Welcome to Tactical Thinking Regular thoughts on web marketing & winter tourism from Tactic Group

Just a quick heads-up to our readers… Our Facebook page went live at the weekend. It is a little corner of the ‘social-web’ we have reserved for discussions around our humble blog.

There we will be discussing some of the topics we cover here and other general aspects of the blog itself. We have surveys and vox-pops in the pipeline, and there’s talk of video screencasts in the future.

The group is designed to be interactive and to add another level to the Tactical Thinking experience, so get involved to make the most of it! Read the rest of this entry »

The Chinese aren’t generally known for their snow sports passion. However, with a 70% growth recently projected through a nation wide survey, published online by Mu Xuequan of China View, there’s a certain knock-on effect to be seen in the global winter tourism industry.

China already equates for a large percentage of overseas visitors within the Japanese Ski Resorts. And it seems that booking online is becoming much more widespread. Read the rest of this entry »

Rising temperatures? Thinking about alternative target markets? Then adapt your web site.

With global warming being such a hot topic lately, I thought it time to jump on the bandwagon and take a look at how our somewhat desultory climate is effecting the favourite Tactic Group topic: web marketing for winter tourism. Read the rest of this entry »

As the old proverb goes “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but in the world of successful websites this only holds true if someone can find it and see it.

When it comes to adding content to your website imagery is an invaluable tool for creating a visual impact, setting the theme of your site (and your company) or showing off your high-quality products. However, all of that is only possible once someone has found your site and decided to pay it a visit.

As Keith discussed in our last SEO feature one of the keys to creating a successful website is making sure it is easy for search engines to understand and describe to the audience. In essence, creating a user-experience that says the right things to your customers but in a way that also talks to the search engines, which in turn will bring those customers to you.

So what part do images play in talking to search engines and getting traffic to your site? Well, only a supporting role it has to be said, but here is an explanation of how they can play that role well. Read the rest of this entry »

… a magazine feature article from our resident writer Keith Stubbs.

Keith’s work in snow sports seems to take him all over the world – lucky him. This article, written by Keith for Whitelines Snowboard Magazine, explores international backcountry/off-piste culture and how it differs from country to country.

You can read the intro to the story here: Whitelines Dec ‘07. But if you want to read the full four-page article, you’ll have to buy the mag.

Ever wondered why it feels good to write bullet points in sets of three? Two just doesn’t seem worthwhile, whereas four can feel a little excessive.

Brian Clark at Copyblogger explains How To Use The ‘Rule Of Three’ To Create Engaging Content. In this rather compelling post Brian describes why the human brain is drawn towards three-part structures. Read the rest of this entry »

• Is your web site reaching its intended audience?
• Is it ‘findable’ through search engines?
• Is it really promoting your business?

This post is an overall description of what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) actually is and why it is so crucial to businesses within the winter tourism industry. Read the rest of this entry »

…Switzerland in this case!

Are you keeping up with industry news? Where’s the snow falling right now?

If you’re responsible for marketing a winter tourism business shouldn’t you know where the tourists are most likely to be heading? Read the rest of this entry »

Well we’re live! It’s my great pleasure to kick off this blog with a “Hello World” type post giving you an introduction on what to expect from us in the coming months.

Tactical Thinking is a place where we at Tactic Group publish news and advice on web marketing, site management and brand development, with emphasis on how these subjects are crucial to the snowsports industry. Read the rest of this entry »