It seems like the new "it" word in the business world whether you are in travel and tourism or other industries is Web 2.0. This mysterious term that is used as a topic of conversation, discussion, and debate, is rarely defined or explained in a manner that one can understand and/or put to use.

Published: 21 May 2008

It seems like the new "it" word in the business world whether you are in travel and tourism or other industries is Web 2.0. This mysterious term that is used as a topic of conversation, discussion, and debate, is rarely defined or explained in a manner that one can understand and/or put to use.

During the EyeforTravel's Travel Distribution Summit recently held in Latin America, Edward A. Cespedes, President and CEO of Tralliance, spoke during the opening day's session on this "it" topic. For the bilingual, travel professional audience, it was important to explain the theme from an educational standpoint where each could take away tips as to how to best reach its customers while emphasising the global and multicultural component of Web 2.0.

As we all know, the Internet has broken down the geographic borders of yesteryear, we now have very few limits in this global market. How do you compete? Most say, get in with Web 2.0. But, what is this Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is the grouping of various different advancements that the Internet has faced since its beginning. So, what does that mean? More specifically it deals with building applications and services around the Internet that are collaborative in nature, lightweight, social, and filled with user generated content. Various hot companies and services have skyrocketed with these new applications, including Facebook, iPhone, and SKYPE. Not to mention the blogging component that is growing at a rapid pace.

With the new applications, what are your customers looking for? It is easy:

1) They want their products and services now!

2) They want to customize their services and do this wherever they want.

3) They want the ability to share them with their network.

4) They want to update these services.

Take a deep breath; there is no one way to address all of these needs at once. Amongst all of these applications and discussions, one thing remains constant….consumers still need to find you. With the web becoming more and more cluttered, search engines are more important than ever. With that said, search engines are getting better, but it is extremely difficult to categorize millions of sites effectively. This is where your domain name comes into play.

As a marketing strategy for increasing a site's relevance, SEO considers how search algorithms work and what people search for. SEO efforts may involve a site's coding, presentation, and structure, as well as fixing problems that could prevent search engines indexing programs from fully spidering a site. With all these factors there is light at the end of the tunnel. Your domain name (anything to the right of the ., ex. .travel, .mobi) can significantly affect your SEO. You can get quick results if you choose a domain name which includes your main keyword. In the travel and tourism industry, the most common key word is travel; and, search engines recognize your domain name as a part of its algorithm or ranking criteria.

With all of this information, your head might be spinning, but the truth of ensuring your customers find you before your competitors can be broken down into three points:

1) Choose the correct web address (skicolorado or cancunhoneymoon)

2) Register a domain name for your industry (skicolorado.travel or cancunhoneymoon.travel)

3) Combined with a website constructed with good architecture, backlinks, and content

It is now your turn. Take advantage of this knowledge and the technology that it at your fingertips.

To learn more about, .travel and to see if your .travel name is available, please visit www.travel.travel.

(Contribution by www.travel.travel)