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Bespoke client portals changing travel and meetings technology
FOREVER... Martin Coleman - ABC Connection
These factors are driving Hotel Booking Agents (HBAs), Travel Management Companies (TMCs) and Event Management Companies (EMCs) to create and deploy customer interfaces - or portals - to meet their specific client’s needs, and stay ahead of the competition.
Manage information: Portals have to be able to make sense of user behaviour Real-time insights based on context and true customer preferences helps to guide customers towards relevant information, services and products.
Highlight the bigger picture: To connect customers with relevant information, next-generation portals are an excellent tool for developing a vital understanding of customers’ buying and browsing habits, social networking and more. By demonstrating a thorough understanding of customers’ needs and objectives, an Agency can provide a satisfying user experience, relevant content and value- added services. So the portal enables the Agency to attract and retain more customers.
Very few Agencies currently offer bespoke client-facing portals and miss the opportunity to broaden their client sales and marketing relationships and increase the lifetime value of the account. But here’s the thing. Any
HBA, TMC or EMC can deliver information in an engaging yet innovative way using a bespoke portal technology solution, which can become indispensable to its customers.
Key requirements
Profile customers: A portal must recognise a customer’s preferences, track their activities and maintain real-time profiles based on that data.
Deliver information in context: This makes for happy customers, while providing up-selling opportunities. The experience also has to be a rich one, covering multiple applications including computers and mobile devices.
extended, complementary services.
Ever-changing, more dynamic interfaces often provide users with what they want before they even know they need it!
• Know thy customer: study how customers use the web and what they need and want, then use it to refine and validate each of your portal-use scenarios to ensure that the client receives only the information and booking / request processes they require.
• The business case: set achievable business goals based on one or more of your high-priority scenarios.
• Start with a bang: build the ‘buzz’ around the new portal, and what it’s offering, to drive high levels of staff adoption immediately on launch.
• Measure performance: calculate the return on investment and use this rationale to continue
investing in individual client portal capabilities.
Play to social networks
Smart organisations are following their customers on social networks. Over half of all travellers’ (business and leisure) buying decisions are influenced by other people’s opinions.
The portal payoff
Meeting customer needs effectively enables HBAs, TMCs and EMCs to help themselves. ABC Connection can deliver
event calendars, blog capability and security tools as part of its client- facing portal solutions. These new portal technologies can increase customer satisfaction and retention levels.
Client-facing Portals (CfP) Create your bespoke client-facing portals in under
an hour. This leading-edge technology solution can be utilised for meetings, conferences, group travel and requests for accommodation
User Defined Content (UdC) Build your own bespoke content suite using this
automated publishing technology. Delivers high quality, bespoke and up-to-date hotel and venue data, images and rich media.
Request for Meetings (RfM) Construct your own total meetings solution using
these state-of-the-art enterprise tools. Includes; global search of hotels and venues, online request, online client proposal, event confirmation and final reconciliation.
7 steps to the perfect portal
• Analyse the potential from these sites: based on best practices and objectives. This will be instrumental in creating ROI.
• Prioritise focus areas: based on one or more scenarios of how customers will use an advanced portal and how will this help to achieve business goals.
• Understand the market: ensure your approach meets or exceeds your competitors’ capabilities. Conside r potential partners, such as ABC Connection, to provide
Request for Proposal (RfP) Establish your annual and tactical RfP programme
utilising this dynamic online technology. This local to global solution enables bespoke client RFPs to be designed and deployed. Eliminates cumbersome spreadsheets.
Low cost, high quality technology solutions
+44 (0) 845 644 3895
www.abcconnection.com
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