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The ActiveCamps Newsletter: News, Product Tips, Event Information and more!
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What's New
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Best Practices Webinar
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Join us on November 4th as Mike Moronczyk, director of eCamp services, shares compelling examples of how eCamp photos and one-way email services can:
- Increase your per camper revenue without increasing your tuition rates
- Boost your retention rate by building rapport with your camp families
- Generate referrals through “word of mouth” advertising
- Reduce the number and amount of staff time spend on inbound parent calls
Join us to discover strategies to competitively position your camp for growth in 2010 and beyond.
Date: Wednesday, November 4
Start Time: 9:00 (PDT) / 12:00 pm (EDT)
Cost: Complimentary
Register for this webinar now! Space is limited.
Did you miss last month’s special webinar "Boosting Awareness and Participation Through Friends, Fans and Followers?" Justin Ramers, director of social media services, provided an informative overview of how organizations are leveraging social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to achieve their program goals.
For your convenience, you may view the webinar recording online here.
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Marketing Tips
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Are You Spending Your Marketing Dollars Wisely?
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The question every camp should ask: "Are we properly investing our marketing dollars to convert inbound referrals and prospects into next year’s campers?"
Camps invest to:
- Raise awareness about camp reputation, programs, and availability
- Create strong interest and desire to experience your camp’s programs
- Drive desired actions i.e. registering for camp, making a donation or providing contact details
- Build lasting relationships, retention and referrals
In today’s digital age, chances are referred parents and prospects alike are first turning to the Internet to check out your camp online and to research similar camps programs. Consider the following statistics:
Approximately 79.3% of the population uses the Internet in North America (Internet World Stats, June 2009)
The # 1 activity on the Internet—consumers gathering purchase information (US Dept of Commerce)
According to Nielsen NetRatings, on average a person visits 59 domains and views 1,050 pages a month (~approximately 45 seconds per page)
If your camp website is not updated with relevant content, call to actions (CTAs) and information about your camp programs, your website might be costing you more than you know. Check out 5 Things Your Website Should Do to impress first time visitors, prospects and returning campers.
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Camp Marketing: 5 Things Your Website Should Do
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Given most camps invest marketing dollars to achieve 4 basic goals, your camp website is the one marketing tool that can help you achieve each one—how well is up to you. Below are 5 best practices for camp websites to achieve an impactful and lasting first impression:
- Easy to navigate. Usability and overall organization of your site is paramount to creating a positive first impression rather than one of frustration. Most importantly, make it easy for camp families to register online—don’t force them to search your site or even to send an email or make a phone call. Highlight updated session dates, rates and descriptions and prominently feature a Register Online or Register Now button to encourage action.
- Provide relevant content. Your site should offer content on your overall camp experience in addition to program costs and dates. Have a newsletter, photos or video? Post them—if not, post notes submitted by happy campers and parents. To gather prospect details, add a “Request Brochure” button—this allows visitors to easily request additional information and provides your camp the ability to follow up with in the prospective family in the future.
- Ensure your website is “kid focused and kid friendly”. Given that our kids are growing up with computers in the classroom and at home, children are likely to view your camp website and ultimately influence their parents’ decision about your camp. Consider posting trivia games or crosswords based on the last camp season, survey or poll questions, fun facts, and of course, videos of campers in action to entice and excite your most important visitors—your prospective campers!
- Portray your camp and staff as competent. Poor grammar, typos or lack of content and photos may portray your camp as amateurish or second rate. Your website is your camp’s resume and the first step towards “getting the interview”— make it count.
- Convey a welcoming and lasting impression. Your website must be informative, engaging, and ideally, interactive. Take advantage content management tools that allow you and your staff to easily to post video, photo galleries, surveys, message boards, calendars and contests that will engage new prospects, referrals and returning campers alike!
With the proliferation of the Internet, the importance of your camp website can not be overstated. Check out why your camp may want to consider upgrading to a website that features a robust Content Management System.
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Product News and Tips
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Choosing a Website with a Content Management System
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In our 24/7 digital world, your website must always be ready to receive prospects and referrals and to convert them into next year’s campers! With limited staff or budget to hire a Web master, more camps are investing in websites with built-in Content Management functionality like Active’s Content Management (ACM) website solution, which allows camps to easily leverage one of the most important marketing tools they have—their website!
Active’s ACM highlights include:
- Ability to assign multiple individuals editing privileges by level or even by page
- Workflows permit all entered changes to be approved before publishing live to your site
- Web-based access allows assigned individuals to log in and edit content from any Internet connection—whether at home or on the road—updates can be made easily
- Built-in “point and click” smart editing tools work just like popular word processing software and eliminates the need for design, HTML or technical training. Anyone on your staff with assigned privileges can post, edit and update your camp site
- Easily post photos, videos, PDF, Word and Excel documents to your site without a Web master
- Real-time website traffic and analytics reporting
Our design and development team can incorporate additional options including:
- Integrated Flash elements
- Calendar, survey polls, web forms
- Custom message boards
- Video and photo galleries
- Google map and search
- Additional languages (e.g. Spanish)
Contact your account manager or send an email to Camps@ActiveNetwork.com to learn about Active’s web design and ACM content management features.
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Meet the Team
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Rob Pucher – Senior Sales Representative
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As a CampRegister sales representative for the past 3 years, I work with camps throughout North America. My focus is on the client and ensuring our online registration and database management software suits their organization’s unique needs. I also train and mentor new sales representatives and enjoy helping them achieve their potential as a new employee of the Active Network team.
My spare time is spent with my wife, 9-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. We enjoy taking long car trips and vacations as there is no better way to learn and catch up than to be together in a car for several hours at a time. As a Cub Scout den leader and Active Community member, I enjoy sharing with my children the value one receives when volunteering and giving to one’s community.
I also love to cook with my wife and enjoy having get-togethers with family, friends and neighbors—my baby back ribs have been rated “the best ever” by those who have tried them. I am also passionate about Washington State University Cougar Athletics, especially football and basketball. Although a “not-so-avid” golfer, I organize the fall and spring golf tournaments for our office here in Bothell, Washington.
If you’re heading to PCCCA in November, stop by the CampRegister booth to meet Rob or email him at
Rob.Pucher@ActiveNetwork.com.
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CampRegister, part of Active Network, is the leading provider of integrated technology solutions for camps, providing the comprehensive solution: camp management software, online registration, credit card processing, photo and email services for parents, free publicity services, website tools and more. CampRegister's premier system services some of the largest camps in the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.CampRegister.com.
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