• Best CPA Networks
  • Best Cost-Per-Sale Affiliate Networks
  • Best Pay-Per-Call Networks
  • mThink Digital
  • Thought Leadership
    • White Papers
  • About
    • Content Marketing
    • Content Strategy
      • Web Content
      • Social Media Strategy
      • Webinars & Video
      • Thought Leadership
    • Performance Marketing
    • Portfolio
      • Revenue Performance
      • Accenture
      • Microsoft
      • Java Detour
      • Our Process
    • Contact Us

mThink

Blue Book Logo

BlueBook Logo

The Trusted Name in Performance Marketing

ROS Leaderboard

  • Home
  • Blue Book
    • About Blue Book
    • Blue Ribbon Panel
    • Interviews
    • Research Methodology
    • Back Issues
    • Advertising
      • Website Creative Specifications
      • Newsletter Creative Specifications
  • Best CPA Networks
  • Best Cost-Per-Sale Affiliate Networks
  • Best Pay-Per-Call Networks
  • Best European CPA Networks
  • Best CPA Networks for Affiliates
  • Best CPA Networks for Advertisers

Trends in Travel

October 22, 2009 by Chris Trayhorn, Publisher of mThink Blue Book

With the economic downturn, many of us are tightening our belts. What does that mean for travel marketers? Are people still traveling? Should we downgrade our revenue expectations?

Here’s some good news. According to a PhoCusWright report, the U.S. online travel market continues to grow at a pace that far exceeds the overall travel market. Travel is the No. 1 sector in the affiliate industry, and affiliate shoppers tend to buy more than the average shopper. So there are still many opportunities for affiliates in travel – especially when you focus on the trends.

But the behavior of online consumers has changed. Travelers are looking for discounted flights and hotels, vacation packages and weekend getaways – anything that saves money and still allows them to travel. They want value-add-ons like free breakfast, free WiFi, or resort credit. And more consumers are craving meaningful travel experiences, such as eco-friendly.

Suppliers are changing, too. Ancillary revenue from food and beverage, meetings and conferences is increasingly important when room sales are down. Suppliers are adopting social media, video, widgets and mobile to find new customers and have learned it’s mandatory to be global and multilingual.

All of these trends point to the need to be flexible and fast to accommodate the demands of a new travel consumer. So what does this mean for affiliates? How can affiliates capitalize in this economy, especially in travel? Here are 10 tips.

Improve customer targeting. There are huge differences among travelers by generation, as well as domestic and international travelers. If you want to target the most active online travel planners and biggest bookers, you need to know and understand your site’s visitors. Do you know what motivates them? Are you targeting Gen Y or international travelers? Do you have the right content and tools that speak to them? Smart marketers will start to target Gen Y now.

Create the right content. People travel for different reasons and they have unique needs when they travel. Some travel for business, others might be looking for a family getaway, while others require a pet-friendly accommodation. If you want to capture different groups, you should segment your visitors and tailor your site content accordingly. Make recommendations; provide travel tips and present detailed content that speaks to each group.

Use new technologies and fresh creative. The new travel consumer is highly engaged with new technologies, so keep your sites fresh and interesting. Win them by providing online tools that inspire and engage: use videos for higher interactivity, take advantage of widgets, provide a search box to improve conversion rates, make use of data feeds for geo-targeting, test different banners for segmented customer types.

Take advantage of deals. The buzz phrase of 2009 is “travel deal,” so promote those deals, weekend getaways, and “staycations.” They will increase conversion rates. You can even use deals if you have a content site – they aren’t exclusive to coupon and rewards sites. But don’t rely on price and deals alone.

Add Value. Travelers are also looking for add-ons. If your merchant provides special services or has a “no-cancellation-fee-policy,” mention it. Highlight product and service differentiators to inspire trust. Look for opportunities to drive ancillary revenue and promote related products or services together. For example, my chain pays commissions on hotel stays and purchases of its ShopMarriott bed, bath and home décor products.

Establish a member base. Give your visitors the option to opt into email newsletters. You might think this is too time intensive. Start simply with quarterly newsletters. Talk about interesting topics such as destinations or an experience. Email marketing is easy, cheap, and creates loyalty and an additional revenue stream.

Uncover niche markets. There are many niche groups in travel that are largely untapped and thus less competitive: adventure, eco-friendly, community, senior, faith-related, gay and lesbian, African-American, Hispanic and Asian travel.

Test new marketing models. Are you confident you’ve tapped into all major revenue-driving channels? Use email marketing to promote your online mall that you blog about on your favorite social network site. Run geo-targeted local search to drive to your new destination section where you list deals and unique incentives. Give bookers a reason to come back.

Think globally. The Internet is global and there are many more customers to be acquired. Consider tapping into international markets. If you have a positive relationship with your U.S. merchants, explore international opportunities. When expanding globally, consider the following: market potential, sophistication of eCommerce and affiliate marketing in the country, cultural aspects, language constraints, the right affiliate network and technical and cost aspects.

Watch out for new trends. Read industry articles, check sources such as Forrester, eMarketer, and Econsultancy to stay informed about new and evolving trends. Never be a laggard – try to be an early adoptor and jump on new opportunities right from the start.

Ultimately, the economic downturn will come to an end. By taking the right steps now you’ll be ahead of the game.

Related posts:

  1. Tried and True Performance Strategies There are a lot of ways to approach affiliate marketing....
  2. AOL’s Advertising Aspirations What a long, strange trip it's been for AOL.The more...
  3. Lost in Translation Ten years ago, Jaime lived outside Managua, Nicaragua, worked in...
  4. Online Travel Takes Off Schlepping his burgundy leather briefcase and navy canvas travel bag...

Filed Under: Revenue Tagged With: Affiliate Programs, Business Models, Comparison Shopping, Content Management, Coupons, Demographics, For Beginners, Industry Trends, International, Lena Siana Huang, Loyalty Programs, Personalization

Search

ROS Col 2 Top

ROS Col 2 Mid

ROS Col 2 Low

Subscribe to our newsletter!

* indicates required

ROS Col 2 – 4 Misc

ROS Col 2 – 5 Misc

ROS Col 2 – 6 Misc

Recent Posts

  • 2023: Challenges, Opportunities & Predictions
  • Top 4 Best Practices For Consumer Finance Campaigns
  • Four Moments That Changed Performance Marketing Forever
  • New additions, improvements, and added perks from your favorite CPA network
  • Your Top 5 Affiliate Marketing Questions Answered
  • 5 strategies to create better content
  • FCC Says Ringless Voicemails Require Prior Consent
  • Top 5 Free Methods to Increase Affiliate Traffic
  •  3 Top Lead Generation Best Practices To Scale Your Business
  • Automation, Conversions, Profitability, Oh My – Breaking Affiliate Campaign Roadblocks
  • 5 tips for a better brand image
  • How Mac of All Trades Found Multi-Channel Success
  • Winning In A Changing World: An Interview with Taras Kiseliuk, CEO of ClickDealer
  • Survey: What Consumers Want from Financial Services Providers
  • The influencer marketing era: what does the future of web marketing hold?

About mThink

mThink is a specialist digital marketing company based in San Francisco. We focus on media buying, Facebook marketing, direct response, social and mobile. In addition mThink produces the annual Blue Book Rankings of major performance marketing networks. Read More »

Baseboard

Copyright ©2023 · mThink. All rights reserved.
3053 Fillmore Street, Suite 325 | (415) 787-0250
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy