I had talked to one of the largest cruise operator in Asia-Pacific about revamping and promoting their business online. To them, the so-called big ideas would be converting their existing website into accepting booking online.
Yes, comes the standard story…
Several web agencies were invited to present a mockup. The best one was chosen. A brand new website was launched after several months, Old marketing managers were happy about it, at very least!
The problem of many businesses is they don’t think big enough! Perhaps, they have tried to think out of box, but the box is just too small.
How far can a cruise operator’s website go if it can only allow booking of their own tour package? What is the difference when it was compared to a cruise booking website that allow visitors to book tour package of any cruise operator?
yeah man.. and thats the number 1 reason why web 2.0 success stories do not consist of traditional businesses migrating to the web (2 exceptions would be maybe thestar or maybank). the same mindset and business practices cannot be applied, otherwise it will just end up to be an “internet” version of an already existing service (i.e. booking available online, or buy my product online) which frankly if u ask me, is akin to cannibalizing because they are not creating new market but stealing market share from existing departments (i.e. the telephone booking).