If%20you%20need%20a%20web%20site%20or%20have%20one

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If you need a web site or have one

• Strategies and Guidelines for Good Web Site
  Management

Marilyn J Macallair Vice President Business
Development
Passport Online, Inc. 9786 SW Nimbus Avenue,
Beaverton OR 97008 Phone [phone] FAX
503-626-8676 www.passportonlineinc.com -
sales_at_passportonlineinc.com
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Questions???

• How many have a web site?
• How many think their web site is working well for
  them?
• Do you have enough content?
• Do you update it?
• Do you have time to manage your web site?
• How important is your web site?

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It should be mighty important

• Web site strategy should be an integral part of
  your overall marketing plans
• Direct mail Engagement
• Newspaper advertising/yellow pages
• Consumer shows and fairs
• Email marketing AgentNet Engagement
• Overall promotion of your brand

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Why do you need a web site?

• Because everyone else has one (close to 80 of
  travel agencies)
• To stay competitive
• To grow your business with your existing client
  base
• Add new customers

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Case Studies

• Gary Davis, All About Travel said
• close to 50 of my business (20m in leisure
  sales) originates from electronic communications,
  my web site or emails that have a call to
  action.
• the sale may not be booked online but it is
  definitely qualified on line.
• www.allabouttravelusa.com

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For Greg Burgess Beach Hut Vacations

• Another Vcom member with 1M in sales having a
  web site is essential to his business
• Email is the key driver. I participate in any
  and all special supplier emails that are
  available thru Vcom at no cost
• Email doesnt necessarily generate the sale from
  that particular offer

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• Talking to your customers, sending relevant
  offers creates awareness.
• The email makes the phone ring. The agent makes
  the sale
• www.beachhutvacations.com

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Your web site is your brochure
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What does a web site need most?

• Content updated consistent
• Customization prioritize your offers,
  highlight what you want to sell, customize your
  message
• Ease of use for the customer 4 seconds/3
  clicks or theyre gone
• Clarity what do you sell? What is your
  specialty? How does the customer contact you?

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What a web site should not do?

• Busy, confusing, gimmicky supplier logos flash
  media
• Too many colors
• Awkward navigation supplier booking engines
• Links titles that don't mean anything
• Watch out for links that take people away from
  your web site

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Word Travels is a Destination Guide
Would you Know that?
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Maximize the Consumer Experience

• Provide clear navigation!
• Key objectives get visitors to stay on the site
  and to find what they are looking for easily
• Important links in prominent places, preferably
  on top or left because this is where eyes go
  first
• Avoid putting important information on the bottom
  of the page
• Primary links are all visible without scrolling
  and available on every page
• Limit depth of navigation

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Maximizing the Consumer Experience

• Keep It simple!
• Emphasize YOUR brand-- Avoid too many supplier
  logos
• Accurate and compelling content (including
  Vacation.com exclusives)
• Avoid multiple, redundant supplier search engines
  and content
• Avoid the endless page too much data

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Some examples

• Bad and Good

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http//solutionstravelservice.vacationport.net/
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http//www.gladeexplorers.com/
The Endless Page
Need a couple more bad examples
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Our Products

• Preferred partner with Vacation.com for content
  and web sites
• Over 500 agencies have VacationPort or NexCite
• All agencies have access to our content thru
  AgentNet

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A total E-Commerce
Marketing System

• Powerful leisure shopping engine that integrates
  into your existing web site
• Provides a detailed research vehicle for your
  consumers
• Includes Vacation.com preferred supplier content
  and exclusives including Cruise Center Vacation
  Vignettes
• Merchandising tool highlight specials, key
  destinations more

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• Email marketing tools
• Integration to cruise online booking engines
  (Revelex, TravTech, Amadeus Cruise)
• Integration with tour wholesaler booking engines
  Globus, SuperClubs, Trafalgar, Pleasant,
  Funjet, TNT Apple
• Tied to AgentNet VacationPort one user
  name/password
• Emails are linked into Client Base Plus Client
  Ease database
• Activity reports available online

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Did Christopherson Leave Vcom? Where
are Vignettes?
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A Full Hosted Web Site Solution for Vacation.com
agencies

• Multiple designs and layouts
• Flexible customization
• Dynamic travel content with optional online
  booking integration
• Tools to highlight products you want to sell
• Online reports on activity
• Search engine features
• Web hosting, domain hosting, and email hosting

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Need a couple more good NexCite examples
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Costs
Set up Fee -- 150 Waived if you sign up at
conference Monthly Fee -- 45 Online booking
engine integration -- 55
Set up Fee -- 150 Waived if you sign up at
conference Annual Fee -- 449
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Some Tips for improving your web site and working
with search engines

• 1.) Add City, State and Zip code to your footer
• 2.) Sign up for your preferred suppliers agency
  locators and include your website link! (CLIA,
  ASTA, etc are also good places to sign up for
  agency locators.) http//www.astanet.com
• 3.) Ask companies you like or you work with to
  link from your website to their site and they add
  your link to their site
• For example, if you are a honeymoon specialist
  and work with a wedding planner, link to your
  wedding planners site and ask them to link to
  yours.
• 4.) Include your website on your business cards,
  email signature, invoices and client documents.

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• 5.) Customize the text on your website. Your
  clients want to know about your agency.
  Suggestions
•   Specialties/Expertise
•   Recent trips -- make a reviews page and
  include a review of every destination you visit
• Meet our agents -- include contact information, a
  brief bio, and specialties for each agent
• Favorite destinations
• 6.) Look at the text links on your website and
  change clickable links that say things like
  "Click here" to be a better description of what
  will be shown when the client clicks on the link
• For example, if you have a honeymoon page that
  says "Click here to see Jamaica Honeymoons"
  change the clickable link to "Jamaica
  Honeymoons".

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7.) Avoid using PDF's for things like special
groups or cruise information. Instead create a
page and copy your text from the PDF onto the
page. 8.) Submit Sitemaps to Google and
Yahoo 9.) Add a META description tag. You should
add these to every page, but start with the home
page. The META description tag should be a 2 - 3
sentence summary about that page. A Home Page
example       ABC Travel - the premier adventure
travel agency in Portland, Oregon - has just
celebrated 23 years in business. We are committed
to making your next adventure vacation a dream
come true. From rock climbing to whitewater
rafting, we've done it all and can advise you on
the perfect destination for your adventure travel
interest. 10.) Add Google's META verification
tag. 
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Summary

• Stand out from the clutter
• Use the tools in your arsenal
• Create or highlight unique content
• Control your message
• Prioritize your product offers
• Maximize revenues directionally sell to reach
  financial targets

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For information and training on these tips go to

• www.nexcitehelp.com

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For more demonstrations and web site analysis

• Visit Passport Online in the Vacation.com
  Experience or come and see us at the Trade Show