By Mark Hodson, editor of 101 Holidays
Ever thought of launching your own travel website? Lots of people are doing it, and it could be a nifty way to haul yourself out of the recession. If you fancy yourself as a budding web entrepreneur, here are some tips gleaned from the experts at this year’s Travolution Summit, an annual meeting in London of the sharpest minds in the global online travel industry.
1. Find a niche. You may think there are millions of travel websites out there (you wouldn’t be far wrong), but there are many untapped niches, according to Brian Sharples, CEO and co-founder of HomeAway. He points to the huge number of second homes that could be put up for rent. Create a listings site for your local area and start signing up owners.
2. Launching a travel business on the web costs a lot less than most people think, according to Juha Huttunen, chief executive of Tripsay.com. Which is good news, because all the delegates agreed that raising capital is harder now than ever.
3. Keep it simple. Too many travel websites think they are improving the customer experience by bolting on more functions and widgets, according to Marko Ahtisaari, CEO and co-founder of Dopplr. He suggests you “innovate by simplifying”. The best example of simplicity? Google’s homepage.
4. Get mobile. The future of the web is mobile (everyone seems to agree on this, but nobody seems at all sure when it’s going to happen). That means your site needs to work on a handheld device with buttons the size of ball bearings.
5. Try testing different versions of your pages. Small changes of wording and picture size can greatly affect the way users interact with your site, as Google itself found when it tweaked its own Adwords sign-up page and found that conversions rose by 56%.
6. Don’t give assurances about online security. This rather surprising piece of advice came from Graham Cooke, senior eCommerce project manager at Google. “It makes people nervous,” he said.
7. Persuade your users to add reviews of your products to your website. According to research commissioned by TripAdvisor, people trust “consumer opinions posted online” even more than newspapers and magazines. And, of course, this so-called user generated content is free.
8. Finally, be brave. “Have no fear. Just go forward,” said a very confident-looking James Menge, of Wandrian.
Got any more tips to add? Please leave a comment.
Great Post.
I would add “Protect yourself from the downside”. Even Richard Branson does this on Virgin groups many joint ventures.
thanks, Rob. Good point
Above all enjoy it. Whether you become the next Brent Hoberman or don’t make a penny, running a travel website should be fun. If its not you might as well get a job stacking shelves at the local supermarket at night.
Learn about SEO… nice headline by the way.
@John: absolutely right. We’re having a great time running 101 Holidays, and I’m sure we’ll never reach the heights of Brent Hoberman.
@Jeremy: thanks. In a previous life I wrote headlines for national newspapers. The same principles apply.
Great post Mark, however I would have to add that while Juha Huttunen might be right in terms of the relatively low cost of entry, many new online travel businesses (including us) have to invest countless hours in web development, customer services, business development and, as Jeremy highlighted, getting eye balls onto the site.
Starting a travel website is easy…. running a successful one is another kettle of fish.
[...] from the Travolution Summit in London. Clearly I need to take some lessons from Ginny and Mark on writing SEO friendly titles for my blog. Before launching into my highlights I owe a big thanks [...]
@Simon: I agree wholeheartedly. Marketing is the greatest challenge - ensuring that your site stands out amidst the ever-growing crowd. Ultimately, I think, it comes down to excellence, passion … and a bit of luck.
Jared makes a great point in his post (you can read it here):
“85% of potential travelers search online before deciding where to go. This is great news for Joobili and other sites trying to fill a void in online travel inspiration. Go to nearly any travel website and the first thing you need to do is enter your destination. What if 85% of us don’t know where we want to go, we need some inspiration?”
Spot on. That’s what 101 Holidays is all about, answering that simple question: “Where should I go?”
@Mark thanks Mark, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. With the development of social technologies and more fluid feedback mechanisms we’re certainly seeing a more responsive sector where both the industry and holidaymakers themselves are feeding back into the cycle, and I must say it’s really exciting.
My site is still very new, but my tips are:
1. Even if a particular niche seems saturated, think of an angle that is your own and so find a niche within a niche.
2. Write with passion and your own voice. Don’t try and copy the commercial sites. People like reading pages written by “someone” rather than a global company.
3. Write about a place you love… it will keep you going when you feel like giving up. It is hard work if you are going to make it work.
4. Always put photos on every page: travel sites just cry out for them. And don’t forget the alt tags…
5. Enjoy it!
Great tips, Donna. Thanks for your contribution. Your site looks great - how about putting up an “about me” page?
Hi Mark
Thanks for the compliment. Yes, I know, I ought to, and its on my list of pages to write, but I have about a 1000 more interesting ones I want to do so before!
Donna
@Donna - some excellent tips there… and I have to say, I love your website… the simplicity and quality content. Great job.
Simon
@ Simon
I have just logged onto computer and you have made my day with your compliment: thank you.
You and Mark are great for giving a girl a boost! Thanks both of you. Especially as my site is only a few months old, has such a long way to go and I’m making mistakes all the time…
For the freedom it gives me to work where and when I want to, I wouldn’t swap it…
Donna
“Launching a travel business on the web costs a lot less than most people think”
£20 per month hosting fee + grunt work.