology acquisition to the decision of buying a laptop. There are many vendors to choose from. There are laptops priced from $300 to $3000. Your decision to buy would be shaped by the life of the laptop, and the continuity of business (your work) it will guarantee.Similarly, the continuity of your travel business would significantly depend on the Travel Technology you choose. That is why identifying the right budget, and the vendor is a complex decision.I would attempt to breakdown the process of identifying a vendor into simpler steps since just asking a vendor for a quote would not necessarily help find the right one.Expertise – Does the vendor has expertise in the travel business?Support & Servicing – Travel is a service business. Irrespective of whether the product is ‘off the shelf’ or is being built for you, longevity and promptness of support is critically important to maintain a personalized quality of service to your customers.Customization needed vs. Customizability -What is the future customizability of the software? (Applicable to both out of the box or custom built software) Whether customization done today decrease future cost of changing the technology? This is an important question to ask and seek answers to.Value Add – Another important evaluation parameter for selecting a vendor is to check what part /component of the software is available free of cost and would remain so in the future.Stability – Your guarantee of service to your customers depends on the stability of your vendor. It is important to seek answers to questions such as is the vendor going to be in business for long? How are you safeguarded if a vendor goes out of business?References – Who are the customers of the vendor? Can the vendor provide references?Maturity – Is the vendor’s organization a product oriented and innovation driven institution or do they survive by making money from one gig to another?Empathy – Does the vendor considers your business as their own? How willing is the vendor to empathize with your business challenges?Budgeting for technology is also a little challenging. It may be worthwhile to look beyond the onetime fee and understand all cost factors, including the cost of extended support the vendor may provide during your business life-cycle.Cost should also include additional overheads of implementing technology, especially when you are dealing with GDS or CRS / Consolidators. Budgeting done in partnership with a selected vendor often yields the best results.I have attempted to lay out a model that would help travel businesses shape their Technology Strategy.As always, I would happy to hear your experiences and views.

Protecting your expensive golf clubs is a top priority for most people, especially if they travel a lot. Good quality golf clubs can cost anywhere from $1000 onwards, and having them insured is one way of making sure nothing happens. But no matter how protective you are, while travelling if they get damaged your heart would break. Not only does money go to waste, but you will have to look at spending some more in buying new set of clubs, for you will need it to play the sport. It is best to invest in golf travel cases, which will come in handy while going from one town to the other. You could be on a short drive or a long distance flight, either ways, you will need the case to stop worrying.

Travel cases for our shoes, clothes, and even golf clubs is like an insurance preserving them and making sure they are taken care of. When going across the country on a holiday, we would require sturdy cases so we can put them in check in baggage. The cases need to be strong, with adequate space to hold the clubs, balls and tees, along with other accessories. Most cases also come with wheels, that help you strolling them around while out of your home, this also works in airports or at hotels or resorts.

The cases that are of good quality will come with a warranty, so keep this aspects in mind while going for case shopping. Just because a travel case looks good, doesn’t mean it is the right one, maybe take your golf clubs with you, try the case before making the final decision. Also there are two kinds of bags that are available in most stores, the ones that have soft interiors and others that have are hard and heavy. Decide on what kind of a bag you want, and check to see what the weight of the bag is. No point picking up one that looks good, and that is very heavy, you will spend time and energy moving it around wherever you go.

Based on the mode of travel you opt for , the case should be chosen. If you are one of those who love driving to your destination, make sure the club case is strong and does not break easy. However, if you are flying around the country most of the time, either on work or for pleasure, you need a case that is spacious and hard sided. This will only work when it is loaded with other baggage on the flight. Golf travel cases are usually bought only once, so it is wise to pick out one that will suit your needs and fits your budget as well. Also carry a smaller travel case, so you don’t have to transfer all your clubs every time you get away. Or one that can hold the basic clubs, couple of balls and a tee, which will be suffice for a short distance journey.

As you gain more experience in the realm of internet marketing, you will find out that the methods and techniques used by the experts aren’t that complicated at all. With articles like these, containing good information and tips on how to succeed, you can formulate a plan and experience true success via internet marketing.

Niche Related

Make sure the information you promote stays true to your own niche, otherwise you may inadvertently drive away customers. Make sure you let your readers know you understand what they are looking for!

Be Organized

You can add sections to your website and have one big hub, where people can come and view products. It’s important to remember to keep consistent structure to each section as well as a main page that sums up what readers can find on your website.

Give Solutions

Provide examples of problems that people are looking for a resolution to and very subtly, weave in your solution. This will make it very easy for the readers to find the product as soon as they are ready to make the purchase.

Interview The Source

Try to get a video or audio interview with a representative of the product you are selling. Question them on how and why they came up with a particular product. Make sure most your content is always quality information and include information on how to buy it

Know What Your Competition is Doing

Keep up to date on the various websites that offer services similar to yours. Browse the sites of businesses similar to yours, and make note of the things that aren’t as good as they could be. When you spot services that are lacking on other websites, emphasize these services on your website so you can stand out among your competition.

Time To Build

Once you have your domain and host in place and are ready to go the next step in your future internet marketing success, Implement your plan for the design of your website. You should consider your market and fashion the actual website accordingly. There are many tools available to assist you in designing your site.

Taking Care of Your Customer First

“Increase traffic” is the one high commandment of internet marketing, but maybe it shouldn’t be. Traffic is good, and more traffic is better, but never forget that satisfying customers is how you actually make money online. Do what you can to increase your website’s traffic without losing sight of the customers that actually pay for your bottom line.

Let Your Readers Decide

Don’t use pre-checked boxes on your sign up form. You may think this will bring you more subscribers but all it’s likely to do it annoy people. People who forget to uncheck it will be subject to your emails even if they don’t went them and they’re more like to be annoyed with you and stop coming back to you. You want people to sign up because they want see value – not because they were tricked.

Cross Advertize

If your business is engaged in advertising both on- and off-line, make sure your marketing strategies in the two spheres complement each other. An internet marketing plan should work with and enhance your other efforts in print or other media. Make sure your website points visitors towards your efforts in other media – and make sure your TV, radio and print ads mention your website.

K.I.S.S

Keeping your website simple and easy to navigate is an invaluable internet marketing tip. Most of the flashy tools like Microsoft Silverlight or Adobe Flash will be tempting, and also tend to be pushed by website designers. Website owners should realize that not all visitors will appreciate an abundance of technology and multimedia tools. A website should work well and serve its purpose, without resorting to lots of fancy devices.

Everybody Loves a Break

With the success of various coupon-based and money-saving reality shows, a great way you can capitalize on a popular trend in your marketing efforts is to actually write up coupons to advertise. Market some coupon codes that customers can enter at your site get a discount!

.Provide Help & Information Pages

No amount of internet marketing is going to coax people into buying your product if they don’t trust your business or your website. Provide potential buyers with the assurance they need by adding a privacy policy, a FAQ page, a Help page, an About Us page and any other informational section that defines your business as trustworthy and legitimate.

Google is King

You need to have your site listed with Google. Thousands upon thousands of people search on Google every single day so it is important that you know whenever someone is searching for something that your business provides.

Good Comment Plugin

An important tip regarding Internet marketing is to be sure that you include an option on your site for people to submit comments or suggestions. This is important because not only does it give you the advantage of having free feedback and suggestions, but it also allows your visitors to feel as though they have some control in their experience.

Tricks

Avoid spam, deceitful tricks, and scams. Doing business this way can be tempting at times, especially when the internet feels so anonymous, but they are not worth the potential loss. Tactics such as these might bring a short-term money gain, but they will ruin your reputation and could potentially destroy the business you have worked so hard to create.

Learn Basics Then Experiment

Internet marketing is not an exact science, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Something might work really well for one company, but not at all for another. Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to find the tips or tricks that will work for you. Educating yourself and trying different strategies will most certainly help you to find the greatest level of success.

Push Beyond Your Competition

Your competitors can increase your success in marketing by following their example. Watch how your competition is driving their business on the web. Utilize their tricks and ideas for your own enterprise. Your goal is to take their marketing ideas to the next level and push your enterprise to even higher success.

Keep Learning From The Experts

Marketing isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, obviously, but the good news is that you can market just like the experts once you learn the ropes. Use these tips to guide you along your path and you may just find that a successful business is much more obtainable than you once thought.