Posted: Tue, September 30, 2008
Digitally Networked Businesses – What’s it all about?
By Chris Williams
Business in Wales is being encouraged to become `Digitally Networked` but what does this really mean to a Welsh SME?
In April 2008 ITWales Bangor hosted a presentation focussing on the development of Your Tourism Community, a company that creates online software tools to enable tourism businesses to undertake partnership marketing. The year old company is an amalgamation of two companies Aberconwy Websolutions Ltd and Colin Price IT Solutions Ltd, which have both been active in the field for over ten years.
Now, with membership increasing daily, Your Tourism Community is flagged as a great working example of successful Digitally Networked Businesses. Chris Williams caught up with Kevin Jones of Your Tourism Community to find about the creation and development of this dynamic shared knowledge environment.
What's the background to your venture?
Like a lot of innovations the idea arose due to the desire to have the use of something and being unable to find someone to provide it. I was running a B&B and wanted to add a lot of content to my own websites to give full details about what the visitor could experience during their visit, attractions, activities, events, places to eat etc. I wanted to create the most comprehensive picture of what was available in the area; in short to turn my website into a mini tourist information centre. The accepted way to do this was to provide links that took visitor away from the website, which after putting so much effort in getting them there in the first place seemed to be self-defeating. What I did not want to do was spend a lot of time gathering information about other tourism businesses and keeping it up to date. I realised the key was to enable tourism businesses to control and share their own information
How does the network work?
The network is called Your Tourism Community (YTC) and comprises of a number of software systems.
- A database of tourism business information.
- Forms to add data to the database.
- A system to notify other members that the information has been added and available for use.
- A simple website wizard that enables members with little ICT skills to create and manage their own website.
- A Customer Relationship Marketing CRM newsletter management system that enables all members to create articles a put them into common database that they can use in their own newsletters or allow other members to use in theirs.
- An online booking system that allows potential visitors to check availability and book accommodation.
We do not market www.yourtourismcommunity.co.uk apart from a few presentations. Members mainly join because of referral from current members. The fact is that members decide which businesses have information that add value to their own offer and inform them that they should join YTC. One new member was contacted by four members in a single week. This organic growth is resulting in an average of 20 new members a week with the rate of growth accelerating as the core membership grows.
What unique products/services does the network offer?
It gives members control over the content of their websites as well as the ability due to the sharing capability to significantly increase their web exposure. One member is so far featured on 118 other websites. In a search engine competitive market such as tourism it is often difficult to get you website into a high position. However, this can be overcome by ensuring that your information is seen on as many websites as possible.
A further advantage is that local destination websites can be made by amalgamating the accounts of several members such as www.betws-y-coed.co.uk where all the content is supplied by the businesses themselves.
Have you had to give special consideration to security of the network?
The network hides all e-mails from spam harvesters. All members have to be authorised prior to receiving the privileges that enable them to add their information to the database or go live with their websites.
What's been the key to your success?
A lack of awareness of the scale of the task at the outset allowed us to begin the project in blissful ignorance. When reality of the difficulties became apparent it was the people who delighted in telling us that there were a large number of insolvable issues that ensured we kept going.
Another significant motivator was the team spirit; no matter how hard and time consuming it has been every one of our small team of five has been equally passionate and committed throughout and worked weekends and late into the evening when required (unpaid).
A final factor has been timing. The fact that a critical mass of businesses are now open to the concept of working together in partnership, even with businesses that they may have in the past viewed as competitors.
Is there one piece of technology that has enabled you to succeed?
It is not so much technology in itself but technology coupled with a change in philosophy that has assisted our success. The rise of Web 2.0 concepts, particularly that lots of people sharing the workload can create something bigger than they could have done individually has paved the way of understanding. When we introduce the idea to businesses they are able to draw on experience from non business communities that they may already be members of; facebook, bebo, flikr.
What one piece of advice would you give to a DNB start-up?
Ensure that you understand the motivations of the businesses. What are they willing to give? What do they expect to receive? How complimentary is the business type mix; if they all have the same needs it will be unlikely to succeed.
How do you see your network developing in the future?
The membership growth by referral will continue and we will look to stimulate awareness in certain areas of Wales. We will look to enlist a number of local agents to provide support. Although the aim is to develop the information from the grassroots we are looking to work with existing tourism groups such as Tourism Associations, Voluntary organisation and Local Authorities in order to enable them to provide the tourism information they already provide but in a simpler less time consuming and less expensive way.
We are looking to develop two new software systems. The first will enable tourism destinations to conduct Integrated Quality Management IQM in a more effective manner than at present. It will automate the gathering, collation and reporting of visitors’ levels of satisfaction, not just as a snapshot but continuously month by month because problems change throughout the year; the excessive litter of spring is hidden in the grass verges of summer for instance. This will enable tourism support bodies especially local authorities to undertake corrective action and monitor in time whether this has proved successful.
The data gathered by the online booking system could be used anonymously and by consent to provide a real time, accurate measure of accommodation occupancy levels. This is very important research information for tourism bodies to assist in future policy planning and to determine the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and grant aid.
If you’d like to find out more about DNB, Kevin Jones will be presenting at the e-Business Wales Roadshow e-Business Wales Roadshow events in Brecon on 15th October and Pembroke Dock on 16th October.
Tourism related businesses can join the network free of charge by going to www.yourtourismcommunity.co.uk
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