Through all of our work on getting RV Parks recognized in their areas, we keep coming up with some interesting results. Often times we find that when you Google for a park in an area, RVParkReviews.com comes up first. That’s fantastic. For travelers you can see what other people thought of the park you’re interested in, if there are any issues, and if the park was worth the trip.
After seeing RV Park Reviews come up first over and over again, what comes up the next nine times out of 10? The RV Parks’ own websites. And after the parks’ own websites? Sometimes we’ll see one of the major RV Directory listings.
Paying for something that just isn’t “there.”
Through all of our travels since 2006 we’ve seen parks across the country. Most parks are members of one club or another. And being a member of these clubs and directories costs the parks money. They’re advertising with the club. Yes, the park gives members a discount or perks, and the club itself charges the parks to be part of their listings. But if these clubs and directories aren’t getting the word out about you on the Internet…..what exactly are you paying for?
A search on Prescott RV Parks brought up RV Park Reviews first, Point of Rocks own site second.
In the case of each of our client sites, the websites we’ve designed always come up before the clubs or directories. Sometimes they even come up before RV Park Reviews. So it stands to reason that well built, clean design, and mobile websites might just be what your park needs to reach tourists on the road. The clubs and directories might be a money sink, with lower return on investment than you think. If they can’t rival your own SEO, what exactly are they doing to help you get found?
On the same search you can see, Point of Rocks comes in ahead of one of the big clubs. Their SEO isn’t as good as the park’s own SEO. Additionally, the club’s website is not mobile-friendly at all!
Seeing the second screen shot, our client’s site comes up before the directory service. Beyond that, our client’s site is listed as mobile friendly, and the club’s site link is not mobile friendly. Come April 21st with Google’s priority being directed to “mobile-friendly,” where is that directory site going to end up? And what does the directory currently look like on my iPhone?
Not a mobile ready site, and yet countless parks pay to list with this service
The Internet isn’t a fad – Modernize Folks
As a full time RV’er I have several things to say on how I find RV Parks while traveling. There are several resources at my disposal, and I leverage today’s tech on every trip.
- When trip planning my starting point is the mobile app AllStays
- If I can’t find something on AllStays I check The Ultimate Campground App next.
- If I’m searching for forest service and BLM camps I break out the USFS / BLM app.
- And if that fails I Google “Town Name RV Park.”
There’s my process. What isn’t in my process? A large bulky directory book. There’s no room in my RV or truck for unnecessary items that take too much space. Heck, I’m even a member of a few clubs for discounts and roadside help, but I’m not taking their guides along. Why? They’re antiquated, and the smaller digital technology I carry with me can be used for many things, not just one.
RV Park Owners, the numbers don’t lie
Looking through each of our client sites and their daily, weekly, and monthly statistics a very clear pattern emerges. Google sends more potential guests to your park website than anything else. Normally a close second is RV Park Reviews (a free service). The clubs are way down the ladder folks. With that in mind, don’t you think your potential guests deserve an easy way to read about your park on their mobile devices? Also, why are you paying large fees yearly to list in a directory that isn’t driving traffic to you? That makes no financial sense whatsoever.
If you’re ready to take control of your business online presence, get in touch with RLC Design today. We’ll be happy to show you how to drive more business into your RV Park with a mobile friendly well built website!