ROLLER delivers insights into visitor segmentation for attractions and theme parks

March 10, 2024

Ticketing, CRM and POS specialist platform ROLLER has shared its insights into visitor segmentation for theme parks and attractions - providing a detailed look at approaches, applications and best practices for this strategic process.

Visitor segmentation is based on the separation of a set of clients into categories according to particular attributes. These categories can be organised according to demographics (age, family status), behaviour (ride preferences, spending patterns), and personal preferences (favourite themes or types of attractions).

However, segmentation is much more than just a classification structure. It’s a valuable, strategic tool for owners and operators of attraction venues to better understand the varied needs and expectations of their visitors.

In an update, Roller advised “obviously, not all of your guests are the same.

“Still, many owners and operators forget this when considering updates to your venue or a new marketing strategy. Different visitors have unique needs, desires, and expectations. By segmenting them into distinct groups, attraction venues can tailor their offerings and communications to effectively resonate with each segment.”

Benefits of visitor segmentation
Visitor segmentation offers significant strategic advantages and supports activities including:

Developing of tailored experiences. By leveraging visitor segmentation, attractions can better understand the preferences of different categories of guests. This means that they can develop experiences to meet their specific needs and expectations, such as events for families, or rides for thrill seekers. Segmentation helps to create an unforgettable visit and increases guest satisfaction, so visitors are more likely to return and share positive word-of-mouth.

Increasing the effectiveness of communications
Roller notes “knowing your visitors’ identities helps you craft more effective marketing and communication strategies.

“Messages that resonate with a teenager might not impact a senior visitor in the same way. Segment-specific marketing enables parks to communicate the right message to the right audience, increasing engagement and interest.”

Data-driven decision making
Segmentation enables operators to understand guests’ preferences and potential visit patterns, and so can help to improve their planning. Insights might range from staffing and visitor flow management to planning for park expansions and partnership projects.

Types of segmentation
Choosing the most appropriate kind of visitor segmentation model is key to this strategic process. ROLLER explains “understanding the different types of visitor segmentation is crucial for theme parks to effectively cater to their diverse audience. Each type of segmentation offers unique insights that can drive more personalized experiences, targeted marketing strategies, and informed operational decisions.”

Demographic segmentation groups visitors by age, gender, income and family status, and can inform the kinds of rides offered, merchandise, or price points that are made available at an attraction, for example. Geographic segmentation is based on where visitors have travelled from and can help operators shape targeted promotions, language services, park hours and more.

Meanwhile, behavioural segmentation looks at factors such as visit frequency, spending patterns, and ride preferences. This can be useful in guiding investment decisions, developing loyalty offers and designing maintenance programs, among many other applications.

Psychographic segmentation considers lifestyle, values and interests. Lifestyle factors may identify opportunities for premier experiences or wellness offerings, values-based insights could help an attraction to align its themes to the values of a visitor category, and interest segmentation enables the development of experiences for particular hobbies or themes.

Segmentation and marketing
Roller goes on to state “visitor segmentation offers valuable insights for theme parks and attraction venues, enabling them to tailor their marketing strategies effectively.

Attractions can use data from interactions with digital assets to improve their understanding of visitor preferences. Tools such as heat maps and click-through rates can offer useful insights.

Pay-per-click and search engine marketing can also offer insights into visitor preferences. Attractions can use engagement rates to better understand what messages resonate with visitors, for example using A/B testing. Online marketing can also help attractions track lead behaviour, understand which marketing channels are performing best, and develop more sophisticated follow-up marketing and engagement strategies.

Click here to contact Roller Software via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

Image credits: Shutterstock.

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