nflation is affecting everybody and customers are being more careful about spending money. It’s too early to say how the summer season will be impacted, but it’s possible that there will be more competition for customers this year compared to last year.
We have collected 4 tips to help you get more bookings this summer. Each tip is simple to do with BookingCentral.com.
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Tip 1. Don’t require full payment at the time of booking
We can’t say this often enough. For higher-priced items such as boat rentals, RV rentals and golf cart rentals, especially full day and multi-day rentals, you will get more online bookings if you only charge a deposit at the time of booking.
Best practice - charge around 15-25% of the total amount at the time of rental. Charge the balance either at Check In on the day of arrival or a day or two in advance.
For lower-priced items such as jet ski, kayak rentals, or tours/activities you can still charge the full amount at the time of booking.
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Tip 2. Email or text quotes
When a customer calls to get a quote, It’s best not to give a verbal quote. Instead, use the booking system to send an official quote. There are several reasons why you want to do this:
- It is very easy for the customer to review the quote and confirm it.
- The quote will have the full cost breakdown.
- The customer can convert it to an order by confirming the quote and entering payment information.
As an added benefit, the booking system keeps track of open quotes so you can easily follow up with customers that have not yet accepted the quote. You can see all open and expired quotes directly on the dashboard under the tab “Quotes”.
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Tip 3. Keep your online booking process simple
Create a checkout flow that is quick and simple for the customer to complete the booking. If you add too many questions or choices, you increase the risk of the customer abandoning the booking.
You can do this by enabling Pre-Check In. When Pre-Check In is enabled, the booking system will automatically ask the customer for information and documents after the booking is completed and before the activity.
Pre-Check In can be used for:
- Participant Information (Name, email, phone, date of birth, etc.)
- Emergency Contact Information (Name, Address, Email and Phone)
- Waivers
- Other Documents such as Driver’s License, Boating License, Insurance Forms, Membership Forms, etc.
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Tip 4. Update your rental/activity descriptions
Give your rental descriptions and pictures a refresh. Good and clear descriptions paired with high quality photos will help customers make a purchase decision faster.
Make sure your descriptions include:
- What the rental or tour experience will be like
- What to bring
- What to wear
- Refund and cancellation policy
Include images of the rental or activity that include:
- Several images of the rental from different angles
- An image of a group or people on the rental or activity having fun
- Add an image of what a customer will see or do while on the rental or during the activity
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Tip 5. Offer a promotion or pricing discounts
We all love a good deal. Customers who see that you are offering a promotion for a popular rental or activity will likely choose to book with you over the competition. BookingCentral offers a promotion feature and flexible pricing options so you can achieve the discounts you want to offer.
A few ideas for promotions:
- Offer a 10% early bird promotion. Entice customers to book early to lock in their summer plans with you.
- Offer a weekday discount code. Summer time guests who are on vacation in your area will be happy to take advantage of a promo that is good for a weekday. It’s a win-win for you and the customer.
- Offer multi-day discounts. BookingCentral’s pricing allows you to create price categories where you can easily apply a discount for longer stays.
The discount amount does not have to be so big that it dips into your bottom line either. A small 5-10% discount is plenty to get customers to click Book Now on your website.
Want to learn more about how BookingCentral can support your rental or activity business this summer? Reach out to our team of experts for a demo today!
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