Etihad Airways has been recognised for its web strategy, bagging two awards at the first ever Pan Arab Web Awards.The Middle East carrier, which relaunched its website in September 2006, won Best Online Strategy Award and Best International Standards Award, staving off competition from approximately 20 nominees per category.

The total revamp of www.etihadairways.com saw the addition of a new booking engine and CRM applications as part a bid to enhance personalisation and customisation.

Peter Baumgartner, Executive Vice-President Marketing & Product, Etihad Airways explains, “the new website was designed “out-of-the-box” and on a “white sheet of paper” from scratch - no legacy, no compromises!”

Commenting on Etihad’s victory at the Web Awards, Baumgartner said:  “This is confirmation that the chosen strategy is successful and equally recognized by consumer and industry experts”.

According to Baumgartner, since the Etihadairway.com’s relaunch, there has been a growth in online traffic, which has exceeded industry expectations, with more than 120,000 members now registered.

“Month-on-month online sales growth continues to follow an exponential trend-line, outperforming industry key figures,” Baumgartner commented.

In coming months, Etihad will be rolling out local sites across its entire network, including local languages with best price guarantees and web specials available. Other new features will include an online check-in and real time communication with mobile technologies.

The Pan Arab Web Awards were set up to promote creativity, intellectual property rights (IPR) awareness and higher standards in the region. The jury comprised of experts in the field of web design, with awards being presented in 16 categories for Arab companies including financial institutions, government organisations, health services, media and international organisations.

Top photo caption: Featured in the picture is Tehmton Cooper Manager eCommerce and the project Manager for the web site development along with his team & Exective Vice President, Peter Baumgartner.
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