At the age of 25, I finally made it to Walt Disney World this past weekend! Outside of experiencing the wrath of Tropical Storm Faye, technical difficulties with the roller coasters, and the hibernation of the beloved Disney characters, it was an unforgettable experience.  As I roamed the streets of Disney with my husband, I was fascinated by the English accents that I was surrounded by. It seemed that everywhere we turned; we were meeting people from England- probably due to the decline in the value of the Dollar.  As I considered that for a moment, I wondered how each visitor actually booked their vacation.  My husband and I booked our hotel online, but called and actually spoke to a customer service representative to purchase the tickets to Magic Kingdom.  Did everyone else book their vacation this way as well?  How is the online travel industry changing?
 
According to EMarketer, this year’s online US travel sales will reach $105 billion, a 12% increase from 2007.  Yet, it appears that people’s online booking habits are changing. Fewer people are choosing to book their vacations directly through an online booking engine.  With the boom of travel sites such as Expedia, the online traveler was in search of the lowest price.  It wasn’t about loyalty to a particular online travel agency; it was all about which engine could offer the lowest price. In today’s economy, the lowest price is often a deciding factor, but the value of great customer service is still priceless.  As we see the online travel industry expand, the importance of merging customer service with the convenience of the online booking engine is vital to growth.
 
I predict that we will see more travel sites such as www.tripadvisor.com appear. Trip Advisor has been a great success, due to its unbiased customer feedback.  I also predict that we will see new travel sites emerge, such as www.tripology.com. Tripology allows you to set your destination and desires for your vacation. It then puts you in contact with a travel specialist who can find you the best deal.
 
If you are in the travel industry, there is no better time to start making improvements to your site. The site should be user friendly, the content should be fresh, but most importantly the site should offer booking convenience and customer service.  If it doesn’t, the visitor will go elsewhere.  I recommend incorporating a “Live Chat” into your site to give your visitor the option of communicating with someone directly.  I also recommend having a blog or forum to give your customers the chance to provide feedback. 
A change is happening in the online travel industry. Are you on board?

In the world of search engine marketing, the phrase “one size does not fit all” definitely applies. Some companies tend to try to mimic other companies, when everyone’s search engine cpc marketing strategy ought to be tailored for their particular business. Let’s start with keywords.
 
When compiling keywords every company shouldn’t use the same type of keywords. Some companies can use one word keywords and set them on “broad match” because their product(s) and or service(s) are so niche. For example: When is the last time you looked up the word “biosimulation;” probably never. On the flip side a child adoption agency would want to use a keyword phrase such as “Chinese child adoption” instead of the word “adoption.” They would use a specific keyword phrase, otherwise people looking to adopt a street, a dog, or even a tree may click on their paid ad causing unwanted, non-converting clicks to their business. Next is cpc bid strategy..
 
Cpc bid strategy also known as cost per click won’t be the same for every company.  Companies need to realize that the online competition in every industry is different. In the marketing industry the keyword phrase “internet marketing” would cost between a $6 and $7 cpc for positions 1-3 in some search engines. Whereas a keyword phrase, such as “apartment sofa” would be estimated to cost a $1 cpc for positions 1-3.
 
Remember just like “one size does not fit all” one keyword type or one cpc model doesn’t fit all businesses either.

Think back to when you took your drivers license test.  Remember how you had to first pass the written test, and then excel at the driving test?  You couldn’t get your license without passing both. This happens a lot in life.  In order to become a successful doctor, you not only have to complete undergraduate science requirements, but you also have to take the MCAT and get accepted into medical school.  In order to successfully make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you have to have bread, peanut butter, and jelly.   Most things in life require steps.  First this, then that, etc - You get my point.  The same methodology applies to the marketing arena.  If you have a multi-media marketing plan, you must learn how to integrate and utilize each media channel in order to enhance the other.

In order to have a successful online marketing campaign, it must reflect and/or match what you are communicating offline. Search Engine Marketing professionals cannot expect to be a complete success, if they do not integrate their search marketing efforts with their efforts in offline media channels. As a client strategist, I have different types of clients.  I have some that solely focus on online marketing where search makes up their entire marketing plan.  I have other clients who not only advertise on search, but also through television, radio, direct mail, and newspapers.  It is essential for me to know and understand the promotions that they are running through offline media channels, in order for me to be successful with their search marketing campaigns.

From my experience, there is often a big disconnect when integrating online and offline marketing efforts. Frequently, it has to do with budgets.  A lot of companies have $xxx to spend on traditional media and a completely separate budget for online media.  In addition, it’s typical that different departments work with separate efforts- one being assigned to broadcast media, one being assigned to print, one being assigned to online, etc.   If this occurs, it is extremely important that all of those departments communicate in order to learn and understand the complete marketing picture.  Integrating search with offline media should result in a healthier bottom line.  Effective communication with other departments or agencies, if you have them, is critical. It is important for all members on board to fully understand the entire marketing plan.  It will result in more success with your campaigns.