Handbook on E-marketing

Handbook on E-marketing for Tourism Destinations Fully revised and extended version 3.0

Table of Contents Foreword Acknowledgements How to Use this Handbook Executive Summary xiii xv xvii xix 1 Introduction 1 1.1 About this Chapter 1 1.2 Overview 1 1.3 Ten Key Trends in Technology and Consumer Behaviour 3 1.4 Ten Key Trends in E-marketing 4 1.5 Ten Actions for Successful E-marketing for DMOs 6 1.5.1 Focal Points for DMOs 7 1.6 The ETC Digital Portal and Other Market Data 8 2 Strategy and Flanning 11 2.1 About this Chapter 11 2.2 Overview 11 2.3 Key Concepts 12 2.3.1 The Customer Journey 12 2.3.2 Internet Services 14 2.3.3 Adopting Personas 14 2.3.4 Product Market Partner Combinations (PMPC) 16 2.3.5 Media and Content Categories: Owned, Earned, Paid and Converged 17 2.4 Useful Frameworks 18 2.4.1 Gelting Started: Building an Inbound Marketing Strategy and Creating a Hub-and-Spoke Architecture 18 2.4.2 Focussing on Content: Developing a Content Grid or Content Marketing Matrix 21 2.4.3 Inclusive E-marketing Flanning Models: SOSTAC and RACE 23 2.5 E-marketing Budgets 26 3 Destination Brands - Competitive Identity and E-marketing 31 3.1 About this Chapter 31 3.2 Foundations 31 3.2.1 E-branding Opportunities 32 3.2.2 The Basics of Branding 32 3.2.3 Competitive Identity 34

iv Handbook on E-marketing for Tourism Destinations - Fully revised and extended 3.3 The E-marketing Challenge for Competitive Identity 3.3.1 Strategy and Integration 3.3.2 Substance and Content 3.3.3 Symbolic Actions and Socialization 3.3.4 Measurement 3.4 Action Points for E-marketing and Destination Brands 3.5 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 34 42 Content 43 4.1 About this Chapter /Q 4.2 What is Content? 4.2.1 Storage and Distribution Media 44 4.2.2 Distinguishing Between Editorial Content and Product Data 44 4.2.3 User-generated Content 45 4.3 Developing a Content Strategy 45 4.3.1 Content Issues 45 4.3.2 Strategie Context and Setting Objectives 46 4.3.3 Understanding the Visitor and the Marketing Priorities 47 4.3.4 Content Inventory 48 4.3.5 Network Research 49 4.3.6 Developing a Content Plan 50 4.4 Information for Visitors 51 4.5 Quality Control 53 4.5.1 Quality and Trust 53 4.5.2 Style and Taxonomy Guides 53 4.5.3 Quality Standards 55 4.6 Storing and Managing Product Data 55 4.6.1 Make Product Data Retrievable 55 4.6.2 Create Multilingual Databases 55 4.6.3 Geocodes, Geographie Information Systems and Maps 56 4.7 Content Management Systems 55 4.7.1 Howa CMS Works 5g 4.7.2 Benefits of a CMS 57 4.7.3 Rinding the Right CMS 58 4.8 Building Content 6Q 4.8.1 Using Content Partners gq 4.8.2 The Destination Content Ecosystem 61 4.8.3 Acquiring Product Data g2 4.8.4 Geocodes and Product Data 4.9 How to Provide Information About the Accessible Visitor Facility 63 4.9.1 What does 'Accessible' Mean? 4.9.2 Why Accessibility Information is Worthwhile 4.9.3 What is Accessibility Content? 4.9.4 Design Considerations 64 64

Table of Contents v 4.10 Content Distribution to Third Parties 65 4.10.1 What Are Your Assets and Liabilities? 65 4.10.2 Use RSS to Support Content Curation and Distribution 66 4.10.3 Develop an API for Your Product Data 67 4.10.4 Other Potential Distribution Channels 67 4.11 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 71 5 Websites 73 5.1 About this Chapter 73 5.2 Overview 73 5.3 Accessibility as the Basis for Website Quality 74 5.3.1 About Accessibility 74 5.3.2 Guidelines 76 5.3.3 Provide Help on Your Site 78 5.4 Make it Easy to Use the Site 79 5.4.1 About Usability 79 5.4.2 Write to Suit the On-screen Reader 80 5.4.3 About Navigation 83 5.4.4 Some Navigation and Links Principles 84 5.4.5 Links - and the Text You Use for Them 84 5.4.6 Destination Site Navigation 85 5.4.7 Testing and Monitoring 85 5.5 Optimize Your Website as a Hub 85 5.5.1 Calls-to-action 85 5.5.2 Landing Pages 86 5.5.3 Encouraging the Use of Social Media and Tagging 86 5.6 Build Identity and Trust 88 5.6.1 Vital Confidence Builders 88 5.6.2 About Us/Contact Us 88 5.6.3 Privacy Policy and Terms of Use of the Site 89 5.7 Providing Services 89 5.7.1 Information Services 89 5.7.2 Contact Services 89 5.7.3 Transaction Services 90 5.7.4 Entertainment Services 90 5.7.5 Relationship Services 90 5.7.6 Combining and Integrating Services 90 5.8 Deliver Faultless Technical Performance 101 5.9 The Design and Building Process 102 5.9.1 A Structured Approach 102 5.9.2 Possible Approaches 102 5.9.3 Usability Testing as an Integral Part of the Design and Development Process 104 5.9.4 Card Sorting 105 5.9.5 Scenarios 106

Handbook on E-marketing for Tourism Destinations - Fully revised and extended v 5.9.6 Iterative Design and Prototyping 5.9.7 Testing with Users ^ 5.9.8 Further Advice 5.10 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics Domain Names 115 6.1 About this Chapter 6.2 What is a Domain Name? 6.3 Choosing a Domain Name 6.4 Looking Up Domain Names 6.5 Using Subdomains and Subfolders ^ 6.6 Campaign Landing Pages and Microsites ^ ^ 11 O 6.7 Targeting International Markets 6.8 Domain Name Management 6.9 Conflicting Domains 120 6.10 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 120 106 The Social Web 121 7.1 About this Chapter "121 7.2 Overview 121 7.3 Understanding Social Media 123 7.3.1 Building Blocks 123 7.3.2 Classifications 125 7.4 What Social Media can do for DMOs 127 7.5 How to Develop Strategy and Select Tactics 128 7.5.1 How to Start 128 7.5.2 Using the Conversation Prism 130 7.6 Guidelines for Best Practice 130 7.7 The Social Media Policy 134 7.7.1 Elements of the Social Media Policy 134 7.7.2 Communication Guidelines 135 7.7.3 Creating and Implementing Social Media Policy 135 7.8 Social Media Advertising -jgg 7.9 Blogging and Micro-blogging 136 7.9.1 Definitions and Developments 13g 7.9.2 Blog Aggregators and Search Engines 137 7.9.3 Best Blog Ideas 13g 7.10 "Markets are conversations" - Twitter 139 7.10.1 A few Hints for Using Twitter 140 7.11 Facebook 143 7.11.1 A few Hints for I Ifiinn FanohnnL-

Table of Contents vii 8 Search Engine Optimization 149 8.1 About this' Chapter 149 8.2 What Is Search Engine Optimization? 149 8.2.1 Which Search Engines Matter? 150 8.2.2 How Do Crawler-Based Search Engines Work? 151 8.3 SEO Foundatioris 152 8.3.1 Keyphrase Research 152 8.3.2 The Importance of Technical Set-up and Site Structure 154 8.3.3 Choosing a Content Management System 155 8.3.4 Site Audits 156 8.4 On-page Optimization for Your Website 157 8.4.1 Page URLs Matter 158 8.4.2 Optimizing Primary Mark-up for Your Target Keyphrases 158 8.4.3 Optimizing On-page Content and Other On-page Elements 159 8.4.4 Developing Keyphrase-rich Anchor Internal Links 160 8.4.5 Supporting On-site Engagement and Conversion 160 8.5 Off-page Optimization - Beyond Your Own Website 160 8.5.1 Developing Site Authority 160 8.5.2 Use Tools to Understand the Opportunities 161 8.5.3 Link Building Strategies 161 8.6 The Importance of Social Signals 164 8.7 Supporting Your SEO 166 8.8 Universal Search 166 8.9 Using Paid Search 167 8.10 Mobile Search 167 8.11 Delivering SEO 168 8.11.1 A Continuous Cycle 168 8.11.2 Redesigning Your Site 168 8.11.3 In-house or Outsourcing 169 8.12 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 172 9 E-mail Marketing 175 9.1 About this Chapter 175 9.2 The Power of E-mail Marketing 175 9.3 E-mail Management Systems and E-mail Service Providers 176 9.4 Building an E-mail Program 177 9.5 Building and Maintaining a Quality E-mail List 178 9.6 Encourage People to Read Your E-mails 179 9.6.1 Optimise the Signing-up Process 180 9.6.2 Encourage Opening of Your E-mails 181 9.6.3 Refine Your E-mail Newsletter 181 9.6.4 Make Unsubscribing Easy 182 9.7 When and How Often to Send? 183 9.8 Combining E-mail and Social Media 183 9.9 Mobile Use 184

viii Handbook on E-marketing for Tourism Destination: - Fully revised and extended 185 9.10 Testing and Fine-tuning 18g 9.10.1 Newsletter Audit Service 9.11 The DMO Corporate E-mail Signatare 1 ob 9.12 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 189 10 Mobile Tourism 189 10.1 About this Chapter 10.2 Social - Local - Mobile: The Guiding Principles of M-tourism 189 10.3 Developing a Mobile Marketing Strategy ^ 1Q? 10.4 Mobile Communication Technologies 10.5 Mobile Devices and Operating Systems 1 ^ 10.5.1 Smartphones and Tablet Computers 196 10.5.2 The Mobile Ecosystem 1" 10.5.3 Application Stores and Software Development Kits 200 10.6 Mobile Commerce and Mobile Marketing 202 10.7 Mobile Marketing Tool Kit for DMOs 203 10.7.1 Native App, Mobile Web App, Mobile Website 203 10.7.2 Mobile Search Engine Optimization 207 10.7.3 Creating a Mobile Landing Page 209 10.8 Other Types of Mobile Advertising 209 10.8.1 Co-operation with Digital Guidebook Publishers 211 10.8.2 Car Satellite Navigation Systems 211 10.9 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 211 11 B2C E-commerce for Destinations 213 11.1 About this Chapter 213 11.2 What is E-commerce? 213 11.2.1 E-commerce Classification 214 11.3 Online Payment Methods 215 11.4 Development of an E-business Model 215 11.5 E-commerce System Requirements 217 11.6 E-commerce Business Models for DMOs 218 11.6.1 Own E-commerce System Operated by a DMO 219 11.6.2 DMO Conducts E-commerce via DMS 219 11.6.3 Public Private Partnership with Commercial Partners 220 11.6.4 Co-operation with One or Several Commercial Third Party Companies as Strategie Partners 221 11.7 Selling Merchandise and Travel Related Products 223 11.8 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 225 12 Paid Media Advertising 12.1 About this Chapter 12.2 Overview " _ 227 12.3 Paid Media Cost Models 228

Table of Contents ix 12.4 Online Display Advertisements 228 12.4.1 Online Ad Serving and Targeting 229 12.4.2 Options and Formats 230 12.4.3 Other Forms of Display Advertising 231 12.4.4 Guidelines for Best Practice 233 12.5 Paid Search Engine Advertising 233 12.5.1 Benefits and Challenges 234 12.5.2 Options and Formats 234 12.5.3 Guidelines for Best Practice 235 12.6 Online Sponsorship 236 12.6.1 Benefits and Challenges 236 12.6.2 Options and Formats 236 12.6.3 Guidelines for Best Practice 236 12.7 Social Media Advertising 237 12.7.1 Benefits and Challenges 237 12.7.2 Options and Formats 238 12.7.3 Guidelines for Best Practice 239 12.8 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 240 13 Interactive and Smart Teievision - Increased Interactivity and Convergence of Services and Media 241 13.1 About this Chapter 241 13.2 The Digital Teievision Ecosystem 241 13.2.1 IPTV, Internet TV, Internet Video, Web TV 242 13.3 Interactive TV 243 13.3.1 Synchronized TV / Enhanced TV 244 13.3.2 Smart TV 244 13.4 Interactive TV Advertising 245 13.4.1 Formats, Standards and Tools for Interactive Advertising 246 13.4.2 Costs for Interactive Advertising 248 13.4.3 Challenges 248 13.5 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 249 14 Customer Relationship Management 251 14.1 About this Chapter 251 14.2 Overview 251 14.3 The Principles of ecrm 252 14.3.1 Data Gathering 253 14.3.2 Data Storage and Maintenance 253 14.3.3 Data Analysis and Reporting 254 14.3.4 Using the Data for Marketing and Sales Campaigns 255 14.4 CRM Benefits for DMOs 255 14.5 CRM Implementation 256 14.6 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 259

Handbook on E-marketing for Tourism Destinations - Fully revised and extended vers' E-marketing Activities to Support the Tourism Suppliers in the Destination 15.1 About thfs "Chapter 15.2 Objectives of a DMO 15.3 Useful Information for Tourism Suppliers 15.4 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics Supporting the Travel Trade in Source Markets 16.1 About this Chapter 16.2 Working with Tour Operators and Travel Agents 16.2.1 Website for the Travel Trade 16.2.2 Online Training for Travel Agents 16.3 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics PR and Media Relations 17.1 About this chapter 17.2 Potential of the Social Web for PR and Media Relations 17.3 Identifying Media and Partners 17.3.1 Identifying Appropriate Media 17.3.2 Influencer Marketing 17.3.3 Working with Superpromoters 17.3.4 Use CRM Techniques 17.3.5 Use External Online Expertise 17.3.6 PR Newswire Services 17.3.7 Work with Partners 17.4 What to Put in the DMO Web 'Media Centre' 17.5 How to Place Your Stories on Important Websites 17.5.1 Websites and Message Boards 17.5.2 Blogs 17.6 Writing Effective Online Press Releases 17.7 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 261 261 261 264 265 267 267 267 267 269 270 271 271 271 272 272 272 273 273 274 274 275 275 276 276 276 277 277 Raising Income from E-marketing Services 18.1 About this Chapter 18.2 Advantages and Considerations of a Commercial Approach 18.3 Income Sources for DMOs 18.3.1 Display Advertising on Your Websites 18.3.2 Selling Advertorials on your Website and in your E-mail Newsletters 18.3.3 Seil Enhanced Entries to Tourism Suppliers 18.3.4 Placing Context-Sensitive Ads on Your Website 18.3.5 Integration of a Major E-commerce Provider Paying Commission... 18.4 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics Measurement and Evaluation 19.1 About this Chapter 19.2 The Measurement Challenge 279 279 279 280 281 282 284 284 284 287 289 289 289

Table of Contents xi 19.3 The Different Types of Measurement 290 19.3.1 Platform-focussed Measurement 291 19.3.2 Channel-focussed Measurement 294 19.3.3 Research-Ied Evaluation 296 19.4 Develop an Integrated Measurement Framework 299 19.4.1 The Customer Journey is Increasingiy Compiex 299 19.4.2 Customer Engagement is Becoming More Important 299 19.4.3 The Move Towards Off-site Engagement 299 19.4.4 Assign Metrics to Different Types of Engagement 300 19.5 Consider the Voice of the Customer 300 19.5.1 Online Surveys 301 19.5.2 Online Experiments 302 19.6 Research Activity to Support your E-marketing Programmes 303 19.6.1 Sources of Competitor Intelligence 303 19.6.2 Website and Newsletter Expert Audit and Evaluation 304 19.6.3 Laboratory Testing 305 19.6.4 Online Enabled Research 306 19.7 Understanding Cause and Effect 306 20 Web and Social Analytics 309 20.1 About this Chapter 309 20.2 What is Web and Social Analytics? 309 20.2.1 What Can Web Analytics Do? 310 20.2.2 The definition of basic reporting elements 310 20.2.3 Beyond Web Traffic or Clickstream Data 311 20.2.4 Understand your Objectives and Develop Key Performance Indicators 312 20.2.5 Define Specific Conversion Events 313 20.2.6 Ten Great Web Metrics 313 20.3 Web Analytics is a Journey 316 20.3.1 Getting Started 316 20.3.2 Tracking Data and Reporting 316 20.3.3 Evaluating Your Campaign Activity 317 20.3.4 Support Your Web Analytics with the Right Skills 318 20.3.5 Understanding Where the Opportunities Lie 318 20.3.6 Closed Loop and Real Time Optimization 318 20.4 The Latest Trends in Web Analytics 319 20.5 Web Traffic Data Collection, Storage and Definitions 319 20.5.1 Client-side Data Collection 320 20.5.2 Server-side Data Collection 320 20.5.3 Strengths and Weaknesses of Server and Client (Page Tag) Data Collection 320 20.5.4 Data Storage Options 321 20.5.5 Hybrid Data Collection 322 20.5.6 The Use of Cookies 322 20.6 Selecting your Core Web Analytics Tool 323 20.6.1 Why Not Just Use Free Tools such as Google Analytics? 323

xii Handbook on E-marketing fortourism Destinations-Fully revised and extended version 3.0 20.6.2 Develop a Requirements Specification 20.6.3 Assess Web Analytics Tools 20.7 Social Media Analytics 20 7 1 Understand How Social Media Delivers Business Objectives 326 007 20.7.2 What is Social Media Measurement? * 20.7.3 What is Social Media Monitoring? 328 20.7.4 Appropriate Frameworks to Social Analytics 328 20.7.5 Social Media Analytics Tools 330 20.7.6 Using Facebook Insights 33 ^ 20.8 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 332 324 21 Crisis Management and Communications 335 21.1 About this Chapter 33^ 21.2 What is a crisis? 33^ 21.3 Being Prepared 337 21.4 Essential Tools 338 21.5 Social Media and Crisis Management 339 21.6 Useful Tools 340 21.6.1 Storify 340 21.6.2 TweetDeck, Nearby Tweets, Twellow 340 21.6.3 Tweet Archivist 340 21.6.4 HootSuite 341 21.6.5 GroupTweet 341 21.6.6 Twitcident 341 21.7 Crisis Mapping 342 21.8 Google Crisis Response 342 21.9 Contingency of and Communicating during the Crisis 342 21.10 After a Crisis 343 21.11 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 344 22 Legal Framework for E-marketing Activities 347 22.1 About this Chapter 347 22.2 Overview 347 22.3 Relevant Laws for E-business and E-commerce 348 22.4 Legal Issues Concerning Websites 351 22.5 Legal Issues Concerning E-commerce and E-business 353 22.6 Legal Issues Concerning E-marketing Communications 354 22.7 Evaluation Methods and Key Metrics 355 Annex - Sources for Market Research and Intelligence 357 Glossary and Abbreviations 363 List of Tables and Figures 385 References and Bibliography 339