Best Internet Marketing: First Place
All-Travel Harnesses the Web
Agency’s focus is on making sales, not just window-shoppers
By Robert Carlsen
Travel Age West, June 2, 2003
It’s de rigueur for travel agencies to have Web sites, but the truly successful are those that can turn their efforts into real profits.
All-Travel, with offices in West Los Angeles, Torrance and Valencia, Calif., is one such success story.
For the past seven years, the agency has continually tinkered with its Web site to refine the design and content, all with the goal of boosting actual sales, not just attracting window-shoppers.
“We’re continually augmenting the site, based on feedback from our frontline agents — what’s generating calls, leads and closure?” said Eric Maryanov, All-Travel’s president.
“One result of the feedback is we now, on our leisure side, are selling predominantly sun destinations,” he said. “And we’ve been very successful.”
In 2001, the agency traced about 15 percent of its business to its Web site through direct bookings, e-mails and callers referred from the site.
Last year, the agency traced about 30 percent, or about $6 million, of its business to its Web site.
Internet search engine Google recently acknowledged All-Travel’s site.
Google reviews Web pages for four days at the end of each month, looking at a site’s linking system, user accessibility and effectiveness in keeping visitors.
In its recent review, Google gave All-Travel’s site an 8 out of a possible 10 in its PageRank awards, the highest number ever accorded to a travel agency.
Michael Behrens, e-marketing director for WebMetro of San Dimas, Calif., said that All-Travel has made a commitment to its Web site.
WebMetro, which plans, develops and integrates online marketing and business solutions for clients, has worked with All-Travel for several years to help refine and strategically position the
agency’s site.
All-Travel “is a testament to the fact that if a firm allocates the necessary time, resources and effort, the Web still provides smaller companies a medium to excel in competitive industries,” said Behrens.
Maryanov also credits the creativity of David Van Ness, All-Travel’s director of corporate and Internet development, for the site’s success.
“We’re getting between 60,000 to 75,000 monthly visitors,” Van Ness said. “And these are very qualified lookers.”
Van Ness said the success hasn’t come without effort.
"It’s not just ‘Build it and they will come,’ " he said. "Over the years, it has been laying a lot of groundwork with positioning and has required a lot of patience."
Van Ness said the agency now uses a variety of tools to maintain and to refine its site visibility.
Some of the tools: registering with key Internet search engines, an e-marketing program that monitors and analyzes cost effectiveness of various Internet keyword searches, and software that allows detailed tracking of site visitors.
Van Ness notes that the site’s success has been helped by the fact that the agency got onto the Internet early.
"It’s a lot more difficult starting now than some time ago," he said. "The Internet has become more complicated. It’s gotten more sophisticated. In some respects it’s a little easier; and it’s not impossible to start a successful Web site by any means. But one has to look at it from a very long-term view. It’s not going to be immediate results."
In addition to the marketing of the site, Van Ness said he updates the site "daily or weekly," depending on the availability of specials.
The agency said that business is way up on the agency’s key vendors, which are marketed extensively on the site. Some of these vendors include Crystal Cruises, Club Med, Classic Custom Vacations and Pleasant Holidays.
Maryanov added that some content on the site has been provided by his co-op partner, Leisure Travel Group.
Though All-Travel sells some product strictly via e-mail, Maryanov said he encourages his agents to work with clients in the traditional manner — either by phone or face-to-face.
"We want to be known as consultants and develop more personal relationships," he said.
To that end, All-Travel tries to make it as easy as possible for clients to visit, keeping their offices open seven days a week, with weekday hours from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Copyright©, Travel Age West 2003
For more information
contact David C. Van Ness,
Director, Internet Development
(310) 312-3368
