Ever heard of the 90-9-1 principle? Simply put some people
actively participate more than others. The 90-9-1 rule is usually
mentioned when it come to participation engagement in online
communities. In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers
who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of
users account for almost all the action. Read more about this
in Alertbox: Jakob
Nielsen's Newsletter on Web Usability.
This concept can be applied very well to ancillary revenue and
in-flight seat sales. The online communities have the lurkers,
editors and creators. The charter airline ancillary seat sales have
their keeners, convertibles and the non-action-ers. (Names that I
hope describe the essence of the consumers. Feels free to come up
with better names).
1% of consumers are "keeners" they will, if we
close down all web shops and phone lines find their way to our
office, walk through the gates, knock on our doors and find a sales
rep that can help them make sure they get the seat they want.
9% of consumers are "convertibles" this group
is marketable, open to suggestion and will buy if propositioned
correctly.
90% of consumers in this case are
"non-action-ers" or "laggers" consumers in this group tend to not
read communications or not take action due to that to offer is not
appealing enough.
The percentages are of course not set in stone and can and will
change over time. With the right marketing effort you can change
the way your customers interact with your products and services.
You can't do much about the "keeners" because they are what they
are. However, you should focus on making sure the "converters"
actually convert and that the non-action-ers becomes
"converters".
Incorporate a marketing and communication strategy to promote
your products and services. Marketing and communication is a
continuous process that will lead to a higher conversion and better
service.