Myrtle Beach, SC -
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - In our fast paced world, we all want our technology to keep up with us, so some businesses are changing their game plan to suit the demands of today.
"We use mobile devices more and more every day. We're seeing there's more handsets in the hands of consumers today than they are desktops and laptops," says Stuart Butler. Butler is just one braniac at Fuel interactive, a Myrtle Beach company that is helping seventeen businesses launch websites specifically made for smart phones. "People like instant gratification, they like here and now and mobile allows that."
The whole idea is about putting the power of choice at our fingertips, having the ability to search and book whenever and wherever, without being confined to our desks or our homes. It's that freedom that pushed The Breakers to start the trend. They're the first Grand Strand Hotel to launch a mobile booking site, allowing you to check in real-time what rooms are available. Then, with the click of a button, you can book it.
Ric Coates is the Director of Revenue for the parent company of the Breakers. He says they realize times are changing and as technology evolves, their marketing strategies must follow.
"We thought it was really important to transact how the customer wants to do it, now how we've traditionally done it on whatever medium that they want to use, whether it's Facebook, whether it's twitter or anything else."
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce is also tapping into this new market. They expect roughly 1/3 of their web hits to come from smart phones this year and say this should be a huge wake up call for Grand Strand businesses who are looking to separate themselves from the competition
"Mobile marketing is going to be an important opportunity for businesses because for consumers who are demanding information immediately, they'll be using their mobile devices. And to graduate to mobile marketing is sometimes is a make or break for businesses," says the Chamber Director, Brad Dean.
With every technology, there is the question of online security. Fuel Interactive says accessing the site from your cell phone is just as protected as the version you get on your computer. Butler says you should see 'https' in the browser bar and that 's' stands for a secured and encrypted site. He says these companies are offering the same kind of identity protection, this time its just in the palm of your hand.
Breakers Resort debuted the mobile booking feature in mid-January on its mobile website and reported a 500 percent increase in sales via the new portal by February 1. Nearly 20 Myrtle Beach area properties will launch the new Guestdesk mobile booking capabilities by the end of February including: Caribbean Resort; Long Bay Resort; Ocean Reef Resort; Bay View Resort; Compass Cove; Island Vista; Dunes Village; North Beach Rentals; Litchfield Beach; Myrtlewood Villas; Pawleys Plantation; Atlantica Resort; Driftwood Lodge; Paradise Resort; Monterey Bay Suites; and Palmetto Shores.
For more information about Fuel Interactive, you can go to their website; http://www.fuelinteractive.com/
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