tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:28:14 +0000If you're addicted to travel websites, web usability and tourism brochures (no one is perfect) - bookmark this blog. I will do my best to make you come back and read my thoughts about the fascinating world of eTourism, and tourism in general.http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/ismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)Blogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-6853070250952222893Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:27:00 +00002009-10-19T11:28:14.277-07:00user experienceeuropeusabilityfindabilitywebsite inspectionA new and interesting version of the Visiteurope.com web portal, which promotes Europe as a tourism destination worldwide, was launched a few days ago. Because the aim of the new website is to portray 'Europe as a whole' and to link to the National Tourism Organisations of the continent, its degree of Web Findability would be very important.Findability, according to Information Architecture http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/10/web-findability-in-visiteuropecom-quick.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-2653769373401769558Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:56:00 +00002009-10-07T04:17:19.510-07:00web 2.0tourisme-tourismaviationuser generated contentsocial mediatrip advisorHere is a bunch of some interesting eTourism articles and updates from the last couple of days. Enjoy:1. American Airlines Goes Social: AA is launching a first-of-its-kind social networking site, BlackAtlas.com. It is aimed mainly at the black community, and is scheduled to fully launch in mid October. (The full story @Eye For Travel).2. ...And Now The UK: TripAdvisor announced the launch of its http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/10/whats-new-in-etourism.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-1965473822482758428Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:25:00 +00002009-09-15T04:25:25.953-07:00user experiencehotelusabilitytwitpictwitterWhile eHotels websites are getting better and friendlier over time, with a growing awareness to issues like web usability and user experience, there are still some things missing. In such a crowded market, it is crucial for hotels' online booking systems to tell the user everything that he or she needs to know about the place. The more you tell, the more you sell. Unanswered questions may lead tohttp://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/09/hotel-websites-more-you-tell-more-you.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-1290406158627608779Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:03:00 +00002009-08-08T08:38:40.533-07:00web 2.0e-tourismsocial mediamarketingtwitpicfacebooktwitterIt was just a matter of time before Twitter becomes an attractive platform for destination marketers worldwide. More and more DMOs and local travel websites use the micro-blogging advantage to promote their tourism brands to thousands of followers, free of charge. However, it seems that not everyone makes a full use of Twitter's characteristics as the world's next instant messaging tool, which http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/08/twittourism-promote-your-tourism-brand.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-5851639460230359277Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:54:00 +00002009-07-28T07:20:46.153-07:00user experienceweb designusabilityonline bookingsEye For Travel has reported that ground transport sales are the most viable and profitable onboard opportunity, according to a recent survey of consumer attitudes toward onboard shopping. While many tourists prefer to book their train or bus tickets before the flight, some find this task daunting. Problematic usability is the main reason, forcing users who have a limited experience with the http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/07/online-ground-transport-sales-dont.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-6658497247648923048Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:58:00 +00002009-07-26T13:58:58.776-07:00hoteltourisme-tourismuser generated contentreviewtrip advisorThe online hotel reviews scene is getting bigger and louder with a new player called Oyster. This user-friendly website offers objective reviews written by journalism students (as reported on Frommers.com), who are basically full time employees: "They are our own people. They go there anonymously and try to emulate the experience as closely as possible..." says Elie Seidman, Oyster's CEO.Going http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/07/oystercom-editorial-hotel-reviews-are.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-3512000291720007283Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:56:00 +00002009-07-26T06:56:23.741-07:00web 2.0e-tourismblogsuser generated contentsocial mediafacebookSocial media allow us to better understand our users, their needs and opinions. We all know that by now, but do eTourism websites owners really maximize the usage of social networks as part of their digital marketing strategy? Kevin May, for example, isn't sure. "The web is no longer a simple information resource, it is at once a library, a conversation, a market, a social gathering and a http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/06/global-distribution-of-social-media.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-3918758430754570769Fri, 29 May 2009 08:23:00 +00002009-07-26T07:21:06.462-07:00user experiencetourisme-tourismusabilitydesignwebsite inspectioniconeticketingonline bookingsUsable calendars are highly important for the success of online booking websites, as it's quite easy for the user to make the wrong date choice, or to feel the system isn't credible enough and to search for another. The British UX agency Webcredible has published an interesting report which evaluates 20 of the top UK travel agent and airline carrier websites against 20 best practice usability http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/05/usability-of-online-calendars-in.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-9156945712027286909Sat, 02 May 2009 07:14:00 +00002009-07-26T07:21:28.638-07:00user experiencehotelusabilitydesignwebsite inspectionlink labelsreviewtrip advisorIn one of his recent posts, Jacob Nielsen discusses the importance of clear link labels. We all know by now that scanning is what web users do, sometimes in accordance with the F-pattern. Nielsen claims that "people read the first few listed items somewhat thoroughly... but read less and less as they continue down the list, eventually passing their eyes down the text's left side in a fairly http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/05/link-labels-2-words-to-sell-your.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-1010380585166535937Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:32:00 +00002009-07-26T06:56:35.045-07:00hotelweb 2.0user generated contentmarketingtwitpictwitterreviewcontentTwitter is around for about two years now, but it seems that only recently travel businesses have started using it as a marketing tool. Meet Davitydave, for example. He is the editorial director of Frommers.com, the wonderful online version of the well-known travel guide. Most of his tweets lead to selected pieces of content from Frommers.com, but some deal with travel-related content from other http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/04/creative-uses-of-tweeter-in-etourism.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-4157206205398180801Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:45:00 +00002009-07-26T06:57:01.936-07:00user experienceweb 2.0e-tourismweb designusabilitytaggingwebsite inspectionOne of the cutest additions to the eTourism arena is Travellr, which is basically all about asking tourism-related questions and getting answers from locals or past visitors. It's great to see a website that has only one product on offer - answers. With so many competitors, I believe that niche websites may have a better chance for survival and success. Plus, I really think there is a place for ahttp://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/03/travellr-niche-website-that-is-here-to.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-4896866796367577845Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:03:00 +00002009-07-26T07:22:04.768-07:00user experiencetourismback buttonweb designusabilitywebsite inspectionhome pageflash"Flash should not be used to jazz up a page", writes Jacob Nielsen in his 2006 (excellent) book, Prioritizing Web Usability. "It doesn't grab users' attention; it drives them away". He admits that Macromedia has fixed some of the usability problems Flash had in its first version, but still suggests using it only when the website offers "features that are unavailable on a static page". Is this thehttp://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/03/flash-and-usability-in-morgans-hotel.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-5199475315978306809Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:37:00 +00002009-02-24T05:14:10.988-08:00web 2.0geo tourismreviewcampaignAny tourism activity that sustains the geographical character of a place (e.g. its culture, society, environment and so on) - is a Geotourism activity. This form of tourism has become prominent along with the growing awareness to world climate issues, and many businesses in the industry take an active part in providing a travel experience which develops the destination.If you own such a business,http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/02/geotourism-challenge-2009-is-on.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-8987740706704164395Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:38:00 +00002009-02-08T06:00:32.433-08:00user experienceusabilityflashInteractivity in web publishing can be entertaining and surprising, as long is it's done professionally. In addition, the content has to be excellent even without the interactive layer. In other words, I don't believe that multimedia effects alone can support bad content.Here is a wonderful example of interactivity in online travel content, as published in the New York Times website. The basic http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/02/this-is-how-interactive-content-should.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-5775097681886787783Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:48:00 +00002009-07-26T07:22:24.532-07:00user experienceusabilitycheck boxesI have just read a good article about an American lady, who bought a flying ticket at the Frontier Airlines' website, and was charged an extra $10.95 for travel insurance just because she didn't notice the ticked check box. In other words, the people at Frontier Airlines decided for her she needs their insurance. No room for self-decision making.Many usability and user experience experts http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/01/check-boxes-let-user-choose.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-3786323575864172632Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:20:00 +00002009-07-26T07:23:09.561-07:00user experienceweb 2.0web designusabilitywebsite inspectiongoogleIn the last couple of years there were many new players who have joined the eTourism field, after understanding the needs and the potential in it. I should be happy with this flood of new websites and services, but I'm not. I'm disappointed to see so many examples of websites with too many technical problems and complex user interfaces. My question is: If your web product is not ready to be http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/01/disappointing-etourism-websites-think.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-2933419253669834973Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:36:00 +00002009-07-26T07:23:40.435-07:00user experienceusabilitycalendarNetLife Research is an Oslo-based user experience agency, which publishes every year the funny "Bad Usability Calendar". I discovered it only last year, and spent most of 2008 anticipating the new one. It is definitely a must for every usability geek alive :-)Go ahead and download your free copy here. Amazon.com Widgetshttp://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-bad-usability-calendar-2009.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-2902478261663648397Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:13:00 +00002009-07-26T13:59:32.625-07:00photographyusabilityuser generated contentireporttrip advisoriReport is CNN's user generated content (UGC) website, allowing everyone to express their opinions without being edited by professionals. They obviously have a travel section, where photographs are the main sort of content. They recently published a beautiful presentation of the best travel snapshots of 2008, which has some stunning images from destinations around the world.Now, after you enjoyedhttp://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/01/travel-user-generated-content-websites.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-3274127800707707544Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:29:00 +00002009-07-26T06:31:00.270-07:00user experienceusabilityaviationairports websitesAviation.com published a few days ago their top 10 airport websites list, based on ease of navigation, design quality, richness of content and some other parameters. While I agree with most of the names in the list, as well as with the intelligent analysis, I would like to discuss some problems that I found.For example, we've got the sloppy website of the Chicago O'Hare International Airport. http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2009/01/worlds-top-10-airport-websites-well.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-1745671914840317343Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:53:00 +00002009-07-26T14:00:00.239-07:00meta descriptionseousabilitygooglecontentWhen users search for something in Google, they will make their clicking decision based on a few parameters. The meta description (the short 1-2 sentences below the headline in the results page) is one of the most crucial parameters. It tells the user what's the website is about, and it tells Google why it should be indexed. So, why do many eTourism businesses neglect it so often?Here are some http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2008/12/meta-descriptions-are-crucial-for-your.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-6922732420832145024Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:13:00 +00002008-11-19T05:38:59.448-08:00web 2.0united airlinesfoodI hate airline meals. The whole idea of eating food which is everything but fresh, using plastic cutlery and trying hard not to spill your murky orange juice while breathing makes me very nervous. However, I know of many people who actually enjoy eating on planes. If you wish to know how your next airline meal is going to look like, check out airlinemeals.net. It's a super cool website with one http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2008/11/airline-mealsnet-browse-before-you-eat.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-5755972259405134361Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:44:00 +00002008-11-01T23:36:39.378-07:00user experiencechicagousabilitysleeping in airportswebsite inspectionYour website is your business card, the gate to the service you offer or the product you sale. An airport's website offers so many services to people from different countries and with different levels of web experience, from flight information to weather updates. For that reason it has to follow the guidelines of international usability standards. One airport system that seems to ignore those http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2008/11/airports-websites-and-usability-crucial.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-2075886956106713047Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:56:00 +00002009-07-26T07:24:48.663-07:00user experienceaustraliausabilityonline bookingsAccommodation booking systems have to be safe, reliable and above all - easy to use. If the user has to spend time learning a complex system, he will probably prefer to search for another hotel in the area. Why would someone give his or her credit card number after a negative user experience? Why picking an accommodation with a problematic digital representation?Take the Lake House for example. http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2008/09/when-booking-systems-are-not-too.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-8738037402258287627Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:39:00 +00002009-07-26T06:47:55.946-07:00user experiencehotelusabilityreviewHotels Combined is a new hotel price comparison website, for all of you who have to see the full picture before booking a room. I definitely belong to this group of people, and so decided to give it a try.The home page is warm and friendly, with bright colors and a simple (yet effective) search engine. There are two short paragraphs about the site's purpose (who needs more?), and a useful box http://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2008/09/hotels-combined-first-impressions.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5178970439205434087.post-4679760359641241806Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:24:00 +00002008-08-25T00:42:39.544-07:00user experiencetranslatorusabilitygoogleInternationalization of websites, and especially those who have something to sell, is important for a good user experience. On eTourism sites, where the intended audience is coming from many locations around the globe, it is crucial. The best option would obviously be to hire professional translators, but that is also the most expensive one, and so wouldn't match small sites' budget. If you own ahttp://etourismishere.blogspot.com/2008/08/translate-your-etourism-site-with.htmlismizrachi@gmail.com (Isaac Mizrachi)0