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- Existing connections to partners around the globe including GDS and non-GDS providers.
- A single entry point for each product type.
- Based on the CTF (Common Travel Framework) data schema.
- A single administration system to manage all connections.
- Manage the credentials used to connect to each partner.
- Configurable through our TravelSwitch administration system.
- Self Hosted, ASP and hybrid hosting options available.
- Each additional partner added to the network requires NO integration.
- Geographic regioning system to apply supplier content to particular search criteria only.
- Access to full XML message chains.
- Web service driven shopping cart for fast checkout.
- ClearContent integration with hotel partners to override property information returned from providers with custom hotel content.
- 3 step booking flow, search and select, add to cart with traveler information and checkout.
3/8/2010 6:24 PM
The ever growing importance of social networking
It seems one cannot go a day without hearing or seeing some reference to how imperative it is for everyone to jump on the social networking bandwagon. There is no doubt that social networking sites are gaining more traction than ever, but how do you make it work for your own business?
I sincerely believe that the majority of small to medium sized businesses have enough trouble establishing an online presence and online reservation functionality so the words social marketing remain appropriately scary to most folks.
Is social marketing scary? The quick answer we have all heard before is : "It's not scary if you have the technical resources, industry know how and budget to support it all.". The truth is that the majority of small to medium sized businesses do NOT have the necessary technical resources, do NOT have sufficient know how in social marketing and with capital letters and an exclamation mark, DO NOT have the necessary budget to launch a full scale social networking campaign.
So how can i utilize social marketing for my small to medium sized business?
A successful social marketing campaign in the majority of cases does NOT involve purchasing a $100,000 social networking platform that allows you to share every tid bit of information between users. It involves targeted and usually quite simple means of promoting your products and services through various social outlets. Not forgetting to make all your social user driven content appeasing to the search engines.
Ask yourself how you can make your existing infrastructure more socially friendly rather than what you need to change to comply with social marketing concepts. The majority of businesses will have already invested significant technology dollars into their existing setup. Approaching it from the latter angle will only lead to significant development which utlimately costs more money. This era of user driven content systems are intended to generate traffic organically, not cost an arm and a leg.
3/8/2010 10:36 PM
Oscar Says:
I echo your sentiments. I run social marketing campaigns for companies in the travel industry some of whom have spent 50k on platforms that proved to be premature.
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