Search is key for travel planning.

I just read " "The Traveler's Road to Decision," released from Google and OTX on Tuesday, there are some interesting point that I would summarize as following.

- Business travelers are more likely to seek out money-saving packages, access travel sites from their mobile phone, and become a rewards travel program member.

- 25% of business travelers are more likely to access information on their phone, and 83% of business travelers belong to a rewards program.

- Most Search advertisers still don't share the message of specific rewards programs in search campaign yet.

- Google found research to booking could stretch as far as 18.1 weeks on average. That's when more generic phrases are searched on.

- Consumers rely on search engines throughout the trip-planning process more so than travel search sites

- When consumers looking information about hotels, 81% rely on search engines when looking for business overnight accommodations vs. 67% personal; 74% business air travel vs. 59%; 60% destinations vs. 59% personal; and 51% vacation activities vs. 55% personal.

- Travel videos have also become important as people plan trips.

Online video is used through the entire planning process

I really love video , always watch it daily. It make me feel relax , not reading entire of day!

Travel videos have also become important as people plan trips. YouTube as the most popular site for videos on both business and leisure travel. Video helps people to visualize the surroundings and make better choices on where to stay and what to do. Also it created by peers are looked upon as being more trusted, compared with the videos that companies create to peddle goods and services. Online video is used through the entire planning process. When thinking about taking a trip, 63% of people turn to videos for personal travel vs. 66% for business; 47% and 56% when thinking about what type of trip to take; 60% and 64% when choosing a destination; 64% and 66% when looking for activity ideas; and 57% and 66% when deciding on accommodations and transportation, respectively. It all process that people decide where to go , what to do and where to stay. As social network and user generate content become more trustworthy source of content, people believe it!

Amazon to acquire Zappos.com for $847 Million

Wow, that's cool!. Amazon announced today to acquire apparel and footwear retailer Zappos.com for $847 Millon. Zappos, the popular online retailer ranked 3rd last week among online retailers within the Apparel and Accessories category behind Victoria’s Secret and Old Navy. Both Amazon and Zappos.com are well-known for the breadth of product offerings, so it is not surprising that they share much of their audiences. The deal would be the most expensive purchase in Amazon's recent history, according to FactSet Research. Amazon's priciest acquisition this decade was Audible Inc. - which provided audio editions of books and newspapers - for $ 280.7 million cash in early 2008, according to FactSet.



Zappos is one of company that utilize huge effort to social media that they make their customers feel warms, I think Amazon may adapt and utilize from those channels as well.

The target group of Amazon & Zappos is nearly same target that you can see figure above.

70-75 year old age bracket is one of the fastest-growing segments of the online population

It quite interesting to develop some market to senior citizens in USA. The 70-75 year old age bracket is one of the fastest-growing segments of the online population, according to the Pew Center for the Internet and American Life. In 2005, 25 percent of them used the Internet. Last year, 45 percent went online. Older surfers use the Web primarily for searches for things such as health information, e-mail, and buying products.

2.2 billion - Global Internet Population by 2013

I just found the new research from Forrester about projection of the Internet population will hit 2.2 billion people by 2013. Of that tally, 43 percent of the Internet population will be in Asia. There are some interesting points in the the research paper as following.

• 17 percent of the online population will reside in China. Tha'ts really big market. The search engine war between Baidu VS Google.
• Growth rates in the U.S., Western Europe and other industrialized nations will be between 1 percent and 3 percent.
• Online penetration in the U.S. will rise to 82 percent in 2013, up from 73 percent. That rate will put it on par with other Internet saturated countries. • Russia and Turkey growth will grow 8 percent a year.
• Africa and the Middle East will show strong growth to hit 13 percent of the online population in 2013.