Face-to-Face: Peter Ward, WAYN
Today, Travel Daily speaks to Peter Ward, co-founder and co-CEO of WAYN about its re-launch and the next step in the social media sphere…
WAYN recently relaunched, what has the response been like since it was introduced?
It has been interesting in the last six months to see a shift in people using WAYN from meeting friends and dating to making friends, travel and then dating last. The site will always be used for dating but it is less important to our users and we’ve now added a contextual discussion engine so people can talk about where to go or what to do that works for all destinations.
We have found that the trip itself is less than 10% of the holiday experience. Part of the fun is the discovery element and research; then after finding out more the planning and getting ideas. Then there is the post-trip euphoria and wanting to share and that can last all your life. Speak to a person who has been on a gap year and the moment they mention it it puts a smile on their face.
Our goal is to be the leading travel platform that people visit every day and fulfil the place for them to do this.
How does the site use social media, or are these your competitors?
Currently the site integrates Facebook and Foursquare but we are adding more social media platforms such as LinkedIn which will also make us a better source for business travellers. Instagram will be another interesting addition as then users can show, rate and comment on the photos with others.
Social media sites are both our collaborators and competition and there are also many start-ups that have come and gone. But no one has really got on the scale to be a real threat compared to what we deliver. WAYN is a place to hang out, whereas a site like TripAdvisor you visit once for a specific person and there is no vibe there. WAYN is like a global bar where any conversation can take place.
Booking options will provide another angle on that and with all the information we collect about our users then brands can really communicate with the ones that match their ethos.
The industry consistently hears about customers wanting more experiences and tours particularly on the go and from recommendations, but WAYN already seems to do this. What are the next steps?
You could say we were ahead of the curve when we launched in 2003. To some extent we look at what our users do or ask for and innovate and interact from there, rapidly testing what we think will be successful and build from that.
For example our new look has not been copied Pinterest but when we tested different formats the wall style platform was found to be more effective. Within this format it is easier to integrate adverts and combined with the integrated capability with social media, it will differentiate us. The majority of our users still access through the web as we have not been that aggressive in the mobile market but there is a huge growth opportunity for us. Use of our mobile app has increased but the next launch this spring will change the game. Tablets are important too.
We missed the boat a little with Foursquare; we were too early on checking into a location and there was a problem with the technology we had looked in to. Since then Foursquare has come along but checking into a place is not something we do habitually. The new WAYN check-in offering due to launch in May will surprise some and works on the psychology of why we check into
What other functions have been introduced?
We have not been that big in the travel service before but there is a commerce strategy in place. It can easily integrate into the discussions that our users are having when they return from somewhere so others can be influenced by recommendations and rewarded for that. The current platform we’ve released is just the start of our changes. We have now launched our VIP offering which currently offers more social gadgets but in the next reach will be an international benefits platform offering discounts, guest list entry and money off restaurants etc across a number of cities.
How will you engage the travel industry within WAYN?
Since we launched the new site there has been a rise in engagement levels. There has been positive feedback with more than 90% happy when they made the switch over. Our client feedback has been ‘wow’ with a huge amount of interest and that isn’t just from travel brands but lifestyle generally. We can survey our users at the drop of a hat and gather perceptions of the market so will be in the position to provide data for travel trends or specific companies.
We are only really scraping the surface of this at the moment and we will expand this particularly for events or initiatives. Our marketing capabilities will also cover local hoteliers and we will reward them for engagement with our users. Any company can have their own profile page and have direct connections and contact with users.