Online tour experiences have taken over the market in the course of the past year. While they cannot replace the value, vibe, emotional benefits of a real-life experience, and they might not contribute to the same economic and social results as in person travel, they have a solid and valid place on the market. Even though the in-person travel will eventually pick up and boom, it is quite certain, the virtual experiences are here to stay in the future.
Although the number of virtual tours has been dramatically increased in the last year and they have built a new era of tour product delivery, there are still many who has not ventured out to showcase their expertise, their creative product in this way. While the online experiences are not for everybody’s taste, it is undeniable how successful and viable they are and how they can support any businesses with income and with continuous presence on the market. Even on new markets with additional clientele whom your traditional products may not reach or interest otherwise.
The obstacles most people bring up are technology and free offers. Many people think that the investment in technology to create these online products are too large and on the other hand there are too many free resources available online, so it is hard to sell something for money. The main point here is to consider what type of online experience you would like to work out and offer. I will give you the most important points to consider and to get you on the right track.
What do you offer to your guests in normal times? Is it a program that can be tailor-made to a shorter online version? Or do you need to come up with completely new ideas? These should be the first thoughts on your mind.
Regardless if it is an existing tour you want to re-vamp or a new tour to create, obviously it is the content, the actual “experience” that attracts people to participate. Therefore, one of the most important things for you to review is what you want to offer. How do you want to deliver your story or product? Is it viable in an online version? Is it interesting enough in an online version? How can you tell your story through a virtual channel to make sure what you offer sets you apart from others on the market? How can you remain authentic to your brand standard in this format? Here is where creativity really comes to play. Do not be afraid to draft several versions, try out many ideas first and get others’ feedback before launching any of them. It is normal to do market research, learn from others, there might be a spark that will inspire you. And remember, nobody will be able to deliver what you can, because only you can tell your story in your way. However, you do have to understand what the value is in your program, what will draw people to participate and purchase it. For this, one of the things you need to do is identifying who is your main audience.
Who is your clientele? Would an online offer interest them? What would keep them in front of their computer with you? Think, that you might be able to expand your clientele or find a new niche as well. Since there are different people searching for online available tours, some who finds you now would never actually travel with you in person, but would jump on your online offer with great enthusiasm. So, practically it is a great opportunity for you to reach even further.
To make yourself visible in the online tour sphere, there are many platforms already available to put your offer out there. All have different conditions to collaborate, but they already have a large visitor traffic on their sites, so it is definitely a way to consider. First, of course you want to reach out to your own guests to advise them what new is coming. You may even use this opportunity to ask them what they would like to see you deliver online. Do not forget that your existing customers are loyal to you, hence they should be the first point of contact for advertisement and brainstorming.
Results show that the technology that is available and accessible in everyday life today, is good enough to work with. Meaning, that a mobile phone with camera, headset with microphone and a tripod for your phone might just do great work for you. There is no need to think about investing in more professional equipment to start with. Experiment with your technology currently available in your home and see how far you get. If you decide to go ahead and purchase equipment, you can still consider the ones for normal household use for more affordable cost, since these are tried by many with outstanding results. Unless you decide to create something that needs a very specific technical background, you can also achieve great outcome with simple equipment.
Although these may seem overwhelming at first, if you have already designed and built your current products, you have all what it takes to launch your online presence and work towards continuous success. There is much more to discuss on the topic, but if you get clarity on the mentioned details, you will be on the right path to establish a new offer that will make your palette more colourful and will generate success in multiple ways in the long run.
Beáta