Marketing Tourism Online, Part One: The Basics
This is part one of an article series which will introduce some basic strategies, considerations, elements, and techniques for marketing tourism products online. We plan to update and refine these articles as situations change and when we have new knowledge to present. If you have comments or questions, or you are interested in Leave Home's travel marketing consulting services, please visit www.Leave-Home.com or contact the author directly. You can also request to be notified when a new article in the series is available.
OPPORTUNITIES AND ROOM TO IMPROVE
While most tourism organizations are by now familiar with the Internet, far fewer have really gained an understanding of the technologies, new resources, new communication opportunities, and the requirements that they represent. These tips and explanations should prove a useful introduction.
While new technologies provide new opportunities, they don't change the basics of marketing: people, product, price, promotion, and distribution. Know your target markets, understand their purchase decision processes, and offer them the right product, at the right time, for the right price--and correct your course continually.
SHAPING THE PURCHASE DECISION PROCESS AND THE TOURISM EXPERIENCE
Your online communication with customers can be used to shape outcomes in the following circumstances and stages, in relation to a potential tourist's purchase decision and tourism experience. Good communication can:
- Build awareness of a product or destination, and reshape existing perceptions;
- Generate interest;
- Provide information to turn interest into desire;
- Transact the actual purchase or series of purchases;
- Provide reassurance of a good purchase and offer preparatory information for the actual tourism experience;
- Continue to provide information, shape perception, and improve the experience during the tourist's journey;
- Aid and deepen memories after the tourism experience;
- Build upon your relationship to your customer, to add value for both you and the tourist; and
- Encourage referrals and generate repeat business.
There are different goals to achieve and appropriate methods of communication for each of these circumstances. Adding further complexity is the fact that different people (family members, friends, co-workers, etc.) may be involved and have varying importance at different stages of one purchase decision!
IN CONCLUSION
Despite these complexities, there are some basic guidelines which will help you communicate and market effectively online. The next in this series of articles presents advice for attracting visitors to your website.
(Seattle, USA; August 2004)
About The Author
Bryan Wilson is a travel marketing consultant and partner in Leave Home Productions. Leave Home Productions provides marketing services and tools to tourism-related businesses and organizations. Our clients benefit from strategies, tools, and creative concepts developed to clarify their needs, make use of their resources, and help them achieve their goals. We specialize in promotions, online communication, distribution and the creation of multimedia and Internet tools. Leave Home also supports marketing with traditional media formats and personal communication. We work to develop solutions that support healthy growth for our clients' business and sustainable tourism for the host communities and environments.
(Leave Home, tourism marketing consultants)
Latest News
Nationwide Credit Card Processing Provider, BankCard USA, Engages ... MarketWatch - "Internet marketing is a large source of revenue for many businesses today," notes Alan Griefer, President of BankCard USA. "Click-fraud is more prevalent ... |
Reply.com Launches World's First Marketplace for Enhanced Clicks(TM) MarketWatch - "We are on a mission to make Internet marketing available to businesses of any size by making it easy and profitable to generated locally-targeted and ... |
Tripology Appoints Internet Marketing and Lead Gen Expert to Board ... PR Web (press release), WA - "His success as an entrepreneur and innovator in the field of online lead generation and internet marketing means he's done this before. ... |
 Boston Globe | Retailers rejoice: Cyber Monday sales figures rise Los Angeles Times, CA - "All online retailers are doing much more aggressive marketing," said Bernard Luthi, vice president of marketing and merchandising at Newegg, which offered ... Video: Online Retailers See Monday As Black Friday Consumers Benefit from a Frenzy of Around-the-Clock Online Shopping Online Retailers Dangle Free Shipping, Discounts |
Pontiflex Launches ROI Calculator, Enables Marketers to Easily ... MarketWatch - The calculator empowers online marketers and advertising agencies to proactively assess returns on their marketing dollars. This is useful especially in a ... |
Business road warrior opts for Internet marketing to keep family first DeSoto Appeal, TN - Around late April, Stephenson launched an Internet marketing company. Memphis Sudden Values could be coming to an inbox near you. "What I do is help local, ... |
As a Busy Mum of Three, Daniele Launched Her Successful Internet ... PR Web (press release), WA - Daniele started her Business following the Internet Marketing techniques taught in a course. Working from home on an Internet-based business is ideal when ... |
Zeer Announces Formation of Advisory Board MarketWatch - He has spent the bulk of his career in strategic marketing and consulting roles, and has been involved in Internet strategy since the early 1990s. ... |
 Internet Marketing News | Is the internet marketing future mobile? Business Feet, UK - Internet marketing gurus may have to learn how to make their adverts miniature in future, if the latest trends are anything to go by. ... 'Now is the time to address mobile online marketing' |
The new age Internet marketing consultants Live-PR.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - Ever since the internet has become a source for business, the role of internet marketing consultants has become two fold. While the primary one still is to ... |
Resources
-
Power Profit Marketing
Empowering The Internet Marketing Community With Great Marketing Tools, Manuals & Software
-
35 Products For One LOW Price!
Get 35 Internet Marketing Products For The Price Of One!
-
Make money on the Internet
How to make money on the Internet through Internet Marketing and work from home
-
The Internet Marketing Master Plan!
How To Turn Your Passion or Hobby Into a $100,000 a Year Money Machine on the Internet.
-
The Truth About Internet Marketing.
Discover the astonishing whole truth and nothing but the truth about Internet Marketing!
-
NEW -- Marketing, Internet Marketing, email Marketing, Marketing plan, direct
Marketing, joint vent
Offers Marketing tools, tips, strategies and techniques for Internet, email, direct and joint venture Marketing.
-
The Esuccess Code - A Step By Step Guide.
Newest, Hottest, Most Cutting-Edge Internet Marketing Strategies You Can Use To Earn A Fortune With Little Or No Effort.
-
Internet Business Marketing - Sen Ze's Mini-Encyclopedia Of Low-Cost, High-Profit Internet Business
Discover 19 Top Internet Businesses as practised by Top Internet Marketers and Internet Entrepreneurs from around the world.
-
Internet Marketing - Pro Shop.
Internet Marketing.
-
Web Site Design and Development
Web site design, development, and promotion guide for business and Internet Marketing web sites.