Things I Learned at SES Travel 2007

There were many things that were shared at the conference, however, there is one that is of great importance that really struck a cord with me. Yes, it is extremely important for the travel vertical, however, it has importance for all websites. It really brings all of the aspects of development together:

Create an Experience

Let me ask you a question: what are the most memorial experiences that you have had?

It may be related to an event, place or those who you shared it with, right?

So, you are building a wonderful website, with considerations for everything…
Your website is easy to navigate for users and engines.
Your content is engaging, keeping the reader looking for more.
You are always looking for the next “big” thing that will get you more visitors.

But, what are you doing to give your users the ability to engage you and share with others? This is an experience! Experiences are shared, both positive and negative! Experiences are what keep people coming back (more frequent visits), share with others (viral), write about it (links) and can help you to move into the spotlight with communities both online and offline.

Yes, with the travel vertical, it is extremely important. Regular people aren’t afforded the opportunity to experience a vacation all too often, so it is extremely important to provide them with an experience that is consistent online with what they have to look forward to offline (when they arrive). But, if you take a step back and think about it, this is not restricted to the travel vertical, in fact, this is extremely important for everyone that has online exposure.

Sure, you can live vicariously through your website, but for long-term success, you will have to match the online experience with the offline reality.

I also wanted to share some photos from Seattle. By the way, the city had a great affect on me. Even though I work in the travel industry, I still don’t get out much!

Here are a couple of skyline photos (taken from the Space Needle):