The eTourism Summit has been a great success these past 10 years. Jake and I started discussing the format that would fill in the gaps between all other seminars and conferences 10 years ago. Seems in some ways like 10 years was just yesterday.

This year I was the lunch speaker, and was interviewed by Jake via Skype. I had a prior committment and could not attend the conference, but wanted to address the audience with questions and insights about the changes that are underway for DMOs and others in the industry. I caused a stir with my comment about Advertising as we know it being dead.

To read the interview go to http://thetouroperator.wordpress.com/ and get the whole story... would love to add your emails to others that I am getting. it is quite a dialog!

till next time, Leah

Going… Going… Gone Mobile!

Disney is doing it, Coca Cola is doing it, Pepsi is dong it, Dockers is doing it, Pizza Hut is doing it, Papa Johns is doing it, Best Buy is doing it, Keith Urban is doing it, Kraft Foods is dong it, Marriott jumped on the bandwagon almost three years ago, and many hotels and resorts are breaking into mobile marketing as a way to capture share and revenues this holiday season. USDM.net has been working our magic with mobile marketing for hundreds of clients for several years now and there are some great opportunities that many organizations are missing.

As we educate conference attendees on mobile marketing, we experience the interest rapidly growing here in the U.S. However, in the U.S. we lag behind Europe in actually integrating a mobile strategy into the marketing and advertising mix. As USDM.net develops mobile strategies for DMOs and resorts worldwide we counsel clients to carefully craft the tactics to be used, and to remember that many major brands are already successfully sending SMS marketing to consumers 35 and older and that these consumers respond very favorably.

Tactics do matter with SMS marketing. We know that rewards programs, for instance, are one way to ensure consumer engagement. Couponing is another opportunity for travel marketers. Consumers respond to deals and specials on web sites and certainly through SMS. Amassing a large list of mobile opt in subscribers is the key focus for us with any new client starting to engage mobile marketing.

One of the most complex issues with mobile marketing is who to work with as a mobile provider. There are multiple steps to be taken and layers of providers to contract with mobile marketing. Beware… those that promise these services “free” or “very low cost” are operating behind the scenes and not in control of the SMS process, and therefore cannot be held accountable. This is dangerous from a legal and business exposure standpoint. Mobile is such a great opportunity for travel marketers it is a shame that some companies are capitalizing on the eagerness of the marketplace and trying to “churn and burn” for an easy quick buck.

We make this complex issue much less concerning and streamline the process, and most importantly, assure that you are working with Carrier-Approved companies. There is a mobile marketing revolution taking place in travel. Get in the game and start having fun doing it! Go mobile with your marketing!

Till next time,
Leah

For the last 16 years have been contracted to review and assess more than 175 web sites for design, usability, eCommerce transaction ease and marketability. In many cases we find that the basic design is the culprit of a non-performing web site. This usually happens because the strategic planning phase of the web site is short or overlooked altogether. Just this week we held a strategy and discovery meeting with a potential client to ascertain their business goals and needs for their web site. It is a crucial first step before any design process begins.

Here is my take, and what I usually discover, as the 7 worst website design faux pas, but there are many more. Here goes:

1. Lack of Strategic Planning regarding business requirements before any design process begins

2. Slow load times hampering usability because images and rich media are not designed properly

3. eCommerce conversions or other conversion goals and the careful planning of web site visitors conversion paths

4. Ignoring the basic three types of visitors to every web site and how to handle their critical pathway behavior as well as an understanding of the anthropology of online behavior

5. Not developing a content matrix to stay relevant to target audience appeal

6. Failing to strategically plan promotions and call outs as part of the integral design process

7. WORST OF ALL: Ignoring SEO compliance and Best Practices for Search Engine Marketing.

If you want more info you know where to reach me… lwoolford@usdm.net

Till next time,
Leah
Founder and CEO, USDM.net