Travel companies must keep abreast of the latest industry trends, and ensure that they are using targeted internet marketing to reach their customers. A failure to do so will not only make it more difficult to remain profitable in the short-run, but it could deter shoppers from becoming long-term customers.

If businesses do not understand their audience, how can they create an advertising campaign that will draw them in? Recent research shows that when it comes to travel, some female customers are being met with lackluster marketing approaches.

A study by Insights in Marketing's (IIM) i-on-Women Division found that only 23 percent of women are extremely satisfied with the products and/or services in the travel category. Additionally, 97 percent of the surveyed women said that they have a large influence on their family's travel decisions.

Results also showed that out of the 1,200 women surveyed, 80 percent make their travel purchases online, but only 12 percent find Priceline to effectively market products to them. Just 9 percent believe Orbitz does.

According to a recent Inc. Magazine piece, companies must recognize the purpose of each of their online marketing channels, how customers absorb the information and how each channel might vary in efficacy for the business' intended message.

"For a channel to be effective, you must pair it with appropriate messaging, and for that message to be well received, it must reflect the appropriate stage in the conversion funnel your customer is currently in," the article said.  

Investing in small business internet marketing that can pinpoint customer needs will help travel companies grow. It is not enough to know who your audience is. An organization must be willing to go the extra mile to develop the right marketing campaign to create strong relationships with customers.