Japan Package Tours
Contents:
- What is Japan Package Tours?
- What services have Japan Package Tours purchased from RAW Internet Design?
- How did JPT collect prospective customers before?
- How is JPT collecting prospective customers now?
- Preventing opportunity loss is the greatest advantage of introducing web marketing.
- Three advantages of using RAW Internet Design.
- Future plans
What is Japan Package Tours?
-- Can you introduce yourself and your company.
I am Haydn Thompson. I run a travel agency in Melbourne, named Japan Package Tours (JPT), which specialises in providing services to people who want to visit Japan at reasonable expense.
I am a professional in Japanese tourism. I spent 18 months in Japan working for two hotels, in Nagano and Yamanashi prefecture respectively, to learn hotel management and hospitality, then, back in Melbourne, I worked for a branch of Nippon Travel Agency, one of the largest travel agencies in Japan.
I can understand both what Australians want from travel in Japan and how things are run in the tourism industry in Japan, which makes me different from other general travel agencies.
Since 1997, JPT has arranged package tours in Japan for thousands of people and over a hundred school excursions. I believe no other travel agencies focus on Japanese tourism more deeply than JPT does.
I value trust and honesty above all else in everyday business. I want to take best care of customers possible so they can enjoy traveling in Japan, one of the most beautiful countries on earth. I am proud of the fact that most of our orders come from repeat and referred customers.
What services have Japan Package Tours purchased from RAW Internet Design?
-- Can you explain what services you purchased from RAW Internet Design?
From RAW Internet Design, -- well, let me call it Tony because RAW is all Tony to me --, JPT purchased web site planning and development, SEO, programming for backyend operations, and business consulting. I always count on Tony anytime when it comes to web marketing.
Our web site is the most important customer collecting tool we have. Even though I know a lot about the travel business I am a dummy about internet technologies . That’s why I work together with Tony. He never fails in doing what he says he will do, and delivers results.
How did JPT collect prospective customers before?
-- How did JPT collect prospective customers before you introduced Web marketing?
JPT collected prospective customers through newspaper advertisements, which would say "Japan Package Tours the best travel agency for you. Call Now 03 9909 7212". Then I wait for calls in the office, the phone rings, I talk with customers, and usually win the deal. That was JPT's sales process.
This process has three drawbacks.
First, available space of newspaper advertisement is too small to tell anything other than company name and phone number. You cannot tell customers in such a small space how fascinating a trip in Japan is, or how flexible and friendly JPT would be in arranging everything for them.
Second, you have to spend a long time on the phone with all the prospective customers who call you, including those who say "Well, I think I want to go to Japan in the near future, but I'm not sure where I should visit or ...". Dealing with these unclear inquiries is sometimes, to be honest, not so fascinating. I want to sell quicker to more people.
Third, it costs too much to keep advertising on newspapers. Sales using advertisements are indirect and less profitable.
These drawbacks frustrated me so I decided to introduce web marketing but could not find an appropriate partner. One day three years ago, I happened to meet Tony, we talked a while and I realized he is it. I ask him to produce a website for JPT. He did it, and the problems are now gone.
I still use press and other advertising but now I use those ads to drive people to our website.
How is JPT collecting prospective customers now?
-- How did three problems you mentioned get solved?
Regarding the first problem of too little space in newspaper advertisements. Once you get your website, you can say everything you want. Now I can provide all the necessary information: including recommended tour programmes, great sightseeing spots in Japan, prices, FAQ's, and so on.
Regarding the second problem of responding to unclear inquiries. Now I can say to them,“please visit our website, I’m sure it will help you"
Regarding the third problem of expensive cost of advertising. My web site is my own asset. You don't have to pay for using your asset.
Three problems were swept away with help from Tony; our selling process was improved, less time educating customers and more time selling, I can get my message quicker to more people.
I found, furthermore, another more important advantage of introducing web marketing - preventing opportunity loss.
Preventing opportunity loss is the greatest advantage of introducing web marketing.
In the year JPT first set up our first web site, huge numbers of baby boomers retired from their jobs. Many were very interested in taking a trip to a foreign country, including Japan, which means lots of enquiries were expected to come to JPT. Prospective customers began to form a queue.
Suppose we did not bring in web marketing, JPT could not have handled so many inquiries appropriately. We would have missed the opportunity, nothing could be stupider for a small business like us.
In fact, I met Tony and built up my own website so we didn’t miss this opportunity. The sales of Japanese tourism to senior people tripled by the end of 2004.
I realized that the most profitable outcome of introducing web marketing for small business is not just a direct and quicker sales process but preventing opportunity loss.
Three advantages of RAW internet design.
-- Can you tell me advantages of RAW for JPT?
RAW has three advantages, including 1): Tony knows real business, 2): Once the quote is fixed, no additional costs, which clarifies investment-return ratio 3): He is responsible.
Advantage #1, "Tony knows real business". Web designers without a previous sales career may produce a beautiful site but, you need a web site that can make money. They don’t know sales, they only pretend to know.
Tony, in fact, has a previous 11 year sales career in the field of radio advertising. He both knows and does real sales. His remarks and comments in our project meetings are always simple and to the point. I feel very positive when talking with Tony.
Advantage #2, "once the quote is fixed, no additional costs". Some web designers floppily say "Let's start the project. Nothing happens until you do something, blah, blah". If you carelessly follow them, you would be taken away somewhere - nowhere. Maybe they would tell you "I found the project needs this, this, and this..." and send you a quote for additional costs. it is never-ending.
Tony never does that. Through the meetings before project, we come to an agreement on action list of the project. Then Tony send me an exact quote. Once fixed, no additional costs.
Carefully conducted assessment represents an accurate quote. Tony's once-fixed-no-addition style is very helpful for small a business owner like me, because you cannot tell if your investment will pay off or not without knowing how much the investment actually is at the beginning.
In fact, JPT made a return of the same amount of the investment on the first web site in the first two months. We asked Tony to optimise our site to improve our search engine ranking. My site became ranked #1 on Google with some keywords in a month. Our Investment with RAW has paid off big time.
Advantage #3, "Tony is responsible". I am sure he sometimes says no but he is the last guy telling lies to his customers. This I can guarantee to you.
Future plans
-- Can you tell me your future plans?
JPT is planning a new web marketing strategy. First, we launch several one- page sites for specific tours, collect prospective customers, let them come to JPT's main site, then win orders. I am sure we will enjoy a few of beers again after finishing the project.
Thank you for sharing your valuable time.
- Japan Package Tours Web site
- Interview date: Feb.30,2008
- produced by CUSTOMERWISE Inc. (Japan)
