How to catch online sales pioneers for

travel website

Karlis Smiltens

Web Marketing Manager

April, 2011

What will be our roadmap?

driving traffic to website

content as guarantee of success

usability above all

doing business online

Facebook FanDay to learn from

Network

15 years old

LCC from 2004

hybrid business model from 2008

transit airline in North Hub Riga

awarded as pacesetter

airBaltic – fast growing airline

The Airline Pacesetter AwardairBaltic 2010

STRONG BRAND PRESENCEgenerates traffic to website

Social media not only for chat

Entertain to display brand

Good old offline

Brand advocates

the leaders of thought

spread news in their community

will speak for your brand in tough times

SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGEUseful content, meaningful design

Habits are stronger than online copywriting

people expect to find things as they are used to finding them

Allow to read what they searched for

Make your call to actions clear

Visitors need practical information

customers don’t come to admire website

they come to find answers, the sooner the better

they may used saved time to shop around

design should come from content and not v.v.

design helps to highlight content

Don’t speak as Radius12 to ATC about EVRA 36R

importance of finding content

more important is to understand content

Use social media as test-lab for content

helps to understand sentiment of local market

cultural aspects can be transformed to site content

followers will not hesitate to comment while website visitors will just leave

... till volcano #ashtag comes!

No warnings, just alarm goes on – like in firefighters depo

Twitter and Facebook helps to unload traditional communications channels – phone, e-mail, fax, ticket offices

#ashtag becomes really social as people help each other with advices, shared transport and hotels

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERSand convert them into sales

Online and offline shopping is different

online shopping is much faster

customer wants to be sure he/she gets best deal

he/she will not scan the whole web

trust factors are important

Timing is important for upsell

right products at right time

targeted offers to specific segments

Social shopping becomes more important

Social shopping with your friends as new trend

Tested and confirmedby your friends:

WE DID, WE FAILED, WE SUCCEEDFacebook FanDay

Allow customers to improve your product

Special does not mean good

Ask your friends to decide

FanDay for friends make them happy

Interaction

Clear feedback on available price levels

Response rate from different markets/countries

Market demand in different seasons

Incremental revenue

Results make shareholders happy

relay on traditional methods, but use new media to stimulate

highlight content with best practice from usability and functionality

pay attention to upsell items and by all means use data the social media & technologies can provide

don’t be afraid to experiment – people will forgive mistakes, but never stop blaming for unresponsiveness

Keep this as shortlist in your diary

Thank you!