For any diving business, the biggest challenge is always booking more dives. This can be for a number of reasons, from not having the proper systems in place for reservations to not providing enough information. Whatever the case may be, the competition is stiff for many dive companies, which is why it’s important to take the proper steps to up your reservation game. Luckily for you, today we’re going to outline a few helpful tips to landing more clients.
Being There To Answer Anytime
A huge aspect of the reservation process is being available to answer any questions or concerns a potential customer might have. This is an element of customer service that’s unmatched, as according to Kissmetrics, 34% of customers who can’t get in touch don’t make an attempt at reaching back. Granted, I know it’s costly to have someone on staff to answer questions at all times, but try to extend your hours and keep someone on call, or perhaps invest in a chatbot.
Having An Accurate Depiction of The Weather
With diving, the weather is going to be crucial to have an amazing experience. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on things and give an honest suggestion for someone’s booking. For example, if you know it usually storms late afternoon in the summer, then make a customer aware, so there are no hidden surprise. Losing potential business due to poor communication can hurt quite a bit because as HelpScout notes, 78% of consumers have bailed on plans due to poor service.
Offering Group Rates/Packages
In trying to book more dives, it’s important to maximize your offerings. This includes having a group rate or package, which can help fill trips with much more ease. According to PWC, the price is the most important factor to 60% of consumers, with the availability of group packages playing a significant role. Remember, people are looking to have multiple people with them, and the spread of that word of mouth could generate a tremendous amount of new business.
Have A Call-To-Action
It goes without saying that a solid call-to-action will help increase your reservations tremendously. This includes links that say “book now,” “learn more,” or something to the like. Furthermore, people actually read this stuff, because as Unbounce notes, 90% of visitors read your CTA, meaning there’s a decent consideration for what you’re offering. Brainstorm what you want that action to be and place it in a manner that flows with the rest of your design.
Send a Confirmation Email
A simple suggestion in your reservation process is to send a confirmation email. These build trust with the consumer as a way of opening up communication after a purchase, ensuring that they aren’t being scammed or not taken seriously. Furthermore, try to make these responses personalized if you can, because as Hubspot notes, with 42% of marketers lacking personalization, that’s cutting into their sales.
Make It Optimized for Mobile
With almost everyone on their smartphones, you’d be surprised at how many major purchases are made on mobile. And for your booking process, it’s imperative you have your signup be mobile friendly. According to SmartInsights, 51% of our time with digital media is spent on our phones, meaning nearly half of everything we see or do is made for the small screen. Take the time to walk through this process yourself and see what the flow is like, as well as if any improvements could be made.
Implement A Little Bit of Social Proof
If you’re not familiar, social proof is the practice of giving a brand or product authority via our peer group. These include endorsements, community-based interactions, or even highlighting the popularity of something. For your booking process, it might not be a bad idea to either offer up something like testimonials, or even a sense of urgency such as “two other people are viewing this time slot, book now!” Little things like this can make a big difference, especially in trying to get customers in the door.
Provide Incentives
If people are having a great time with your diving business, then an excellent strategy to boost reservations is to provide referrals for discounts on trips. According to a study by Nielsen, a staggering 92% of people trust the recommendation of a friend than anyone else, which goes to show that word of mouth can go a long way. Give people a little something extra to push them in that direction, and your bookings will increase in no time.
Offer Multiple Payment Options
Believe it or not, payment options are somewhat of a big deal in closing the deal. As noted by FuturePay 40% of shoppers feel more comfortable purchasing from retailers with multiple payment options. Why? Because it shows that you took the time to become a trusted source, especially when associating yourself with familiar financial institutions.
Show Examples of Your Dives
Finally, showing pictures of dives can be an excellent way to increase trust with the consumer. These give people a real-life example of what they could be doing, as well as lets them gauge the difficulty or challenge of the dive. Pick a few from previous trips to highlight that others had a great time as well.