Travellers are becoming increasingly confident researching and
booking their holidays online. It is therefore almost essential
that you have an online presence. If your customers can't find you
online, there's a good chance they'll go elsewhere.
Beyond your website and other online listings, travellers will
also be looking for testimonials and references from other
travellers that are now freely available online, through your own
website, or from social networking websites and online travel
forums.
Over two thirds of all travellers now read reviews online prior
to booking. These comments and recommendations from fellow
travellers can have a big influence on travel decisions for some
travellers, so operators need to be aware of social networks and
what is being said about their organisation online.
Listing online
There are a number of websites that allow tourism businesses to
list their products, along with contact details, photos and booking
information.
It is free to list on Tourism New Zealand's travel website www.newzealand.com. By registering free on this
site, you'll be connecting with the more than 100,000 travellers
that visit the site every year.
This website provides a range of resources for travellers to
help them find out more about New Zealand and book and plan a New
Zealand holiday. All of Tourism New Zealand's international
advertising activity directs consumers to this website.
Operators can also extend their listings to display on our
travel trade website - www.traveltrade.newzealand.com. Register
online now.
Most Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) have operator
listings on their websites. Contact your local RTO to find out how
to get listed. A list of RTO contacts is available on the Tourism Strategy Group's website.
If you are a member of Qualmark you will also get a free
listing on Qualmark's website - www.qualmark.co.nz.
Travellers are more satisfied with operator websites
that are easy and simple to use."
Developing your website
Our Distribution Channel Research shows that many travellers
prefer to book online through an operator website and this will
only increase as consumers around the world become more confident
using online channels.
Travellers are more satisfied with operator websites that are
easy and simple to use, with appropriate information about the
product, its pricing and how to book, and that offer secure online
payment facilities.
Developing a website will require some upfront and ongoing
costs. Websites don't have to be expensive and flashy, but getting
assistance from an expert will help ensure you build the right
website. You will need to register a domain name, think about
hosting, design and development, and ongoing maintenance, as well
as what goes on your site.
Just like designing an effective brochure, your website needs to
reflect the personality of your business and clearly communicate
what your product is and its point of difference. Use plenty of
images (but make sure these are low resolution so they will
download quickly), clearly show your industry accreditations such
as your Qualmark
quality and Enviro-assured logos, and make it easy for customers to
find contact details, pricing and booking information.
There are a number of other websites (see Find Out More)
that provide advice on developing a website for your business and
that can suggest low cost or free ways to enhance your existing
website. Check out your local bookstore or library, or do an online
search for more resources.
Once you are ready to start selling your product
offshore, you might want to think about making your website
available in languages other than English and adding the ability to
book and pay online in real-time. This may require integration with
your booking systems, so seek the advice of website
professionals.
Promoting your website
There's no point in having a website if your customers can't
find it. As well as promoting your website in your brochures and
advertising, and ensuring it is listed on other websites such as www.newzealand.com, you should think about
developing an online marketing strategy.
Many of the visitors to your website will (hopefully!) find your
website through a search engine search. Popular search engines
include www.google.com, www.search.yahoo.com, and www.bing.com. Look
online, in your bookstore or library or talk to your website
designers for advice on how to improve your search engine
rankings.
Online advertising can be a cost-effective way to reach a
targeted audience of customers online. This includes paid
advertising on other websites that will direct consumers directly
to your website for more information.
A number of tourism businesses are also using online social
networks - including Twitter and Facebook - to connect with
customers and promote their tourism businesses through these online
channels. The trick with being successful in social networking is
to publish the kinds of things that are of interest to your target
audience. Check out the News section of this website for
case studies and ideas for using social media and the Internet to
market your tourism business. Also see Delight Your Customers.
Did you know?
Tourism New Zealand's image library provides access to a huge
range of images of New Zealand. These can be used free of charge in
marketing material that promotes New Zealand offshore as a tourism
destination. Register and apply online at http://images.newzealand.com/