Everyone likes saving money on their holiday, right?
Wrong.
If discount codes and offers are the only tools in your lead conversion arsenal, it’s time to expand your strategy.
Savings VS Spontaneity
Yes, people like to save on flights, hotels and packages when they can. But when it comes to saving money on a holiday they weren’t planning to take, a very narrow percentage ratio will be spontaneous enough to book because of a small % discount.
Websites like Groupon and Wowcher have shown that offers on local, weekend breaks and last-minute hotel deals are always the most successful when it comes to capitalising on consumer spontaneity.
But, unless the offer is significant, timely and targeted enough, your conversion margin will always be reduced by the need for spontaneous decision-making and high-pressure committment from the consumer.
What makes your holiday offer stand out?
There are hundreds of obvious factors affecting the success rate of your discount code.
- Some of the most important factors affecting your conversion rate are:
- Seasonality (both the time of year when the code is received and the time of year when the holiday can be taken)
- The total price of the holiday/hotel/package
- The popularity of the destination
- The length of the holiday
- The saving percentage itself
However, the #1 ingredient to an enticing holiday offer is none of the above…
The single most effective conversion factor for maximising the success of your offers and discounts is this: Whether your offer improves the experience/reduces the cost of a holiday the recipient is already considering booking.
That doesn’t mean you have to guess what holidays particular leads will want to take at particular times. It means making your leads aware of the holidays you offer, building trust in your brand and making what you offer seem attractive, good value and appealing – all over the course of various email interactions.
That way, your discount code won’t seem out of the blue, the harmful reliance on spontaneity will be reduced and your leads will be far more likely to book their holiday with you.
Why PayPerClick Models rarely work alongside holiday discounts
PPC models rely on spontaneity. If you are trying to sell a £79 weekend in the country, PPCs may well work for you. However, given the above points, if you’re looking to sell a seven day safari to South Africa, you have little chance of doing so on any kind of consistent basis.
Final tips on how to maximise the success of your offer
Remember that although the style, design, wording and content of your discount email are important, they are all secondary to the primary conversion factor – effective lead nurturing.
Ongoing nurturing and customer/brand relationship building will cement your holiday company as a trustworthy and dependable operator and your holidays or accommodation as desirable. A significant criteria when choosing who to book accommodation/tours and trips with is ‘who do I trust?’
If you build natural, engaging relationships with your leads before you try to sell them your holidays, your offers may still be high-pressure and time‐sensitive, but your leads will be trusting of your brand, aware of your holidays and able to recognise the value in the discount – resulting in a far higher rate of conversion.
Want to build a database of potential consumers to market your holidays to? Click here to get in touch or call us on 01223 495 599 and tell us what you think of the above.