New Forest Coastal Cottages needed to upgrade its web presence, ensure that product was bookable online, that there was opportunity for customer engagement and that the website was fully SEO optimised. Importantly, that the activity could be measured and monitored, and compared against previous activity.

1. DIGITAL DESTINATIONS
Dr Philip Alford
Bournemouth University
www.digitalhub.co.uk
www.pinterest.com/digitaldest
www.slideshare.net/DigitalHub
ddp@bournemouth.ac.uk
@schooloftourism | @philipalford
#DDBU

2. Digital Destinations project is an ESRC funded research project,
delivered by Bournemouth University,
with an overarching aim to:
‘capture change in the adoption and use of digital technologies
and to develop a strong, competitive local tourism economy.
Through increased understanding and use of emerging digital
technologies, visitor economy businesses will be in a position to
increase their marketing and management effectiveness, and
develop new products and services that will provide an
enhanced experience for visitors to their destinations’

3. The businesses benefited from 4 workshops which covered:
 Background to on line marketing
 Individual Business objectives
 Developing the strategy
 Measuring impact
 Reporting outcomes via case studies
All course material can be found at http://www.slideshare.net/DigitalHub
All business outcomes and blogs can be found at http://www.budigitalhub.co.uk/

4. The following presentation is the case study provided by New Forest Coastal
Cottages
New Forest Coastal Cottages needed to upgrade its web presence, ensure that
product was bookable online, that there was opportunity for customer engagement
and that the website was fully SEO optimised. Importantly, that the activity could be
measured and monitored, and compared against previous activity.

5. Digital Destinations
Programme
June 5th 2013

6. The issues
• Site 6 years old
• Unable to update
• Showed only weekly prices
- little short break information
• No social media content
• No SEO
Hits at best static

7. The solution
Using the impetus and support of BU
create a new web site that:
• Corrected all the short comings of the
previous web site
• Had an easier on-line booking process
• In the world of Self Catering web sites
punched above its weight

8. www.newforestcoastalcottages.co.uk
• Created by Redhead Design of Brighton
• Built in word press
• SEO by Intergage
• Booking engine by Supercontrol
• Blogs, facebook and reviews
• And much more …………

9. www.newforestcoastalcottages.co.uk
www.newforestcoastalcottages.co.uk

10. The future – one year from now
• 1,000 hits a month
• 3-4 blogs a month
• Updated weekly with current reviews
• 10 additional bookings Nov – Mar inc
• 4 Mailchimp mailings per year.
• 200 face book friends

11. Branding
•

12. For more information on DIGITAL DESTINATIONS contact:
Dr Philip Alford, Bournemouth University
ddp@bournemouth.ac.uk
@schooloftourism | @philipalford
#DDBU