Boo.com, European’s online clothing retailer that collapsed through lack of funds, just six months after it launched to a huge fanfare of publicity in 2000 has reverberated and this time, with an entirely new makeover. Although, the name is still the same but this time, but has splashed into the helm of internet networking as a social networking and travel-booking site, using user-generated content to help travelers decide which hotels to book.

Recently, we contacted them and had an email interview, which we now present before you, so here it goes,

1. What prompted the idea of boo.com? How many people are working behind the site? What sort of response are you getting?

Niamh Ni Mhir: Boo.com was born out of our frustration with online travel, you previously had to jump through too many hoops to get what you were looking for. Boo.com combines the best of travel search, social networking and reviews in an innovative new interface. You no longer have to engage in what we call “The Circle of Gloom” where you started off with a search engine, then compared prices and facilities on a travel aggregator site, then visited a reviews website and often ended up searching for a hotels own website to complete your booking.

The site was completed internally by a core team of about 20 people across development, design, content and marketing. WRI currently has 100 employees in WRI, based in Dublin (head office), Sydney, Shang Hai and San Mateo.

It is early days at the moment but so far the response has been very positive from the press, the public, hoteliers and the blog community. We are scheduled to kick off a substantial PPC campaign with Google and Yahoo next week and we expect traffic to grow considerably then.

2. As the web title of the page goes ‘boo.com - say what you like love what you find’, what exactly boo.com wants to achieve by this?

Niamh Ni Mhir: ‘Say what you like, love what you find’ is the basis of boo.
Essentially, boo is a site that’s “all about you”, what we mean by this is that boo harnesses the “collective wisdom” of all of it’s users. In a nutshell it combines the user reviews of thousands of people to help you to make the right travel decision. For example, if you say you want a hotel with wifi and a pool you can narrow down your search to only show those results and then you have the option to book with boo or click out and book direct with the hotel.

3. How is your site different than other travel affiliate programs?

Niamh Ni Mhir: Boo is the only site that combines all the elements you need to book your trip in one place. On one site you can find the right hotel, view prices and facilities, look at your friends reviews (or the views of the boo crew) and then book via boo or with the hotel directly.

4. Is there any such networking site which you want to outdo?

Niamh Ni Mhir: Boo is setting out to provide an alternative way to book and research a trip. It helps you through all the stages of organizing a trip - researching, planning, booking and then sharing your tips, photos, reviews and blogs when you get back. As such we are not competing directly with any of the social networking sites, but instead we are offering an alternative to the current process of booking travel online.

5. What modifications did you make from the previously designed boo.com?

Niamh Ni Mhir: The original boo was a completely separate company and was of it’s time. We just bought the domain name and the connection ends there. The reason we like the domain name is because it’s short, snappy and memorable and works across languages and borders.

6. How would you define the present day advancements in technology - just a bubble or a real boom?

Niamh Ni Mhir: It’s hard to say, like previously there are companies that will survive and companies that won’t. We have always operated from a very strong foundation and our other businesses are established and highly profitable. The proliferation of broadband means that there are new opportunities for companies to utilise more advanced technologies, however, common business sense must prevail and if something doesn’t have a solid business model behind it, it’s unlikely to last.

7. The whole Internet, of course, as a media, is moving towards Web 2.0. How far do you think the phenomenon has emerged successfully? And where do you find boo.com in this wide gambit?

Niamh Ni Mhir: A lot of companies say they are Web 2.0 - boo really is based on the principles of Web 2.0, where the user is empowered. We do not use the term Web 2.0 for the sake of it, we use it’s technology advances in terms of ajax and mash-ups to enhance the user experience where it makes sense to do so and we use the principles of collaboration and user generated content because they make sense for our customer experience.

8. What is the future of this networking? Any predictions on growth pattern?

Niamh Ni Mhir: Networking is here to stay as long as there is value in it for consumers. boo.com utilises social networking from a travel perspective, so the idea is that users will create a group of “trustees” as well as “friends” whose advice will be invaluable in planning their holidays. It’s really an extension of the offline world, where people consulted travel agents, friends and colleagues to help them make their holiday decisions. As long as there is a purpose to it, we believe it will continue to grow and develop. One of the important things we stress at boo is that you can build different levels in your network, you can have your real “friends” (people you know and trust), your trustees (people from the boo crew who you trust based on their previous reviews and experiences) and the boo crew at large (who are made up of anyone who has left a review on boo.com).

I feel, this time, the site is without flaw and will really soar to the expected heights. Before signing off, I’d like to thank Niamh Ni Mhir CMO of Boo.com and Aisling White for proving us with the answers.71698