Campground Photography Guide

A picture is worth a thousand reservations.

More than any other consideration, guests are looking at the photos on your campground’s website or listing to decide whether or not they want to stay there.

You don’t have to spend a lot of time looking up a campground to know that a good number of them are digitally lacking in a “curbside appeal” – and not because the campground itself isn’t gorgeous, so much as the photos they post leave a little too much to the imagination. Grainy, low-lit, and out-of-focus pics are a turnoff to potential guests who aren’t already familiar with your park.

The good news is that even with a smartphone and a little practice, you can make your campground “pop,” leading to more traffic, credibility, and online reservations. To help you put your best foot forward, here’s a user-friendly guide to better campground photos.

Why you should invest in better photos

Whether you want to get more reservations, stand out from the competition, or just tell your story, quality photos make all the difference online.

Quality photos increase reservations

No reason to bury the lead here. Great photos have been shown to drastically increase reservations. Maybe even double them.

Data shows that bookings with higher-quality photos benefit anywhere from 63% to 136% more reservations than those with lower-quality images.

One study even found that just updating content on your page regularly (photos, listing info, reviews, etc.) could lead to a 400% increase in traffic.

Quality photos add credibility

Better photos create trust with new guests.

In terms of online reservations, 78% of potential campers will make their decision to stay there based on photos alone. According to the data, uninitiated guests consider quality photos or videos to indicate credibility and a far more influential endorsement – even more so than other customer reviews.

The reason? It humanizes an otherwise digital experience. Sixty-two percent of consumers using an online search preferer contacting a business with images included on their listing simply because it signals that there’s a real person on the other side.

So a picture might be worth more than a thousand word-review.

Quality photos help you stand out

Considering that at least half of your potential guests prefer visual information over text, your park’s photos are either helping or hurting your business.

Campers want to see a few photos, read a few paragraphs, and get a general feel for your park. Long-winded descriptions or grainy, out-of-focus images are a turn-off – especially when the campground looks different in person.

Do a quick Google search of your park and see what photos pop up. What are campers seeing when they look for your campground? Does it give an accurate idea of what they can expect? Does your park pop out or get lost in the mix?

Quality photos add personality

Every campground has a story, and guests want to know what yours is. They want to know who’s running the park. They want to know who the park is catered to (families, retirees, long-term, etc.).

Photos are the easiest way to paint a picture and tell a little bit of your campground’s story while creating authenticity for those searching online.

How to take better photos on your phone

You don’t have to have $20,000 in cameras and lights to take decent photos. Especially if you’re just trying to give a flattering view of your campground, you can get by just using an iPhone and a little strategy. Here are a few things to consider.

Clean your lens

While it feels silly to say, it’s often overlooked. Your phone’s lens accumulates smudges from fingerprints, dirt, and debris in general, directly impacting the quality of your photos. As you can imagine, this is easily remedied by wiping your lens with a soft cloth.

Set your focus

Unless you’re going for something artistic, a blurry photo is a turnoff when it comes to showing off your campground. As you take a picture, tap the subject on your screen, and the camera will automatically adjust.

Natural light

Lighting might easily be the single most important factor in photography. It directly impacts the mood, clarity, focus, and interpretation of an image more than anything else. If you want quality photos, try to take pictures using natural light – ideally around sunrise or sunset (aka “Golden Hour”) – and try to avoid flash or fluorescent lights, as they’ll create harsh shadows and overexposure for your pictures.

It might also be worth your while to play around with different modalities like “Portrait” or “Cinematic” and see if you can’t find more compelling ways to showcase your park.

Composition of your photo

Try and compose your photo in a way that properly frames the subject in an appealing or visually interesting way. Instead of just an RV, could there be a family enjoying a bar-b-q or throwing a football around? Instead of images of vacant amenities, could you show people playing volleyball or having a good time around a campfire? A story is more compelling than a stagnant image and will likely increase someone’s interest while on your website.

Rule of thirds (Symmetry)

The rule of thirds is a tried and true standard for photo composition, and it’s pretty easy to catch onto.

Basically, the idea is that you think of your photo as a square grid with nine segments (3×3). Position the focus of the image into one of the thirds (either horizontally or vertically). This will help the viewer’s eye take in the picture while focusing on the main image in a more aesthetically pleasing way. Chances are that your phone has gridlines you can turn on to help you frame your shot.

Make your photos interesting

While this is a little more art than science, it’s still important to remember that your photos should be visually interesting. Make it a point to identify camera-friendly locations or otherwise interesting moments with guests. Instead of a picture of your parking lot or the outside of the camp store, consider showing images of folks handing out and having a good time in their campsites or playing around the park. Focusing on trying to highlight what a guest’s experience could be.

Edit

Let’s say you got a decent photo, but it has a slight blemish, or the brightness was a little off. Well, chances are you’re still fine thanks to the magic of editing. Whether you’re looking to adjust the contrast, crop out part of the image, or even remove something from the picture, there’s probably an app that can help you out.

Apps like Adobe Lightroom, Google Photos, and even Instagram are decent options for “fixing it in post.”

Invest in professional photos

If you really want to capture your campground at its best while getting some great mileage out of your photos for years to come, consider hiring a professional photographer.

While costs vary, you can usually find a reliable photographer for anywhere from $100 to $250 an hour for the shoot itself. From there, they’ll usually share the rough shots and let you choose which ones you’d like edited. You should also expect to pay about $3 to $5 per edited photo unless they bake it into the cost of the shoot itself.

Sites like Snappr, Upwork, and Thumbtack are great places to look for photographers in your area, but chances are that there are also pretty decent Facebook groups or listings in your neck of the woods. Peruse their portfolio and get an idea of whether or not they’ll match what you’re looking for.

It’s also worth noting some campgrounds barter photography services for a week-long stay or simply hire work campers who know their way around a camera to keep costs low. Regardless, it’s definitely worth the investment.

Drone photography

If you really want to differentiate your photos, consider using a drone. According to one survey, listings with drone images or videos perform 63% better than those without. The reason? Guests want the context of your park and, more specifically, where their campsite is located compared to everything. Nothing paints a more complete picture of a campground than a bird’s-eye view.

Keep in mind that in order to operate a drone, you’ll need a remote pilot certification through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). But if you’re not looking to drop a few hundred dollars on a new hobby, chances are that you can find a licensed operator in your area willing to fly around your park for an affordable rate (usually averaging around $100 an hour).

Services like Droners.io allow you to pull from vetted drone operators in your area, matching whatever budget or specifics you’re looking for.

Other photography tips

In terms of quality images, you can certainly do a lot with a smartphone, but if you’re willing to invest a little bit, you can really make a splash. Here are a few tips if you’re looking to go the extra mile and really make your campground’s photos pop.

Curate social content

Here’s the thing, guests want to take pictures, and they want to share them. Herein lies a great opportunity to promote your campground. Consider spinning up an Instagram or Tik Tok for your park, and incorporate a hashtag that guests can use when they share their pictures or videos of their stay.

Encourage campers to share photos

Asking guests to leave a review and post a photo is a great way to establish your online reputation while signaling credibility to more guests. You could even take it a step further and consider offering discounts in exchange for great photos or even run a contest with a giveaway to the best photo submitted.

Gear recs

If you find yourself wanting to level up from just an iPhone and natural light, there are a handful of relatively economical options for improving the quality of your photos. While it may be a bit of a startup cost, the better the photos are, the more likely you are to stand out and increase your bookings. So it could pay for itself before too long.

Here are a few considerations to get started.

Digital Camera (plus accessories) – $500+ (Canon)
Lighting Kit – $175+ (LINCO)
Tripod – $100+ (Manfrotto)
Lenses – $200+ (Canon)

MORE PHOTOS AND MORE RESERVATIONS.

In addition to increasing reservations online, Good Sam Campground Solutions has helped parks improve their branding and curate better photos. If you’re in the market for growing your online reach, request a demo today!

Policies and Procedures for Your Campground

For many campground owners, this time of year marks the start of our shoulder or off seasons. Some of us will see a general slowdown in camping traffic, while others will make the calculation—due to bone-chilling weather or other factors—to close our park for the winter season.

No matter which bucket you fall into, this time of year is a perfect time to take a fresh look at the policies and procedures of your RV park. That’s because slower times usually allow you to work more on your business than in it.

Let’s chat about some ways you can take a fresh look at your campground’s policies and procedures to start strong next year.

Take Stock Of What Went Well—And What Didn’t

Sit down with your team—perhaps even in an end-of-year off-site retreat—and have an honest convo about the things that worked and the things that didn’t this season. Create an environment where people can share candidly about things they want to see changed.

You should also look over your reviews from sites like Google, Campendium, The Dyrt, etc. to find any consistent feedback that could be addressed via a policy adjustment. For example, if reviews consistently mention concerns with your staff, it might be time to institute new hiring policies. Or, if guests are consistently concerned with your WiFi, you could consider instituting a policy to provide strong WiFi to all guests.

Take stock of what happened at your park this season to prep for your best season ever when you next fling open your doors.

Commonly Reviewed Policies And Procedures

Once you’ve taken stock of the policies and procedures that might need to be reviewed in your specific situation, consider these policies and procedures that should be reviewed by any RV park.

CANCELLATIONS

Cancellations stink—especially on short notice. If someone last-minute cancels an RV site on you during your busy season, that can really sting. Cancellations are especially tough if you have a very short season at your park.

But how do you protect yourself without scaring people away?

A non-refundable cancellation policy protects you but runs the risk of upsetting customers and generating negative reviews.

How do you fix this?

Generally speaking, the best cancellation policy is one that meets in the middle—something that limits your risk of loss while showing your guests you understand that plans can change. For example, you could offer a full refund only for cancellations made with at least two weeks’ notice.

Or, you could take a cue from the airline industry and offer a fully refundable rate that’s higher than your non-refundable rate.

Review your cancellation policy during your off-season to ensure it’s protecting you while demonstrating understanding to your guests.

PETS

Most RV park owners have pet stories. From pooches leaving poo in places they shouldn’t to noisy pooches who aggravate other guests, pets of all types and stripes create unique concerns for park owners.

If you’ve had a trying pet season at your park, it’s probably time to review your policies and procedures. Generally speaking, strict pet policies are the way to go.

Most insurance carriers prohibit aggressive breeds and therefore may deny coverage for incidents involving these breeds. Speak with your insurance provider to learn what breeds they want you to restrict and adjust your policies accordingly.

You should always have policies requiring pets to be on a leash, set rules determining if (and for how long) pets can be outside the rig, and policies on proper conduct when pets are left unattended (if you want to allow that).

No two RV parks are alike, so the pet rules at your park are going to be different than those of another park. By refining your policies to create the park environment you want, while still being sensitive to the demands of your guests, you’ll tee yourself up for a peaceful pet environment.

RV STANDARDS

It seems like the going rule for many RV parks is to prohibit entry to rigs older than ten years. While this might seem like a sensible blanket policy that keeps your park looking nice, there are many well-loved rigs over ten years old on the road today that would be a welcome look at your park.

That’s because vintage is in vogue and people are fully restoring rigs like vintage Airstreams, Winnebagos, and more.

Instead of having a blanket RV standard, consider creating a policy that generally requires rigs to be under a certain age. Then, allow exceptions for prospective guests to send pictures of their rigs to show their condition so you can decide based on that.

CHECKING IN/CHECKING OUT

The dawn of Airbnb has ushered in an era where customers love and even demand contactless self-check-in.

We understand this isn’t ideal for every park, but many RV parks out there can and should consider offering a self-check-in option.

To offer self-check-in, you’ll need campground reservation software that’ll keep all your reservations in one easy-to-see dashboard. Reservation software will then allow you to set up auto-emails that go to your guests so they have all the info they need to find their site, get settled, and check in on their own.

The other check-in/check-out policy that park owner’s frequently review is check-out/check-in times.

This is a personal decision that depends on the flow of your park. Some parks can offer very flexible timing while others need to be more concrete. Some park owners might charge extra for a late checkout while others don’t see that as a fit for their property.

Take stock of the flow of your park to institute arrival/departure policies that work well for you and your guests.

CLEANING PROCEDURES

Did places like your shower house and clubhouse get positive marks for cleanliness? Or has this been an area where you’ve received some constructive guest criticism?

If so, adjust your procedures to ensure that cleanings happen effectively and regularly. This is a seemingly small thing that goes a long way to keeping guests coming back again and again.

EV CHARGING

This is a new issue on the block that’ll only grow in significance as more and more EVs get on the road. From a guest’s point of view, RV plug-ins are the ideal charging point for their electric vehicle.

From your perspective as a park owner, this represents an additional expense that’ll only continue to increase.

That’s why it’s a good idea to consider policies now that’ll protect you for the future. For example, you could charge an extra utility fee for guests with EVs. Most will be happy to pay it and it’ll help protect you as your utility costs increase.

COMMUNICATING POLICIES TO GUESTS

It’s one thing to create the policy and it’s another thing entirely to make sure that your guests receive and understand it.

That’s why we think it’s vital to have a campground reservation system that’ll allow you to auto-email your policies to your guests.

These software programs will also allow you to customize email timing and frequency so you can decide when, what, and how your guests receive your policy emails.

Beyond technology, the old-fashioned ways are helpful too. For example, friendly notes peppered throughout your property that remind folks of your rules go a long way to creating good vibes and a peaceful environment at your park.

Taking stock of your campground’s policies and procedures during your off-season is an important habit to be in that’ll keep you growing as a park. With the growth of remote-working, full-timing, and family-focused RVers, policies and procedures will often need to be adapted to accommodate new needs. By taking an annual beat to evaluate these things at your park, you’ll set yourself up for success with each passing year.

Creating Your Campground’s Best Off-Season Yet

Off-season at your RV park can be a terrific time for reinvigoration and rejuvenation—as long as you have the right game plan.

The off-season is that splendid time of year when your campground is quieter (or maybe closed altogether) and a little more manageable. It’s a time to reflect on what worked well, what might not have worked so well, and what you can do to make it all better.

Your campground’s off-season is also a time to recharge your batteries and reconnect with some of the things you may have put off doing. That’s why we wanted to take a beat with this post to show you how to create your campground’s best off-season yet.

Save Up For The Slowdown

The best-laid plans of mice and men (and women) can be thwarted in the off-season without a proper financial cushion to make it happen. Don’t get caught living so high on the hog during your busy season that you don’t have a chunk tucked away for the off-season.

We know it sounds straightforward, but if it were really that easy, wouldn’t we all have a stash of cash for our off-season projects?

The truth is, savings takes slow and diligent effort. Be sure you have an off-season next egg by setting a goal for how much you want to have and saving toward that each month. This simple trick will set you up well for the improvements you want to make when the slowdown hits.

Prep Your Park For Inactivity (And Cold Weather)

One of the hardest things on infrastructure is lack of use. Before you can get to any creativity during your off-season, you need to be sure your park is ready to weather it. Here are some top things to consider:

WINTERIZING WATER LINES

If your park is in a cold weather zone, the chances are good that your main water lines are buried beneath the frost line. But what about your hydrants, pipes in bathrooms, and other shallow lines?

The off-season is a key time to take stock of all the water lines you have running around your property and decide which ones might need to be winterized. Failure to do so will result in a nasty surprise when you open back up.

CLOSE CERTAIN SITES

Does it really make sense to have your entire park open for the off-season? Or could you dramatically simplify operations by limiting occupancy only to certain zones of your park?

If you decide to close certain sites in the off-season, the chances are good you’ll increase your peace of mind without decreasing bookings.

LONG-TERM RENTERS ONLY?

One way to create a peaceful off-season while (usually) still making money at your RV park is by offering sites to long-term renters only.

For example, colder weather RV parks often see very little in/out traffic in the winter but can do well by leasing sites for the 4-6 months of the off-season. If you find yourself running ragged in the off-season while still only treading water, this could be a good way to simplify.

OFF-SEASON CLOSING?

Do you consistently have an off-season where you barely break even or—worse still—take a loss? If so, it might be worth considering closing your park entirely for the off-season.

If this decision makes sense for you, it can create a wonderful time of peace at your park while opening the door to tackling the biggest of projects.

Projects, Projects, and More Projects

As more and more guests check in for your busy time, more and more tasks hit the to-do list. That’s why the off-season can be the perfect place to send these types of projects:

BIG JOBS, LARGE REPAIRS

The off-season is the time to do any big infrastructure improvements you might need. Sometimes it even pays to be a bit strategic by putting off the projects you can safely delay in the on-season so you can do them in the off-season.

Doing big jobs in the off-season will give you increased bandwidth to get the work done. You also might benefit from reduced rates from contractors who are experiencing slowdowns themselves.

PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE

Too many parks wait for something to break before fixing it. Take off-season time to repair or replace aged things (e.g. old power connections, old water heaters in the shower house, etc.) that might still be working but you know are on the last leg of their last leg.

While it might sting to replace something that’s still limping along—that pales in comparison to the stress of a major system failure during on-season.

NEW AMENITIES

Do you want to beef up your Wi-Fi? Add cutting-edge RV park technology to your property? Or maybe you’re ready to build out that Glampground you’ve been dreaming of?

The off-season is a time to think about and execute on new amenities you can offer your guests. Take stock of the things that folks have been asking for on a regular basis (that you don’t currently offer) and see how you might bring those things to your park.

NEW TOOLS AND PROCESSES

Are you still taking reservations on that old paper pad that you’ve been using since the stone age? If so, take advantage of this off-season to bring a few of those processes into the modern age.

For example, you could sign up for an affordable campground booking solution that’ll allow you to take online reservations and market more effectively—all in a one-stop shop.

The off-season is also a terrific time to reimagine your website, take better photos of your park, create easier ways for people to book, and to reinvigorate your social media presence.

Off-Season Time Is Creative Time

Creativity and business dreaming can sometimes take a backseat during the on-season because you’re too busy super-serving your guests.

That’s why the off-season is a great time to reconnect with your creative juices. For example, you could plan a staff retreat to give everyone time to unwind and unpack the past season.

Or you could take time to dream about ways you might want to grow or even simplify your business.

Or maybe there are certain things in your life that need to be re-prioritized and it’s time to make the business match that?

The point is, take this time to dream, to rediscover, and to take stock of what you want to be better for your next on-season.

Don’t Forget About YOU This Off-Season

You’ve worked hard during the year to earn some time to enjoy yourself during the slow period. Don’t be afraid to make the off-season about you and your loved ones.

Develop a new hobby, take a dream trip, or just endeavor to spend more time with the family. These things are good for you and will help your park because you’ll have more energy when you come back.

By focusing on the tips, tactics, and tools above while also focusing on you and yours, you’ll set the stage for an epic off-season at your campground. And the thing about great off-seasons is they almost always lend themselves well to fun and productive on-seasons. Here’s to your best year yet!

How to Respond to Bad Campground Reviews

Even good campgrounds can receive negative reviews.

It doesn’t matter how consistently you deliver a quality guest experience or go above and beyond, missteps will still happen.

As frustrating as it is, you need to respond to bad campground reviews. While they may not be representative of your campground, if you ignore them, they can still come back to haunt you.

Imagine your RV park gets flooded with rain over a holiday weekend. If half of your guests complain about muddy sites in online reviews, that can severely tank your park’s reputation—and it wasn’t even your fault!

Knowing how to respond to bad campground reviews is critical.

Bad reviews can destroy your campground’s business.

Last year, the Montrose Press reported a story about how RV influencer and YouTuber, Jason Epperson (RV Miles) and his family were evicted from an RV park after receiving a FedEx package, violating the park’s policy by using their address to receive mail.

Epperson was frustrated. The policy stated long term guests couldn’t accept mail, not overnight guests, yet he was escorted off the property by the sheriff for a simple FedEx package. He aired his grievance on his YouTube channel to over 100,000 views.

In response to his video, RVers immediately took to the campground’s page on Yelp, and posted negative review after negative review, dropping the park’s rating to 1 star out of 5.

The Montrose Press also quoted research from Womply, stating that campgrounds or businesses with 1 to 1.5 stars receive 19% less total revenue on average.

(The RV park in question has sold to new owners since the incident.)

Adding to that point, Vendasta found that “92% of consumers now read online reviews.” So for every 10 people looking at your campground, 9 of them will make their decision to stay there based on other people’s experiences.

Reviews matter. Even the bad ones.

How to get rid of and respond to bad campground reviews

As intimidating as negative reviews can be, they’re easier to get rid of than you might think, but it does take a thoughtful and tactful approach. Here are 5 steps for how to respond to bad campground reviews, and creating better camper experiences.

1. Evaluate the situation.

When you get a poor review, no matter how unfair it might be, the first thing you need to do is take a beat and assess what’s going on. Yes, you should respond promptly, but don’t rush it and escalate a negative situation.

And definitely don’t respond emotionally.

HubSpot quoted marketer Geoff Toff saying “if [a guest is] angry enough (however unfairly) and cares enough about getting the reaction they want from you (however petty that might be), they can spread negativity all over your reputation online, and people will probably believe it until they see a reason to think otherwise.”

Calmly and logically evaluate the situation and come up with a plan to solve the problem.

2. Respond to the negative review.

Respond publicly first.

More often than not, the customer simply wants to know that you hear them. And even if the complaint feels unreasonable, other customers reading the reviews also want to know that you hear them.

By responding publicly, you show everyone that you pay attention to detail, and work to fix problems as they pop up.

Black Canyon receives mostly positive reviews (as evidenced by a 4.9 rating), but they do a good job of responding to every review.

Move to a 1-on-1 conversation.

If an issue can’t be easily resolved with a public comment, take the conversation private.

The point here is not to “silence” the frustrated customer, or remove them from the public eye, so much as it is to guarantee a more focused guest experience.

Moving the conversation to a direct message or email exchange can allow the guest to feel more important and heard. It also helps enable the guest to see that there is another human being responding to their complaint, which allows them to lower their guard and be a little more patient.

3. Fix the problem quickly and transparently.

According to Vendasta, when campgrounds resolve issues quickly and efficiently, 95% of unhappy guests will return.

Which means simply reply to bad reviews can be a boost for business.

Be honest about mistakes.

Nobody expects a campground to be perfect, but they do expect you to be trustworthy. The way you handle bad reviews as a campground can be an opportunity for more reservations.

Accept responsibility.

Some negative reviews won’t be your fault.

Another guest’s dog was barking too loudly. Another guest’s kids were running around their campsite. It rained all weekend. A bigger rig blocked their view.

Even when negative reviews don’t reflect on your actions as a campground operator, accept responsibility and fault for the issue.

With Black Canyon in Wimberley, they didn’t reply and say “I’m sorry the wifi is slow, we are in the country! Of course it’s slow!”

Instead they detailed how they were stepping up and addressing the issue.

Ask questions and empathize.

The easiest way to make a guest feel heard is to ask thoughtful questions. It’s important that you establish that you’re on their side, and trying to make sure they feel understood and taken care of.

Don’t assume the intent of the guest, and don’t belittle their issue. Try and parrot back their problem in your own words to let them know you’re listening, and relate to how frustrating that problem would be if you were in their shoes.

Provide solutions and incentives.

At Chick-fil-A, they have a philosophy of customer service called Second-Mile Service.

As one employee puts it, “Second Mile Service is about going the extra mile—when someone expects a certain level of service, you work to go beyond that and take them the whole second mile.”

If a customer has a problem, every employee from the top-down has been empowered up to $10 per situation to do whatever it takes to make things right.

For example, if someone orders grilled nuggets, but receives fried nuggets, they’ll eat the cost and tell the customer to keep the nuggets they have, while they quickly work to bring out the correct order. No questions asked.

What does this look like at a campground?

Think through ways your campground can provide a quality customer experience. Do you comp one night of a stay? Do you give complimentary firewood? Upgrade them to a nicer campsite? Think of what ways you can realistically provide solutions without hurting your bottom line.

Will people take advantage of this? Some might, but overall you will increase the number of loyal customers tenfold (especially among those that initially submitted a negative review).

Follow up with the guest.

Once you’ve corrected the situation, if you find that the guest is pleased with your response, ask them to update their old review.

Guests with previously negative experiences will often feel endeared by the level of initiative and effort campgrounds show them, and make for great evangelists.

There are few testimonials as powerful as a previously disgruntled camper becoming an advocate of your park.

4. Remove fake or inappropriate reviews.

If you suspect a review is fraudulent, or not reflective of the actual quality of service your campground provides, you don’t have to blindly allow it. Here are some quick tips for handling fake reviews.

Politely respond.

While it may feel weird, it’s important to thoughtfully respond to every review, whether they’re real or not.

Blue Corona says that “even if you know the bad review was fake, you need to respond,” because “you’re not only pacifying the reviewer, you’re showing prospects how you respond to customer dissatisfaction.”

Report or flag the review.

After you respond, make sure you place the fake review on the radar of the review site, so that they can better monitor and police fraudulent activity.

How to report a fake review on Google.

Here are links on how to flag fake or inappropriate reviews for other review sites:

Facebook (via ReputationStacker)
Yelp
Tripadvisor

Call support and follow up on the reported review.

Another alternative (or additional option) is to directly connect with support for the review site. In some cases, this might lead to a quicker response from the review site and therefore get the negative review down faster.

Consult a legal professional.

This is obviously a last resort, but should a review be slanderous, you may have grounds for litigation. That being said, be sure to consult a legal representative before pursuing this option.

Here you’ll find Google’s request form for legal removal.

Remember to only follow these steps if you’re sure a review is fake or fraudulent, not bad reviews from guests.

5. Focus on getting more positive reviews.

Borden Bridge Campground in Langham, Saskatchewan.

The best defense is a good offense.

HelpScout reported that “positive reviews make potential customers almost 70% more likely to trust a local business,” and as a result, stay at your park.

Additionally, every 50 positive reviews your campground receives averages a 4.6% increase in reservations (Vendasta). So make it a habit to collect customer reviews. Offer discounts or coupons in exchange for leaving a review.

Wondering which review sites you should be reading? Here are the top 7 review sites for campground owners to watch.

Respond to positive reviews.

In a TechRepublic interview with Nimble, Inc. community engagement manager, Michaela Prouzova, said “We make sure that our team responds to every single review—positive or negative,” because it “builds trust and humanizes our brand.”

Furthering that point, Business.com says it’s important to “let the world know you care about every [guest], not just the ones that complain.”

Responding to positive reviews shows that, again, there’s a human being on the other side, and makes guests feel even more validated in their decision to stay at your campground.

Turning bad reviews into good reviews.

Unfortunately, bad reviews are unavoidable, even for the best campgrounds. But they don’t have to stay on your record. When negative reviews come up:

Evaluate and calmly approach the situation.
Respond publicly and tactfully.
Empathize and fix the problem quickly and honestly.
Report fake or fraudulent reviews.
Focus on getting and responding to positive reviews.

If you do all of these things, you will create loyal guests and increase reservations more than ever before.

Ready to improve your reviews and grow your campground?

Good Sam Campground Solutions provides several services to give campground owners like yourself the tools needed to run your business on your terms. Whether it’s marketing and advertising, online reservations, or access to consulting on how to improve a guest experience at your park. If you’re ready to get started we can help! Request a demo today.

Campground Software Reviews: What Campground Solution Should You Use?

As a park operator, you already have enough on your plate without having to worry if your management software is up to snuff. There are more options than ever, and finding the right campground solution can feel like an arduous task.

How does each campground software compare? What are other customers saying about different management systems? What campground solution is best for your park?

To help you sort through the myriad of options here’s is a comparison of campground software reviews, as well as what campground solution you should use for your park.

Campground Software Comparisons

There are a handful of reservation software solutions out there, and most of them provide online booking at a free or relatively inexpensive rate. That said, most systems are either lacking in features offered, pricing plans, or their reach of customers.

Checkfront

Price: $39 a month

Online Booking: Yes

Web Design: No

Marketing and Advertising: No

ResNexus

Price: $3 – $16 a month (per room)

Online Booking: Yes

Web Design: No

Marketing and Advertising: No

RoverPass

Price:$2 per booking

Online Booking: Yes

Web Design: Yes

Marketing and Advertising: No

Firefly

Price:$2 per booking

Online Booking: Yes

Web Design: No

Marketing and Advertising: No

Bonfire

Price: $2 per booking (long-term) or $14.50+ (per month)

Online Booking: Yes

Web Design: No

Marketing and Advertising: No

Campspot

Price: $2 per booking

Online Booking: Yes

Web Design: No

Marketing and Advertising: No

CampLife

Price: Starts at $99 a month + $3.50 per booking

Online Booking: Yes

Web Design: No

Marketing and Advertising: No

The Best Choice: Good Sam Campground Solutions

Good Sam Campground Solutions is ahead of the pack when it comes to a complete campground software comparison.

With an integrated marketing strategy and booking software tailor-made for park operators, Good Sam drives more customers to your park than anyone else. While other software are limited in their offerings, Campground Solutions features a comprehensive list of services to accommodate any campground.

Pricing

Good Sam Campground Solutions is FREE for members and only charges guests a $1 booking fee. For non-members, it’s still only $99 a month, with guests paying a $3 booking fee.

Marketing and Advertising

When it comes to reach, Good Sam connects with more campers than anyone else, including:

2 Million+ Good Sam Members
5 Million+ Active Customers
180+ Retail Locations
47 Million+ Social Media Engagements
120 Million Unique Annual Visitors

Plus, when your partner with Good Sam, you’re also partnering with Camping World, RVS.com, Overton’s, and RV.com – effectively expanding your campground’s presence and influence with guests.

While Good Sam boasts the most extensive network in the industry, they’re also the most pragmatic solution around. When you sign up your campground with Good Sam, you access an array of resources.

Here are a few of the services you can expect.

Social Media Campaigns

Customized ad campaigns on social media newsfeeds drive brand awareness and increase clicks to your park website.

Featured Ad on Camping World Websites

Appear on Camping World and Gander RV & Outdoors dealer pages where new and experienced RV customers search for their next RV.

Google Keyword Search

Good Sam bids on relevant keywords to improve your park’s ranking on Google search results pages.

RV.com Ad Feature

Showcase your campground on RV.com, the go-to digital destination for active RV and outdoor enthusiasts with a digital package that includes RV Magazine’s eNewsletter.

Dedicated Email for Good Sam Parks

Improve your off-season. Send a dedicated email to select consumers in our database with an exclusive offer to Good Sam Members to help fill sites when you need it most.

Print Publications Actual Reach

With an annual publication reach of over 8 million, you reach Good Sam members, new RV owners, and outdoor enthusiasts looking for resorts and campgrounds to visit.

Reservation System

Having the right software solution means having the right reservation system. Fortunately, Good Sam Campground Solutions offers a top-of-the-line booking system with all the features needed to manage reservations.

Do-It-All Dashboard

Easily manage guest reservations with the drag and drop dashboard. Check-in campers, issue refunds, print parking passes, extend reservations, and add notes onto upcoming bookings—all from one grid.

Mobile-Responsive Booking Pages

More than 60% of guests will book a site from their mobile devices. We make sure they can easily book no matter what screen they access.

Interactive Site Map

We create an interactive site map of your campground using a satellite view of your property. When a guest books online, they’ll be able to see your entire park, photos, and amenities at each campsite.

Dynamic Pricing

Increase revenue on popular weekends or create booking minimums during peak season. Dynamic pricing maximizes the revenue of your park.

Flexible Booking Rules

Software solutions include customizable check-in and check-out times, the number of nights available online, and guest options for choosing their site.

Parking Passes

For every reservation, Good Sam creates an automatic parking pass you can print for guests checking into your park.

Create Add-Ons for Online Bookings

Make campsite items like firewood or rentals available for purchase in the online booking process.

Availability Calendar

When a guest can’t book their preferred reservation, an availability calendar allows you to offer them the next best option. This scroll-based calendar enables guests to find the next open date.

Integrated Reporting

With over 20 customizable reports for managers and real-time reports for camp hosts, Good Sam provides a deeper level of business insight.

Dedicated Business Support

Good Sam offers support across standard business hours for parks and weekend support when needed. We recognize that many campgrounds may need assistance on busy weekends, so we constantly monitor email and chat. We also are in the process of implementing dedicated phone support, which will be live in early 2022.

Good Sam Reviews and Testimonials

“Being a Good Sam park definitely helps people find us…We’ve seen more repeat visitors because of the sales of GS memberships.” – Larry J, Orangeland RV Park

“Last year, it would have taken us more than two weeks and three staff members to call back and confirm all of the reservations that came in today.” – Warren V, Athabasca County

“Since we became a Good Sam park, it has almost tripled our revenue. We have waiting lists now.” – Coral Sands Campground

Finding the Right Campground Solution

While plenty of campground software are currently available on the market, none of them come with as many features, support, or reach as Good Sam Campground Solutions.

From full-channel marketing and advertising offerings to a user-friendly online reservation system, Good Sam helps more parks connect with more guests than anyone else.

Want to get started?

Good Sam Campground Solutions provides several services to give campground owners like yourself the tools needed to run your business on your terms. Whether it’s marketing and advertising, online reservations, or access to a network of over 2 million RVers, Good Sam makes managing a park as easy as possible. If you’re ready to get started, we can help. Request a demo today!

8 Ways to Create a Better Booking Experience for Guests

If you’re a campground operator looking to maximize your business, just fielding reservations might feel like a challenge.

How do you maximize occupancy? Where is the best place to focus your energy? How do you create a better booking experience?

If you want to elevate the online reservation experience for guests, you can take some meaningful, practical steps. Here are eight ways to create a better booking experience for guests.

1. Run ads on Google and Facebook.

First and foremost, you may find that the biggest bang for your buck will likely come from running ads on Google and Facebook.

The average cost to reach 1,000 people in magazine and newspaper ads is between $20 and $32, whereas the same reach by Google AdWords and Facebook will only run you $2.75 and $0.25, respectively.

To give this some more perspective, on average, 28.6 million U.S. citizens read a newspaper; however, there are currently over 100 million Americans on Facebook and at least 246 million unique Google users in the U.S.

Not to mention, you can target the specific audience and region for your ads.

For industry proof, here’s a helpful read about how Camping World had a very successful Facebook ad campaign last year in which they were able to achieve 84 percent more leads.

2. Take online reservations.

Nothing beats online reservations.

Before the pandemic, people made over 148.3 million travel reservations (across multiple industries) annually online. Since then, the online travel industry has grown to nearly $600 billion.

Campgrounds with online reservation systems have had a lot to do with those numbers. Parks like Golden Municipal took 100 percent of their bookings online last year and will continue to do the same in 2021.

The reason? It’s just easier.

For starters, online reservation systems can arrange reservations to maximize your campground, ensuring you don’t end up with awkward one-night openings in your calendar.

You can easily do this yourself by dragging a reservation to a different campsite, like this:

Additionally, interactive calendars, like the one below, allow guests to choose sites based on availability. With remote work allowing everyone’s travel dates to be a little more flexible, this optimizes your calendar by showing available camping dates.

Couple all of this with the fact that online systems lower staffing costs, increase revenue, provide clear reporting, and save you time, and it’s definitely the number one way to boost occupancy at your campground.

3. Have a mobile-friendly website.

Our data shows that mobile users account for 60 percent of our bookings.

Internet use has grown to nearly 300 million users, and at least 69 percent of those users are logging in via a smartphone or mobile device. Also, 75 percent of consumers use their mobile devices to search and visit a nearby business within a day.

Adding to that, 34 percent of consumers will exit a website entirely if a landing page’s content doesn’t load properly on their mobile device. As a result, campgrounds that do not have an easy-to-navigate mobile website will ultimately lose out on many reservations.

If you’re in the market for website design, Good Sam Campground Solutions can add a lot of value to your customer experience almost overnight.

4. Make your pricing clear.

Going hand-in-hand with a great website is clear pricing (or at least precise pricing estimates). Our campgrounds constantly tell us how tedious it is to field phone calls and emails from campers looking for a quote (especially after hours).

Additionally, having an online system with clear pricing and yield management (also known as dynamic pricing) allows you to accommodate peak and shoulder seasons alike. Guests can easily get a quote and make reservations while you’re sleeping.

5. Take good photos of your campground.

Websites and articles with relevant and quality photos lead to 94 percent more views than those without. In fact, 44 percent of potential guests won’t even engage with a site if the content images are grainy or don’t load.

We recently sent a Campground Solutions affiliate to take photos of Klahanie Campground in Squamish, BC, and Ephrata RV Park in Central Washington. After the campground owners added the images to their online reservation system, they informed us that the simple addition led to a “massive” conversion of campers booking online.

Even if you’re on a budget or all you have access to is a smartphone, you can still take quality pictures that will increase online engagement. Here’s a list of tips for taking great iPhone photos from iMore.

6. Get lots of reviews.

The reality is that people choose campgrounds based on good reviews.

Ninety-seven percent of consumers use the internet to find local businesses – meaning that what people are saying online carries a lot of weight. So odds are that almost everyone booking a campsite at your park has seen your Google reviews by searching for your business online.

Paying attention to Google, Facebook, and TripAdvisor for reviews is certainly worth your time. But to make a bigger splash, park owners should primarily focus on campground review sites like Campendium, Campground Reviews, and The Dyrt.

For a more comprehensive list, check out our article on the review sites campground owners need to watch.

7. Connect with guests.

If you want to create the best booking experience for guests, nothing beats connecting with them directly!

The reality is that email marketing can see a 4300% return on investment (ROI) for your campground, and every dollar spent on email marketing can bring in nearly $45.

When guests book or arrive, get their email and send them announcements for upcoming events, discounts for future stays, or periodic reminders to book their next stay with you. Just make sure you don’t spam them with emails!

8. Give the option to “Stay one more day.”

There are a number of travelers who are willing to spend a couple of weeks in your neck of the woods under the pretense that they don’t have to hop from campground to campground.

If you have the flexibility or empty sites, why not encourage your overnight guests to stay longer? When campers arrive, let them know that they are welcome to extend their stay an extra night if they’re enjoying their time. Just check their campsite in your reservation system to make sure their same campsite is available first!

Creating a better booking experience.

If you’re a park operator looking to grow your campground, creating an easier and more thoughtful reservation experience will increase occupancy.

Try out targeted ads through Facebook and Google.
Offer online reservations.
Create a mobile-friendly experience.
Have clearly-listed pricing.
Take photos of your campground.
Collect reviews.
Start building an email list.
Allow guests to extend their stay.

While there’s plenty of trial and error, your park will start seeing substantial growth quickly with the right resources and the right plan.

Want some help managing your campground?

Taking online reservations is the easiest way to offload day-to-day tasks, allowing you to focus on the things that make your park unique. If you’re looking for an easier solution to managing your campground, Good Sam can help. Request a demo today!

7 Tips for Managing a Campground

Whether it’s hiring the right staff, managing guests’ expectations, or using the right tools to handle reservations, there are a lot of moving pieces to managing a campground.

How do you find good talent? How do you create a great experience for customers? What reservation system should you use?

For park owners looking to make life a little easier, here are 7 tips for managing a campground.

1. Build the right team.

It’s easy for owners to fall into the trap of thinking they have to do everything. The reality is you just need to put the right people around you. Take time to invest and hire a staff that will care about your campground and guests as much as you do.

Start with an on-site manager.
Factor in seasonal employees or work-campers to help with peak seasons.
Automate the tasks that can be automated (see Tip #4 for more on this).

The friendly staff at Ponderosa Pines in Lower Cape, NB.

Beyond that, take care of your staff and incentivize their success in creating a quality guest experience. When you take care of employees, they take care of your business.

If you’re in the market for good talent, here are 6 tips for hiring the right employee.

2. Manage guest expectations.

Most negative reviews stem from unmet expectations. When a guest can’t find information or photos of your park, they’ll likely imagine something other than what your campground offers.

Here are a few tips to avoid ambiguity and make sure you’re meeting campers’ expectations.

Market to the right audience.

Half of the battle in setting expectations is just knowing whose expectations you’re trying to set. By no means does this mean you need to reinvent your campground. Just identify the audience you have or the audience you’re trying to reach.

A few questions to consider:

Does your campground cater to seasonal, long-term, or overnight stays?
Is your campground designed for families, retirees, or remote workers?
Are you a glampground or luxury campground?
Are you part of a campground association?
Is your park close to a major city or attraction?

Talladega Pit Stop in Lincoln, Alabama is just minutes away from Talladega Superspeedway and they do a great job of marketing to racing fans.

Having a clear picture of who you’re trying to accommodate will help you better manage your park and how you market it.

Design a “trustworthy” website.

A few years ago a study revealed that, when it comes to trustworthy companies and organizations, nothing beats word of mouth. However, researchers found that 70 percent of those they surveyed said they trusted branded (or well-designed) websites.

Furthering that point, an additional study in 2019 found that 148.3 million travel reservations (across multiple industries) were made entirely online, accounting for a nearly $600 billion industry.

Your park’s online presence matters and is essential in keeping your campground competitive.

Fortunately, designing a website has never been easier. However, if you’d rather pay someone else to come in and do the heavy lifting, The RV Geeks and CIPR Communications are both great resources.

Take quality photos.

Seventy-five percent of guests rely on online photos before making a purchase (or reservation), and 22 percent of returns or cancellations occur when the advertised product looks different in person.

Hiring a professional photographer can go a long way in adding credibility to your campground, and it’s certainly worth budgeting for. You can typically expect to be charged $100 to $250 an hour for the shoot itself, and $25 to $100 per final image.

Even if you’re on a budget, having photos is still better than having no photos, and you can still take decent pictures on your phone. The important thing is that you’re showing guests what they can expect upon arrival.

Feature desired amenities.

Do you know what amenities your guests are looking for?

We’ve heard a lot of stories from our campgrounds about how they’ll invest money and time into a new pool or fitness center, and it will go largely unused.

We’ve heard stories from campers about how they’ll rule out parks in the future if they didn’t have decent WiFi or trees.

Knowing what amenities your campers are looking for is a great way to hedge your bets and keep them coming back. Make it a priority to get feedback from your guests to see what they value, and how you can better facilitate their experience.

For some more tips and ideas, we recently surveyed over 600 campers and ranked the 10 amenities they value most in a campground.

3. Establish a solid foundation.

There’s only so much that you can do with poor infrastructure at your campground. Especially for new owners, it’s imperative that you invest in the foundation of your park. Know the costs of building or restoring a campground to give yourself an appropriate budget and set your park up for success.

Whether you’re purchasing a new campground or restoring an existing one, be sure to prioritize basics like electricity, water, and septic.

4. Use an online reservation system.

Less work for more reservations.

Using an online reservation system like Good Sam has been proven to bring parks 25 percent more bookings and save as much as 300 hours in administrative work annually. Last year, Klahanie and Borden Bridge took 97 percent of their reservations completely online and cut down their busy work almost completely overnight.

Not to mention, online reservations are a better experience for guests, allowing them to find exactly what they’re looking for.

Channel partners.

Additionally, parks that use Campground Booking also have access to our channel partners, including GoRVing Canada, Travel BC, and the CCRVC.

This alone means that our parks are also bookable on any of our partner websites. On average, this brings campgrounds an additional 2 million views annually.

Channel partners like GoRVing Canada feature our campgrounds and bring in more reservations.

Automate day-to-day tasks.

Managing a campground involved lots of day-to-day tasks. Using software to manage your campground can automate repetitive tasks and allow you to easily view and update reservations.

You can also get email alerts for new reservations, reports for your business, dynamic rates for pricing on weekends and holidays, and an integration with Quickbooks to manage taxes and financials.

5. Routinely walk the park.

Depending on the size of your park it might not be feasible to walk the entire perimeter each day. That being said, it’s worth investing in the time (or golf carts) to regularly survey the property. At least twice a week (before and after a weekend), take a look around the campground and see what needs to be touched up or addressed.

Plus, this is a great way to connect with seasonal guests and build rapport as you walk around the park.

6. Interact with campers.

Even with an online system or automatic check-ins, owning a campground is an interpersonal business, and it’s still important to take time to interact with guests. Make it a priority to connect with campers during their stay.

Ask them what they liked about their stay, or how you could improve their experience.
Get an idea of what amenities they value.
Ask them to leave a review as they leave.

If you’re an offsite owner, you can still follow up through email or social media. Extra effort to connect with guests will always be noticed and goes a long way to add value to your campground.

7. Check-in guests.

Tying in directly with Tip #6, make checking-in your guests a personable experience. This gives campers a face and humanizes their experience. Start off on a positive note and have a thoughtful process in place for when guests arrive.

Who checks in your guests at arrival?
Who leads them to their campsite?
Can you help them park?
Can you throw in any courtesy add-ons like firewood or WiFi as a thank you?

Little touches go a long way. How can you improve their stay and ensure that they return?

Putting it all together.

Even though there’s a lot that goes into running a campground, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Take the right steps to manage your park by:

Building the right team.
Managing guest expectations.
Establishing a solid foundation.
Using an online reservation software.
Routinely walking around the park.
Interacting with campers.
Checking-in guests in person.

Want some help managing your campground?

Are There Any Free Campground Reservation Software Systems Available?

While owning a campground could be a very profitable endeavor (worth at least $273k a year), it can certainly come with its own share of expenses.

On average, a campground will run you between $10k and $50k (not including the cost of land); meaning that paying for an expensive booking software isn’t ideal for park owners.

But are there any free campground reservation systems? Well, the short answer is yes – there are a handful of free and relatively inexpensive reservation software solutions out there. But to give some context, here’s a list of options you can find online.

Inexpensive Campground Reservation Software

There are a handful of reservation software solutions out there, and most of them provide online booking at a free or relatively inexpensive rate.

Checkfront – $39 a month.
ResNexus – Starts at $3 – $16 a month (per room).
RoverPass – $2 per booking.
Firefly – $2 per booking.
Bonfire – $2 per booking (long-term) or $14.50+ (per month)
Campspot – $2 per booking.
CampLife – Starts at $99 a month + $3.50 per booking.

That being said, most systems are either lacking in features offered, pricing plans, or their reach of customers.

Good Sam Campground Solutions

If you’re looking for the biggest bang for your buck, Good Sam Campground Solutions offers everything park owners need to run their business in-house, at a cheaper rate with more features than anyone else.

Pricing

Pure and simple, Good Sam Campground Solutions is FREE for members and only charges guests a $1 booking fee. For non-members, it’s still only $99 a month, with guests paying a $3 booking fee.

Features Offered

Availability Calendars

When a guest can’t find their preferred reservation due to availability, we offer them the next best option. This scroll calendar allows them to easily find the next open date.

Booking Notes

Add customized notes to each camper reservation and account, easily accessible from the dashboard.

Camp Host Reports

See real-time reports that show who is currently checked into the park and who is leaving.

Cloud-Based

Accessible from anywhere, 24/7, with the ability for your guests to book and for you to earn money while you aren’t physically working.

Create Add-Ons for Online Bookings

Make campsite items like firewood or rentals available for purchase in the online booking process.

Drag-and-Drop Dashboard

Dedicated Support

Good Sam offers support across standard business hours for parks as well as weekend support when needed. We recognize that many campgrounds may need us on busy weekends so we constantly monitor email and chat. We also are in the process of implementing dedicated phone support, which will be live by September of 2021.

Dynamic Pricing

Increase revenue on popular weekends or create booking minimums during peak season. Our dynamic pricing allows you to tweak your pricing to maximize the revenue of your park.

Flexible Booking Rules

We built a platform that can handle the many nuances that define your campground. Software solutions include customizable check-in and check-out times, the number of nights that can be booked online, and guest options for choosing their site.

Interactive Site Map

You can create an interactive site map of your campground using a satellite view of your property. When a guest books online, they’ll be able to see your entire park, photos, and amenities at each campsite.

Management Reports

Over 20 customizable reports that help you track daily, weekly, and monthly revenue.

Marketing Packages

All inclusive access to our active Good Sam members assisting your Campground to reach more users more efficiently.

Mobile-responsive Booking

More than 60 percent of guests will book a site from their mobile devices. We make sure they can easily book no matter what screen they access from.

Online Reservations

Our reservation software will help you every step of the way from reservation to check-in.

Parking Passes

For every reservation, we create an automatic parking pass that you can print when your guests are checking into your park.

Point of Sale (POS)

Point of Sale (POS) system where a customer can pay for reservations online and receipts will be generated in print or electronically.

Quickbooks Integration

For campgrounds using Quickbooks Online, we have an automatic integration to sync your data in real time – making bookkeeping for your park far easier.

Web Builder

Create a professional website with our website builder. Choose a customizable template and add the features you need.

Good Sam Network

For the last 55 years, Good Sam has partnered with campground owners to grow their business through our integrated marketing strategies.

Whether it’s our circulation of 26 million annual publications, our 40 million social media engagements, or our 120 million unique online visitors, we’ll give your campground the traffic it needs to thrive.

Plus, with over 7 million active customers and Good Sam members, Campground Solutions will connect your park with more RVers than anyone else.

Finding the Right Software at the Best Price

While most online reservation systems come with decent reviews, at the end of the day, Good Sam Campground Solution is a free campground reservation system with more features and guaranteed reservations for park operators.

Want to get started?

Good Sam Campground Solutions provides several services to give campground owners like yourself the tools needed to run your business on your terms. Whether it’s marketing and advertising, online reservations, or access to a network of over 2 million RVers, Good Sam makes managing a park as easy as possible. If you’re ready to get started we can help! Request a demo today.

Finding the Right RV Park Reservation Software for Your Campground

Your campground needs an online reservation software.

Over 148.3 million online travel reservations were made in 2019 alone. By the end of 2020 the online travel industry was estimated to be worth over $800 billion; and with more people camping as a result of the pandemic, this number is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.

With so many people traveling, there are plenty of online reservation softwares for campground owners; but it can also be a challenge finding the right one for your business.

What features does your campground need out of a reservation software? What should you expect to pay for an online booking system? How much support will a campground software provide?

To help navigate what’s out there, here are three considerations for finding the right RV park reservation software for your campground.

Features.

Obviously, every campground is different, and not every park requires the same tools.

Maybe your campground has specific requirements for pricing around holidays and peak seasons. Maybe you need a service that can bundle your accounting and point of sale. Maybe you just need a user-friendly system without a learning curve for your employees.

Regardless of what your campground needs, here are a few features to consider.

Online reservations.

Online booking systems just make life easier, for you and your guests.

Services like Good Sam’s Campground Solutions can automate and handle all of your reservations, giving you back (literally) weeks of your year spent on fielding phone calls and emails. Not to mention, they’ll market your campground for you, bringing in even more online traffic, and guaranteeing higher occupancy.

Furthermore, online reservations allow for last-minute reservations (as in the day or week-of) which has brought in an additional 5 percent to 7 percent annually for some of our campgrounds; and in some cases, could even add up to 44 percent of a park’s business.

Drag and drop dashboard.

A drag and drop dashboard gives you the ability to easily move guests around on a reservation grid. You can check in campers, print parking passes, issue refunds, and add individualized notes to camper profiles.

A fully interactive system can cut down on the time it takes to train employees and work campers, while making it easier to navigate your reservations week to week.

Dynamic pricing.

A flexible pricing system allows you to create booking minimums during peak seasons, as well as increase revenue on popular weekends. Dynamic pricing gives you the autonomy to adjust pricing based on your park’s business model, and ensures maximum profit.

Reporting and integrations.

Ideally, a good reservation system will be a one-stop-shop for everything you need to run your business – including reporting and integrations.

Whether it’s check-ins, cancellations, inventory, or any other feature of your business, you need daily reporting to show you how your park is performing over time. Plus, life is much simpler when your system integrates directly with other tools like Quickbooks, or third party channel partners like Go RVing Canada.

Point of sale (POS).

If you have a camp store or online inventory, having a POS will make things easier on you and your customer.

A cloud-based POS system can run off of an iPad or smart tablet device, and integrates directly with your accounting and reporting, keeping all of your financials in one place.

For a decent POS, you can expect to pay between $79 and $150 a month.

Pricing.

Similar to feature offerings, campground booking softwares can offer a number of different pricing models; so it’s important to think through what makes the most sense for your business.

Do you want a free system that charges guests a convenience fee? Do you want a system that takes a commission out of your bookings? Do you want a hybrid pricing plan with both?

To give you a better idea of what to expect, here are three different pricing models you’ll come across when looking for a system for RV park reservations.

Booking-based model.

Like most online storefronts, reservation softwares generally make a large chunk of their money off of online booking (or convenience) fees. You’ll also find some negotiation in pricing between booking fees and monthly (or yearly) rates.

At the end of the day, these models tend to work in the park operator’s favor, allowing them to pocket most of the revenue. For instance, Good Sam parks can get started for free (with guests only paying $1 per reservation), and non-members can use the platform for $99 a month (with guests paying $3 per reservation).

The advantage of this model is complete autonomy and control for park owners who just want a little help running their business.

Agency model.

Some reservation systems will, however, operate more like an online travel agency (OTA).

In this model they’ll give you their platform for next-to-nothing as a “dangling carrot,” but then they’ll outrank your campground’s listing on Google to control where the reservations are coming from.

This means that even though you could make your own bookings and claim most (if not all) of the profit, they’ll likely still bring in most of your reservations and charge a commission on anything they send your way.

Now, this can be beneficial for campgrounds looking to outsource the headache of maximizing their reservations; however, it will likely cost you 10-30 percent of your annual reservations.

Merchant model.

A merchant model is almost an agency model in reverse, where the OTA receives inventory (sites) from your campground at a discounted rate, and then books guests at a marked-up rate.

With a merchant model, the OTA will charge guests on the front end, and then give you the discounted rate, while they pocket the difference. They will also foot the bill on credit card fees, and show up on a statement (instead of your park).

Again, this offloads a lot of the heavy lifting for collecting reservations, but it will definitely cut into your profits.

Support.

A good reservation software should also come with a competent support staff that can manage any training and troubleshooting your park needs.

When you’re looking for a team to work with at your campground, be sure to ask the right questions.

Do they provide hands-on support?
Does their team work alongside yours to create maps, add sites, or walk you through your user accounts?
How quickly do they work to get your park setup with a launch date?
Can they get your park up and running in a week?
How long does it take them to jump on a problem to troubleshoot a bug in the system?
Do they provide 24/7 assistance?
Are they friendly and easy to work with?

Finding the right RV park reservation software.

With more people booking online, and with more reservation services than ever, there’s certainly one that will work for your campground.

As you consider the best option, make it a point to think through:

What features do they offer?
What does their pricing model entail?
How much support do they provide?

Still looking for a reservation system?

Good Sam has you covered! Providing campgrounds with marketing and advertising, online reservations, personal support, and access to a network of over 2 million RVers, Good Sam takes the heavy lifting out of managing your park. Request a demo today!

Best Practices for Zoning an RV Park

From designing the park, setting up the internet, and all of the costs associated, park operators have plenty going on. The last thing an owner wants to deal with are zoning regulations slowing down your park’s build.

So, how do you go about properly zoning an RV park? What resources are there for zoning a campground? How do you get approval for your campground?

To get a better idea, we sat down with a few RV park owners and regional association members in order to put together a helpful list of best practices for zoning an RV park.

How to know if you have zoning laws.

There’s a chance your property could fall outside of any zoning laws, but it’s still best to be sure as there are many cases where businesses operating out of a physical location are required to have a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) confirming any building codes, zoning laws, and government regulations.

Here are a couple of ways to know what’s required for zoning an RV park in your area.

1. Join a campground association.

In general, it’s a good first step for new RV park owners to join their local campground association.

There are over 40 campground associations in the US and Canada, offering park owners:

Advocacy at local and national levels.
Industry expertise and discounts.
Marketing tools and resources.
Networking and support from other park owners.

Your local association has a good idea of what’s required for making sure your park is properly zoned.

2. Call your city or county office.

Laws for zoning a campground will vary from city to city. Calling the city zoning office is the simplest way to check on what’s required.

It’s also worth noting that coastal cities like San Francisco and San Diego have stringent laws. Midwestern and southern states will likely offer more flexibility.

Pulaski County in Kentucky, for example, has no zoning laws. A citizen can apply for a variance through the local planning commission to build outside the existing codes, though the IRC and local zoning regulations are in place.

If there’s a zoning commissioner in your county, they will know if there are any environmental concerns, land restrictions, or what municipal services are available. Not to mention, they’re going to get involved in your project regardless, so it’s a good idea to consult them early on and gain them as an advocate.

How to get approval for zoning verification.

More often than not, zoning an RV park is a pretty straight forward process. One of our campground owners shared that it was as “simple as submitting an online form.”

In most cases requiring verification, you can submit a request to a building inspector or zoning board, and they’ll approve or deny based on whether or not your property meets local requirements. Also, conducting a land survey and inspections on your own is a good way to hedge your bets on getting approved.

Should you be denied, you can still appeal the decision with your local zoning board. This will serve as a court of sorts, and they will deliberate as to whether or not the zoning laws are too stringent in your particular situation. In this case, neighbors and local businesses will often be asked to weigh in and help give the board a better understanding as to whether or not this will benefit the local environment and economic climate.

For more granular examples, take a look at specific zoning requirements for states including:

California
Colorado
Florida
Massachusetts
Michigan
New York
Oregon
Texas

How to change zoning.

In some cases, park owners can change zoning for a campground.

Changes can be approved if you can show substantial proof that your land has physiological, environmental, or geological conditions that qualify for zoning classification (assuming it benefits the local city or county).

In this situation, you would likely need to pay for an application, as well as be able to show a deed, plot plan, tax information, and proof of a land survey. From here, your request would go before a zoning board (similar to an appeal), and they would likely call upon neighbors and local businesses.

You can see a similar process for reference from Logan County, in Colorado.

Zoning your campground.

While regulations differ across state and city lines, zoning doesn’t have to be a complicated process. To make zoning your RV park easier, make sure that you:

Join a local campground association.
Connect with your local city or county office.
Conducted surveys and inspections.
Submit an approval request with a local zoning board early on.
Keep all necessary documents handy (taxes, plot plan, deed, etc).

Following these steps will save you headaches and countless hours, and allow you to get back to focusing on building out your RV park.

All zoned and ready for the next step?

Need help getting your RV park off the ground or taking reservations? Good Sam Campground Solutions has you covered. Request a demo today!