eCommerce in the Airline Industry Colin Lewis

eCommerce Maturity models Unplanned – Uncontrolled with limited integration. Content focus. Diffuse management – A more structured approach in some areas. Visitor acquisition focus. Centralised management – Organisation level objectives and control. Conversion focus. Decentralised operations – Execution integrated with marketing activities. Retention focus. Integrated and optimised – A refined approach to improve digital marketing. Optimisation focus.

Unplanned – Uncontrolled with limited integration. Content focus.

Diffuse management – A more structured approach in some areas. Visitor acquisition focus.

Centralised management – Organisation level objectives and control. Conversion focus.

Decentralised operations – Execution integrated with marketing activities. Retention focus.

Integrated and optimised – A refined approach to improve digital marketing. Optimisation focus.

eCommerce process map: the day-to-day Source: eConsultancy

Acquisition tools map Source: eConsultancy

Example: Thomas Cook online strategy model Customer Acquisition SEM Affiliate Marketing Display Aggregators Email Offline Online PR Viral Consumer generated content Customer Retention & Growth Measure & Optimise Customer Conversion Attracting new customers Customer service Process Segmentation and targetting Email Cross-sell Online PR Personalisation Multichannel Harvest repeat business from existing customers Usability Accessibility Enhanced content, copywriting Promos and better merchandising Email Customer decision support Payment options Turn ‘lookers’ into ‘ bookers’ Track & analyse every aspect of activity Web analytics Site performance monitoring Market intellignece Online surveys Usability testing Online panels Customer insight Source: eConsultancy Thomas Cook

SEM

Affiliate Marketing

Display

Aggregators

Email

Offline

Online PR

Viral

Consumer generated content

Customer service

Process

Segmentation and targetting

Email

Cross-sell

Online PR

Personalisation

Multichannel

Usability

Accessibility

Enhanced content, copywriting

Promos and better merchandising

Email

Customer decision support

Payment options

Web analytics

Site performance monitoring

Market intellignece

Online surveys

Usability testing

Online panels

Customer insight

Customer conversion – connect site visitors and convert as many as possible Proposition development – planning and specifying the product to appear Content creation – sourcing the information used to define appropriate pricing and messaging, Content management – managing the software and database infrastructure Merchandising – product presentation Site usability and accessibility Design & Development

Proposition development – planning and specifying the product to appear

Content creation – sourcing the information used to define appropriate pricing and messaging,

Content management – managing the software and database infrastructure

Merchandising – product presentation

Site usability and accessibility

Design & Development

Customer retention Touch strategy definition and execution can define appropriate combinations of timing, targeting, product: Automated event-triggered messaging through customer booking cycle Developed with a acceptable level of Timing frequency Target Interval Content Email marketing is the keystone to retention (and further acquisition) low-cost, personalised integration of customer behaviour including email response patterns and transactional data is ideal DM

Touch strategy definition and execution can define appropriate combinations of timing, targeting, product:

Automated event-triggered messaging through customer booking cycle

Developed with a acceptable level of

Timing frequency

Target

Interval

Content

Email marketing is the keystone to retention (and further acquisition)

low-cost, personalised

integration of customer behaviour including email response patterns and transactional data is ideal

DM

Operational support processes across acquisition, conversion and retention Performance improvement including web analytics, commercial analysis and providing management information Design guidelines and operating procedures such as the review process for publishing new content or triggers for when content updates were required. Managing the technical infrastructure including hosting in order to deliver the right service levels, experienced by customers as site performance and availability.

Performance improvement including web analytics, commercial analysis and providing management information

Design guidelines and operating procedures such as the review process for publishing new content or triggers for when content updates were required.

Managing the technical infrastructure including hosting in order to deliver the right service levels, experienced by customers as site performance and availability.

eCRM – where it fits within eCommerce Managing the online customer experience Supporting the customer journeys through useability evaluation and web site design. Providing web-self service facilities giving access to customer support Customisation / personalisation to provide recommendations at individual and customer segment level. Customer insight Managing the data quality and usage of our knowledge of customers including their: Characteristics (who are they?) including managing profiles, segments and e-mail lists. Behaviour (what they do and when?) including response and purchase behaviour. Value (how much are they worth?) including customer lifetime value Attitudes (what do they think?) including surveying perceptions, satisfaction & loyalty drivers. Customer loyalty and response analysis Touch-strategy definition definition and execution defines appropriate combinations of timing, targeting, product Automated event-triggered messaging through customer booking cycle E-mail marketing Outbound – acquire and build repeat sales through campaigns and e-newsletters to a house-list. May include direct mail and SMS. Inbound – answering enquiries from e-mails and web-based forms.

Managing the online customer experience

Supporting the customer journeys through useability evaluation and web site design.

Providing web-self service facilities giving access to customer support

Customisation / personalisation to provide recommendations at individual and customer segment level.

Customer insight

Managing the data quality and usage of our knowledge of customers including their:

Characteristics (who are they?) including managing profiles, segments and e-mail lists.

Behaviour (what they do and when?) including response and purchase behaviour.

Value (how much are they worth?) including customer lifetime value

Attitudes (what do they think?) including surveying perceptions, satisfaction & loyalty drivers.

Customer loyalty and response analysis

Touch-strategy definition

definition and execution defines appropriate combinations of timing, targeting, product

Automated event-triggered messaging through customer booking cycle

E-mail marketing

Outbound – acquire and build repeat sales through campaigns and e-newsletters to a house-list. May include direct mail and SMS.

Inbound – answering enquiries from e-mails and web-based forms.

SEO Fundamentals 55% 30% 15% Internal SEO - Relevant - Accessible - Keyword Rich - Quality Signals - Targeting External SEO Quality, related links Relevant Linking speed Social Media Linking Signals Technical Spec Site Architecture Navigation Meta data XML Options Quality signals

External SEO

Quality, related links

Relevant

Linking speed

Social Media

Linking Signals

Technical Spec

Site Architecture

Navigation

Meta data

XML Options

Quality signals

Suggested eCommerce Strategy for Airlines SEO PPC Email Affiliate Banner Video Viral RSS Email list Buy-in Convert Retain and Grow Acquire Site design Tracking code User friendly content Site security Good calls to action Site speed Viral Offers 4 stage process Customer service Email Personalisation Site security Referrals

SEO

PPC

Email

Affiliate

Banner

Video

Viral

RSS

Email list

Buy-in

Site design

Tracking code

User friendly content

Site security

Good calls to action

Site speed

Viral

Offers

4 stage process

Customer service

Email

Personalisation

Site security

Referrals

Effective web design Accessibility – w3C User-centred design and usability Linking with marketing planning Information architecture and findability Search engine optimisation (SEO) Web standards Web analytics Legal requirements Right fares, appealing Combining these will deliver a compelling website experience

Accessibility – w3C

User-centred design and usability

Linking with marketing planning

Information architecture and findability

Search engine optimisation (SEO)

Web standards

Web analytics

Legal requirements

Right fares, appealing

Combining these will deliver a compelling website experience

1: Usability and Brand Problem: Which way do I go? Which navigation is the right one? Which company and site am I booking on? Where am I? Can I trust the airline? Solution: Provide consistent user experience throughout the site to avoid disorientation and create confidence and trust through a single, focused and consistent booking experience 2: Usability Problem: How many steps will booking really take? Solution: Optimise the booking flow to create a & efficient 4 step process to avoid drop outs 3: Brand Problem: Who is the airline and are they for me? What can they offer me others don’t have? Solution: Ensure site represent the company’s positioning, mission, values and personality? Enable customers to understand our offer by providing platform for marketing positioning 4: Usability Problem: Where can I quickly compare availability and prices? Solution: Focus homepage on key user goals: booking, manage my booking, travel info, offers 5: Experience Problem: Why should I come back? Does the site cater for my needs? Solution: Create an effective site structure based on target audience specific needs and provide a platform to manage relationships such as online check-in updates, flight updates, etc. Effective web design

1: Usability and Brand

Problem: Which way do I go? Which navigation is the right one? Which company and site am I booking on? Where am I? Can I trust the airline?

Solution: Provide consistent user experience throughout the site to avoid disorientation and create confidence and trust through a single, focused and consistent booking experience

2: Usability

Problem: How many steps will booking really take?

Solution: Optimise the booking flow to create a & efficient 4 step process to avoid drop outs

3: Brand

Problem: Who is the airline and are they for me? What can they offer me others don’t have?

Solution: Ensure site represent the company’s positioning, mission, values and personality? Enable customers to understand our offer by providing platform for marketing positioning

4: Usability

Problem: Where can I quickly compare availability and prices?

Solution: Focus homepage on key user goals: booking, manage my booking, travel info, offers

5: Experience

Problem: Why should I come back? Does the site cater for my needs?

Solution: Create an effective site structure based on target audience specific needs and provide a platform to manage relationships such as online check-in updates, flight updates, etc.

Number 1 rule - b uilding a database Capture customer information in terms of Name Email address Mobile number Through Website Competitions Business cards Build a customer database AND i deally – but not a deal breaker Capture some related demographics helps airline build accurate and timely profiles about airline's customers Create personalised communication.

Capture customer information in terms of

Name

Email address

Mobile number

Through

Website

Competitions

Business cards

Build a customer database

AND i deally – but not a deal breaker

Capture some related demographics helps airline build accurate and timely profiles about airline's customers

Create personalised communication.

Best practice recommendations Acquisition has two meanings: Using web site to acquire new customers as qualified leads that can be converted into sales Encouraging existing customers to use online channels Balance resources between acquisition, proposition development / conversion and retention. Create detailed digital marketing plans to provide focus and direction with a structured planning process for E-commerce Achieve senior level sponsorship and involvement in planning and review. Align E-commerce objectives and resources with business objectives. Be flexible Have a flexible response to planning with operational reviews enabling reallocation of budget Avoid the delays in “time to market” for introducing new web applications Use ‘Test, learn, refine’ model Allocate sufficient organisational resources for customer insight, customer data quality, customer satisfaction, touch-strategy definition, not just web site efficiency and effectiveness.

Acquisition has two meanings:

Using web site to acquire new customers as qualified leads that can be converted into sales

Encouraging existing customers to use online channels

Balance resources between acquisition, proposition development / conversion and retention.

Create detailed digital marketing plans to provide focus and direction with a structured planning process for E-commerce

Achieve senior level sponsorship and involvement in planning and review.

Align E-commerce objectives and resources with business objectives.

Be flexible

Have a flexible response to planning with operational reviews enabling reallocation of budget

Avoid the delays in “time to market” for introducing new web applications

Use ‘Test, learn, refine’ model

Allocate sufficient organisational resources for customer insight, customer data quality, customer satisfaction, touch-strategy definition, not just web site efficiency and effectiveness.