Travel.com faces post-new economy future

Of all the coveted domain names in the online travel business, one has stood above all others for the better part of the last decade, not only in terms of recognition but also in its elusiveness: Travel.com.

Since 1992, when St. Louis entrepreneur Rik Brown registered the memorable moniker, suitors have tried unavailingly to secure this holy grail of URLs. They’ve schemed, plotted, and even begged for a piece of Travel.com. He didn’t budge.

“There’s always the offer of the week,” he says. “Even now, with things the way they are.”

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) recent decision to increase the number of top-level domain names doesn’t bode well for owners of premium domains like Brown’s, if you believe the conventional wisdom. Good thing Travel.com doesn’t pay much attention to the conventional wisdom, which may be why the expansion happened within only a few days of Travel.com’s long-awaited decision to develop its business into a global travel portal.

“I think ICANN’s actions are good for us,” Brown says. “I think the new virtual real estate is going to be second-tier. People will still pay a premium for a dotcom.”

Let’s hope so. Early next year, look for Travel.com to expand its branded fare search engine and build on its presence as an international clearinghouse for travel information. Brown is using private funds to develop technology that will serve the site’s content in multiple languages, which would make it one of only a few truly international travel portals.

What kinds of strategies have helped Travel.com survive the recent downturn and the perceived real estate devaluations? Here’s what Brown had to say:

The name is everything – almost. Brown estimates that Travel.com gets 600,000 unique visitors a month – all without any advertising – simply because of the URL. His advice: don’t underestimate the importance of a concise, easy-to-remember domain. But at the same time, don’t ignore the need for a business plan that works. Brown’s reason for turning down the other “offers of the week” was that they lacked a clear path to profit.

Smaller is better. It’s easier to subcontract for services and then scale back, if necessary, says Brown. “You hear a lot about the cutbacks with the other travel-related dot-coms, but we don’t have that issue, because we’re already small,” he adds. Brown doesn’t see the point in ramping up a travel company, preferring to keep things compact. In doing so he’s practically taking a page from Robert Lewis of TravelGolf.com, who was recently profiled in this column.

Don’t miss bricks and mortar. Brown is considering an affiliate program for bricks-and-mortar retailers, not unlike ByeByeNow.com’s plan. In his estimation, bricks and mortar can’t be ignored when you’re trying to build a global business. While the blueprints for a Travel.com affiliate program remain on the drawing board, Brown thinks that the program could be a cornerstone of an expanded Travel.com. “We really couldn’t do it without some kind of bricks-and-mortar presence,” he says.

Market smart. “We’ve let the URL market itself, but we now have to look beyond that. It doesn’t have to be advertising, but it’s got to be more than just making the domain name do all the work,” says Brown. He’s considered offering free e-mail, publishing a travel magazine or even creating a travel satellite channel in order to promote the brand. Not on his list are banner ads or advertisements in print media. “But we are thinking of running radio ads,” he says. “Those work.”

Maybe the most important aspect of Travel.com’s strategy – and a key to its longevity – is its patience. “We have a five year plan. We’re in no hurry; we’re aimed at making profits and expanding over the next months,” Brown notes. It’s this wait-and-see approach that may have frustrated those who pursued Travel.com as if it were a feather in their Internet venture’s figurative cap. But down the stretch it could help the company prosper even when the odds are against it.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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