New web and mobile solutions help hotels optimize the
booking experience.
San Francisco, CA - March 08, 2012 - Freeborders Inc., a
global provider of consulting, technology and outsourcing
solutions, today introduced Web2China? and Mobile2China?
solution accelerators. These accelerators are specifically
designed for hotel chains marketing to the China consumer
for hotels in China and the Chinese consumer traveling
internationally.
"Rapid urbanization, rising income, increased personal
and professional travel and a fragmented hotel industry
make China a lucrative market for international hotel
chains," said Jean Cholka, CEO of Freeborders.
"As a western company with a large presence in China,
experience in the travel industry and a strong track record
of developing robust booking engines as well as web and
mobile interfaces, Freeborders is uniquely qualified to
help these hotels access the China market successfully. It
is much more complicated than simply translating language
from an English website."
The company has conducted an analysis of the top hotel
chains marketing to the Chinese consumer and found that
over 80% have deficiencies with their website and their
mobile sites are not adequately built for the mature mobile
market in China. The survey findings indicate that:
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Chinese consumer spending on hotels is increasing 21%
annually and is projected to continue at this rate or
higher through 2015.
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80% of existing Hotel websites have serious problems that
negatively affect perception of their brand and
"turn off" the Chinese consumer.
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Although China is the number one market for smartphones
and 80% of Chinese companies have a mobile website - only
20% of multinational companies marketing to China have a
mobile website or app.
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66% of Chinese consumers access the web from their mobile
phones.
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According to Google, the number of mobile users
researching travel via their mobile devices is expected
to grow 51% in 2012.
"Multinational companies have burned millions of
dollars to access the China web and mobile consumer and
they often just don't get it," said Mike Keating,
SVP of Internet Strategies at Freeborders. "Most
don't realize how different the online consumer
behavior is in China. They try to bring their western
processes and marketing strategies into China and they are
just not effective. We listened to the market and packaged
our experience and tools specifically for companies
exporting to China."
These solution accelerators support business growth
opportunities for the international hospitality industry
currently flocking to China. Both solutions offer a quick
jump-start with tangible deliverables.
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Freeborders® Web2China - This solution provides a
functional prototype website along with an architectural
model, roadmap and business case for moving forward
within approximately 60 days. An enterprise
implementation with booking engine integration and GDS
interfaces, are typically the next steps for each client.
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Freeborders® Mobile2China - Within three weeks,
Freeborders delivers a working prototype for a mobile
site in China. It includes an onsite assessment,
architecture, navigation prototype, test plan and optimal
China mobile device configurations. Following this phase
the company provides a production-ready China web mobile
solution within approximately three months.
These solutions address the top three concerns expressed by
existing clients and prospects:
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China as a travel destination is growing quickly and we
want to take this business from our competitors
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How can we get a quick, yet quality start on winning a
piece of the China travel business?
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How has Freeborders helped customers execute an entry
into China successfully and quickly?
The company has recently published a whitepaper
"Advances in Travel Technology" which discusses
ten technologies that are changing the global travel
industry.
About Freeborders
Founded in 1999, Freeborders provides global IT consulting,
technology and outsourcing services. The company pioneered
a unique service model that offers the perfect blend of
Eastern and Western business practices and access to broad
knowledge of the US, European and Chinese markets.
Freeborders' solution accelerators help companies
exploit the full potential of their IT investments.
Headquartered in San Francisco, the company has offices in
Denver, New York, London, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Kuala
Lumpur, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Wu Xi. To learn more,
visit www.freeborders.com. You
can also follow us on Twitter at @freebordersinc.