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BEST
OF THE NET
Last updated on 30 December 2007
We work the web a lot, searching for sites to
feature in our newsletter,
on DMOU
and our presentations on Technology and the Internet. For those of us
that are out there a lot, we know that there are a lot of sites that
simply exist without a clear purpose. Zeitgeist highlights the sites
that get it.
From a great raison
d'etre to cutting edge visuals and features, here are some
of our current faves. And, if you've got a site that you believe qualifies
for inclusion here, please e-mail
us.
OTTAWA
ON 
Designing a complete one-stop-shop solution for meeting planners has
been a dilemma for DMO pros since the internet changed the way we all
do business. We've seen interesting tools here and there over the years....but
nothing like Ottawa Tourism's sensational "Meetings Easy"
micro-site. Through "Meetings Easy," planners can request
proposals from suppliers and venues, plan and manage event details and
interface with selected suppliers. Select "Click Here for an Overview"
to witness the breadth of this sensational service. Kudos to Ottawa
Tourism for designing the meetings section of their website not with
their message in mind...but, rather, to meet the needs of the
planner. And, what a message that sends!
GULF SHORES
AL
More of today’s travelers are jumping into cars and onto planes
with little more than the interest to getaway. Roughly one in five plan
their getaways within 48 hours...if at all. So, how does a DMO provide
the information these intrepid tourists need? The Alabama Gulf Coast
CVB solves the problem smartly by dumping the graphics and providing
a version of its website that speeds the consumer to what they need
most...information on vacancies, restaurants, attractions and events.
Period. No pictures. Just data. Perfect for anybody with a web enabled
phone (which is just about everyone these days).
INDIANAPOLIS
Of course, the opportunities in this Web 2.0 world are pretty wide-open,
especially for the adoption of video on DMO sites. And nobody has jumped
in faster and deeper than the Indianapolis CVA with weekly (yeah, weekly)
video-podcasts. Produced completely in-house, the Bureau reports over
20,000 downloads each month. And while that’s simply incredible,
it works on a totally other level too...as CVA members love being featured.
And, that builds the kind of goodwill and destinational support DMOs
desperately need in these “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately”
times
LAFAYETTE
LA
So, a consumer hears that Lafayette is a pretty cool town. With most
DMO websites, that consumer is going to have to dig through a maddening
set of pages on the site to learn whether there is enough stuff to do
to keep them amused throughout the day. Not with Lafayette’s site,
as the Bureau has included an hour by hour timeline of all the things
one can enjoy and be “Cajun for a Day” right on its homepage.
BRANSON
Most destinations offer different experiences from season to season...but
so many offer a “one-season-fits-all” website. The DMO in
Branson offers icons at the top of its homepage for each of the five
seasons (that’s right, Christmas is its own season). Bold, colorful
messaging, great photography and an understanding that just because
most consumers plan their getaway within 30 days of departure...not
everybody does.
MYRTLE BEACH
The recent transition from a corporate template look to a consumer-focused
site is simply breathtaking. Beautiful imagry and easy navigation make
the new site a winner. But, one of our favorite features is actually
a hold-over from the last iteration...and that’s the “How
to Get Here” section. When the visitor clicks on “Travel
By Car,” they are presented with an interactive map that, as they
mouse over, displays driving time and estimated fuel costs for major
cities across the eastern half of the country. Very cool.
SPOKANE
WA
The
layout of Spokane's cool new internet portal features some of our favorite
(and recommended) design features: a concise set of front page options
(instead of the seemingly ubiquitous 42 links to everything but the
kitchen sink), bold photography and the opportunity to view a compelling
video without having to dig through the site. Add to that a secondary
set of navigation controls that include quick jumps to destination weather,
calendar of events and the way too cool mapping function, and the consumer
has virtually everything they need to initiate their fact-finding process.
If
for nothing else, check out this winner and treat yourself to one of
the best destination videos we've seen in a while.
PENNSYLVANIA
Where to start? From 2005's way-cool bloggers
to the more recent utilization of regular "joes and jills" offering
up their favorite restaurants, road trips and attractions through the
compelling "playlists," Pennsylvania's
site continues to break new ground. Other features include visitor submitted
videos, a wealth of itinerized road trips and a Package and Coupon section.
The Best State site out there, hands down.
DURHAM
NC
We've been big fans of Durham's website for years. From live chat to
deep content, it has continued to be one of the most comprehensive destination
sites in the world. It's only weakness was on the creative side as the
site failed to convey a visual reason "why" someone would
want to visit. In it's new iteration, they've solved the visual thing
quite nicely, thank you.
SARATOGA NY
Subscribers to the Zeitgeist
Z-news may remember a post
a few years ago in which we said that we had seen the future of internet
marketing...and it was the site that supported the FlyTop
Pen. Using interactive video captures of a number of spokesmodels,
the site sucked consumers into playing with the models...and into buying
the FlyTop Pen. It's not interactive yet...but Saratoga Springs is making
use of video capture to make an appeal to area residents to offer up
contact information on meeting and convention planners. Very cool...
AND,
COMPELLING HOME PAGES
We've reached a point in the evolution of the internet that the adoption
of high speed internet access (now available to 82% of Americans) allows
us to post rich imagry on our sites. A recent study contended that 75%
of those that purchase hotel rooms on -line purchase based on picture
over price. The old adage of a picture being worth 1000 words? Double
it as you point your doubting thomas web-designer to these home pages:
ITHACA NY
SYRACUSE NY
AUSTIN TX
WALLA WALLA WA
And...other
sites we like:
FARGO
For homepages, we believe less is more. Confusing a first-time visitor
with 42 options often results in that customer leaving the site prematurely.
The Bureau of Fargo-Moorhead gives their visitor a set of choices in
order to bring up a page that is designed specifically for them. We
really like their“Meeting Attendee” choice, as it provides
the opportunity for the CVB to create customized pages for each incoming
event.
QUEENSTOWN
NZ
It’s such a little thing...but often forgotten. For many destinations,
the experience changes with the season. But we tend to promote summer
in summer and winter in winter. But, Queenstown offers a set of icons
just off the nav bar that clues visitors in to what to expect in each
season. They also remind travelers when those seasons are (for those
visitors from north of the equator, it’s the opposite of what
they are used to). Another “little” (but cool) feature is
the ability to e-mail the page that has caught your eye to a friend.
Smart.
LONDONTOWN
It’s not the “official” Visit
London site (which ain’t a bad site either)...and
maybe that’s why we’re so impressed. It doesn’t act
like an “official” site. That’s
because it’s full of killer “Top Ten” lists, restaurant
reviews and recommendations for tours...which is exactly what a potential
visitor is looking for. Even cooler is the use of avatars across the
bottom of each page that lead visitors to the site pages that are “hosted”
by experts in 10 different categories. Emma is the expert on hotels.
Joshua can give you the inside take on the best clubs and pubs. And,
Lucy’s got the whole shopping thing sussed. While most DMOs would
face a political and public relations nightmare posting this kind of
site (or offering this kind of service), it’s what the visitor
wants. And, if we don’t start providing what the customer wants,
the private sector (like Londontown) will be all too happy to oblig
READING
PA
Zeitgeist regulars know we have a soft spot for unique URLs. One of
our favorites is the Cedar
Rapids (IA) CVB's wegotnext.org, which they use to speed
sports planners past the standard DMO intro pages to the info they really
crave (and, like unique toll-free numbers, it’s a great way to
track advertising effectiveness).
Well, the Reading/Berks County CVB has hit the motherlode in beating
other DMOs to the punch on the growing “girls’ weekend”
travel phenomenon. Sure, they still maintain their “standard”
CVB site...but search for a “Girlfriends’ Getaway”
on Google and you are transported to a site that is dedicated to this
new niche. And, not to be outdone, the Bellingham / Whatcom County (WA)
CVB has launched "Girlfriends
Roadtrip," Very Cool.
BRUNSWICK GA
A number of Destinations offer multi-lingual welcome pages on their
sites. A few, like the Chicago CVB (choosechicago.com), actually provide
translations two or three levels deep. But what about DMOs that don't
have the budget to spring for extensive translations? The Brunswick
CVB handles this quandry by providing the streaming video of their destination
in 7 (count 'em, seven) different languages. Think about it, the cost
in a video is shooting, editing and streaming it. The voice-overs are
a nominal add-on after these sunk costs. Very cool.
TOURISM RESEARCH LINKS
While I'm always reticent to make it easier for potential clients to
locate my competitors, this site has so much more that I can't help
myself. Montreal's Rene Waksberg has compiled THE definitive compendium
of Tourism Research Links, filled with lists of upcoming tourism conferences,
government tourism offices, tourism news sources and other travel and
transportation resources. And, yes...a listing of tourism consultants
worldwide.
OUR SPONSOR
HENNEN
PUBLISHING
Midwest Meetings is the only regional publication
to combine a resource guide of comprehensive listings with informational
articles on the Midwest sites that meeting and event planners want to
see. A great publication with sensational shelf-life and reasonable
advertising rates. Hennen Publishing also produces the Arizone Visitors
Guide, Illinois Meetings Destination Guide and the Tempe Visitors
Guide...just to name a few!
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