As the owner of a company that runs workshops, courses or classes, your business requires structure, passion, and - most importantly - a motivated team. If you have these in place, growth might be on your mind. You may want to bring yoga to the masses, teach others the joy of Swiss chocolate making, or introduce more tourists to the wonders of your language.
How can you ensure that your workshops are booked up? How can you get the five star reviews that you need to stay busy during the off-season?
Here are some ideas for you, based on conversations with wonderful TrekkSoft customers and the workshops I've loved during my own travels.
1. Don't make people pick up the phone to book
I recently came across an article called Mathematical word problems for Introverts, the highlight of which was this: "5 people called Henry on Saturday and actually expected him to pick up. How long did it take Henry to email them back?"
So many people dislike phone calls, especially tech-savvy millennials who know that in a world of online booking and social media you can avoid it. Respond to this by integrating an online booking system with your website. You'll see the results in the bookings you're processing.
2. Offer add-ons to increase the basket value of each reservation
Do you offer other services on top of your standard workshops or classes? Perhaps it's a souvenir of the experience, or an added extra or resource that people can enjoy. By using a booking system like TrekkSoft, you can provide a welcome opportunity for your customers to select add-ons during their online booking process. In turn, this can increase your revenue.
3. Let your local tourism network promote you
Your workshops are a valuable part of your local tourism industry. And because your DMC or tourism board's objective is to promote your destination, they can be a great asset to your marketing. Firstly, find out: does your DMC have online booking software on their own website, so they can act as a marketplace for your region? If they don't, why not suggest it?
Other ways they could support you include sharing your content on social media, listing your business as a recommended local activity on their website, or sponsoring an event you host. With TrekkSoft, you can also cross-sell with other local tour and activity providers.
4. Increase the quality of your web content and workshop descriptions
When someone visits your website, they're sold by two main things: the text content describing your workshops and the accompanying visuals. If you have a brilliant product behind compelling text, photos and videos, you're in a great position to attract reservations.
You can do this with the help of our free content marketing ebook, alongside powerful visual content marketing tactics. Remember: once you have a 5* service at the core of your business, your website needs to reflect it.
Ready to get more bookings online? Get the low-down on how to optimise your website to increase conversion rates.
