Do you find your mini golf venue bustling on weekends but eerily quiet during weekday afternoons? The good news is that there’s a way for you to turn things around! Leveraging data-driven strategies can transform these off-peak hours into some of your most profitable periods.
In this article, we’ll look at how mini golf businesses can analyze customer behavior and booking patterns to optimize marketing efforts, adjust staffing, and attract new guests.
Using booking data to predict peak and off-peak times
What if we told you that even your slowest periods are still unlocking future growth opportunities for your mini golf business? Analyzing historical booking data helps you identify trends in guest attendance. From your slowest day to your busiest, every piece of data helps.
Examining past reservations helps you pinpoint peak times—such as weekends and evenings—and recognize slower periods like weekday afternoons. This insight then allows you to start planning a new strategy, including how you staff your venue during these times and targeted promotions to boost traffic during off-peak hours.
How to use peak time data
If data reveals that Tuesday afternoons have the lowest attendance, consider offering a “Two-for-One Tuesday” promotion to incentivize visits. Implementing membership programs or selling gift cards can also provide steady revenue streams, offsetting your quieter times.
Hypothetical scenario
Putting on the Ritz (an imaginary venue for this example) uncovers data that shows weekday afternoons are slow. To drive traffic, they launch “Two-for-One Tuesdays,” targeting local students and retirees. They also offer a 10% discount on the next visit for guests who book during these hours. Within weeks, Tuesday afternoon attendance jumps by 30%, turning an empty time slot into a steady revenue stream.
Tracking results helped them fine-tune promotions, proving that data-driven decisions can transform slow periods into growth opportunities.
Read this next: Cost Guide: Unmissable Mini Golf Attraction Ideas
Leveraging consumer trends to attract younger audiences
What do Zac Efron, Jennifer Lopez, and Harry Styles all have in common? Aside from being on the A-list, they’re all trendsetters in the golf scene. This is perhaps why mini golf has evolved into a popular activity among Gen Z and millennials, especially when combined with social experiences. When tapping into this market, it’s crucial to understand their preferences. Utilizing social listening tools, conducting surveys, and analyzing sales data can reveal what appeals to these demographics.
Attracting young mini golfers example
Collaborate with local influencers to host themed events, such as an ’80s night or a TikTok challenge at your course. These events can create buzz and draw in younger crowds seeking unique experiences.
Hypothetical scenario
Putting on the Ritz is back and wants to attract more Gen Z visitors. By analyzing social media trends, they partner with a local TikTok influencer to host a “Neon Night Challenge,” where guests compete for the best trick shot under black lights. The event goes viral, leading to a 40% increase in midweek bookings from younger players.
By tracking engagement and attendance, they refine future events to attract this target audience, proving that data-backed marketing can boost mini golf’s appeal to younger demographics.
Read this next: Putting for Profits: Strategies for Mini Golf Course Business Growth
Optimizing marketing campaigns with data
Data analytics are invaluable for refining marketing strategies—think of them like your scorecard for running a successful mini golf marketing campaign. By tracking metrics like email open rates, social media engagement, and website conversions, you can assess the effectiveness of your marketing. A/B testing different promotions and advertisements further identifies what resonates best with the audience.
Marketing campaign data example
A/B testing is when you trial two different email subject lines to see which results in a higher open rate. You can then analyze the results and apply the insights to future campaigns, ensuring content aligns with customer interests and drives higher engagement.
Hypothetical scenario
Putting on the Ritz wants to promote its new weekend package. It sends two email variations: one with the subject “Weekend Mini Golf Fun—Book Now!” and another with “Exclusive Weekend Deal: Save 20% on Mini Golf!”
After analyzing the results, they find the discount-focused subject line gets a 35% higher open rate and more bookings. Using this insight, they refine future email campaigns, proving that data-driven testing leads to better conversions.
5 Actionable insights for your data-backed mini golf business plan
- Implement an online booking system: Your online platform can help you facilitate data collection, including booking patterns and customer preferences. Plus, venues using powerful online checkouts like ROLLER see up to a 30% increase in online revenue.
- Stay on top of staff decisions: An online booking system is also a great way to anticipate how busy a given day will be ahead of time. Monitor your bookings and weigh them against your staff rosters to ensure you’re not over or understaffed at any given time.
- Offer themed events and promotions: Utilize booking data to identify slow periods and introduce special events or discounts during these times to attract specific demographics.
- Engage on social media: Share engaging content and interact with followers to build a community. Monitor engagement and mentions to see your brand grow over time. This approach not only attracts younger audiences but also fosters loyalty among existing customers.
- Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs): Track metrics such as average revenue per customer, repeat visit rate, and customer satisfaction scores to measure the success of your strategies and make informed decisions to drive continual improvement.
Final thoughts
By embracing data-driven strategies, mini golf businesses can enhance guest experiences, optimize operations, and drive business growth. Start by analyzing your current data, setting measurable goals, and continuously refining your approach based on the insights you uncover. You’ve got this!
Want to see how ROLLER can help mini golf venues maximize their data to unlock business growth? Book a free demo today.
