Every public course in America is looking for the secret to getting more rounds of golf. Here’s a hint…the secret is NOT doing the same things you’ve been doing for the past 25 years. Einstein’s definition of insanity is “Doing the same things over and over expecting a different result.” Why are so many golf course owners, gms, and marketing types so stubborn when it comes to change? Most are guilty of spending far too much time trying to acquire golfer emails than on digital strategy. Some go into panic mode when it comes to data. They will do almost anything obtain emails, but have not even taken the time to develop a sound strategy for being found. Their websites are barren of content, and probably have not been upgraded or updated in years. Many have outdated information and links that no longer work.
The panic for finding more golfer emails is due to the decline in effective email marketing. Overall, most existing email databases are overfished, worn out, and shared by all your competitors. With every passing month fewer emails are opened and more and more golfers rely on web searches to make their decisions. While online booking is developing its audience, you can bet 90% or more do their homework by search prior to booking. They are deciding where they will eat, sleep, play, and be entertained by searching, searching, and searching. Are you being found, or are you missing rounds?
Due to the changes that have occurred (just since 2012) regarding search algorithms, few websites are getting the traffic they are capable of attracting. If your website is missing traffic, your course is missing rounds and valuable revenue. How can that fact be acceptable? How can this not be your top priority? Planning for the future is too often put off due to the common excuse of, “We need rounds today and tomorrow, or we won’t be here in the future.”
How many times have your heard, “We just have too many courses. If there were fewer courses, we would get more rounds and be able to increase our rates.” While these are true statements, they do not represent any sort of acceptable or manageable strategy for survival. A better approach than lamenting over an over-built infrastructure, would be to focus on reaching new golfers. Make an effort to focus more on being found by those who are searching for content relative to your product. Make the commitment to having the best web interface possible.
The bottom line…the secret to getting more rounds of golf is right in front of you. Most of you have sufficient budget to upgrade to an acceptable website, you’re just choosing to spend it on other projects. The cost of upgrading is probably much less than you think. The cost of not upgrading is much more . Take action now. Contact iNetGolf for a free consultation.