Liftopia: 5 tips for your winter lift ticket launch

1. Communication is key. Once you’ve nailed your initial pricing strategy, we always recommend consistent, clear communication about how your ticket strategy works.  Usually this message for consumers is centered around the message: “Buy in Advance & Save”. Remind customers that the best prices are available now, and if they wait to buy, the price will go up. This messaging can be used everywhere from email, social, printed on signs at your ski area, and more! This year, however, letting your customers know what has changed about your processes and policies this season will be the key to eliminating in-season surprises for guests. For example, do season pass holders need to make reservations? Are there new capacity limits customers should know about? How have procedures for picking up rental equipment or making a mid-mountain hot chocolate stop changed?

2. Make your CTAs standout. The calls-to-action (“CTAs”) on your website and in email should be easy to spot. If a customer has never been to your website before, would it be obvious where to buy a lift ticket? For some additional detail on what makes a great CTA and how to drive traffic to your e-commerce site, be sure to take a look at this post. 

3. Offer an attractive lead price to generate demand and test the market. Not only does an attractive lead price provide an effective marketing message (think “tickets starting at $59!”), it allows you to test demand for the season. This season is totally unprecedented, and it’s unclear how fear of travel, crowding, and changes in demand to experience outdoor activities will affect your visitation.   The bottom line, though, is that overpricing is certainly more dangerous than the alternative. If you start “too low”, prices will simply rise with demand, but if you start too high, you risk losing out on pre-committed revenue and getting “stuck” at higher prices.  

4. Make sure your support team is ready. Whether you are handling e-commerce support within your ski area or using Liftopia’s Customer Support as a Service, your team should be trained up on your product offering, exchange/refund policies, purchase process, etc. This way you’ll be ready to delight any guests that call for help with a purchase or to get more information on your online offerings. 

5. Be comfortable knowing things might change. While this is certainly true every season, it’s okay if your product mix and pricing strategy needs to be tweaked after your initial launch or the season gets underway. Our Partner Services team and account managers are always here to help make adjustments and get your e-commerce dialed in. Once we see initial demand to your store and products, our pricing team can also recommend pricing strategy adjustments to help you generate the most revenue possible.