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How can travel agents compete online?
17 July 2000

I have just been flicking through some of the e-commerce related articles in last week's edition of TTG; Travel Choice Direct strikes a deal with BT's Genie online cellphone service to offer holidays to mobile phone users. BA relaunches its Executive Secretary International Club as an online service. Thomson Internet retailer TheFirstResort.com will launch its first major television advertising campaign. You really could not blame the average travel agent for thinking that the world of the Web is nothing to do with them. It is obviously for the big boys. There is little point in spending any time or money getting involved. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

Consumers are being conditioned to use the Web to buy travel. Your loyal customers will be sitting at home on a rainy Sunday morning wanting to do business with you but they just cannot find you in the virtual High Street that is Cyberspace. Your clients are being regaled by TV adverts, billboards, radio commercials, telling them that the best businesses are those that are online. Take at look at the travel ads in weekend newspapers. On the first page I saw, over 50% of adverts had a Web address. The latest figures from Nielsen NetRatings (May 2000) estimate that over 32% of the UK population is now online, 19.36 million people. 

So how can agents participate? How can they compete alongside larger online businesses with huge marketing budgets? In fact, they are already doing it. If you are not yet on the Web, take a look at what others are doing and learn from them. See for yourself what looks good and what looks bad. Surfing through the Agent category of travelfromHere.com I see Agent A, a small independent, whose Web site looks as though it was written by an enthusiastic amateur several years ago. It has an out of date Special Offers section still offering flights with June departures. (Perhaps Dr. Who is involved!) There is Agent B, a substantial agency chain offering no more information on its site than its contact details and Teletext page number. Finally, we have Agent C who has chosen to specialise in travel to a particular destination and has up to date information on flights, accommodations and packages. Which site would you choose to return to?

Just from these three examples, you can begin to learn the lessons of how to build a successful Web site. I believe the most important one, though, is to think about your business. Many smaller companies have realised that it pays to specialise. In the increasingly crowded and chaotic electronic space that is the Web, consumers will seek out businesses that can meet their specific needs. Many smaller travel agents are generalists, they specialise in selling any kind of travel. This does not work well on the Web. If you fall into this group, think about moving your business on. Could you specialise in a destination - Portugal, Greece, Australia? Could you specialise in an activity - walking, cruising, golf? Could you offer holidays to a particular group of people - singles, music lovers, car enthusiasts? 

Even if this focussed approach is not for you, there is still plenty you can do to serve your loyal customers and make sure they keep coming back. Firstly, do not make your Web site look amateur. Very few travel agents I know would fit out their own shop. So it should be on the Web. 

Make sure you have good up to date information on your site. Many people buying travel are looking for a bargain. Have a special offers page on your site. Update it every morning. Just announced is technology that links your site directly to viewdata, allowing your customers to browse and book without even having to converse with you.

Importantly, your site needs a Call to Action. Buttons or links that say "Book Now", "Enquire" or "Check Availability" are good. They can open forms, email links or perhaps Call Back pages where visitors can type in their phone number for you to call. (Yes, many Web surfers actually quite like talking to human beings!)
Finally, make sure your site is not lost in Cyberspace. Promote it in your shop, on your letter-headings, in your advertising, within the Internet search engines. 

Don't expect miracles. Building an online business is a slow process, as many dot-coms who are now running short of cash are realising. But if you are there, you will be building experience of retailing in the world's most exciting marketplace since the Roman Forum.

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