Your marina(s) all rely on your reservation management system to keep things running smoothly. While the software helps to keep current boaters’ reservations in order, did you know the right management tool can also help you attract new boaters as well?

With recreational boating on a steady rise since summer, first-time boaters are hitting the water — and you want to make sure they’re docking with you! Attract them to your marina with these tips and tricks for appealing to new boaters through your marina reservation software:

1. Leverage booking features right on your marina website.

When a new boater is looking for a marina, they’ll likely search for their options online. If your marina appears on a quick Google search, they’ll likely hop onto your website for details. Make it easier for new customers to secure a spot on your marina by including booking features directly on your site.

The longer guests have to search online for booking options or play phone tag with your staff, the less likely they are to choose your mooring. By utilizing your reservation management system’s direct online reservation features, you can offer a convenient way to lock in new boaters without the extra burden on your team. Think of all the time your staff could save if they aren’t constantly on the phone or answering emails. Instead, they can focus on helping current customers or marina maintenance. RMS’s Book Now button can be integrated right on your webpage template, giving soon-to-be customers a simple one-click way to lock in a spot at the dock. 

2. Streamline their docking experience between your properties with easier multi-property management.

If your marina ownership has expanded from one to a few, your growing operations likely could benefit from streamlined systems. By leveraging a multi-property marina management software solution, you can manage all of your locations in one place. Your team logs onto one shared interface to control it all and stay connected. This way, you have an accurate representation of spots available across all marinas and can appropriately market your vacancy. 

By choosing a marina reservation system that also offers an integrated Channel Manager, you can connect to all major OTAs and update your rates and availability across multiple properties instantly. Why bother with a separate Channel Manager and chase down inquiries across multiple properties when you could streamline it together? Never miss first-time boater inquiries again! Learn more about RMS’s Channel Manager here. 

3. Utilize guest marketing solutions through your marina management software.

Sometimes it’s not as simple as a new visitor coming to your website for the first time and instantly booking. More often, you’ll need to nurture them in their search, slowly introducing them to your marina offerings before they are ready to commit to your mooring specifically. 

Does your current marina reservation management system have customer marketing capabilities to send emails or other communication? In these messages, you could tease upcoming boating or fishing seasons or events, offer customers incentives to book such as discounts, and other ideas for piquing their interest. With our Guest Marketing Solutions, for example, you can send amazing, professional-looking email blasts — and even SMS texts — to keep prospective guests interested in your marina. Our Electronic Direct Mail tools use drag and drop technology that lets you make it your own with customized titles, images, text boxes, hyperlinked CTAs, and more.

4. Learn more about boaters at your marina with advanced reporting.

After you lock in a new boating customer, there are plenty of things you can learn from them to help improve their experience and appeal to future prospects. A marina reservation management system with insightful reporting allows you to learn from their new guest behaviors and apply those findings. 

When choosing a marina management software solution, seek one with robust reporting capabilities to make it easy to shape your future marketing around the data you learn. Here at RMS, for example, we offer customized reporting and over 200 reports to see your marina’s performance. You can even save recently used reports for instant access later. 

The Right Marina Management Software Solution

Not all of these features are possible with every marina property management system. 

Download our guide, Choosing a Reservation Property Management System, to explore more must-haves in a marina management system.