Establishing a Web Presence

Internet is becoming the norm to search for information. If I want to know where to study to become aircraft engineer, I will use Google to look for information.

Let assume some of the common terms used by searchers...e.g

a. 147 school - there are 2400 people searching for it every month.

b. EASA part 66 - there are 5000 global search

c. aircraft engineer - there are 110,000 people searching for it and 4000 are Malaysian.

Let us see, who will they see on Google search..

a. 147 school- On first page, there was none of the 5 established school. What we had were some of the local forum.

b. EASA part 66 - There were two schools appear, MIAT and MATA

c. Aircraft engineer - Nilai College appears on the google second page.

Importance of web presence

There are a couple of reasons to have the web presence. First, depending on the type of business you are, it is to get the sale, or the customers. There are special techniques used to make it easier to create sale. It is basically requires us to guide and enable the customer create the purchase. You be surprise on the absence of the information to make the decision. Just put yourself in the shoe of the student who are interested to pursue the course, and check for the issues.

The other reasons for web presence is to create the credibility. Without looking at the physical establishment, the web page is the nearest to real life. This may require some investment.

Common Mistakes

It is probably the common mistake of the company to publish the web page with the mind set of satisfying the company or the management. It is not difficult to see why, the web design was contracted out and the web master need to satisfy the company to get the payment.

The web pages is best written with the customers in mind, if we are giving reasons why the students should choose us, the it has to be viewed from the students perspective.

Marketing to Bangkok

On wednesday 11 Jan 2012, our ceo is off to Bangkok for another marketing trip followed by the other staff on Thursday.

Marketing is important for the survival of the company. The efforts bear unpredictable result, the last trips were to Indonesia, Sri Langka and Bangladesh. So far these did not have a single cent of return. The trip to Bangkok seen slightly odd as it consume too long a time, probably they have many customers to see or may be the preparatory program took longer time.

The rumour appeared that some of the moe personals will be involved in the discussion with the education ministry of bangkok. It will like selling of the idea of what we do in here, probably bangkok can do a similar thing. However my perception is different, as I see the people in Thailand are more advanced in the vocational education. May be some other agenda are being unfold, unknown to many.

The marketing trip to bangkok, in all good possibility will end up like those made earlier. I was amazed at the lack of preparatory work, it was short of saying.. packup you bag and go.

marketing in Bangladesh

Our company is going full steam to market our product. We are eyeing the Bangladesh market for the B1 and B2 courses.

A team of 4 marketing went on Friday 9 Dec and returned on 12 Dec. Our partner in Bangladesh had made the arrangement to advertise for the potential students, so our team is set to conduct the written assessments and interview.

The result is frustrating. There were 40 responds and out of which only 10 came for the assessment.

It was a trying experiences. We were stretching our head trying to find out the reasons for the low performance. "Why was it so?". Talking to those who came, we can only suggest some of the reasons:

a. Possibly we had wrongly target the wrong segment. The poor population are definitely unable to effort it. So we target the rich population. However it seem that the rich are mainly business men, and as far as they are concerned, their children will inherit the business, so they are trained in business related studies, and not aircraft maintenance.

b. we may be in a hurry, we are not even sure of the school calender, and when the selection of course of study are made.

marketing Sri Langka

It had been more than 1 month since our team was in Sri Langka doing its marketing show. On his return from Sri Langka and in the brief, things appear to be extra exciting and promising. The team was making instant MOU to cater for the "demand" from the customers in Sri Langka.

They were talking about 100 students in Jan 2012, and the implementing team was getting worried about meeting the demands.

Now that it has been more than one month has passed, the mode is getting more realistic.

May be there will not be any student after all.

The the marketing team is getting worried, where is the students?

Why worry, let us try Bangladesh.

So a team of 4 was sent on Friday 9, and back on Monday 12. Mission, to get students from Bangladesh. Are we ready for them? The answer is likely to be no.

Getting a student is a long term effort. I dont thinh you can get the student by a short 2 or 3 nights efforts. There dont seem to be any plan for marketing, it is like operating decision were made based on the gut feeling.

Ideally, there should be a marketing research to identify potential market, forecast the demand and the competitors and draw the marketing plan.

trip marketing to bangladesh

Next week my school team will be going to bangladesh to market aviation courses. We were encouraged by the positive response that we received from our agent that we met in Sri Langka.

In preparation for our visit, I had made a quick research on the demands and the maintenance licensing system in Bangladesh.

a. - About the civil aviation authority - The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh was established in 1985 when two authorities, the Department of Civil Aviation and Airport Development Authority were merged in 1985.

b. - Licensing System for aircraft engineer - I would like to know, which licensing system does the country follow. I was thinking that the system will be likely linked to UK system, because Bangladesh is a commonwealth country. I also wanted to see whether they had converted to follow the part 66 EASA. To my surprise, there is just to little information in the web.

Reading the ANO, it appears to be the original version of ICAO, Chicago convention 1944.

c. - Check the number of aircraft in the country.

i. Airlines -

-Biman Airlines - The biggest operator sets to expand its fleet with the order of 10 new aircrafts from Boeing, to include 777, 787 and B737. Currently, its fleet makes up of 2 B737, 4 DC 10 and 3 F28. Its base is at

BIMAN BANGLADESH AIRLINES LTD.

HEAD OFFICE, BALAKA

KURMITOLA, DHAKA-1229

BANGLADESH

- Bismillah Air -

- Easy Fly

- Royal Bengal Air

d. Check for competitors

When I conducted the search for the approved training organisation ATO bangladesh, I received no indicator of any company conducting EASA 147