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Typically, each
of your products and services is valued and used by customer
segment micro-markets in different ways. A Solution Path is
a group of web pages on your site that enables you to feature your
goods and services as different 'products' to different customer
segments, and to give in-depth information and direction. They are
almost a 'web site within a site', and each has its own Home Page
on your web site and URL for separate Portal listing.
For example,
let's suppose you are the ABC Travel Company selling cruise accommodations.
Cruise staterooms are nearly a commodity, pricing is fiercely
competitive, and you need a way to promote your offerings and
increase margins by providing added value. Your current web site
is an 'electronic brochure', showing ships and listing itineraries,
with an e-mail contact form.
During
our Kick Off 360°
Diagnostic, you decide that there are three groups of prospects
with real potential:
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For the first
group, corporate meeting planners, we build a Solution
Path that presents your expertise and service in reserving the
ship's theater for main meetings and bar areas for break-out sessions,
an on-board business center with copiers and computers, A/V equipment
and operators, special on-deck cocktail parties, etc. Planners
are led logically to Response Forms
that enable questions, and a professional to contact. We name
this Solution Path "ABC Cruise Meetings" and
list it separately from your Web under Portal categories like
"Corporate Meetings", "Sales Meetings", "Sales
Incentives", and "Corporate Events".
For the second
group, 'Second Honeymoon' couples with children; we feature
adjoining double suites with locking connecting doors. Babysitting
services and continual activities for older kids are listed, as
are arrangements for separate romantic evening meals and entertainment.
Also included are a list of day tours and adventures for the whole
family. Of course we include a link to the 'Second Honeymoon'
Cruise Planner Response Form. We name this Solution Path "ABC
Second Honeymoon Cruises" and list it separately on Internet
Portals under "Families", "Honeymoons", "Weddings",
"Parenting", and "Romantic".
For the third
group, people interested in a spa experience, we build
a Solution Path with pages featuring special cruises with on-board
physical trainers, yoga, well-being classes and special menus.
We tie this in with health or spa web sites and magazines for
cross-promotion. We name this Solution Path "ABC Travel
Spa Cruise" separately under "Spa", "Health",
"Diet", "Well-Being", "Physical Training",
"Rejuvenation", etc. on the Internet Portals.
These three
Solution Paths have not taken anything away from your Cruise /
Travel Home Page, but have multiplied your Internet Portal listings
and added 3 special value feature 'doors' into your site. Prospects
will be finding your Web site by THEIR needs, many of whom were
not even thinking of a cruise. When prospects click on your 'Solution'
listings they will go right to 'their' Solution Path and feel
they are 'home'. And you will be able to precisely
track your customers' interest by the Path they take, and
target promotions to their interests.
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