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The Failure of search

This version was saved 15 years, 12 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by PBworks
on April 2, 2008 at 11:55:42 am
 

Many belive search engines have now lost their oportunity to be a major player in the future of travel.

 

 

Today sites like Kayak, a meta search offers users a far better experience for travel.

 

Kayak now receives more than 6 million unique visitors a month. Expedia and similar travel sites are also siphoning off searches.

Social networking sites like TripAdvisor (acquired by expedia), IgoUGo (acquired by Travelocity) are also taking searches away from traditional engines.

 

And with good reason. The travel technology platform has developed far beyond the capabilities of generic search.

Travelers need to know details on costs and features that are specific to their own unique requirements.

Travel Search engines like Kayak, sidestep (acquired by Kayak) do this. Underlying is a sophiosctiacte travel system such  http://arcres.com, and http://bokkingsFranchise.com

 

Google and traditional search engines, just don’t allow users to formulate a precise enquiry and they don’t deliver precise results.

Try looking for a hotel near Bridgetown in Barbados in the price range of $250 to $500. Google will give you a lot of results, mostly links to booking sites. Try Barbados 5 star hotels, chances are that Sandy Lane voted one of the Top ten Hotels in the world will not be in the top lists.

As the search engines move further down the road to paid clicks, search results become even more eroded, less relevant and still imprecise.

 

In addition to the  meta search engines like Kayak, their is a growing list of speciality sites like AXSES' own http://bookingsStlucia.com, http://bookingsBarbados.com and http://realholidays.com. These sites put users in contact with the Hotels they will stay at directly. The shift to direct sales has accelerated in recent years as more and more travelers want to contact their host. They feel they have better communications with a hotel as apposed to a met site dealing with thousands of properties and thousands more travellers. The smaller regional sites also provide better on the location information, giving local knowledge and advise. Sites like realholidays.com, can help travellers put together their own, made to measure itinerary, of opions that may not be found anywhere else, like star gazing with leo, bring your own wine and he supplies the telescope and the story of the stars. You will not find that on Expedia or Kayak

 

Travelers are looking not only for more precise information, just as importantly they want authentic reviews and recommendations from others who have been there. Just as important as price is getting the best value for a trip. "Seeking information and looking for perspective--like-minded experience and judgments--are currently trumping the straightforward hunt for the best price", says Douglas Quinby, senior director of research at PhoCusWright.

 

The solution is coming!.   It is already in some form, but far to fragmented. What we need is more information consolidation.We need to better engineer the information delivery capability of the Internet.  A better way consolidate the diverse services on the Internet.

 

The future web will be about bringing services and technology together in a powerful information delivery system.

And in a far more fluid and intelligent way, using knowledge engineering and expert systems (see web 3.0).

 

Connecting You With Your Intimate Bot (semantic web3.0)

http://www.forbes.com/technology/infrastructure/2008/01/03/semantic-web-facebook-tech-intel-cx_sm_1204web3.html?partner=links

 

 

The Gap In Google's Defenses (virtical search)

http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/11/google-kayak-mitra-tech-intel-cx_sm_0111kayak.html

 

 

Travel Web Sites Get Personal

http://www.forbes.com/personaltech/2008/03/27/social-network-travel-tech-personal-cx_wt_0328travel.html?feed=rss_technology_personaltech

 

 

 

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