Why aren't they visiting?

I've heard from many businesses who're worried they're not getting the bookings or visitors they normally get. 

What can you do? 

There's a huge amount of uncertainty in the economy at the moment. Some people aren't coming to your business because they simply can't afford it. Some have been lured abroad by cheap deals. Others just don't know about you. Some just haven't got round to it. 

When you're not getting the visitors you'd expect to get, there are some simple things you can do to improve things. They can't magic up visitors who can't afford to come, but if you take these steps, you'll make your business as strong as possible.

Make it easier - look at your business through the eyes of a visitor. How easy is to find basic information, or make a booking? How can you streamline the process? If a competitor business makes it easier to get information and book, you'll lose visitors. 

Make it clearer what visitors will gain from visiting you Help them imagine how will they feel. Everyone wants to feel better in some way - how can you show that you'll help visitors feel better? You need to give strong reasons to visit to overcome the inertia of not booking or visiting. 

What are the barriers to visiting your business? Think through them, and make deliberate attempts to overcome them. Don't forget to tell potential visitors, but make the messages positive. For example, if the weather forecast is bad for the next fortnight, chances are people are worried that rain might ruin their trip. Think of indoor attractions or rain-can't-ruin experiences and feature them on social media. 

Use your mailing list - remind people what you offer and why you're good

Go back to basics on your social media. Many people assume everyone knows all about their business so they stop posting about the basics such as your location, what you offer, why your business is good, who it's suitable for etc.