The age-old dilemma that every business owner has faced. How do I get my customers over the line and certain about their purchase? It’s the question on everyone’s mind: what turns curiosity into excitement? The reality is, this is going to be different for every travel business but there are a few considerations that every tour and activity operator should be making.
Know your audience
You’ve heard this before and here it is again, learn who your audience is so that you can better appreciate their wants and needs. While it may seem fairly obvious for marketing, sales, and the creation of your tours, this is often overlooked when considering what extras to offer to lock down the sale. Not only this but it is also essential in knowing how to market the added extra. Remember that quite often it is not the monetary value of what you’re offering but its perceived value. For example, if you’re running international tours to an older generation, providing an extra night for free to recover from jetlag is a way to communicate that you know and care for your clientele. Look for that need and if you cannot find one, create one!
Use what you have
If you feel like your price is as cheap as it’s going to be, use your existing product options to push the doubters over the line. This might be reminding them that you provide free wifi, that breakfast is included, that pets are welcome, or that you have expert guides. While these things might be a given to you, your audience is not always aware of this. Be careful not to get trapped in the travel business bubble, for some customers this might be their first trip or tour ever. Alternatively, if you have an optional extra on your tour, like an additional activity, meal, or souvenir, that you offer at a cost, then make it free. This might be in the form of an early bird offer or purchasing insurance or upgrading a room. The possibilities are endless!
Reward early purchases
There has never been a more important time than during the current COVID-19 pandemic to try and secure bookings early. There are a few examples that we’ve seen online(opens in a new tab) that are doing this well. Festivals and concerts use this to their advantage very effectively. They often sell early bird rates, normal rates, and then final ticket prices. There is no reason why you can’t implement this on your own tours. Place a simple banner letting your customers know that the first 10 purchases get a 10% discount, or a free t-shirt, or any extra that is relevant to what you’re providing. This creates a sense of urgency that can sometimes be lacking.
Collaboration
Collaborating with artists or partnering with other businesses is a great way to support your local community. It looks great for your brand, it entices the customer to want to be a part of what you’re offering, and of course, you can gain from this too. This can be taken further by collaborating with local charities or foundations. Let your customers know that if they purchase now, you’ll donate to the local medical centre, hospital, shelter, or whatever you can think of. Take a tip from knowing your audience and imagine who they would want to give to at this time. Or do one better and offer them the option. Purchase now and we’ll donate 10% to the charity of your choosing!
Let your website do the job
First impressions matter. If you provide your customers with a trustworthy and clear website then they are more likely to make a purchase – that’s a given. This can come under any number of elements, from design to structure to content to blogging(opens in a new tab) to branding(opens in a new tab). Encouraging your customers through reviews(opens in a new tab), call to actions(opens in a new tab) (CTAs), and photos(opens in a new tab), are just a few things you could be updating during this downtime. We know these like the back of our hand, so if you are looking for a new website during this downtime don’t hesitate to get in contact with us. We are working on ways to reduce pricing and offer new services to an industry that has taken a significant hit recently.
This is just a small list of things that you should consider when encouraging customers to make that deposit as early or as quickly as possible. Knowing your audience, getting creative with your product, partnering with other businesses, charities, or artists, and modifying or improving your website are all things that you can consider and implement immediately yourself. The best advice is to get creative and think outside of the box! Entice your guests by offering something unique and special.
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