Customer Experience

4 Steps to Setting Up WiFi at Your Campground

Yesterday's camper was happy if they got two minutes of hot running water and a campfire pit. Today's camper wants that—and 24/7 access to Instagram.According to a 2015 survey by Kampground revealed that 83% of campers take their cell phones along on camping trips. What's more: 70% of survey participants reported going online with their device at some point during their stay. So, if you want to keep pulling in campers, this is the one trend you'll want to keep up with.Ready to get started setting up WiFi at your campground? The first thing you'll need to do is make sure you already have high-speed internet access. Then, follow these four helpful steps.

Step 1: Create a Map of Your Campground

To lay the groundwork for WiFi, you'll need to have a map of your campground. If you don't have an accurately scaled map already, you can just take a Google Maps screenshot of your campground. Print it out, and mark the following:

  • Highlight every structure, from cabins to bungalows to yurts.
  • Mark out potential obstacles. WiFi signal coverage can be slowed by concrete, trees, steel, and heavy building construction.
  • Circle “zones" by priority. This will determine where you set everything up. Your office and highest priced cabins may be top priority. The entrance driveway may be the lowest.

This map will help you make educated decisions on your device and signal strength, so make sure it's as clear as possible.

Step 2: Pay Attention to Internet and Power Locations

As we stated before, you can't set up WiFi without a pre-existing internet connection. Mark the location of your current internet equipment. That's where you'll be installing your wireless router. Then, mark all power outlets on your campsite. If you're limited on power outlets, you'll have to do a little more electrical planning in your setup.

Step 3: Decide Where You Want Your Wireless Access Points

A wireless access point (WAP) connects campers to your current ethernet internet connection, allowing them to move freely within the covered areas of the campsite while using their phone, laptop, or tablet. There are two components in a basic WiFi setup:

  • Wireless router: an internet router that also functions as a “Wireless Access Point" (WAP). Essentially, this is just the gateway that allows you to access the internet on your device without physical wires.
  • WiFi range extender: These little guys plug into a typical wall outlet and can multiply your wireless router's signal and extend coverage.

Ideally, you would install a router in the center of your campsite, where you'll have the best opportunity to expand coverage. Then, use multiple WiFi range extenders to fill in the gaps.

Step 4: Pick Up the Best Wireless Router

Even routers installed in the perfect location won't be quite as effective if they're lacking quality.There's an overwhelming number of wireless routers and WiFi extenders on the market. Your final decision boils down to several big factors, from speed to guest account options.Here's why it pays to look for these features before you buy.

Single- or Dual-Band

A “single band" wireless router means your router will operate over a 2.4GHz radio band. This is the same band that microwaves, mobile phones, and Bluetooth devices and locations operate on—meaning your connection could get a little crowded. We recommend you opt for a dual band model if possible for less interference.

Guest Accessible & Secure

For security reasons (nobody likes to get hacked!), make sure your device includes the option to have a password-protected guest login for your wireless in addition to the admin login. Use an easy-to-remember password for your guests, and change it fairly regularly to avoid attracting potential “WiFi rogues," or those who don't have permission to access the network.

Speedy Channels

We won't dive too far into the numbers, but your router speed is drastically affected by its ability to send and receive information (shown by “802.11 protocols"). If you spot a WiFi router that has 802.11ac technology, you'll likely be happy with the outcome.

If you spot a WiFi router that has 802.11ac technology, you'll likely be happy with the outcome.

Weatherproof

If you can't find a weatherproof router, make sure you either house the router indoors or install it in a weatherproof box. Not all routers are born campers!

Easy to Install

Planning on installing your WiFi router and extenders yourself? You probably don't have all the time in the world to set up a complicated WiFi system. Choose a WiFi router that's easy to install and offers great customer service. Linksys and Netgear are two well-respected names in the industry.Once you've chosen the WiFi router for your campsite, set it up. Then, try out different devices throughout the campsite. If you have a lot of weak or dead spots, then you can install compatible WiFi extenders. Generally, setup is easiest when the WiFi router and the extenders are by the same manufacturer.

Consult Experts With the Right Questions

If you're not a technical expert—or just don't have time to research the right equipment on your own—call in the experts. You don't have to hire a pricey consultant who demands a hotel stay, either. Just head to your nearest Best Buy or other electronics store with your campground map, or request a visit from your current internet provider to determine what you need.Here are some questions to be prepared to answer (for many of these, the map will come in handy), and some basic terms to know.

  • Do you have basic internet already? Where is it located?
  • Where are electrical sources located?
  • What's the size of your campsite?
  • How far do you want to extend coverage?

Reference these helpful WiFi terms and definitions so you can have a productive conversation with a consultant or internet provider. For more, see the WiFi Glossary on Talk Tech to Me.

  • Wireless Access Point (WAP or AP): the bridge that connects wireless users to a wired internet connection
  • Channel: the path for wireless transmissions, determines a wireless router's speed
  • Closed Network: requires a password for users to access the network
  • Open Network: does not require a password for users to access the network
  • Passphrase: a password for a network connection
  • Service Set Identifier (SSID): refers to the name of the WiFi network
  • WPA (WiFi Protected Access): the secure encryption for a network; protects against hackers, not as strong as WPA2
  • WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access v2): currently the strongest encryption for a network

The Bottom Line

A WiFi connection provides so much more than just the ability to post hiking photos on Instagram. It also means campers can check email, access maps, and discover new hidden treasures close to your campground. Now that many cell phone providers are enabling WiFi calling and texting, we've reached a new frontier. A smartphone is now the Swiss Army Knife of electronics. So just follow these simple steps, and your campers will enjoy a richer 21st-century camping experience.

Marketing

4 Ways to Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly

It's growing increasingly important for websites to be mobile-friendly. Research from Google found that 72% of mobile users say mobile-friendly sites are important to them, with another 50% saying that even if they like a business, they'll use them less often if the website isn't mobile-friendly. And this is especially crucial in the travel industry, in which there was a 50% increase in mobile use across business and leisure travelers, with 30% relying purely on their mobiles to make last minute bookings, according to BuzzCity>. On top of all that, Google now factors in mobile-friendliness to determine where sites appear in search results.Now that you know why a mobile-friendly site is important, let's explore how to get it that way.

1. Assess your current site to identify any needed changes.

First and foremost, you need to determine how well your site already accommodates mobile users. Google offers a simple online tool that will analyze a web page and report any mobile-related design issues. Your site may already meet the basic criteria required by Google, or may just need a few relatively simple changes. (If changes are needed, the tool will walk you through the technical guide that tells you how to correct the problem issues.)In addition, you can also use Google PageSpeed Insights to identify issues that may be slowing down your page loading times—which is one of the most common “fatal flaws" of web pages that don't work well for mobile users.

2. Choose a responsive design.

The best (and most popular) approach to making a site mobile-friendly is to choose a responsive design. A responsive design is one that automatically adjusts to accommodate whatever device the visitor is using. There are many responsive themes and templates available now for Wordpress, HTML5/CSS3, and other frameworks—including a number of free options.How much time and effort will be required to convert an “unfriendly" site to a more mobile-accommodating one will depend on a number of factors, including the specific design elements of your existing site. The older your current site is, the greater the odds that it was created using elements or platforms, such as Flash, that are now outdated or don't interact well with mobile devices.

The best approach to making a site mobile-friendly is to choose a responsive design

3. Keep things simple.

One of the most common ways that businesses cause problems for mobile users is by loading up a site with lots of fancy bells and whistles. This can create unnecessary clutter that crowds the page and makes navigation difficult. Equally problematic: It can also drastically impact page-loading speeds. A site that is slow to load is very frustrating to mobile users (and users in general) and is one of the top reasons they will abandon your site before even checking it out. In fact, Kissmetrics found that 40% of shoppers will abandon a site that takes more than three seconds to load. The data also found that a one-second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversions. Providing a simple, scaled-down site will help optimize load speeds and make things easy and efficient for mobile users.Bonus tip: Pay attention to the content formats on your site. Video, in particular, can be tricky. Some types of video won't play properly (or won't function at all) on mobile devices. Double-check that any video content on your site is playable on mobile devices. Older, Flash-based videos are a common issue and generally won't be viewable on mobile devices. Videos published on major sites such as YouTube and Vimeo typically have a mobile-friendly embed code for sharing.

4. Put the central focus on the call to action.

Consumers today tend to have short attention spans and want to accomplish tasks quickly. This is particularly true for mobile users. Put the most important information—like contact details and how to book—front and center. Also, if there's a primary action you want visitors to take, such as booking a reservation, that must be prominently highlighted in a central location where it is easily visible. Using online booking software, such as Peek Pro makes this goal easy to achieve by adding a prominent button to your site, where visitors won't be able to miss it.Making your site mobile-friendly may take a little bit of time and work. But just consider how much of your potential business likely comes via mobile channels these days, and you'll see it's in your best interest to do everything possible to provide a smooth, efficient experience for users of mobile devices.

Trends

You'll Love These Unique Campground Traditions

There's a reason camping trips become family traditions: It's the bonding that occurs from being away from the daily grind. It's the people you meet. It's the memories formed that will last a lifetime. And these all come about through one thing: the unique traditions and activities campgrounds organize for their guests.Campground owners are constantly discovering new ways to inject thrill and excitement into traditional campground activities to make camping trips more exciting than ever. Here are ten unique campground traditions and activities.

Camp Towanda in Honesdale, Pennsylvania

Health and nutrition are two pillars upon which Camp Towanda has built itself. And the campground's owners found a perfect way to blend that philosophy into a memory-making tradition: Watermelon League, an annual summertime event in which campers compete for prizes in a watermelon eating contest. It not only encourages campers to make healthy eating choices (one of the camp's core goals) but also creates lasting memories for competitors.

Health and nutrition are two pillars upon which Camp Towanda has built itself.

Campgrounded, which has locations in CA, NC, NY, and TX

One way to bring campers together: team spirit. And Color Wars, a traditional camp activity that divides campers into different teams, is the perfect game to facilitate that spirit. In Campgrounded's Color Wars, there are four teams: red, yellow, green, and blue. Players from each team show off their skills in an array of creative activities like relay races, capture the flag, scavenger hunts, trivia, egg roulette, frozen t-shirts, and more.

KOA Meadville in Meadville, Pennsylvania

The Brookdale Family Campground bases its big event around the campground's lake. The Duct Tape & Cardboard Boat Regatta, a Brookdale staple since it was invited to join Kampgrounds of America (KOA) in 2011, is a wacky, fun-filled event in which campers assemble boats made of cardboard and duct tape and race across Wagon Lake—all for different prizes.

Buttonwood Campground in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania

Who doesn't love chocolate? Buttonwood Camp holds an "Everything Chocolate Weekend" complete with chocolate sundaes, nighttime chocolate candy hunt, and a chocolate pudding slippery slide. They sure do know how to have fun—all while appealing to your taste buds and appetite.

River's End Campground & RV Park in Tybee Island, Georgia

Every year, River's End Campground morphs into Pirates of the Caribbean-mode during its Tybee Island Pirate Fest. The event lasts a whole weekend and includes a pirate costume contest, treasure hunt, parade, fireworks, and more. Sounds like a great time the whole family can enjoy.

Point Cabins & Camping in New Castle, Pennsylvania

This May, Rose Point Cabins will hosts its 4th Annual Cornhole Tournament. Cornhole is a favorite game at campgrounds across the country. For those unfamiliar, cornhole is an American pastime game, in which players toss bean bags aimed at two cornhole boards that sits approximately 30 feet apart. The player to reach 21 points first wins.

Rockbrook Camp in Brevard, North Carolina

Arts and crafts are a campground favorite. Rockbrook Camp lets campers show off their artistic abilities with tie-dye and other arts and craft activities, while also creating mementos and keepsake memorabilia. Your arts and crafts events can be coupled with a talent show, costume event, and other unique event ideas.

Digital Detox (by Campgrounded) in Anderson Valley, California

"Calling all urbanites. Stash away your cell phones and tablets upon arrival and reconnect with your inner child." These are the rules at The Digital Detox Camp, a campground where adults go to unplug from the everyday stresses of city life. Follow their lead and create your own digital free zone—even if it's zoned to a small designated area, or just for a day or weekend.Each year for Father's Day weekend, Indian Trails has its annual Hawaiian-themed Pig Roast weekend. The campground's owners put together a series of activities for kids and their families to enjoy such as a pig roast, arts and crafts for kids to create gifts for dad, a bean bag tournament, and close out the weekend with free coffee and snacks for dads.These are only a few ways that campground owners are organizing festive events for campers. As an owner, you may want to borrow from any one of these event ideas—but be creative and put your own spin things. Host activities in honor of a holiday or create an event and make it an annual occasion. Camping is supposed to be fun. So, be quirky, wacky, and just plain weird to make your events memorable and your campground a legacy in the lives of the families you host.

If you're looking for a solution to manage your campground and RV bookings, as well as your activities, check out Peek Pro.

Marketing

9 Ways to Market Your Campground: A Guide for Campgrounds and RV Parks

Marketing your campground is a tough task. Not only do you have to make yourself known to campers and RVers near and far, you also have to distinguish what makes you a must-visit spot. To develop the most effective marketing campaign to set your campground apart, here are 9 tips to consider.

1. Partner With RV Dealerships And Other Businesses In The Area

Co-marketing your campground may be one of the most effective ways to gain more exposure in the local area and reach your target market. Think about it: If someone's shopping for an RV, they'll also be needing destinations to explore! Contact RV dealerships (both local and outside your city) to see if...

  • You can take some brochures there yourself, or mail them there, to be placed in the lobby
  • Your information can be included on the RV dealership's website
  • Your information can be featured in any email newsletters, or direct mail pieces the RV business mails to their customer base

When marketing your business locally, share the spotlight by talking about other businesses that your target market may be interested in patronizing at some point during their stay. For example: You could promote complementary businesses, such as area grocery stores, grocery delivery companies, recreational supplies stores, and locally-owned gas stations.It's also effective to print out a pamphlet of "Things To Do" in the area to distribute to your guests. Local business owners may reciprocate by posting flyers of your campsite around their business, recommending you to patrons, or simply including you in some of their marketing materials.

2. Participate In Local Events

Increase your visibility by demonstrating your dedication to the local community. Sponsor charity events in your town, set up a booth at area festivals, and contact local media to get your business known. This can be an effective way to expand your local presence and stay "top of mind" for locals and residents that may be planning a staycation or looking for area campgrounds for a short weekend retreat.

Increase your visibility by demonstrating your dedication to the local community.

3. Promote Incentives on Facebook

“Think of ways to cater to your guests’ core needs during a camping trip, and make sure to promote these extra services and incentives in all your marketing materials.”Campers who are comparing offerings from different campsites in the area may be more likely to pick yours when there is an added incentive, such as a discount for extended stays, a free breakfast at an area diner or restaurant, or complimentary services such as laundry service or grocery delivery. Think of ways to cater to your guests' core needs during a camping trip, and make sure to promote these extra services and incentives in all your marketing materials. Use Facebook to promote these special offers and encourage fans to share these posts with friends to broadcast the news to a wider network.

4. Don't Forget These Tried-and-True Marketing Tactics

Traditional marketing tactics can also generate some extra business. Try these out:

  • Distribute colorful brochures, flyers and pamphlets about your campsite: It worked for the lemonade stand when you were 7, and it's still an effective way to generate business today.
  • Build your customer email/mailing list: Collect names and addresses of prospective customers at every opportunity. Whether the customer calls the campground with questions or requests information online, make sure a staff member notes their name and address to enter it into a database. Building your email database lets you send targeted emails about upcoming specials, your campground, and other news, which can generate more business and help you stay in touch with your customers. For more best practices on growing and managing your email list, read on here.
  • Buy a targeted mailing list: You can also purchase targeted mailing lists from marketing companies that have collected names and addresses from customers who opted to receive information.

5. Tap Into Local and Online Media

Consider writing a series of articles about things to do in the area, the benefits of camping, and other lifestyle topics for local magazines and newspapers that will allow you to include your contact information within the article. Alternatively, reach out to local bloggers or online publications to do a writeup about your campground. This can help you gain some local exposure and encourage readers to contact you for more information.

6. Attend Trade Shows And Travel Events

Set up a booth at RV trade shows, travel shows, and lifestyle events in bigger cities near your campsite. You can collect contact information of booth visitors to build your mailing database at these events; meet RV dealership owners and other industry professionals; and also promote your campground with brochures and flyers. If you use a camping reservation software, you can even promote your online booking abilities and encourage mobile bookings onsite.

7. Get Listed In Local Online Directories

“Make it easy for people looking for a campsite in your area to find you via online search.”Make it easy for people looking for a campsite in your area to find you via online search: Get listed in online directories like Google, Bing, and Abaco (formerly Yahoo! Small Business). With Google, your business name will show up on the first page or first few pages of Google Search results and on Google Maps free of charge. Some of the most widely-used and visible directories to get listed on include: Google Places, Bing, Abaco Small Business, and Superpages. You can submit your listings for free, and will show up in the directory within a few hours of submission.Another online tool to help attract more customers: get listed on campground and RV review sites, such as RVParkReviews.com.

8. Reach Out To The State's Visitor's Bureau

Consider how many travelers will be searching for campgrounds in your area by using the state's visitor bureau website. Get listed on the main website and inquire about any marketing opportunities available in newsletters, brochures, and direct mail pieces the visitor bureau sends out regularly.

9. Run Online Ads

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC ads) are another option for securing a high placement on search engine results pages. Your ads will appear in the "sponsored" section of the first page of Google or Bing search engine page results. Simply select keywords that your target market may be using to find you, such as "campgrounds in [your city]" or "camping in [your city]," or perhaps "RV parks in [your city]." You only pay for the ads that get clicks—hence, pay-per-click advertising—so you can control your daily spending and tweak your ads as you go for maximum impact.From increasing local presence to generating interest on Facebook, there are several ways campground and RV park owners can target customers. Use these tips and strategies to promote your business through multiple channels and confirm more reservations season after season.

Read about Malibu Riders and how they increased their revenue with Peek Pro

Day Tours

Where to Find New Tour Guides

In the tour industry, there are few roles more important than that of tour guide. Guides--with their vast knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm--inject life into tours. And good guides can transcend the cultural barriers that many long distance visitors face, bringing entire groups together and leaving them with exhilarating experiences and a new understanding.So, when it comes to finding the right guides for your business, just where do you look for a pool of certified, experienced guides with outstanding personalities to lead your tours? Here a few leads.

1. Tour Guide Community Websites

Though tour guide community websites—such as Tours By Locals, Siroube, and Who's My Guide—are typically used to pair individual guides with travelers seeking guided tours, the sites will also allow tour operators to join and contact local guides to pitch job opportunities. There are few places that make it easier to view licensed, qualified guides in your area and message them all at once.

2. Tour Guide Associations

There are several large tour guide associations you can join that will allow you to post job listings on their sites and newsletters to connect with local guides. These organizations exist on all levels, including international, national, and local. For instance, there is the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations and the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations. Local guilds include the SF Tour Guide Guild, Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington, DC, and The Professional Tour Guides Association of Houston. To find an organization in your community, simply Google "tour guide guild [your city]."

3. Visitor's Bureau or Travel and Convention Bureau

Your city's local travel bureau will most likely offer a free partnership or paid membership where local businesses can join, attend events, connect with other members of the community, and gain access to job bulletin boards where you can post job listings. They may also be able to provide leads to qualified tour guides or companies already working with them.

4. Social media.

Post your job listing on your Twitter page using hashtags such as #tourguide, #tourismjobs, #tourguidejob, and #licensedguide. For instance, we used the hashtags #tourguide and #jobs and found several job postings. You should also be using these hashtags to find and follow tour-guide related Twitter pages with whom you can interact. For example, we found Guide Trip@guide_trip (a company that connects tour operators and guides) using the #tourguide hashtag.You can also type "tour guides [your city]" into Facebook. This will produce a list of local guides, who you can then message about job opportunities. You can also message and/or join tour-guide related groups or pages that already have a following of tour guides. For instance, typing "Tour Guide Jobs" will lead you to find Get Tour Guide Jobs, a tour guide job posting site, where you can post job listing directly on the page.

Post your job posting on Twitter and Facebook to reach more potential tour guides

5. Use LinkedIn.

Create a company page, then create a job posting that links to your company's careers page or a job application. Once that's done, conduct an advanced search for "People with tour guide titles" or "Groups about tour guides,"and send invites to connect with people and groups of interest.

6. Coolworks.

Coolworks is a tour guide job network that acts as a virtual staffing company for tour guides and trip leaders. Tour operators can sign-up, create a profile, and after a brief verification process, create a job application and start connecting with applicants.This is a short list of ideas that will help you find a pool of qualified guides. To get the best results from your search, post your job listings using all of the above. And although you only have a need for a limited number of guides, create a database to keep records on all qualified applicants and let it be your go-to source for future hires. It will save you a lot of time and money on job listings and hiring a staffing company.If you've hired the staff, and now need a reservation platform to manage bookings and availability, check out Peek Pro.

Day Tours

Tour and Activity Business Marketing Strategies With the Highest ROI

Whether you're working with a large or tight budget, it pays to spend your marketing dollars wisely. That's why it's so important to make sure you invest in marketing and advertising strategies that generate the highest return on investment (ROI).These days, small businesses are spending approximately $6,800 on online advertising each year, and small and medium-sized businesses spend $17,000 per year on web marketing services, according to a report from Borrell Associates. Those dollars need to be poured into strategies that will connect your company to the most receptive audience and, in turn, help you drive more bookings.So to make sure you're spending your money smartly, here are some marketing strategies that have proven to have the highest ROI.

Paid Search Advertising

Online advertising is one of the fastest growing platforms in the marketing and advertising industry. Digital advertising encompasses everything from banner ads to pay-per-click advertising. It may benefit you, however, to focus on targeted ads versus traditional banner ads since 54 percent of users don't even click banner ads because they don't trust them, according to Bannersnack.As a tour and activity operator, you'll get a better ROI when you run ads on the Google Display Network (Adwords) where your ads appear on search engine results pages. Search advertising is more effective, according to the experts at HubSpot, because you can target your ads to appear on the search engine results pages of a particular audience. For example, somebody searching for “kayaking in [yourcity]" may see your ad on the sidebar or in the sponsored section of the search engine results pages. These ads feature a headline, two lines of copy, and a link or contact information. Since you can select your audience and customize each ad, you have more control over the entire process—and will generate more clicks that actually turn into bookings as a result.You can determine your return on investment using the Adwords dashboard. Ways to measure success of an ad include monitoring click-through-rate and conversion rates—the number of clicks that led to an actual booking. The dollar amounts will vary significantly by advertiser since each advertiser will use different keywords and target different audiences. But you can easily determine which ads are performing well because Google provides this data in real-time.

Facebook Advertising

Unlike other forms of online advertising, the minimum ad spend on Facebook is just $1 per day. The experts at Moz point out that Facebook ads are also the lowest cost per 1,000 impressions, averaging around 25 cents per 1,000 impressions. This means you can reach thousands of prospective customers with a targeted Facebook campaign even if you're working with a small budget. The question is, how effective will your Facebook ads be?One of the unique features of Facebook ads is that you can not only customize the entire ad with images and text, but you can also target different types of audiences. Your ad will show up in the right-hand sidebar on a user's news feed and you can include a link to your website, or even your booking page. Facebook allows you to select your audience based on a variety of factors, including age range, interests, and even Facebook pages they like. You could target your ads to 30- to 40-year-olds who live in your city and enjoy reading Travel + Leisuremagazine, for example. All Nipon Airways did exactly that with their Facebook advertising campaign, selecting keywords to target users interested in traveling and Japanese culture. Their ads had a 25-percent click through rate—1 in 4 users who saw the ad actually clicked on the ad, which means they were driven to the ANA website.

Direct Mail Advertising

Traditional advertising methods, such as sending postcards or letters in the mail, are a valuable way to reach out to your target customers. According to research from the Rochester Institute of Technology, direct mail-driven sales per $1 of advertising dollars equated to a $15.48 return in sales, whereas radio ads had a return of $8.09 and magazine ads had a return of $10.06.Whether you decide to send out miniature brochures featuring all your offerings, postcards with promotional offers, or a friendly letter in the mail, you'll generate interest in your company that may lead to reservations. Create materials that feature high-quality photos of your tours and activities and detailed descriptions of various packages and experiences. (We shared some tips on how to write powerful tour and activity descriptions for your website here.)No matter what type of print materials you send, make sure to include contact information and a link to your website so that the recipient has different options for getting in touch with you and making that reservation. Including a business card or a personal, handwritten note to say "welcome" can help to personalize the materials you send via snail mail, which will make you stand apart from the competition.

Sending postcards or letters in the mail will generate interest in your company and has a higher ROI than other advertising methods

E-Mail Marketing

The same research data from the Rochester Institute of Technology reveals that every $1 spent on email marketing generates $36.70 in sales. This is a significant return on investment for any small business owner.A recent Silverpop study reveals email open rates for the lodging and travel industry are almost 57 percent. For tour and activity operators, there is more than a 50-percent chance that the email will get opened and read by a customer—which, in turn, could lead to a click back to your website, redemption of a special offer, a phone call, or a confirmed reservation.We shared some valuable tips on how to grow your email list here so that you can start sending customized emails to your subscribers regularly. Making sure you capture emails from all customers at any point of contact and taking the time to send out monthly or biweekly newsletters can help you keep these customers engaged. You can use an online booking software program, such as Peek Pro, to capture emails and organize your lists for newsletter sends.From paid search advertising to email marketing, tour and activity operators can maximize their marketing and advertising dollars by investing in the most impactful strategies. Use these tips to create your marketing campaign for the upcoming season or year to help drive more business — even during the slower months.

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