Customer demands have changed. Customer experience is more important than ever. And more than any other industry, the travel industry is primed to provide the best online, personalized experience out there. But what does "personalization" really mean? As trendy catchwords go, "personalization" has become a go-to term for websites and online marketers, laden with all the possibilities of connecting with individual consumers and a departure from the limitations of one-size-fits-all.
Personalization is no longer a trend-it's a must have, an expectation. With multiple devices, channels and on-the-go messages, consumers don't just want tailored offers and experiences-they need them.
The first step to getting here is to ask yourself: what are my business goals? Which kind of personalization program will be most effective in helping me achieve these? Only when you know what you want to accomplish will you be able to identify the right combination of technology, tools and strategy for your website. But getting visitors to book more trips, extend their trips, book more expensive trips, add items to enhance or expand their trip-insurance, tickets, car rental, etc. requires a few steps to provide the right offers at the right time.
The phenomenon of Big Data comes with both opportunity and sacrifice. On one hand, travel brands that make sense of Big Data will be able drive more effective customer decisions based on evidence, rather than guesswork-giving them a distinct advantage over the competition in a fiercely competitive marketplace. On the other, Big Data can also be problematic largely in part because bringing together large amounts of information, from a variety of sources, is no small feat.
The good news is that online travel executives can be masters of their own destiny and avoid drowning in the sea of opportunity that Big Data offers. But getting started with Big Data, organizing your teams, and knowing which capabilities to acquire and what Big Data success looks like are crucial to meeting this goal.
By Amy Hutchins, Lead Product Manager, BookingSuite (USA), Inc.
RFP or Real-Time Booking? Where is the Cutoff for Meetings Automation?
By Michael Boult, President & CEO, StarCite, Inc.