p34-35 tech featuer Apr17 14/4/09 12:37 Page 35
ttglive.com
websites knowledge
arm, spent £10,000 on its leisure-orientated
lowcostdeals.co.uk site with a local web
designer, but thousands more making it
work properly. The agency used Comtec and
Multicom for dynamic packaging.
Taking control of their pay-per-click
activity inhouse over the past year has
helped bookings increase “tenfold”, says
director Karen Allen.
Comtec’s Atolis solution was used by
Page-earners: the homepages of Gatestravel.co.uk, Indiaportfolio.co.uk, Pure360.com, Lowcostdeals.co.uk and Realholidays.co.uk White Horse Travel to set up two websites:
timeless-destinations.co.uk and white-
horse-travel.co.uk. Its CMS allows owner
firm taught us how to make pages, so it cost “The payment to Catch 22 was £5,000, Carol Moreton to update them regularly.
20% of what it could have done,” he says. for realholidays.co.uk and our India and
Another fan of local experts is Gates Travel Sri Lanka website, indiaportfolio.co.uk. For Research and invest
managing director Nick Chaloner, who spent optimisation on the Real Holidays website, So it appears that high street agents can har-
£5,500 on a recent upgrade. the cost was £1,600. ness the benefits of the web without break-
“We wanted rich information, games and “We are getting more people on our web- ing the bank. But while many agree it pays
blogs to keep people coming back,” he says. site and lots of enquiries from new clients.” dividends to invest, they all recommend
“The web firm is around the corner, so we spending time to find the right technology
met regularly. Content management partners to avoid expensive mistakes.
“We want customers booking face to face, Haslemere Travel recently revised its
as we tailor-make long-haul holidays.” website, following a major rebrand in 2005.
Upmarket Harrogate agency Traveltalk The revamp tweaked its “sub-brands”,
TECH THEIR ADVICE
spent £2,500 upgrading its site, which has while a new CMS (content management
generated that amount extra in commissions system) allows them to be updated quickly.
Neil Hardy, head of ecommerce,
The Co-operative Travel Group
within a year – plus an unquantifiable Managing director Gemma Antrobus
“The key for us is joined-up strategy – what’s on the
boost to the agency’s “gravitas”, according to says: “Our website isn’t, nor will it ever
website is in the shops. Don’t get carried away with costs.
partner David Sutcliffe. be, bookable. It showcases our in-depth You can get a decent website for £2,000. Evaluate your
He used local firm Extreme Creations knowledge and inspires people.
site with free tools from Google [Analytics, Webmaster,
because it allowed them to talk face to face “We have seen vast interest directly
Ad Words] or cheap services such as clickdensity.”
to understand the agency’s needs. relating to the experiences, news items,
Dan Caplin, director, Click with Technology
Islington agency Real Holidays used event info and exclusive offers. One lady
“Rather than making it clear why someone should book a
several experts: Catch 22 Marketing who lives hundreds of miles away found particular holiday , you need to show them why they need
for search engine optimisation; Venus one of our experiences using Google and
to book it with you. Demonstrate expertise and make sure
Communications for programming; and signed up for a Finland tour.”
there are clear messages to book. Grab details as soon as
you can so you can start to build a relationship. Rather than
Pure360.com for e-newsletters. Balancing luxury leisure with business
suggesting they call a number to discuss further, encourage
Senior travel consultant Sarah Williams travel was the challenge for Giles Travel,
them to fill out a form so you have their contact details.”
says: “Looking at Google Analytics, compar- which employed Media Hawk to modernise
ing January 1-March 18 to the same dates its site.
Kenny Picken, managing director, Traveltek
last year, we have had an extra 1,276 visits Managing director Mandy Giles says:
“Identify great-value offers at key properties and
feature them prominently on your websites. Focus
– 18% – to our site from organic searches “Changes to the business site have seen
pay-per-click activity to these hand-picked deals and
on Google. Clients getting to our site from initial traded business increase by £500,000
success will follow.”
searches for “tailor-made holidays” increased since launch.”
from two in 2008 to 212. Aspen Travel, which also has a business
Andy Boyce, founder, Travology
“Have content-rich websites – videos, blogs, maps, local
information and customer feedback. Allow customers
to search by things they want, rather than departure date
Useful contacts or nights – family-friendly hotels, near beaches with
evening entertainment. Use technology to automate
booking processes.”
■ atolis.com ■ genesys.net ■ traveltek.net
■ catch22marketing.com ■ mediahawk.co.uk ■ travology.ltd.uk
Paul Richer, senior partner, Genesys, and author
■ clickdensity.com ■ multicom.co.uk ■ venus.co.uk
of 2009-10 Travel Agency Technology Review
■ clickwt.com ■ pure360.com ■ verticalgroup.co.uk
“Specialists attract far more new visitors than generalist
websites, unless you have a huge marketing budget.■ comtec-group.com ■ sputnikinternet.com ■ zeus.com
Spend time finding websites that give you links back to
■ dolphind.com ■ trailstream.com
yours – get an article on a PR website or persuade
■ extreme-creations.co.uk ■ traveltainment.co.uk
tourism authorities to link to your site.”
17.04.2009 35
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