Glaciers in New Zealand
Maori children
Northland, New Zealand
Queen Charlotte Sound
Routeburn Track
Boating in Taupo
Tongariro, New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand

Newsletter : June 2004

brought to you by New Zealand Tourism Online www.tourism.net.nz

In this June Newsletter:

NZTO Comment

by Garry Bond, General Manager, New Zealand Tourism Online

As many of you already know, New Zealand Tourism Online has been selected as a nominee in the Tourism Services category for the New Zealand Tourism Awards 2004. Our company was one of only 29 nominated after judges rigorously assessed, critiqued and scored the applications. We are now looking forward to an in-depth site visit by industry judges in early July and the winners will be announced at the August Tourism Industry Conference in Taupo.

It's been a massive amount of work and according to TIANZ we are the first ever 100% Web based tourism organisation to reach this stage. It's a pleasing result on-top of our recent Telarc quality certification, our 22nd placing in New Zealand's fastest growing companies and our 65th place in the Asia Pacific Fast 500. We have an excellent team behind us and many of you will have already dealt with Lana, Marcus, Paul, Colin, Lindsey or Rick.

We are also a nominee for the Telecom People's Choice Tourism Award so if you think we are a worthy candidate then feel free to vote. There's even a $15,000 prize up for grabs.

There's also some interesting reading in this weeks articles including a recent survey of businesses with Web sites who tend to favour online marketing over traditional techniques. I believe traditional media is becoming less relevant in some areas as Web site development and marketing becomes very cost effective with a massive audience reach. Also have a look through our latest Web site enhancements. We're out there promoting New Zealand as best we can!

New Web Site Enhancements

Here's the latest batch of enhancements to the www.tourism.net.nz Web site. Nothing stays the same around here for long and we put a lot of time and effort into making a visitors experience effective and compelling. Here's a summary.

Mini Regional Maps

We have plenty of traffic to our site that drops straight into a region or category. To make sure the visitor knows exactly where they are in New Zealand, we have added mini maps which highlight the area. For example we are ranked number 3 for "Wanaka Accommodation" in google and when the visitor clicks on the result it takes them to this page. Wanaka is now shown on a mini map of New Zealand.

Expanded Regional Information

Along with extensive New Zealand information, we have now expanded the regional information section. This enhances a visitors experience on our site and allows them to make more informed choices. Have a look here.

Travel Trade Section

We have made it easier to access parts of the site that are specifically designed for the tourism trade. This includes "Add a Site", "Site Awards", "Business Centre" and "Newsletters". You'll see this section on the left-hand side menu on any page of the site.

Feature Tourism Web Sites Section

For those tourism clients that have a Web page with us, we now profile your Featured Web Site section. Click here to view the featured section. This means you get twice the exposure on our site as well as the added benefit of being found independently via search engines. An icon next to your main listing also indicates you have a Web page with us. This expands your marketing further than the standard listing.

If you don't currently have a Web page with us, just drop us an email and we'll give you more information.

Qualmark and Quotes/Bookings

Due to demand we have now added Qualmark Ratings and a Quotes/Bookings link that can be displayed with your listing. There is a nominal amount of $25 for a single line or $40 to get them both added to your listing (renewable yearly). Here's an example for Aspiring Campervan Park in Wanaka.

If you have a Qualmark Rating you feel needs to be seen or have your own booking or quoting system that we can link to, then please email us.

Top Spots

We can now display your business at the top of a single page or across an entire section. There's only one spot per page. These are currently only available in the Accommodation section of our Web site. Pelorus Lodge at the top of the Exclusive Luxury section is an example.

Drop us an email if you'd like to know more.

Online Marketing Vs. Old Media

by Nick Butler, Avatar Web Promotions

Web hosting company Interland questioned 171 small to medium businesses about their online activities for the 2004 Business Barometer.

When asked to choose the marketing tools the respondents thought "critical to driving business", 69% said Web sites, 36% said Search Engine Keywords and 24% said Email Marketing. In contrast only 14% picked the Yellow Pages and no form of old media advertising (Magazine, Newspaper, Radio) scored more than 15%.

So what online marketing resources did these business owners think would be "very or somewhat important for business success in the coming year"?

  • Predictably, nearly all of them (99.5%) said you need a Web site and email
  • Over two thirds (67%) took it further, saying an interactive Web site that lets customers sign up to e-newsletters, fill in order or other business forms, browse interactive maps etc is important
  • 62% felt that Search Engine Optimisation, Email Marketing and other online promotions were the road to success
  • More than half (55%) thought e-commerce was the way to go

One reason respondents might have favoured online marketing is that most of them found it brings in more money. 57% of those surveyed said that customers who sometimes or always bought online generate the most revenue.

As more and more businesses come online they will also come to realise the power of Internet marketing. This means that the competition is going to get tougher. Those of us who are already here will have to leverage our head start and take our online promotions to the next level.

Grab the Punters with Grunty Testimonials

Testimonials on your Web site can drive the punters through the sales process and some testimonials have more grunt than others.

Comments from your previous customers build the credibility that is so important in a faceless medium like the Internet. To be truly effective you need the right testimonials in the right place.

The right testimonial is:

  • Real. Made-up testimonials rarely sound convincing. They could also see you prosecuted under the Fair Trading Act
  • Specific about the benefits your product or service offers. "Avatar's site promotion services have dramatically increased the Internet sales of our software" has more grunt than "Avatar helped us a lot"
  • An attention grabber. Something fresh and unusual with the flavour of a real person
  • Attributed. When you ask permission to use the endorsement you can also ask how they would like to be named. As a rule the more detail the better (full name, city or region and country) but sometimes privacy considerations limit you to initials etc.

Sometimes it helps if the testimonials are:

  • Verifiable. If you have clients who are happy to talk to your prospects then include their contact details
  • From someone famous, or a well-known company

The right places for testimonials are:

  • On your home page. Hit them with your best shot the moment they arrive. Space is tight on your home page so keep it brief. You can always include a "more from this client" link below the pithy praise
  • On your order form. A testimonial that emphasises the speed or efficiency of your service or order fulfillment can be a sale clincher
  • On a page of their own. Consider using them in a way that tells a story about your company and its service. Instead of calling the page Testimonials or Customer Comments how about Case Studies, Client Debriefs, Customer Interviews, Site Reviews etc.
  • In your sales emails

All that's left to do now is gather the gruntiest testimonials you can. How? The best way is to provide service so spectacular that clients spontaneously sing your praises. The second best way is simply to ask. Don't think of it as fishing for compliments, think of it as after-sales follow-up. Ask them what you did well and what you could do better. If they're happy with your service then hit them up for an endorsement.

We welcome any feedback — send your comments to: news@tourism.net.nz

Regards,

The Team
Ph 0800 14 65 49
www.tourism.net.nz
New Zealand Tourism Online Limited
Head Office: 179 Tuam Street, Christchurch

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The largest range of escorted & small group tours

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Cross Cook Strait and enjoy Kiwi hospitality.

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