More Reasons Than Ever to Include Engaging Photos for your Reservation Experiences

We all know a good image is worth a thousand words, but for the past couple of years, we've been singing to the choir, with Google's help, to communicate that content is king when it comes to marketing reservation experiences. Now with Google advising that images are what they will be using to have experiences and products reach the top of searches, we think now is the time (more than ever) to get serious about images for your events and experiences.

A Redesigned CellarPass.com on the Horizon
We've recently redesigned many admin features to allow you to upload images and attach them to different products such as reservation experiences, add-ons, ticketed events, wine lists and food menus. To leverage the redesign of our website, we are letting you know ahead of time so that you'll be properly prepared for these new pages that we'll be launching.

Offer Unique Experiences
One of the first new pages on our website will be marketing the most popular events based on the event type. What's that? Remember when you created your new reservation experiences, you chose a category? Yep, the list is defined into some large buckets, but choosing the right event type is really important. For example, if you have a really cool seated tasting experience and you chose "Bar Tasting" you are losing out on our visitors that have filtered their search by "Seated Tasting" which is the proper event type. Now if you have a food component, you should consider selecting "Wine & Food" for the event type instead. See how taking a moment to make some tweaks can net you new bookings?

NEW! Reservation Experience Type Pages
Now that you understand event types, you'll quickly see how we can use this data to market your reservation experiences (or ticketed events) based on the event type selected. New webpages and dynamic sections on our website will be first promoting all the available experiences in event type buckets, but then visitors can drill in and see the top, most-booked experiences as we know many people don't have time, but want to leverage our recommendations to make quick decisions on where to go and what to book.

Full Disclosure
Unlike Google and many of our competitors, we've always been 100% transparent on what you can do to get more visibility on our website and engage our audience. It doesn't take a lot, but it does require consistency- on number of experiences and getting solid experience reviews. There's three key elements to gaming our platform's algorithm; choosing the correct event type, writing compelling marketing descriptions and uploading images that showcase your place, most importantly the event.

If you are using Add-Ons with your experiences, the theme of uploading photos rings on as you are probably missing out on increasing conversions or upselling higher-end experiences by not uploading unique images to your events, Add-Ons and UpSells.

Here's some of our teams' tricks that you should also consider:

Attracting Customers
A well-crafted description captures the attention of potential customers, enticing them to book the experience. It should highlight unique features, amenities, and experiences that set the reservation apart from others.

Setting Expectations
Clear descriptions help manage customer expectations. When customers know exactly what to expect, they are more likely to be satisfied with their experience and less likely to encounter misunderstandings or disappointments.

Building Trust
Detailed and accurate descriptions build trust with customers. When the description accurately reflects the experience they receive, customers are more likely to trust the host or business, leading to positive reviews and repeat bookings.

Enhancing Brand Image
Compelling descriptions reflect positively on the brand or host. They demonstrate professionalism, attention to detail, and a commitment to providing an exceptional experience, which can differentiate the reservation from competitors.

Improving Conversion Rates
A persuasive description can lead to higher conversion rates, turning browsing customers into paying guests. By highlighting the benefits and unique selling points, hosts can convince potential guests that their reservation is worth booking.

Increasing Revenue
Ultimately, well-written descriptions can lead to increased revenue. When customers are drawn in by compelling descriptions and have a positive experience that meets or exceeds their expectations, they are more likely to spend money on additional services or amenities, leave positive reviews, and recommend the experience to others.

Reviews Are Gold
Combining all the above, plus of course delivering your guests a memorable experience from the moment they book to the moment they head home after enjoying their experience is key to getting high marks from guests when solicited for a review after their visit. The more bookings, the more great reviews you received over a rolling 30 days is how you outrank your neighbor. And most importantly, if you are not checking in guests, the platform is not sending out survey invites. So be sure to start checking in guests and make it a daily task as you could see within days, your ranking improve!

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