Travel Agent - August 27, 2007 - (Page 19) Members of the travel trade—who historically haven’t been considered early adopters, either due to resistance or lack of time—should be aware of these trends, as such applications are an all-in-one way to differentiate, market and sell, which is becoming increasingly important as people continue to turn to the Internet for their travel needs. “The secrets that travel agents used to have are now out there for everybody to see, so if someone is not paying attention to these technology advances, they’re missing the boat,” says Scott Hyden, president of STA Travel North America, which has established a virtual office in the online world of the Second Life web site. To make sure your site is up to speed, you can choose to apply simple Web 2.0 applications, like blogging, or more advanced tools, like STA did in establishing a virtual office on Second Life, or somewhere in between. Launching a Blog Earlier this year, Carnival Cruise Line’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, Vicki Freed, launched her blog, VickiLovesTravelAgents.com. On it, she writes about Carnival’s latest promotions (like movie-musical Hairspray-themed events on ships), shares guests’ comments and asks agents for feedback about how Carnival is doing. “I read Bill Marriott’s [of Marriott Hotels] blog and that’s what got me thinking—if he’s got a blog, I can have a blog,” Freed recalls of the decision behind the launch. “He just writes a paragraph, and yet he’s developing community.” Freed says her blog so far has been well received. A recent entry about a new direct marketing program called “Carnival Targeter” garnered 21 comments from readers, including suggestions on how the initiative could better serve agents. Freed also takes the time to respond to questions posted in the comment section of the blog. “I encourage agents to keep their own blog,” she says. “It’s letter writ- ing, it’s e-mail, and it’s a newsletter, all bundled up into one little piece. It allows travel agents to really stay in touch with their clients and keep a connection. The number one reason people check out other agencies is because they say, ‘No one paid attention to me.’ Having a communication tool like a blog can make a difference.” You can check with your web designer about adding blog capabilities to your existing web site, or you could set up a blog for free at a site like Blogger or Wordpress. However, note that a blog requires consistent upkeep to be effective. “I have a lot of fun with the blog, but I’m not going to say it hasn’t been a lot of work, because it certainly has,” Freed says. Establishing a blog and then letting it fall to the wayside could communicate the wrong message to clients, says Greg Kott, president and CEO of Passport Online, a technology company that provides online tools to agencies so their web sites are more robust. “Blogs are a good example of a Web 2.0 application that may or may not have immediate value to an agent,” Kott says, who recently unveiled Passport Online’s booking portal for Vacation.com, EZ Guider. “Some put blog software on their web site and then don’t use it. That gives a bad impression.” Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Carnival Cruise Line opinions about different travel destinations, based on Wikipedia, the collaborative online encyclopedia. Allowing for user-generated content on your site, such as providing a forum section or allowing past guests to comment on itineraries, has a tremendous use in the agency world, as it’s an easy way to get client feedback. “That’s a real area of emphasis for us,” Kott says. “All agencies want to differentiate themselves and that’s a great way to do it.” It’s a form of Web 2.0 technology that the folks at CruisingCo.com launched as recently as two weeks ago, as part of a larger web site redesign. “The model we wanted was for our sites to have past guest reviews and more information so that people who are looking around for say, travel insurance, type that into Google and our site comes up,” says Chet McDoniel, director of technology for the site, which also includes MouseEarVacations.com. McDoniel adds that such a site is more user-friendly than a site that an agency uses solely for customers to get quotes. “It’s about attracting people,” he says. Once a customer reaches the site, then CruisingCo gets into what McDoniel calls their concierge service to further help the company to stand out online. “CruisingCo has to differentiate, otherwise we’d get Continued on page 20 Building a Web Community Another notable application of Web 2.0 technology is user-generated content, like TripAdvisor’s “wiki” feature, which allows users to post comments and Getting On the Information Superhighway I “Web 2.0” tools can help create community with clients I Look to online initiatives established by suppliers and larger agencies for inspiration I Social networking can be a great way to get word-of-mouth buzz going about your business August 27, 2007 TravelAgent 19 http://VickiLovesTravelAgents.com http://CruisingCo.com http://MouseEarVacations.com http://MouseEarVacations.com
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