As far as real estate investing is concerned, making the decision to invest in an RV park can be a sound one. After all, RIVA estimates that there are as many as 30 million RV enthusiasts nationwide — and most of them need a place to park and set up camp. So if you’ve already ascertained all available RV parks and campgrounds for sale before setting on the ideal park, you’ve already taken a crucial step toward success.
That said, making the choice to invest in an RV park is only the beginning. You’ll need to market your park, accommodate your customers, and ensure the upkeep of the grounds sets your park apart. If you’ve done a great job, you may have had a successful spring and summer season. But how do you keep that momentum going?
One of the ways to ensure campers keep coming back — and that they encourage others to book their stay — is to make sure their visit exceeded their expectations. If you aren’t actively seeking out feedback, you might never know why repeat customers seem to be a rarity.
In the digital age, one of the best ways to gauge your progress and your brand perception is to analyze your online reviews. But if you’ve just made the decision to invest in an RV park, you might not have many reviews available. This can be more of a problem than you realize, as can not knowing how to solve this problem. Let’s take a closer look at why RV park reviews matter and what you can do to obtain more reviews for your own RV park.
Why Do Online Reviews Matter For RV Parks?
For virtually any type of business, online reviews play a critical role. While word-of-mouth is still important, the vast majority of consumers trust online reviews more than paid ads. What’s more, customers rely on online reviews just as much (or even more so) than personal recommendations. And although most consumers want to support businesses that have reviews that are anywhere between three and five stars, having no reviews or very few reviews can often be worse than a bad review. If you don’t have any online reviews for your campground or RV park, prospective customers will be hesitant to book their stay. Anything you can do to prove your legitimacy and showcase a positive customer experience will go a long way in cementing your success.
How to Encourage Reviews For Your RV Park
If you’ve taken the time to invest in an RV park, you’ll also want to take the time to encourage customer reviews. The good news is that the majority of customers will be more than happy to leave a review if you ask them to. Here are just a few ideas that will remind those who stay at your RV park to support you in this way.
- Use Physical Signage: Physical signs and other marketing materials can be essential for your RV park. If you have a main office or message boards around the site, these areas present the perfect opportunity for you to remind customers to leave a review. Putting up visual reminders can help your customers to prioritize the desire to leave an online review.
- Add a Website Link: You’ll need a robust website for your RV park that offers online booking. Why not add a link right on your site that will take customers to your Facebook page, Google My Business page, or Yelp profile? If you make it easy for customers to review your business, you’ll be more likely to receive five stars.
- Send Follow-Up Emails: While you don’t want to inundate customers with too many emails after their stay, it can be highly effective to send a thank-you email following their visit. Not only will this show them that you care, but it’s also the perfect time to ask for a review. If they had a great experience, they’ll want to tell everyone — and if you time it right, their stay will be fresh in their memory.
With these tips in mind, you’ll soon have the reviews rolling in. To invest in an RV park or campground, please contact us to get started.