In 2009, STS and SMITH began offering two free visitor conversion studies per month to members who took part in a survey. While the results of those individual studies are confidential to the recipients, the overall observations of the project were expected to give STS and its members an indication of what’s being achieved in action throughout the region.
How We’re Doing on Conversions
Studies completed thus far prompt two observations. There is a 20-25 percent range among the conversion rates members are getting, between the lowest and highest. And in many cases there is a 20-25 perecent gap between their actual conversion rates and the rates that have proven to be possible in today’s digital marketing environment. In other words, we could do a lot better. Why are we cruising at low altitude when we have the ability to fly higher, faster and – to push the analogy even further – to use less fuel?
How To Convert More Than Half
Destinations that have put their database into the front end of their marketing scheme have for the past couple of years been notching conversion rates well above 50 percent -- and in some cases above 60 percent -- even while those around them started to see a downward trend in visitation.
They focus more of their communication on contacts they have already made. They determine who’s interested in what, by observing what kinds of offers their leads respond to. They build a segmented database, sliced by interests, so they can gear the message to each segment’s hot buttons. They use regular media to enrich their pool of responses. Occasionally they rent a list to capture the new e-mail addresses of those who optin for the offer of an experience that’s distinctive to their destination, property or attraction.
In a nutshell, that seems to be the state of the art for charting a successful passage through these times. It looks a lot like a success formula that will form an even better foundation for efficient ROI when the economy improves.
What Are We Doing Instead?
This month STS will field a research study designed to identify trends in the marketing mix that members are using today and what changes they anticipate as they plan for the next fiscal year.
Plan to take part in the study when you see the e-mail link. Your own responses will be confidential, and you’ll receive free of charge the results of the overall research.
Members have proven to be their own best resource for raising the level of tourism performance in the Southeast. STS will continue to facilitate that enrichment that comes from being colleagues.