As a business owner, you're probably looking past the data for some practical tips or opportunities. Here are 5 recommendations.
Over the past few weeks, we've been sharing snippets of information from our 2020 Online Booking Study here on our blog.
As a business owner, you're probably looking past the data for some practical tips, business opportunities, and recommendations.
That's why in this post, I sum up the 5 key recommendations we have for FEC owners based on our study.
In our 2020 Online Booking Study, you will find:
If you'd like to learn more, download a copy of this complimentary guide by clicking the image below!
To sum it all up by quarter, most businesses welcomed 2020 while still in a relatively stable place with big plans ahead for growth. Q2 changed everything, but those who were able to pivot did so through virtual parties, events, and by setting up an online store.
Q3 and Q4 could be described as “the climb back up” as businesses were re-opening and working to rebuild.
There are still many struggling with closures and other challenges, but the data shows we’re slowly starting to recover.
Here are 5 key recommendations we have and opportunities to consider on your journey towards intentional re-building.
Make sure that your website is up-to-date with your current reopening status, restrictions, COVID-related policies and procedures, party packages, booking availability, and more.
Your customers want to visit your facility and are looking to your website for information on when and how they can do so safely. In addition to your website, remain active on social media and share important information there too!
Even if your doors are still closed, remaining active on social is critical to engaging your customers and making sure they come back as soon as you re-open.
As the data has shown, developing an online store will allow you to maintain a steady stream of revenue.
Selling tickets for virtual event options, gift certificates, redemption items, birthday-in-a-box kits, and other digital products will help to diversify possible sales options.
Many customers have even added a virtual tip jar to their online store that customers were happy to contribute to.
Your online booking system is incredibly important. Right after the online store, our customer’s online booking module was pivotal in their efforts to build their business back up.
Online booking is a game-changer for family entertainment centers and event facilities. You're likely to start seeing increased party bookings and revenue almost immediately.
If you don't use one already, schedule a demo with Party Center Software.
A lot of transactions in Q2 were due to refunds.
2020 exposed the need for FECs to create a clear refund policy, as many businesses did not have one and struggled to retain part of a deposit.
We recommend that you create a non-refundable deposit policy. You may want to consider creating a flexible policy, such as allowing the customer to move their party to a different date instead. Or, you may want to ensure you have the right to keep part of the deposit if the customer cancels their party within just a few days of the event.
Regardless of your policy, make sure that the terms are available for customers to read on your website.
If you’re a PCS customer, reach out to your CSM for guidance on how to create an Online Booking Policy.
If you’re a Party Center Software customer, you can pull various reports from your software that can help you identify new opportunities. Here are a few of our favorite:
Party Statistic Report - This report allows you to pull party statistics by year, month, week, and day. It also allows you to compare data from one year to another and provides an event, revenue, and average ticket graph.
With this data, you’ll get a better idea of the popularity and profitability of a given party option.
Customer Detail Report - This report will deliver an overview of customer accounts at your facility. It includes information about your guests, as well as their dependents. You can check out customer birthday months, orders, last order date, and more.
With this data, you can effectively re-market and identify your target customers.
Invoice Balance Report - This report shows you all of your orders and whether payments were made. As mentioned above, keeping track of your deposits, especially during these times, is critical.
If you’d like to learn more about how to pull these reports, contact your Customer Success Manager.
2021 is all about intentional re-building, letting go of things that don’t work, and implementing new processes, ideas, and attractions that do.
Here at Party Center Software, we are dedicated to helping you grow your business.
Please contact us and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your goals this year!
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The importance of collecting guest data can be easily overlooked, especially if you don't know how to collect it or aren't aware of its benefits.
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As a FEC owner or operator, you're probably wondering what the data says about when parties get booked. Here's some more information!
As a FEC owner or operator, you're probably curious to see how 2020 impacted when parties are booked. Here's some more information!
Here are 5 key recommendations for FECs from our 2021 Online Booking Study.