Home-Based Travel Agent - September 2007 - (Page 21)

FOR THE AGENT that supports the technology you will be using (ASP, PHP, etc.).You don’t want to switch hosting companies later if you don’t have to. Identify Your Audience and Plan the Site How will people get to your site? How familiar are they with you? What do they need to see to differentiate your services from the competition? Creating audience profiles and outlining what the sales cycle process is will help communicate to the various vendors what elements you will need on your site now and in the future. You will know the path your audience will take when they come to your site; this helps with search engine optimization. Also, you will be able to choose a platform that best fits your needs and grows with you as your site develops. Don’t make assumptions. Create a clear path that outlines your audience’s steps in their decision-making process. If you simply need a four-page site to sell your audience, you can go with an outof-the-box solution. But if you need 3-D tours, you should hire a web design firm. I User research: create three audience profiles, develop personal, demographic, webography habits, favorite sites, etc. I Information architecture: What site path do they need to take to see the value in your services? I Interaction of design: Do they need a tour of a resort, or will static images be enough? I User needs: How does your user approach the task of selecting a destination, and what will they need to see once they are on your site? Don’t assume all the cool Web 2.0 elements are of value to your audience. Clearly identifying your audience and what steps they need to make the decision to book with you up front will give you an idea of what experience your site needs to provide them with.This will help you to outline what your needs are in choosing a vendor and what compromises you can or cannot make with the design, with respect to your budget. Choose a Company When it comes to building your site there are a variety of options. Internet Domain Registrar and Web Hosting Companies Three of the better-know are Go Daddy (www.godaddy.com), Net Firms (www.net firms.com) and Network Solutions (www. networksolutions.com). Their pros: I You do not have to go to multiple companies for domain registration, ecommerce solutions, design and hosting. I Lower upfront cost. I Sites can be built with little or no design skills and can be up in as little as a day. I You do not have to have a dedicated web developer. I It’s easy to make frequent updates. I They’re ideal if you are not looking for a lot Flash or other dynamic features. and their cons: I Sites are templated; you have the potential to have a very similar site to others in your industry. I Potential lack of industry knowledge or research in the design. I Sites can get a little less professional looking as you “play” with the templates. I You must find out: Can you use an outside vendor to optimize the site? Can their platform be built on? I Customer support: How responsive are they and what are the hours they are available to help you? Where are they located? Continued on page 22 SEPTEMBER 2007 Home-BasedTravelAgent 21 http://www.godaddy.com http://www.netfirms.com http://www.networksolutions.com http://www.netfirms.com http://www.networksolutions.com http://www.joystar.com http://www.joystar.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home-Based Travel Agent - September 2007

Contents Editor's Note - Last-Minute Travel Publisher's Note - Communication is Key Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight Your Technology Industry News Hot Deals Home-Based Networking Preventing Legal Woes Destinations: Turkey Cover Story: Walking Ireland Destinations: Caribbean Destinations: Boston Cruises: Forecast Hotels Tours New Products

Home-Based Travel Agent - September 2007

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