Are you still relying on guests to buy tickets at the door? It’s time to rethink that approach. After all, you could be leaving cash on the table. Online bookings are a smart way to boost your cash flow and streamline operations while bringing revenue forward. The earlier you can get people to book, the better it is for your business and your guests. Plus, with a few strategic upsells and follow-up offers, you can easily increase the overall spend per guest.
Let’s dive into why bringing your revenue forward through online bookings should be a top priority. (And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out my previous piece on revenue diversity. The strategies in that article complement the ideas below and can help you create a powerful synergy!)
Why focus on online bookings?
Online bookings do more than just make life easier—they help you secure revenue before guests arrive. They also free up your team from selling tickets on-site, giving them more time to focus on providing great guest experiences.
When guests book earlier, they tend to spend more. Booking ahead gives them time to consider add-ons like meal deals or retail items. So, by encouraging early online bookings, you’re setting yourself up for increased spending before the guest even walks through your door!
Online bookings also give operators guest data that can be used for future marketing. And what’s better than attracting new guests? Bringing in new guests who keep coming back! To capture more valuable data, you can use tools such as digital waivers, which also speed up check-in times.
In short, the benefits of online bookings include:
- Boosted basket size – Online purchases are proven to generate 3x higher basket sizes compared to onsite sales (according to ROLLER’s 2025 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report). This means guests are more likely to spend big when booking online – especially when a venue offers intuitive online party bookings!
- Improved cash flow – By encouraging online bookings, you get the money upfront, which gives you more financial flexibility. Having funds in the bank ahead of time helps you cover costs well before delivering the service.
- Pre-arrival sales opportunities – With online sales, you can promote additional products and upsells between the time of booking and guest arrival, maximizing revenue potential.
- Enhanced onsite efficiency and experience – Getting guests to book online is a win for efficiency. Your staff spends less time processing transactions and more time engaging with guests. This also means fewer manual tasks, allowing your team to focus on higher-value activities that enhance the guest experience.
8 key steps to bring revenue forward
To make the most of online bookings, here are a few practical steps you can take:
Make online booking simple
When people visit your website, assume they’re ready to book. Ensure the booking process is easy, straightforward, and can be completed in one go. Don’t rely on guests showing up at your venue to buy a ticket on the spot. When it comes to capacity management and staff rostering ahead of time, online bookings are like a scheduling superpower.
Promote online bookings first
Highlight your online booking system across your website, emails, and marketing channels. It should be the easiest and most visible option for guests. In-person bookings at your POS are still available as a backup, but you should aim to prioritize the larger basket sizes that come with online purchases!
Offer online-only deals
Create an incentive for guests to book online by offering discounts that they can’t get elsewhere. This adds urgency and encourages them to act quickly. When weighing up the benefits, remember that online purchases save you admin time and typically result in more guests per booking with higher transaction values. So, even a small discount for your online channel could more than pay for itself in the long run.
Use peak and off-peak pricing
Promote slower times of the day or week by offering discounted tickets for those periods. It’s a great way to keep your venue busy during off-peak hours. To make this work more effectively, consider using software such as a CRM to send personalized offers and discounts to guests that incentivize off-peak bookings.
Product presentation matters
When laying out ticket or package options online, set up a three-tiered choice with a strong middle option. Here’s why: given two similar options, customers often pick the cheapest. But with three choices, the psychology shifts! Suddenly, the most expensive option sets an “aspirational” high point, making the lowest-priced option look a bit less appealing. That middle option? Now, it looks like the best value and is likely to be the choice most guests select. This approach can naturally increase your basket size.
You can make the middle option stand out with a “Best Value” tag or a slightly different design. It’s a subtle nudge that goes a long way.
Encourage quick action
Use language like “limited availability” to prompt guests to book sooner rather than later. A little urgency can go a long way in getting bookings across the finish line. Think of it this way: if you’re in line at a cafeteria and see one donut left in the display case, do you feel more relaxed or keener to reach the checkout quickly?
Offer flexible payment options
Make it easy for guests to pay using their preferred method. Whether it’s digital wallets, Buy Now Pay Later options, or traditional card payments, the easier the transaction, the more likely they’ll follow through.
Upsell before guests arrive
After the initial booking, stay in touch with guests by sending follow-up offers for additional services until their visit. Consider discounted food, beverage packages, or retail items. These extras can add significant value without much effort. In my experience at the world’s largest cruise line, this was a particularly powerful lever to pull and should become the foundation of your customer engagement strategy.
Final thoughts
Bringing your revenue forward by promoting online bookings is a no-brainer. Not only does it give you more control over cash flow, but it also sets the stage for guests to spend more both before and during their visit. By making online bookings a priority, you can improve efficiency, enhance the guest experience, and, most importantly, increase your bottom line. So, start encouraging early bookings today and watch your revenue grow!
For more actionable strategies to help you and your venue succeed, download your copy of the 2025 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report.
Download your copy of the 2025 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report now.
