Your shoulder season checklist

Now that summer vacations are winding down and we’re getting ready to welcome the cozy fall season and some quiet time, it’s time to review our busy season and make adjustments for the rest of the year and prepare for next year. Here are some items for your shoulder season to ensure you finish the year strong and knock it out of the ball park during your next busy season.

Analyze your data

Set some benchmarks from this year regarding your occupancy, revenue, ADR, RevPAR, and where bookings came from. Compare this to your historical data and see if you’re having the same trends year-over-year and where you might be able to make some changes.

You might also want to analyze your online data and get to know your averages for website visitors/sessions, conversions, keywords, time spent on your website, and top landing pages to improve your online presence and SEO strategy.

Operations

Take the time to review internal operations and your technology. Were there any issues you kept having this past year that could be fixed with a new system or process? Could your staff use additional training on your software? Talk with your customer support reps to make sure you’re making the most of your tools and technology.

Update website

Update your website with seasonal-appropriate images (if applicable) and advertise your lower season rates or unique packages.

Review your reviews

Now is the perfect time to read and respond to online reviews if you didn’t have time to do that during your busy season. Though it may seem like there’s not much point if the reviews are older, the adage “better late than never” works here as people will still be happy to see a manager response and that you’re being active on review sites.

Home improvements

Does everyone know what time it is? It’s tool time at your property as you make plans for property improvements. Maybe you’re working on the exterior of your property or upgrading your rooms or guest-facing amenities this year. Make sure to let guests know about your updates on your website or in a blog.

Continue marketing

Continue your online marketing efforts! Just because it’s slower doesn’t mean you need to pause your marketing. Use this time to create different packages or highlight off-season activities and events to draw people in. This also means you should still stay active on social media and continue to engage your past guests with email campaigns.