Ultimate Top 10 Checklist For Choosing Travel Booking Systems
If you are on the lookout for travel booking systems for travel companies, you will know it is a hard task to ensure that each potential system fits into your needs. There are many features some offer, while others do not. Making the right choice is an important one, especially with some travel technology systems asking for such huge upfront investment (We don’t).
Below is an ultimate checklist of things, you may or may not have considered when looking for travel booking systems.
- SEO Friendly Setup
If you have an amazing website, but nobody can find it, it can be frustrating and costly for your business. Using an SEO friendly system ensures that the website is more likely to be found by the search engines. SEO friendly can mean many things, but look out for image file name labelling, image optimisation, header tag automation, title tag automation, internal linking and more. Using systems that consider this will just mean that it makes it easier for search engines to handle your website, making it more likely to be found online.
SEO Friendly Design for Travel Websites - Responsive Design
Websites are accessed through a multitude of browsers. With technology changing rapidly, so are browser sizes. From desktop to mobile, to laptop and notebooks. The best way to ensure everyone can access your website, and enjoy the experience is by having responsive design functionality. The functionality changes the size of the website according to the browser size, giving a usable website every time.
Responsive Design for Travel Websites - Stock Management System
It’s all good and well selling, but the last thing you need is over selling. This creates upset clients, and a stressed operations department. With stock management you can ensure hotels are not over sold, tours are not over sold. Clients are happy, sales are maximised knowing you can let bookings come in with confidence.
Stock Management System for Travel Companies - Complex Rules Functions
The travel industry is very competitive. That could be the understatement of the year! To get ahead of competitors and ensure you maximise your gross profit potential it is essential you utilise a complex rules engine. The ability to change margins according to value, dates, and passengers is a great tool. Special offers according to departure dates, passenger numbers, number of days from travelling, order value and more is always handy to get you more income, while remaining competitive.
Complex Rules Functions for Travel Companies - Automated Marketing
Free up the time of your expensive but well deserving marketing team. Automated marketing such as offers scheduling, banners scheduling means that campaigns can be setup at convenient times, maximising the output of your marketing team, or for many small businesses the time of the managing director.
Automated Marketing for Travel Companies - Automatic Offers Creator
Do you ever visit large websites and think, how are they finding the time to maintain this? Well automatic offer creating is the answer. Having special offers being stored in your database for browsers to see is an essential part of keeping an up-to-date site. When browsers search for holidays, the data they receive is stored in your database for other browsers to see as offers. Genius!
Automated Offers Creator for Travel Companies - Full Offline Back-end Booking Management
Great, so you are taking bookings online. But what happens when people all in to the call centre? What happens when they need to make changes to their reservation? Many systems just do not have this functionality and are geared solely for online ‘model bookings’. In reality, travel reservations are complex and require updating because of customers or your suppliers. Having a system that allows changes is essential. Having a system that can also be filled in manually and not just through the data feeds of your website is equally essential.
Offline Booking Management for Travel Companies - Automated Administration
The admin department is the backbone of any travel company. The e-tickets, the emails, the sending of confirmations, ATOL certificates, vouchers. The processing of changes, processing of final payments and much more. Well what would be handy is for some of these tasks to be automated. The sending of vouchers, confirmations at a click of a button. The automatic reminder emails for final payments, customer API information requests, even for squeezing a last bit of income from holiday extras.
Automated Administration for Travel Companies - Dynamic Packaging
A powerful feature for many travel companies. This gives the control for travellers to choose their hotel and combine it with their flight as they wish. They tailor-make their packages on your website, choosing the hotels, flight times and pries according to their needs. Such power means that the travel consultants are freed of their time.
Dynamic Packaging for Travel Companies - Stock Integration
Your stock is your product. If you have no stock you have no product. If you have unique stock, you have a unique product. It is important to ensure that there is a wide range of flights integrated and also a wide range or at least a good depth of niche stock on your website. Don’t let system limitations be a reason to have a weak product; your competitors will take advantage.
Stock Integration for Travel Websites
The Tekcabin travel booking system for travel companies has all of these features and more, with no upfront investment. Comment below with any questions, or contact us to show you our travel technology system.
Google’s Not-so Cuddly Panda & Cute Penguin Updates
CASE STUDY: How Google’s not-so Cuddly Panda & Cute Penguin updates affected a travel company’s website rankings and exposure. Discover how Tekcabin was able to help with its experience in search engine optimisation methodology and gain positive results.
The Google Algorithm Update
Direct Traveller is an award winning tour operator specialising in tailor made holidays. After attaining status on the Sunday Times Fast Track League tables as #77 fastest growing private company in the UK, things were looking up. That is until they were affected by Google’s ever-changing algorithms.
Direct Travellers domain www.directtraveller.com saw dramatic ranking drops from number 1 to 3 positions for all their target keywords, to the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s. Rankings dropping meant a drop in traffic, awareness, online bookings, offline enquiries and affected the overall top line of the business. To overcome this dramatic drop the company switched their budgets to Google Adwords in addition to their national press ads and TV ads, in order to maintain a flow of visitors to the website while they solved their serious Google website ranking issues with search engine optimisation.
Direct Traveller’s original SEO Company tried to resolve the issues of the domain best they could, however their overall understanding and lack of attention to detail meant that after a year of trying there was no benefit to the rankings. After trying a further 6 months, the anticipating changes to Google rankings proved fruitless. Direct Traveller decided it was time to find an alternative Search engine optimisation company. They awarded the task of overcoming this Google algorithm penalty (filter) to Tekcabin, while they focused on their core business and continued to attain many more awards for it.
Insight to Google Algorithm Penalties
Through extensive analysis of the company’s domain, both on-page and off-page, Tekcabin were able to firstly identify that Direct Traveller was affected by The Google “Panda” algorithm update back in February 2011! Sounds so nice and cuddly right? We can assure you it is not!
Google algorithms are processes and formulas that take a search query and turn them into search results. A search result is determined by 200 unique Google signals. The Google signals are taken into consideration when ranking websites. Google has a different update from time to time in order to improve the ranking of quality websites. The Google Panda Algorithm update targeted websites that had a lot of low-quality pages.
The Google Panda algorithm update affected the Direct Traveller website’s visibility on the search engine. Many of the hotel descriptions were considered as low quality along with destination pages which had a lack of originality and depth.
That’s not all! In addition to this “Panda update” issue, Tekcabin discovered that the Direct Traveller domain was also hit by another Google algorithm update known as the Google “Penguin” update in February 2013… Again not as cute as it sounds!
The Google Penguin update is related to link quality. Web sites with low-quality links were penalised in the search rankings. The Direct Traveller domain had a significant amount of low-quality links and spam links pointing to it. This lack of quality in the link profiles meant that the domain was considered to be associated with low quality and bad reputation websites. In turn this affected the ranking exposure of the domain. Coupled with over optimisation, and a lack of structure and strategy, the Direct Traveller domain was struck down in the Google search engine rankings.
The significance of the two Google algorithm updates affecting the website were more amplified as they were not each dealt with individually through tracking and regular maintenance. Instead the company found themselves solving a combination of two Google algorithm filters in one go.
Methodology:
To Recover from the Google Algorithm Penalty
Tekcabin conducted a range of search engine optimisation strategies and implemented these to overcome the websites lagging Google search engine rankings. Initially Tekcabin targeted off-page search engine optimisation including the low quality links that were giving negative ranking signals. Tekcabin then began a constructive and quality link building campaign to the domain.
Initial Results:
The Website Rose To Page 3 Of The Google Listings.
With the new improved website Google rankings, Direct Traveller saw this as a positive sign and so wanted to update their website to portray their brand image. The Tekcabin travel technology system was their ideal choice. Built with search engine optimisation in mind, every aspect of the website architecture is built in a way that makes it easy for humans and search engines to navigate. This aided the search engine optimisation process of on-page SEO as the website architecture and content was within direct access to Tekcabin.
We ensured page-speeds were sufficient and managed the entire process of migrating the website to the new platform, while ensuring there was minimal issues from the site migration. We saw this as the opportunity to also switch to secure website status as URLs were changing anyway. The introduction of completely secure pages was ideally conducted at this time as it gave potential Google ranking benefits without any additional risk at a time of site and URL migration.
Once the site was migrated successfully, we activated it and moved on to the on-page issues. The on-page issues included website content and architecture, while maintaining the structured quality link building strategy for Google search engine ranking success.
Once this was complete, Tekcabin then moved onto the website blog. We began a blog strategy that would give quality signals to the search engines, while cementing Direct Traveller’s status as a leading entity in their niche destinations. The improved website signals would be the icing on the cake for the website, while generating additional traffic for it.
Secondary Results:
Rankings Moved To Page 2
Now it was a waiting game. Tekcabin continued the quality link building, blog campaigns, and introduced social media and PR campaigns to give more positive signals. Back then, the Google algorithms were not in real-time and so it was a matter of waiting for the next Google algorithm update for Google to review the website under a new set of algorithm filters.
Google Penguin 4 Arrived at the end of 2016! The Google search engine algorithm updated, and the Direct Traveller team and Tekcabin team were happy to say the least. We were watching the rankings day and night to see the moves… It happened!
The domain saw rankings move to page 1 for many keywords in the first week, then a couple of weeks later they moved higher, and higher again… after a couple of months, we saw the finalising results. Direct Traveller Google search engine rankings were at positions 1 to 6 for most target keywords.
As you can imagine they are very happy! Sales are up by 25% and website traffic is through the roof. Direct Traveller is paving the way for their future growth strategy with Tekcabin as their specialist search engine optimisation team and online marketing team. There is still plenty of room for improved website exposure which will be achieved with a longer sustained approach to online marketing and SEO.
25
% Traffic Increase
60
+ Keywords on Page 1
Tekcabin recognises this is the beginning of the process for this website domain’s recovery. With Tekcabin paving the way for a safe and future-proof online strategy, this travel company is set to see further improvements in their website’s exposure.
If you would like to improve your website rankings through search engine optimisation, recover from a Google algorithm change, Google manual penalty, or would like Tekcabin to bring positive results to your company’s online marketing, SEO, and website needs, contact us for a no obligation analysis of what we can do for you.
Facebook's advertising sales to grow even more
Facebook has created more than 80 percent of its £3.5 billion ad revenue for the first quarter from mobile ads and it now looks like this is likely to grow even more.
How you ask?
Today Facebook has announced that Facebook adverts would target third party website and apps. This would even be the case if users do not have a Facebook account.
Just like other on-line ad services providers such as Google and Microsoft, Facebook will analyse users cookies and other information on users personal devices and then generate an advertising profile based on this information. Once this information is collected and stored then ads will be shown.
Facebook insist that this type of targeted advertising will cut down ad wastage by only showing users something that they may actually want to see and click on.
Facebook now has a staggering 1.6 billion users and will now offer this new advertising with its ‘Audience Network’. This will be a new way for advertisers to outspread their campaigns beyond Facebook sites and apps and across other media streams.
Facebook has been testing new features in order to boost mobile advertising in order to encourage advertisers to experiment with video advertising.
Tekcabin is able to help you Facebook advertising contact us today and lets your company seen on the biggest social network in the world.
3 Must-Have Memberships For A UK Travel Company
One of the key aspects to understand when you successfully set up a travel company in the UK is the memberships you need to be enrolled to. The UK travel industry is heavily regulated and there are many schemes you can join to make the most of your travel company opportunities. There are 3 main memberships that you need to seriously look at when you set up a travel company – ATOL, ABTA, IATA.
ATOL
ATOL is an abbreviation for Air Travel Organiser’s Licence. As the name suggests this is a licence, so it’s a compulsory membership for those arranging flight inclusive packages departing from the UK.
ATOL has different categories you need to consider and so you may wish to be licensed for all or just some of them.
ATOL Flight Inclusive Package
This is a package holiday that includes flight and hotel. Other elements can also be included here including transfers or car hire, but the dominant product it covers is flight and accommodation.
ATOL Flight Only
This is as the name suggest for flight only bookings. However it is not required for all bookings. For example you could sell flights as an agent for an ATOL holder as an ABTA agent, or using your IATA membership.. we will explain this for you below.
The ATOL flight only licence covers flights that are booked with airlines where you do not have an official capacity as an agent and so you add on your own mark-up to the original flight, whether as a service fee or commission.
ATOL Flight Plus
This category covers licences for products that include flights, but not accommodation so for example a flight and transfer booking or flight and car hire. The term flight plus, basically refers to as the names suggest a flight plus a product out of the ATOL package category.
Anyone setting up a new Tour Operators selling outbound flight inclusive holidays from the UK will need an ATOL licence. ATOL is also required for many travel agents now including online travel agents, which makes it an essential licence to consider when you set up a travel company.
ABTA
ABTA is the Association of Travel Agents. Becoming a member of ABTA automatically associated you with travel agents in the UK. ABTA has two types of memberships for travel companies. You can be a principal Supplier of ABTA and also an ABTA Retail Agent.
ABTA Principal Suppliers
These are tour operators who do their own contracts and see their own products under their own name. They then sell this onto the consumer or to Travel agencies.
It is not compulsory to be a member as a principal supplier but it does give your consumer more protection.
As holiday companies need to adhere to service levels that are acceptable by the association, this gives an element of trust to the consumer. Membership here can help establish your brand and give you more the much needed levels of trust required to help convert your customers.
ABTA Retail Agents
These are ABTA travel agents that wish to sell principal supplier’s products. This includes traditional retail agents on the high street and also OTA’s (online travel agents).
Becoming a retail agent will mean you can sell the most popular brands in the UK and also benefit from the ABTA single payment scheme.
ABTA members also may have access to some flights that non-ABTA companies do not. For example charter flights run under ATOL licences and these ATOL holders may sell as principal suppliers to ABTA retail agents. An example of this is AVRO selling their flight stock through ABTA agents.
ABTA membership is mainly considered by those establishing a new Travel Agency, but is also beneficial for those setting up a tour operators and to set up up a travel company with complex business models.
IATA
IATA is short for International Air Transport Association. This is an association as the name suggest for air transport. Companies that are members of this association have access to over 260 airlines around the world.
They can book these flights with all member airlines. This is especially important membership for flight centres and also those tour operators that wish to sell tailor made packages.
Some people that set up a travel company are not IATA members and still successfully run their travel companies. These companies will traditionally but flights from other IATA members with a mark-up added on.
Tip: You may find that you don’t wish to apply for another membership and the cost difference per flight makes this justifiable… but that’s down to your own business decision and commercial agreements.
IATA membership is mainly beneficial for new flight ticket agency, but again is beneficial for tour operators as it gives them access to flights.
Nowadays when you set up a travel company you need to consider some or all of these memberships as distribution channels change continuously and more hotels sell directly, and airlines sell directly.
With business models evolving, you need to ensure you are always ahead by utilising your resources (in this case memberships) to their maximum. Becoming members of multiple areas can give you much needed flexibility and power to evolve.
Are you setting up a travel company? What memberships are you considering? If you need help, just comment below and we will try and help!