Not strictly OR related.. emails campaigns to your inquirers and past stays

Anyone using constant contact, mailchimp or similar to email your past guests (or inqures) to send them "newsletters" specials etc.

Any success with that? I have been doing this since 2016. I send maybe once a month. Over 1600 addresses on my mail list. I can trace maybe 2 repeat bookings to it.
I would say this is pathetically low response rate. Either I am bad at composing these emails (and I try to write about local attractions coming up - not just about my cabins), or it does not work in my market and my size of cabins. But every time I send I just get a few unsubscribes, few opens, and fewer clicks on links. My list is replenished by mail sign up popup on my website and I get a few sign-ups a week. If someone has a sample of their successful email campaign ( that generated at least inquiries if not bookings) , can you send a copy to mybluemountainlodge@gmail.com. TIA

This is an area I have some research knowledge. Thoughts:

--- most of the value of an email list is during shoulder or off season. You need to target offers to fill those dates mostly.

--- a generic email list may not cause much activity. Do you request and record special events or events in their lives? Why did they stay with you? The one booking I accidentally got said they fell in love in my town. I would have recorded that in a "reason for coming" column. Birthdays. Weddings. Family Reunions. Whatever. Is your list go our with their name

--- it may be worthwhile investing in a brilliant email template from some vendor, if you can find it. Content, email subject, timing are all important. Does your email go out the week of Mothers Day? Valentines Day? Holidays?

--- people with hospitality businesses - VRs, B&Bs, tours,etc - do social media/blogging updates (campaigns) which rarely appear to result in bookings. But it keeps your name in front of them. This might indirectly cause future repeats or referrals on your website.

--- This is why you need to be on all the listing sites. There is apparently about a 7% billboard effect, where people see you on B.com, VRBO, AirBnB, Flipkey, etc. Your listing titles need to be clearly related to your properties on your website so they can find you. I have Founder's Home on OTA, and that is the name of the property on my website.

--- VRs are actually a longterm business. Perhaps they will come back in 9 years, Perhaps they refer someone you weren't aware of because they werent in your past guest list.

--- VRs are a commodity business. You need to make it clear why they should be booking with YOU over the cabins down the road. Are you brilliantly themed?

--- Salons/spas try to rebook people before they leave from their appointment. Repeats: Perhaps leave some biz cards - with an offer "A Special Offer for You" or "Come Back and See Us Next Year". Referrals: Give each guest 5 business cards to hand out with a line for their own name. They put their name on it and if they refer someone successfully, they get 10% off a future booking of their own (perhaps put 1 year time limit on it).

I am pressed for time, but some answers.

-- ours is tourist area and most people come on vacation . can be variations (family reunion,. attend a wedding ). But mostly multigen families vacationing. My places sleep 10, 12 and 16 people so that is kind of my typical clientele; Vacation with family. There isnrt any busines stravel etc.

-- yes I know it is LT business. been in it since 2011. I am on all sites plus some

-- well mine aren't exactly commodities in a typical sense. Maybe a condo building with 200 exact same units only distinguished by carpet color are that. I have 3 unique custom builds, all different architecture and vibe, all set in acres of nature with amenities like seclusion, firepits, pool tables, hot tubs etc. Handmade rustic furniture (not rooms to go stuff) etc. The biggest thing is that none of them is in any cookie cutter "subdivision" or "resort". You can actually see starts at night and roast marshmallows on a campfire. You get the idea.

-- I do not get to see my guests so I cannot "hand" the business cards to them. Business cards are oin console table but I replenish them only when i am there.

The above are a few suggestions I have garnered from multiple business seminars in the hospitality industry.

Your VRs may not be commodities to you, but how well you present your VR units and how well you present/sell them to past guests and online profiles is what may determine whether your guests view yours as a commodity. Around here, most of the VR listings on airbnb/vrbo/etc look pretty similar. Mostly bland.

Your cleaners can refresh your cards.

see if this looks bland to you https://www.smoky-mountains-cabin.com/ridgeviewlodge

I almost bought a house in Sevierville before moving back north. A good market, but there are thousands of properties Speaking critically:

The property is nice but I don't see how it stands out from the other large Sevier County large cabins.

The scrolling pictures at the bottom are not favorable. Maybe when each one is clicked, but the scrolling pictures cropping comes across as shot by an amateur. Many pictures are not well staged. Pictures are everything.

No pets sounds nice, but in the shoulder or off season, maybe consider relaxing that to increase bookings.

The "Tell your friends about us" at bottom is faint. Copy this in front of the social media links at top, to make them more prominent.

I don't like your social media icons. Use the real ones that everyone else uses, not these "share" icon look. Add several more icons - SnapChat, Pinterest, Youtube, Tumblr, etc. You can use something like HootSuite, and put out something going on in your area

See Availability. Get a Quick Quote. This line isn't clickable??

No idea what "Top 10 list" on button bar is at top. I would move to the More dropdown and replace it with the FAQs option.

Why are there two phone pics on top right?

There is funky empty grey area going on around/below the credit card icons?? (chrome).

Add the video cameras such as on the Titanic museum

Add a widget for local weather and local events. Become the place to find out about Sevier/Smoky park happenings.

No extra service fees? Don't you charge for cleaning?

Take AMEX. When I asked, he said it was 20% of credit card usage. And chargebacks were not higher. The wealthier tend to favor it.

You need a Book Now button at top and bottom. That is the most important element on the page. Sales funnel, landing page(s), call to action. yada yada...

well I guess you dont know much about that market. Most cabins are in so called "resorts" cookie cutter builder grade situtated 5-8' from one to the next (no privacy) exact same perched on 40' drop off (meaning no room to walk, parking for 1-2 cars at most when a cabin claims to sleep 10-12..and no place for kids to play safely (as mentioned, steep drop offs). Ours is family market. Means kids, kids want to play.

Not sire what you mean by that. I cannot put all pictures on the page. There has to be a photo gallery that they can view if they wish.

I am not that desperate to turn my upscale custom finished cabins into a sty. Sorry but pet friendly cabins are usually a mess. I had prior PM allow guests to slip the pet in. results- scratched wood doors (I guess they left dog inside and went somewhere) and poo on the rug. NO THANKS.

Did you look on desktop or moble? remember on mobile there is no room to keep everything on top.

Isnt Tumblr some dating app? why would I add that? Have no idea what snapchat is. I do use Buffer (which is like hootsuite) but what does it have to do with icons? I have a FB page that is updated regularly with posts, for every cabin, Instagram., Pinterest, twitter. Not sure how Buffer (or hootsuite) relates to icons on the website.

what is not clickable? That is a label. The calendar and the OR quote form is below.

Top 10 attractions or things to do in the area. Very visited page by the way.

have no idea what are u talking about.

why? no one will ever use them. There is a local site visitmysmokies that drives a ton of traffic. I can never compete with that. I know many ppl think (Like that Vacation Soup owner) that adding all that "stuff" to one's website drives traffic - it does not, just makes it cluttered. if people want weather,. they go to weather.com, not my site. If they want Dollywood tickets, they will go to Dollywood.com, not my site

Did you notice I have a blog? and vacation guide? and the top 10 page with attractions and things to do? covered already.

it means no service fee as VRBO or Airbnb charge.

I did. Don't want to.

ok on on button, have no idea what sales funnels. New buzzword of the day? I thought landing page is the page user sees when they search and 1st open my site. The page they 1st open is a landing page. At least according to GA.