Sue Ward

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Marketing online offline Implications
Opportunities for the small Tourism Operator

• Sue Ward
• Northern Ireland Tourist Board
• www.nitb.com

Kieran Swail Global Travel Training Ltd
www.globaltraveltraining.com
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The Situation
50 of all visitors to N Ireland use the web to
find out information about the destination before
they travel. Travel is the second most searched
for subject on the web. A web presence has moved
from being a nice-to-have to being a
need-to-have
The Complication
Web users are by nature impatient, demanding
and unforgiving. If you build a good site,
users may come but if they only visit once, you
lose.
The Question
How do we better service the 50 who already use
the web and how do we encourage the other 50
to put NI into the search box?
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Agenda running order

• ?Overview Introduction the web marketing
• ?Health Warning more than just a web
  presence
• ?Linking to other marketing tools
• ?Be part of a bigger team
• ?Key messages to take away

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The web today

• How many are online?
• What is a web presence?

• What is online marketing?
• What is possible?

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How many are online?

• 34 million users in the UK over 2 million in
  Ireland by end of 2004 (clickZ May04)
• 290 million active at-home internet users
  worldwide in July 2004

• Travel is the No.1 e-commerce industry in US
• 30 of UK leisure travel market sales will be
  made online by 2009

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What is online marketing?

• A host of ideas and propositions and more than
  just building a website
• Partners and links
• E-mail marketing
• Online PR viral marketing
• Tracking user / customer buying behaviour

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What is online marketing?
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What is a web presence?

• Having your own website
• Homepage on a consortium website -
• www.carlingford.ie
• Arrangement with an online travel company -
  www.expedia.co.uk
• Listing with an operator or travel directory -
  www.irelandhotels.com
• Link/picture on Regional Tourism Website
  - www.newryandmourne.gov.uk
• Link/picture on National Tourist Board Website
  - www.discovernorthernireland.com
  www.tourismireland.com

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The www comes with a Health Warning

• Web user Profile - Two types of segments
• Young whiz-kids to silver surfers / wizards to
  immigrants

People make instantaneous judgments about
whether to stay on a site, and if a site doesn't
the give the right first impression, users will
bypass it
Web users are picky and impatient, typically
visiting only the first three results from a
query

• Customer segments who are they what do they
  want

A page has to be well-designed, easy to load and
relevant to a searcher's needs."
You must make it easy. Web users want to Look,
Plan and Book with varying degrees of urgency
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Purchase Funnel
Active Planning
Purchase
Loyalty
Interest
Intent
Intend to go on holiday to NI at sometime in
future
Holiday- makers who are re-visiting Ireland
Intend to go on holiday to NI in next 3 years
Holiday- makers to the island of Ireland
Intend to go To NI in next 12 months
Making it easy every step of the way
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The www comes with a Health Warning

• First Impressions
• Website must be more than a brochure on-line
• Minimum requirements and standards apply
• The length of a web year shorter all the time
• USP x 2
• Content is king
• Best Practice
• Your site must be effective, efficient and answer
  a need
• Call to action
• Look ? plan ? book
• Avoid Confusion Marketing

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The www comes with a Health Warning

• Netiquette become net savvy
• Permission based marketing
• Use direct mail use it well allow
  disengagement
• Pop ups a no-no
• Privacy Policy / Anti Spam legislation / Secure
  Server Display

Users still suspicious give reassurance
options
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What is possible?

• How does online marketing help small tourism
  businesses grow?
• New Markets New Customers
• Better CRM Professional Image
• Competitive Edge Collaborate
• Segment Track
• Review Respond

66 of American users believe that e-Tourism
websites provide better service than travel agents
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Links to other marketing tools

• Push and pull strategies
• PR and Promotional Calendar
• Advertising and sponsorship of events

• Word of mouth sell your USPs
• Your name www.brilliantweekends.com
• We specialize in driving test holidays!
• A complimentary pint of Guinness on arrival
• Ensure your web address is on all off-line
  materials
• SEO PPC

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Be Part of a Bigger Team .dont go it
alone
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The whole is bigger than the sum of the
parts

• Where do you fit in the bigger picture
• Links and relevance to NITB TI strategy

Signature Projects Giants Causeway Area Titanic /
Maritime Belfast The Walled City of
Derry Christian Heritage / St. Patrick The
Mournes National Park Area
Choose your Segments
Winning Themes Short breaks Excellent
Events Business Tourism Activity Tourism Culture
/ Heritage Tourism
Choose your Markets
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Support and Advice

• Signposts
• www.nitb.com
• www.investni.com
• www.tttni.com
• www.nkifhe.ac.uk/tourism4me
• www.tourismireland.com

• Resources
• www.webpronews.com
• www.e-marketingnews.co.uk
• www.wilsonweb.com
• www.globaltraveltraining.com
• www.searchengineworld.com

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Final Thoughts web perspective

• Cost, Legislation Security issues
• No 1 size fits all strategy ? Web is one tool
  (m-Commerce)
• Embedding a customer-centric approach
• Embracing new forms of communication ? economic
  reality
• Simplify the task for visitors
• walk a mile in their shoes / Make it easy every
  step of the way
• Ask for help
• Take action to improve or update your e-presence
• Include calls to action and rewards
• Use the web as a learning tool

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Key Messages Marketing perspective

• Consumer buying patterns are changing
• N Ireland is a very small place
• work together for bigger impact
• Dont ignore tourism trends
• Simplify the task for visitors
• walk a mile in their shoes
• Make it easy every step of the way

On-line Marketing, when used well -- Is a
segment focused selling channel- Helps develop a
strong brand- Offers superior customer service
with tailored personalised offers