WWW: New Consumer Marketing Medium

1. The Canadian Online Travel ConferenceCalgary, AlbertaMay 13-14, 2008 WWW: New Consumer Marketing Medium WWW: New Consumer Marketing Medium Maximizing Your Web Presence Search Behavior - Integrating Online Marketing www.acoupleofchicks.com

2. Today’s Sound Bites • Who are the Chicks • The Facts • Usability - New Consumer Search Behavior • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) • Website Clinic What You Can Do!

3. Canada Caribbean Who We Are... • Kuikene Inc. - educating and empowering people through Internet awareness & social media applications.

4. Who We Are... A Couple of Chicks evolved in response to the needs of the next generation of Internet Retailers searching for innovative solutions to online distribution. • We have combined the best elements of Search, Marketing & Measurement to create a unique formula that will improve revenues and give you the tools to accurately measure ROI. • Website Brand Development • Search Engine Optimization Strategy • Social Media Marketing • Content Syndication & Online PR • Certified Google & Yahoo PPC Management • Sales/Conversion Web Analytics • E-marketing Workshops

5. 58% of Vacation Planning is done online Source; eMarketer.com

6. New Websites are entering the Travel Space Daily.

7. Consumers are interacting differently with websites. Customers are researching and making their Buying Decisions based on what they see online. Source; eMarketer.com

8. Engaging your Consumer What tourism marketers can do!

9. Closing The Deal • Strong first impressions and valuable content affect your conversion ratio. • The average website loses over 60% of the visitors right off the home page due to usability issues and a lack of relevant content. • 50% of visitors spend less than eight seconds on a site. guide visitors to Act!

10. Website Consumers are Berry Pickers • People consume the internet differently than they do other marketing mediums  • They are not browsing but “forging” through content to “accomplish”. • If they don’t find what they are looking for - they change the way they search or abandon the website. • The searcher scans for words in the search results and in all the pages viewed in a hunt for information – following the “scent” of words to lead toward a goal.

11. “At any moment, a berry picker could decide that the berries left on the bush are too high so they move to the next bush.”

12. Typical viewing patterns

13. Consumer Usability • Viewers start at the top left, scan the headline, look at the images and captions – particularly if the image contains a human face - look at the text closest to the image, zigzag through the page scanning for content that catches the eye, and then leave the page. • Visitors very rarely look at the top right or bottom right corners of a webpage.

14. Usability: Show them the Way Brand Name in Hot Spot Human Faces Clear Navigation Call-to-Action Keyword rich Content www.choosechicago.com

15. Users spend most time on OTHER websites So, follow web-wide conventions

16. Building Blocks to a Successful Website… • Links are underlined (or clearly visible as links) • Search box on each page (top right hand corner) • Global nav on top, local nav on left • Don’t let design get in way of content • Clean, lot of white space • No extraneous design elements • Content (text and photos) rules

17. Reading & Writing for the Web... • Users don’t read, they scan • Short paragraphs • Use Bullets • Simple, clear text • Beautiful imagery • Keep it simple • Use half of conventional text • Hire a professional web writer • Rewrite print text (then cut in half)

18. Interior Pages • Interior pages account for 60% of initial page views • Users spend more time reading interior pages • Spend time on internal pages and not just the HOME

19. User Testing • Test, test, and test some more • Test fast and often • Requirements - Focus groups • Test 3-5 people • Fix and test again • Test actual target audience • Test on own system for different browsers and operating systems

20. Usability Resources • Don’t make me think, Steve Krug • Prioritizing Web Usability, Jakob Nielsen and Hoa Loranger • www.adaptivepath.org • www.alistapart.com

21. Organic Search Positions are Disappearing: Google Local Ads PPC – Pay per Click Ads Organic Listings

22. If your Customers can’t find you - it Hurts your Brand It doesn’t change myview of the brand name, the product, or the service 64% I have a less favorable view of the brand name, the product, or the service 36%

23. What is Search Engine Optimization? • A focus on SEO ensures the Search Engines understand the content of your website so they return it as a relevant result for the keywords your target audience is looking for.using to find you. • The way that words, graphic images, and multimedia files are arranged on a Web page communicates the content that is important to both search engines and to site visitors!

24. Your Site…. <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <title>Ontario Resort Getaway at the Historical Benmiller Inn and Spa</title> <META NAME="KEYWORDS" content="Benmiller Inn, Ben Miller inn and Spa, Benmiller, Benmiller, Maitland river, Ontario Accommodations, Huron County, historic accommodations, historic Benmiller, Canada Inn, Ontario Inn, sharpe's creek, spa, historical mill"> <META NAME="DESCRIPTION" content="Benmiller Inn and Spa invite you to our enchanting historical haven of country inn hospitality with beautiful guest rooms, five star dining, and relaxing spa. "> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="master.css"> <script language="JavaScript" src="http://www.merlinmetrics.com/codes/benmiller.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script> // Expander: Expand the info function Expander(URL, name, hsize, vsize) { window.open(URL,name,'toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,status=0,menubar=0,scrollbars,resizable,width='+hsize+',height='+vsize); } </script> </head> <body topmargin="0" leftmargin="0" rightmargin="0" bgcolor="495961"> <center> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="760"> <tr height="30"> <td bgcolor="9AC941" align="right"><font class="ongreen">|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="giftcert.html" class="upper">gift certificates</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="contact.html" class="upper">location</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="contact.html" class="upper">contact us</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td><imgsrc="images/h-r1.jpg" border="0"></td> </tr> <tr height="35"> <td bgcolor="D5D7DB"><center><a href="inn.html" class="menu">the inn</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="spa.html" class="menu">aveda spa</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="dining.html" class="menu">dining</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="activities.html" class="menu">activities</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="events.html" class="menu">events & conferences</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="weddings.html" class="menu">weddings</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="calendar.html" class="menu">calendar</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="press.html" class="menu">press</a></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td><imgsrc="images/h-r3.jpg" border="0" usemap="#h-r3"></td> From a Search Engine perspective!

25. Importance of a Search Engine Friendly Site: • Relevant content for users/target audience • Easy to index/relevant for search engines The way that words, graphic images, and multimedia files are arranged on a Web page communicates the content that is important to both search engines and to site visitors!

26. Search Engines: • Index text (do not read graphics) • Follow links • Measure popularity • Measure relevancy If you do not place text on your Web pagesand create a site navigation scheme that crawlers can follow - your site will not rank well in the search engines!

27. Search Engine Friendly Sites -Your Primary Text • Keyword rich Title tags, meta tags, description tags and Image Alt Tags • Visible body copy (keyword rich) • Text at the top of a web page • Keyword hyperlinks (internal link strategy) Title Tags are your “Free” search engine real estate – your Advertising message. Make sure each page is unique, contains most important keywords & has a Call to Action!

28. Free Tools: SEOBook.com , Wordtracker.com, Google Keyword suggestion tool Use the proper tools or a professional company to identify what your customers are actually searching for! • Step One: Develop the right Keyword List Nova Scotia vacations, Hotel Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia restaurants, Nova Scotia accommodation, waterfront dining, Golf Nova Scotia, Peggy's Cove Fishing Village, Nova Scotia Cabot Trail, Bay of Fundy Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, Atlantic Coast resort, whale watching trip, Bluenose II, Nova Scotia Ice wines, Nova Scotia Genealogy, Halifax Tour, Cape Breton Highland, Nova Scotia cruise, Nova Scotia getaway, Celtic Folk Music

29. Determine the goals for the website from the • perspective of the user and the business. • Determine the user needs and target usability • requirements. • Evaluate existing versions of the site. • Perform a competitive analysis. • Perform user interviews and surveys. • Perform Keyword Research • *SEOBOOK.com – free tool • Step Two: Apply Best Practices for SEO & Usability!

30. Use Web Analytics Tools to understand user – behavior Google Analytics - FREE

31. Chick Tips… • Customer Focused • Easy to read • Easy to navigate • Easy to find • Visually appealing • Consistent in layout and design • Quick to download • Search Engine Focused • Optimized Titles & Tags • Keyword-rich relevant text • Site and page architecture • Site Map • Quality Links (internal & external)

32. Online Content Distribution = High Rankings in Search • Content is the key to success in search engines • Good Quality and relevant content = high rankings • Use articles and Press Releases rich with content on websites and pushed out to other channels – adding keyword links back to your site.

33. Application: Optimized Press Releases (for online distribution): Announcing Specials, Renovations, Additions, Surrounding Events Content Syndication • Search Engines Index Press Releases and articles • Content ‘optimized’ for your target keywords with keyword hyperlinks pushed-out or “syndicated” through online channels (outside RSS feeds) builds relevant inbound links to your site. • Visibility across multiple online channels—connecting with consumers through the research cycle and not just the website. • New methods will now allow us to make content syndication interactive through social media distribution as well (video, images and social media tags). • Post content to: www.prweb.com and www.ezinearticles.com

34. Marketing Tourism for the New Online Consumer… • Follow the Best practices for Usability and SEO • Stay Consumer Focused First • Use Web Analytics to tweak often • Websites cannot be static – must feed them with content and participate in other online MKG channels • Release quality content with links back to your site • Use and Monitor the new Social Media space - look for unique ways to promote your brand and listen to the conversations about your brand.

35. Real People, Real Solutions • Online Revealed sets the pace for the future of search and online marketing for the Tourism Industry. www.onlinerevealed.com

36. Chicks Hatch “Online Marketing Revealed” • Leave us your card to receive an e-discount for the Chicks Guide to Success on the Web! • Coming Spring 2008!

37. Website Clinic: How does your website stack up?

38. Patricia BrushaCOO & E-AnalystA Couple of Chicks™ Distribution MarketingPh: 416-817-5595pbrusha@acoupleofchicks.com Alicia WhalenCEO & E-StrategistA Couple of Chicks™ Distribution MarketingPh: 905-401-2249awhalen@acoupleofchicks.com