Understanding visitors

If I say that I can tell you '3 easy ways to increase your profits', what's your response? 

The cynical ones among you might think it's too good to be true, but most people are curious and want to know more. You might think that you pretty much know everything there is to running a successful tourism business, but a little part of your brain will still want to know more, just to double check. 

This is 'information gap curiosity': the idea that most humans want to find out more when they think …

Are you making an easy mistake in your marketing? Something that makes a big difference, but which is luckily easy to resolve? 

I've written before about how sometimes we're just not saying what we think we're saying. 

There's another common mistake we often make. 

Information or inspiration?

A common error is to offer too much basic information, when people actually need inspiration.

The key is to think what your visitors need to know, and when. 

Image you're vaguely thinking about a holi…

We want people to scroll - to find our posts and information. But then we want them to stop. We need visitors to stop scrolling long enough to take in the reasons why our areas and businesses are worth visiting. We need them to stop scrolling so they can choose us.

We need visitors to absorb essential information on our websites, and visitors don't always have the patience to scroll all the way down your pages to find what they're looking for. 

The answer: use really compelling information and…

We often say that a picture is worth a thousand words. We know that images and videos are now an essential part of promotional activity. But do we use the right photos? 

Making some simple changes to the images you use can make your marketing much more powerful.

Using the right photos is part of persuading visitors that your business is good for them, relevant to their needs, that they will be welcome and are making the right decision. Visitors need 'evidence' and using the right photos is pa…

Compare these sentences:

We're in a great location in RandomUnknownVillage, with lots to see and do. There's something for everyone.

or

You'll love our hidden location in RandomUnknownVillage, close to SomewhereFamous and AnotherWellknownPlacePeopleSearchForOnGoogle. It's ideal for anyone who wants to relax and enjoy two great pubs, x attraction or our recommended walks to x, y z.

Here's another:

I've had lots of experience and know about marketing

or

I've worked in tourism marketing for…

A long time ago I went to my daughter's school assembly. It's a memory that has stuck in my mind because it was quite a good marketing lesson!

There was a pile of shoes and boots at the front of the school hall. The teacher told a story about some people who didn't really understand each other. 

The children were asked to put on a pair of the assorted footwear and walk towards each other. It was amusing because the shoes and boots were too large, and the children took on exaggerated walks acco…

What's the best thing you've ever done to promote your tourism business? 

What worked well? 

Or perhaps there's something small you did that was moderately successful? 

It could have been a social media post that got plenty of engagement. Or a blog post that's still driving traffic to your website? A photo that people have said they like? Or something you say to guests that seems to resonate? 

Whatever it is, don't just do it once. Repeat whatever works, again, again and again. 

We often as…

Let's talk about money. 

Oh sorry, we don't do that do we?

We might utter vague grumbles about the price of things, but discuss our profitability and revenue? No, we don't do that.

I'm not sure why. After all, most of us are in business to make money. I wrote about this a while ago here. 

With escalating energy and food bills, you might be thinking about increasing your prices. There are some tips about this in a blog post I wrote last year. Some of you may be struggling to attract visitors…

Walking is one of the most popular outdoor pursuits. Many tourism businesses benefit from them, so it makes sense to think about how to attract and welcome them. 

"Walkers" is a very broad term... There are ramblers, scramblers, hikers, people who prefer guided walks... the list goes on. 
 
Identify which type of walkers would be interested in staying with you and target that group. Think about:

• Hard core long distance walkers
• Social walkers
• Sightseeing walkers
• Moochers
• Walking to justif…

We often say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but how often do we actually use the right photos to convey key points? 

Most businesses have something they need to tell their visitors or need to stand out somehow. A single photo might do the trick. 

Have you thought about the key messages you're trying to convey and then made sure you're using photos that tell that story? 

Years ago I advised a hotelier, Dave, who ran a small hotel in an area that was notorious for dirty and run-down …