The Challenge
Tell us about yourself and the nature of your work
I’m an entrepreneur focused on the African safari industry. I've been making use of emerging technologies to promote African Safaris for over 20 years now. The reason why I do this is because safari tourists play a pivotal role in ensuring the protection and conservation of wildlife areas in Africa. This means that the more tourists visit National Parks and game reserves, the more funds the governing institutions will receive, so they will have enough to continue their conservation efforts.
To get started on my goal, I launched the first website dedicated to African safari reviews and trip reports back in 2003, even before Tripadvisor became popular. I also own six other safari websites that focus on different aspects of the industry. I build and maintain the websites and launch new relevant businesses as new technologies emerge.
Based on my past ventures and my own experience with safari trips, I decided to use Kotobee’s interactive ebook creation software to recreate my ebook, Guide Your Own Safari. Once users purchase and download it, they will find accessible tips and advice on how to go on safe self-drive safari trips.
What challenges did you face before using Kotobee?
I wanted to create a safari app focused on the needs of safari travelers, but it has always been prohibitively expensive for small businesses to employ app developers.
“When designing an ebook app in Kotobee, I found that it offers more design options compared to creating a PDF document in Acrobat Reader.”
The Solution
What potential solutions did you explore that didn't work out?
I decided to create PDF safari ebooks using Adobe Acrobat, but PDF ebooks have many limitations that I just had to live with because there wasn't an affordable alternative.
For starters, to be able to read the PDF, you need to download a compatible reader first, whereas with Kotobee’s mobile app formats, you just need to download and install the ebook app on your phone.
The maps, which are a critical element in the Guide Your Own Safari ebook, load a lot slower in a PDF document. In the Kotobee ebook app, they load much faster and are easier to navigate than on PDF.
Moreover, navigating a PDF document is also not as easy as navigating an ebook app which works like any regular mobile app. Plus, users can take notes and save them easily in the app.
Finally, when designing an ebook app in Kotobee, I found that it offers more design options compared to creating a PDF document in Acrobat Reader.
How did you hear about Kotobee?
I was researching alternatives to PDF ebooks on Google and came across Kotobee.
What drove you to choose Kotobee?
Kotobee has been a fantastic way for me to create ebook apps cost-effectively without having to employ an expensive app developer or learn difficult technical skills.
It's been a wonderful enabler for a small business like mine. Without it, I would still be relying on PDF ebook creation, which wasn’t ideal.
Kotobee support has also been very helpful and responsive, working closely with me to bring this app to life.
“Kotobee has been a fantastic way for me to create ebook apps cost-effectively without having to employ an expensive app developer or learn difficult technical skills.”
The Results
What specific aspect of your ebook are you most proud of?
The fact that it can work offline, which is essential as the app will often be used in areas where there is no internet connection.
Also, the fact that the ebook can work as an app on a mobile phone is very important because this means that people can conveniently install and access it during safari trips. They can then access the interactive elements and information wherever they are.
The species checklist, in particular, adds significant value to a traveler’s safari experience; it allows them to track what they see during the trip and review it later at home.
What metrics do you use to measure the success of your project? Has Kotobee affected those metrics in any way?
My sales have definitely increased since re-launching the ebook as an app. While I am still ramping up the marketing efforts, the initial results are promising. I’m optimistic that sales will continue to grow as I expand my marketing strategies.
Another very important metric for me is user feedback because that helps me to improve the product. So far, there hasn't been any negative feedback.
The Future
What are your plans for the future?
I'm currently developing a second ebook app using Kotobee that I hope will appeal to a broader audience than the first one. This new app focuses on how to go on a successful guided safari. There are very few helpful guides about that in the market at the moment, so I hope to provide one that will be useful to safari travelers.
I’m also launching a new business to livestream safari game drives in real-time from areas in Africa where it was previously impossible. Thanks to advancements in technology, this is now achievable.
