-
Add & Manage Rooms, Facilities, Prices etc.
- Upload accommodation pictures.
- Accept real time online bookings.
- Online client feedback and guest book.
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SA websites not ready for 2010 - Article from Biz-Community.com
In recent months I have done some research into South Africa's
readiness for 2010, in terms of Internet marketing. The majority of
businesses seem to think that, by having a website, they have all the
visibility they need to be found by the thousands of soccer supporters
that will flock the country in 2010. Some even think they have a lot of
time to get their web presence sorted out, as the event is only in
2010. Nothing can be further from the truth.
To
a great extent, the Internet will be the most powerful marketing
strategy that any company can have for the largest sports event in the
world. The markets targeted are wide and most continents will need to
find information about businesses in SA. The roll-on effect of the
event is even greater than most of us can comprehend and the
opportunities even bigger.
So what is the big fuss about?
South
Africa can expect more than 55 000 football fans from countries sucha s
Germany, Holland, France, Italy, Brazil, UK and many more. These fans
will need to get their information now! Not in 2010, but now! The
ticket sales are expected to open next year (2008), and fans that want
to ensure that they have transport and accommodation will have to start
booking now, else they risk losing the best spots. One can only imagine
the frustration you will have because they couldn't find your business
on their most reliable source of information, the Internet.
Here is a bit of statistics about estimated Internet users in those countries.
| Country | Internet users | % of population |
|
Asia
|
459 476 825
|
12.4%
|
|
Europe
|
337 878 613
|
41.7%
|
|
North America
|
232 655 287
|
69.5%
|
|
South America
|
77 978 800
|
21.1%
|
|
South Africa
|
5 100 000
|
10.3%
|
|
World including Africa
|
1 244 449 601
|
18.9%
|
Source: internetworldstats.com
When
looking at the percentages of Internet users, it is clear that other
countries makes use of the Internet on a much larger scale than we are
used to in SA. By not being visible we are losing money.
Which businesses need to be ready?
When
looking at the different opportunities the event holds for SA it is
amazing to realise the real impact it will have on South Africa and the
different business segments. For example, sports pubs have a great
opportunity to make this event work for them. Many fans will not be
able to obtain tickets for their team matches. They will need to watch
it somewhere social – do they know about your sports pub?
With
an estimated four matches in Nelspruit and Polokwane, the tourism
industries there can expect a shocker of tourism influx – will they
know about your guest house or lodge? Will Johannesburg, Pretoria,
Rustenburg and Nelspruit be able to handle the accommodation needs of
these visitors?
Definitely, but will they know about the places
we as South Africans do? They will have to be able to find your
business online. How many fans will want to buy property here?
The
facts are that there are many industries that will be impacted by
tourist needs; is your business one of them? Building a chain of
events, you will be shocked to realise that your beauty salon urgently
needs a website!
Why is South Africa not ready?
The
clear fact that the majority of websites within the country are not
designed to be found on search engines are probably our biggest
concern, but here are other concerns that business owners should have
with regards to their websites:
-
Websites not engaging in
social media optimisation (SMO) and lack the ability of utilising SMO
in order to grow their referrals.
-
The lack of usability on SA
websites. People need information but the usability issues of most
sites being designed from the business perspective and not the
visitor's perspective make it nearly impossible to find information.
-
Lack
of information pages. The majority of people visiting the websites from
abroad will need information relevant to the 2010 event. They will need
to know distances from the different matches; travel etc. and the
websites locally do not provide this information.
-
Lack of
Internet marketing techniques. There are so many companies that simply
do not engage in any Internet marketing technique to make supporters
aware of their whereabouts.
-
Retention strategies are not being used
-
Lack of conversion methods.
-
Use
of social media marketing (SMM). A lot has been said about how sites
such as Facebook can be utilised to market businesses. Ironically,
there is not a single South African 2010 group on Facebook at the
moment.
A quick summary of marketing strategies
There
are 12 main categories of Internet marketing. Here are a few marketing
strategies that are simple to use and should make a great impact on
your online presence.
-
Affiliate programs – introducing an
affiliate program whereby websites containing information about the
tournament can promote your site by means of banners or email marketing
at a commission.
-
Viral Campaigns – certainly one of the most
powerful marketing strategies out there that can start with a simple
refer-a-friend facility or more advanced flash soccer game.
-
Banner advertising – launching a banner advertising campaign on sites that get targeted traffic.
-
SEO
– ensuring your site is visible on Google for targeted keywords.
Remember ranking for your brand name doesn't mean anything to Europeans
that do not know your brand. You will need to rank for keyword phrases
related to the tournament and your business.
-
Search engine
advertising – by buying advertising space through Google Adwords, you
can ensure your website's presence within keywords your site doesn't
rank for naturally.
-
Applying SMO to your site – supporters move
around in similar social circles online. By ensuring you have
information and demographics about them, you can naturally source them
for referrals from within their social groups.
There are
several other methods that a website owner can utilise to ensure their
cut in the web cake, and it is certainly worthwhile obtaining more
information about online marketing. Is your website ready?
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