You've won half the battle: you have an influx of potential customers perusing your site. But you've noticed that spike in site traffic hasn't led to an increase in bookings. So how exactly do you turn those passers-by to your site into loyal, paying customers? Implement these seven tips to start seeing more bookings.
1. Simplify the information on your site
Keep your website easily navigable and searchable. According to Hubspot, 76% of consumers prefer a website that makes it easy to find the information for which they're looking. So keep your site simple with a few large images per page, concise descriptions, and well-labeled tabs to direct them to the information they want. And what information are customers looking for? Aside from the basics—phone number, address, pricing info—they want to know what makes your business special. On your homepage, make clear what your company offers and, more importantly, what makes your offerings unique.
2. Revamp your site photography
Professionally shot images on your site can make a huge difference in the way potential customers perceive your business. According to MGD Advertising, 67% of consumers deemed detailed photos as important to them, and another 50% said photos are more important than product information, long descriptions, or ratings and reviews.
3. Make your booking button prominent on your home page
Even a beautiful website without a clear call to action will lose potential customers who may not be able to find the next step.
Even a beautiful website without a clear call to action will lose potential customers who may not be able to find the next step.
To remove any friction in your customers’ decision-making and booking process, make sure that your booking button is large and clearly visible on your home page. Something as simple as changing the pronouns you use in your call to action can help boost conversions. In fact, Unbounce and ContentVerve ran a test that found changing “your" to “my" resulted in a 90% increase in conversions. A little change from “Book Your Tour Now" to “Book My Tour Now" can have a dramatic effect on your bookings.
4. Flaunt third-party validation
There's no better way to promote your business than through third-party accounts. And perhaps the strongest form of third-party validation is testimonials from friends and family. In fact, a study by Nielson found that, compared to other forms of marketing, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more. And Market Force Information found that 81% of consumers are influenced by their friends' social media posts. So encourage customers to share their experiences on social media, and tag your business in the posts.
5. Offer discounts to your customers
Discounts or special packages can be just the thing to sway someone’s purchasing decision. You can create a discount code and email it out in an e-newsletter or post it to Facebook for your fans to create buzz. Make it even easier for yourself with an online booking platform like Peek Pro, which allows you to create promo codes that customers can redeem during the checkout flow on your website. Offering specials like a first come, first served discount to a limited number of customers creates scarcity, which will add incentive for people to book quickly.And if you don't want to discount your experiences, read about how you can create irresistible packaged experiences for your potential customers.
6. Make sure your checkout flow is mobile optimized
If your website—and more importantly, checkout flow—isn't optimized for mobile devices, your potentially losing customers. A study by ComScore found that smartphones and tablets combined for 60% of all online traffic. As more customers are browsing for activities and tours on their phones, it’s important to ensure your site is mobile friendly. With an online booking platform that is mobile optimized, your customers can easily book directly from your website on any device.
7. Offer a smooth booking experience with an online booking system
Potential customers, more than anything, are looking for ease. Setting yourself up to allow for online booking gives customers a streamlined experience, which makes them much more likely to not abandon the booking process. If you run a tour or activity business, you can check out a demo of Peek Pro for free here.Focusing on these small details will help you turn those would-be passers-by into paying customers. What other strategies have helped you increase your bookings? Please share in the comments below.
Table of contents
You've won half the battle: you have an influx of potential customers perusing your site. But you've noticed that spike in site traffic hasn't led to an increase in bookings. So how exactly do you turn those passers-by to your site into loyal, paying customers? Implement these seven tips to start seeing more bookings.
1. Simplify the information on your site
Keep your website easily navigable and searchable. According to Hubspot, 76% of consumers prefer a website that makes it easy to find the information for which they're looking. So keep your site simple with a few large images per page, concise descriptions, and well-labeled tabs to direct them to the information they want. And what information are customers looking for? Aside from the basics—phone number, address, pricing info—they want to know what makes your business special. On your homepage, make clear what your company offers and, more importantly, what makes your offerings unique.
2. Revamp your site photography
Professionally shot images on your site can make a huge difference in the way potential customers perceive your business. According to MGD Advertising, 67% of consumers deemed detailed photos as important to them, and another 50% said photos are more important than product information, long descriptions, or ratings and reviews.
3. Make your booking button prominent on your home page
Even a beautiful website without a clear call to action will lose potential customers who may not be able to find the next step.
Even a beautiful website without a clear call to action will lose potential customers who may not be able to find the next step.
To remove any friction in your customers’ decision-making and booking process, make sure that your booking button is large and clearly visible on your home page. Something as simple as changing the pronouns you use in your call to action can help boost conversions. In fact, Unbounce and ContentVerve ran a test that found changing “your" to “my" resulted in a 90% increase in conversions. A little change from “Book Your Tour Now" to “Book My Tour Now" can have a dramatic effect on your bookings.
4. Flaunt third-party validation
There's no better way to promote your business than through third-party accounts. And perhaps the strongest form of third-party validation is testimonials from friends and family. In fact, a study by Nielson found that, compared to other forms of marketing, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more. And Market Force Information found that 81% of consumers are influenced by their friends' social media posts. So encourage customers to share their experiences on social media, and tag your business in the posts.
5. Offer discounts to your customers
Discounts or special packages can be just the thing to sway someone’s purchasing decision. You can create a discount code and email it out in an e-newsletter or post it to Facebook for your fans to create buzz. Make it even easier for yourself with an online booking platform like Peek Pro, which allows you to create promo codes that customers can redeem during the checkout flow on your website. Offering specials like a first come, first served discount to a limited number of customers creates scarcity, which will add incentive for people to book quickly.And if you don't want to discount your experiences, read about how you can create irresistible packaged experiences for your potential customers.
6. Make sure your checkout flow is mobile optimized
If your website—and more importantly, checkout flow—isn't optimized for mobile devices, your potentially losing customers. A study by ComScore found that smartphones and tablets combined for 60% of all online traffic. As more customers are browsing for activities and tours on their phones, it’s important to ensure your site is mobile friendly. With an online booking platform that is mobile optimized, your customers can easily book directly from your website on any device.
7. Offer a smooth booking experience with an online booking system
Potential customers, more than anything, are looking for ease. Setting yourself up to allow for online booking gives customers a streamlined experience, which makes them much more likely to not abandon the booking process. If you run a tour or activity business, you can check out a demo of Peek Pro for free here.Focusing on these small details will help you turn those would-be passers-by into paying customers. What other strategies have helped you increase your bookings? Please share in the comments below.
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