OK so that's an exaggeration. But since the pandemic, we’ve seen a big shift - people aren’t booking online in advance like they used to. They’re waiting until the very last minute.
I've just returned from a staycation in the south west of England, so wanted to summarise some of my experiences as a family trying to plan days out with two young children, particularly as we're at the start of the summer hols.
An important consideration for all families now is that even a 'cheap' attraction visit would be up around £100, just for tickets. Add in travel, snacks and food and that means that attraction tickets have shifted from an impulse buy to a considered purchase.
It's like a mini investment.
And like any investment, if you're going to convince someone to take the plunge you need to do an exceptional job at -
- Mitigating the risks or downsides
- Showcasing the value and upsides
Let's explore each of these, and I'll end on the main takeaways that any attraction or leisure brand might like to think about if they're struggling to drive online sales or getting guests through the gates this summer...
Mitigating the downsides
From my experience on holiday, there were three main risks that we'd be thinking about before planning any visit:
- The weather
- The kids just not playing ball
- Getting delayed or changing plans
Weather - Too hot, too wet, too cold, or sometimes all three in the same day. This was the reality - the weather would be changing by the hour, and even dry looking days turned into washouts several times.
It's a classic challenge in the UK, but if I'm gambling with £100+ on a day out, you'd best be convincing me that:
- there's enough indoor spaces to get shelter and still have a great time
- you've got my back if the weather ruins the day
Consider offering discounted / free returns or wet weather guarantees.
The kids - anyone with a family knows that sometimes the kids just wake up in a bad mood, and that's that. Maybe there might still be fleeting moments of fun, but if the kids are grumpy it's easy to see that £100 being flushed away.
- keep visit days / times as flexible as possible
- consider free return visits
- or have an upsell to a multi-day pass or similar
For instance, the Merlin attractions this year are offering 2 parks for the price of 1.
Changing plans - traffic delays, weather changes or plans change. Make it easy for me to move the date/time... or at least try to avoid having fixed time slots for tickets.
Showcasing the value and upsides
Once you’ve tackled the risks, the next job is to convince people that the day out will be more than worth it. You’re not just competing with other attractions - you’re competing with the beach, the local park, or just doing nothing and saving the money.
Here’s what made a difference during our break:
- Painting the full picture online
- Showing the hidden value
- Great quality and design, on mobile
- Partner Perks
Painting the full picture online - as well as simple planning information, you need to show what the whole experience feels like. Help families imagine the experience with clear, visual maps, listings, real photos, videos and sample itineraries.
Showing the hidden value - remember to shout about things you offer for free that might be chargeable elsewhere - free parking, discounted food and drink etc. Highlight how much the extra perks are worth and use this to frame the value of your tickets.
Great quality and design, on mobile - Many websites we looked at on holiday were clunky, confusing and text-heavy. Remember most people plan days out from a phone - in a car, at the hotel, or half-watching TV. If your site’s slow, cluttered, or unclear, it casts doubt - having a smooth mobile experience instantly builds credibility and trust.
Per Attraction Perks - one attraction we visited had a leaflet with 30% off another attraction in the area. This was a nice unexpected surprise and you can guess where we looked at next! Clearly once the first attraction had people through the door, it made sense to get guests interested in other attractions in the area - this reciprocal agreement is clearly a win-win for both places to build awareness easily across their two sets of visitors.
The Main Takeaways
If you can offer a free return or cheaper multi-day upgrade, you can mitigate all of the risks in one fell swoop. It's smart because it's not 'discounting' or devaluing your headline prices, plus it enhances the value proposition. Most attractions should easily make this back with secondary spending, certainly if you email visitors to remind them that they have a free visit.
Of course, you need to also make sure your website and online messaging is rock solid. Plenty of video, imagery and content to showcase your core offering is essential. Make everything simple enough that a 10 year old can understand it.
Use smart pricing, upsells and ticet options to showcase the value and increase average order values too, and why not use some of the perks (like a free return offer) as online-only exclusives to boost online bookings? Lock in the revenue, build visitor numbers and generate increased secondary spend.
If you can, add an offer to visit other nearby attractions... but only after you've locked in the revenue from the guests initially.
Remember, day out admission prices have moved up into the considered purchase territory. You need to work hard for every £ from every visitor to build their trust and help them confidently invest in your attraction.
This summer, it’s not about who shouts loudest - it’s about who builds the most trust, value and reassurance online. Make every part of your website answer the question: "Is it worth it?"
--
Need a hand to showcase your attraction online - take a look at our LOOP website platform, tailored for attractions, leisure, heritage and hospitality brands - https://loop.semantic.co.uk/
Neil lewin
Owner of Semantic, an award-winning agency that brings attractions and leisure brands to life online. Help attractions grow and drive revenue with our LOOP platform, bespoke websites or strategic support.
