ASTA released the results of its 2009Technology and Web Usage Report, sponsored by Sabre. The study, the only one of its kind that specifically looks at Internet usage, Web 2.0 marketing, and Web site development from an agency point of view, found that while agents are comfortable utilizing traditional forms of Web marketing, there is still room for improvement when it comes to Web 2.0.
Alexandria, VA – Today, ASTA released the results of its 2009Technology and Web Usage Report, sponsored by Sabre. The study, the only one of its kind that specifically looks at Internet usage, Web 2.0 marketing, and Web site development from an agency point of view, found that while agents are comfortable utilizing traditional forms of Web marketing, there is still room for improvement when it comes to Web 2.0.
- 75.2 percent of respondents indicated that they have a Web site, a figure which has held rather steady over the past three years.
- Webinars, Facebook and LinkedIn seem to be the area that most respondents are looking to upgrade or develop. Only 6.6 percent had LinkedIn profiles and 6.1 percent had Facebook pages in 2008 compared to the 29.5 and 28.7 percent in 2009.
- 11.1 percent of agencies are now using Twitter to promote their services which they didn’t do at all in 2008.
- 80.9 percent of ASTA agencies report that they have booked directly on a supplier’s Web site without using their GDS or calling the supplier, up from 17.7 percent in 1999.
- Most agencies use their Web site to provide an e-mail link to their agency (86.5%) or to promote their areas of specialty (76.6%).
- The respondents that offer online booking tools stated that on average 7.5 percent of their revenue is directly booked on their Web site, which is down from 2008, suggesting that the economic downturn had an effect on online booking.
