You are actively deterring prospective families. Better first impressions (part 1).
First impressions are lasting impressions. Have you audited your website and phone processes lately?
Can you be as inviting as this glamping tent?
Matt here from the Go Camp Pro team.
I've been working on a project that has me getting to know a lot of camps.
Every day I'm on the website of 50+ summer camps. Not only that, I'm usually calling them and speaking to the first person who answers the phone.
It has been blowing my freaking mind.
While many are great, the number of camps that have a website, answering machine or person that is actively detracting families is giving me the willies.
I haven't discovered a pattern either. Religious or secular, day or overnight, waitlisted or haven't launched are all just as likely to fall into these traps.
I've been collecting a few nuggets that I'd like to turn into something bigger sometime soon, but for now, here are a few.
If it sounds like I’m ranting…it’s because I am.
Music playing, full-screen videos and user interfaces that are incredibly over-campy and hard to follow
If I can't find your "register now" or your phone number in 5 seconds, or your "fun campy music" blares in my office while I'm trying to register my kiddo on my lunch break in the office, you've lost me.
"Hello" is all I get on the phone when I call. The first impression feels like I've called someone's personal phone (who is annoyed, in some cases) that I've called.
People don't buy things they don't trust. An awkward interaction from the start does not build that trust.
The answering machine is either a 50-step service, your entire marketing pitch or a robot filling in your camp name or people's names.
I'm not buying camp from a robot and I'm not waiting 5 minutes to navigate the menus to leave a message.
While there are at least 20 more things I've noticed, the answer to these is pretty much the same.
A simple perspective - gaining exercise. Phone a friend - or rather, have a friend phone you!
Find a friend and ask them to assume the role of a nervous camp family and visit your website, call your camp and listen to your voicemail.
Are you already waitlisted? Get your friend to assume the role of a family who is registered, but is still nervous. It's still worth considering that you would never want to lose a family because your first impressions left a bad taste in their mouth and made them second-guess their decision.
This perspective can be applied to literally any part of your program. Travis talks about this all the time when it comes to having a person come on-site to get their eyes on what your physical site's first impressions are.
Those fresh eyes are going to be one of the most useful, low-cost marketing investments you've made all year.
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