==content_digital==

Blog

All things web and tourism!

Mobile and Speed is the Name of the Game

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When it comes to mobile browsing, speed is the number one consideration for users. Expectations are high, but many seem to be missing the mark. On average, load time for retail mSites is at 7.083 seconds according to Mobile HTTP Archive

The focus on images has been counterproductive to improving speed. Over that last few years, mobile page sizes have grown drastically with the average page served to mobile increasing by 203% since 2011. And the consequences are severe. Did you know that every second of delay from the first second of loading costs money? RadWare and Neil Patel have published information on the impact of loading time to the bottom line. Some of the most important findings of the research include the following figures:

  • 11% decrease in pageviews
  • 7%...

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Google Earth VR: Adding an Exciting New Dimension to Travel

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It’s much like a scene from a sci-fi movie. Pull down the VR system over your eyes and experience virtual travel like you’ve never seen before.  Feel the scale of the Eiffel Tower against the backdrop of the glistening arrondissements of Paris or cast the golden glow of sunrise on the Florence Cathedral in Italy.

What started as an effort to help people anywhere in the world explore the rest of the planet ten years ago, has gone through many leaps and bounds over the years. Google Earth currently has over 2 billion downloads and hundreds of realistic 3D renderings of major landmarks. Today, Google is introducing a whole new way to see the world.

The virtual reality version is now available for free on the HTC Vive, letting anyone with the device hover over their dream...

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How to Reduce Double Bookings with Channel Management

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Channel managers claim to be 95-97% accurate, depending on which one you talk to. So as channel management becomes the norm, with one of the busiest seasons in years in NZ, a number of double bookings are an unavoidable part of distribution. But don’t despair, there are ways to minimise them.
 

1. Education is Power

It is vital that you spend time to learn how your channel manager works - how to update rates, specials and how the connections with each Online Travel Agent (OTA) works. There is a learning curve but much stress and frustration can be mitigated by putting in the groundwork and time to understand the system.

2. Strategy

A recommended strategy is to leave one room off the channels in high season to kep for direct bookings and/or minimise double...

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Intrusive Interstitial Penalty: Will You be Affected?

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Google has officially announced that they’ve rolled out the penalty that affects pages where content is not easily accessible to the user on mobile. The heads up on this has been on the webmaster blog since August 23, 2016.

The penalty only impacts intrusive interstitial that appear right after tapping the mobile search result. It does not impact pages that come up later. The search engine giant also stresses on the fact that this new signal is just one of hundreds that are used in ranking.

Understanding What Intrusive Interstitials Are

In the blog post, the search engine giant has given three good examples of interstitials that they consider intrusive. The following techniques make the content less accessible to mobile users and will therefore be affected:

  • A popup...

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Digital Trends 2017 Part 1: Mobile is Still the Biggest Focal Point

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Have you jumped on the mobile bandwagon yet? If you haven’t yet, you are missing out big time! Mobile continues its ascend up the ladder of importance for internet users. Most website owners are starting to see the percentage of mobile as a channel grow month on month.

Google is at the forefront of this paradigm shift as they continue to push for the perfect mobile experience. In 2014, they added the mobile-friendly label to search results to help users “find pages where the text and content were readable without zooming in.” While plans for removal of this label are already underway, Google will continue to include the mobile-friendly criteria as a ranking signal. 

Get Started on Mobile

First things first, if you’re not yet mobile-friendly, call Tomahawk now. We can help...

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Digital Trends 2017 Part 2: Interactive Content

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Digital Trends 2017

Our big prediction for 2017 is the rise of interactive content. Gone are the days when internet users are happy consuming just big chunks of text. The popularity of infographics started a trend towards content that uses imagery. This year, we will see people wanting to interact more with content – possibly by choosing different paths in that content.

A good example that would bode well for the travel industry is the use of maps. Ahrefs recently published an article related to this, showing how it can be used for link building. It doesn’t have to be overly complicated and can focus on the following: data/research, trending topics, pop culture, funny facts and fully interactive maps.

Another form of interactive content users are just consuming like mad are those that offer a...

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