Mobile strategy workshopFundamentals for travel companies

Tine Thygesen, CEO of Everplaces

@everplaces

User generated mobile travel tips. Used in 95 countries by food and design lovers.

Strategy and mobile apps for travel and DMOs

Hi, I am Tine Thygesen@tahitahiCEO of Everplaces

Mobile Options

loyaltyawareness

Profile on Maps and LBS

Mobile optimized website

Own app: Native

Own app: HTML5

Get into others apps

Mobile strategy’s million dollar question. What are you trying to achieve?

loyalty awareness

When people search for you or stumble upon you the information needs to be easily readable, if not people instantly leave again.

A mobile optimized page increases visit time with up to 2 minutes (IAB)

YES✓ Cheapest and fastest✓ First step to start being mobile friendly✓ Works on all feature and smart phone

NO- Tends to becomes messy, too much info- Less deep interaction

Awareness: Mobile search, ads, browsing

Responsive design makes information accessible in all screen sizes

Loyalty and sharing

52% use apps in-destination:

‣ 94% research things to do‣ 75% search for restaurants‣ 80% for maps and directions

Investing in giving guests a better experience gives you social media shares and word of mouth, therefore it can generate increase awareness indirectly.

A little sharing does a lot

‣ 1727 downloads

‣ 1813 favorites / 2:15 min

‣ 56 Facebook share. Effect (56 x 312 friends) = 17.427

Most use apps

Native apps are build directly for the operating system; Android, iPhone, Windows or Blackberry. Native is best for deeper engagement

YES✓ Can work offline✓ Distribution✓ Faster✓ Functionality/design✓ Built in features: camera and GPS✓ Best for sharing

NO- More expensive, longer to build - SEO- Frequent updates can be a hassle

Native apps

‣ You choose mobile strategy based on your objective: Awareness (new customers) or Loyalty (higher margins)

‣ Responsive design / mobile optimized important to reach new customers.

‣ Native apps are better for loyalty and return visitors

Recap

Seven strategic steps to make an app that works

Find a solid problem to solve

Magazine/ iPadInspiration, dreaming, relaxing, in my own time

WebsiteInform, assist, inspire, brand, explain, transact, complex

MobileAction, research, now, find, share, do, fact check, personal

Must be suitable to natural form

STEP 1

Existing problem or use case, and actually useful

Novelty features like Augmented reality and QR codes are great in concept, but we have yet to see real success using them

Decide your goalSTEP 2

• Awareness: Apps only work for awareness if indirect, so through social spread. See loyalty,

• Loyalty: Improve stay with information, happier visitors, increased margins, returns

• Generate UGC: Gives indirect awareness via social, builds trust, create build photo library

Examples of useful, loyalty creating apps

Convenience Friendly Personalized Rewards

First we decide what the application should be able to do, which problems does it solve.

It needs to be✓ Obvious & Easy to use✓ Fast performing

The we prioritize and take away most features till we’re left with a simple concept. Most apps fail the very first time people open them. Because too much functionality

✓ Simple

User experienceSTEP 3

Mountain High app for your next ski and snowboard experience.

User interface design (UI)

Yahoo weather app Spies travel agency

STEP 4

Design is a deal breaker on mobile, because it has such big impact on the user experience. In the last few years the bar for good design has risen dramatically.

Too much choice

VisualizeEvery click required effort, work to reduce the amount of required effort from the user to make it as easy as possible to get an overview.

You have one chance to capture people: the first time they open the app. 48% of people who have a negative first experience is less likely to open the app again

What will the user do the first 30 seconds?

1) App needs to open in 2 seconds

2) Open on overview screen or a clear use case

3) Test what people press

4) Reiterate. Hide or cut other features that confuse. Eradicate dead loops

Make a killer landing experienceSTEP 5

• Favorite function• Useful information: programme, deep info, dictionary or maps• Deals or offers• Encourage internal contact, like newsletter / fb like

Give people a reason to come backSTEP 6

• Make actions that instill pride, achievement, self image or helpfulness sharable. Pre-fill text and make easy

• Consider integration social media streams

• Consider reviews or star rating function

• Encourage Instagram/ Twitter engagement

Sharing from mobile

STEP 7

‣ Likes ‣ RT‣ Repin

Tip: Light actions are key on mobile

Trustworthy means transparent• Photos that are reliable (ok if primary image is photoshopped, but add additional) • Descriptions mention both the positive and negative • Make it clear why these places are recommended• Additional info: like 360 degree view, floor plan, info• Use external contributors

- Bloggers or local heroes- UGC- Feeds from external sites

• Ability to rate, like and comment

Optimizing your content for credibilityToday’s hottest commodity is insider tips, and the general trend goes towards authenticity

Work smarter; show same content many places

Central CMS(Tellus)

You

UGC

Other media

Same content shown on your website via widget

interactive display of same content on-location

Economics

Commissioning your apps

It easily costs 500,000kr, and takes 4 months plus specs to build a complex top tier app. But that’s very rarely required! Don’t be talked into functionality you don’t need. You can use app building platforms if you select the purpose carefully, prices from 30,000kr

Functionality that should be faster and cheaper‣ Same info for all users‣ Content filtered by location‣ Locally stored / hardcoded. ‣ One way sync that needs a backend, like places /events, ‣ External feeds

Functionality that’s expensive‣ 2 way interaction, like comments and user interactions. ‣ Integrations with your database‣ User accounts, personalization, ‣ Augmented reality, games etc.‣ Multiple languages done well

‣ New technology makes it possible to re-use the base code

‣ Reduces time-to-market from around 4 months to 4-8 weeks

‣ Reduces cost by about half.

‣ In our case, we specialize in visual travel and location-based apps focussed on maps

‣ Enables custom apps centered around your property, your experience and offer personal service

The new app-making engines

Pitfalls

‣ Outsourcing to cheap countries‣ Under quoting complex features‣ Saving money on design‣ Agencies & web people with limited mobile experience‣ Changing your mind along the way‣ Not budgeting for maintenance and upkeep‣ Expecting no iterations

Commissioning your apps

Thank you!

Mobile & User Generated Content

StrategyProduct design

DevelopmentTraining

everplaces.com/business

Bonus: Three opportunities to engage and be useful in-destination.

RoutesCycling, trails, road trip

InterestBeaches, organic farms, food, historic

Demographics For families, romantic spots, gay

PracticalDirections/ Emergency/ Travel phrases

Tailor each app to a specific target group

Films Sound of Music, The Killings, Da Vinci Code

Fame Beatles Liverpool, HC Andersen’s footsteps, Tudor England,

FestivalsFood & Christmas Markets

Use the momentum created for you

Awareness is the most expensive part of marketing, so if you have waves already created, make sure to capitalize with an app that can engage deeper

Food festivals bring people and revenue to the city

China, now the biggest travel spender