Who’s still here
- Locals, who avoid tourist spots in summer and come back in the fall. Tell them you missed them.
- Retirees and winter visitors, who are here when the tourists aren’t.
- Golfers, in spring and fall golf seasons.
- Students and staff near Coastal Carolina University in Conway, through the school year.
- Event crowds: festivals, tournaments and holiday events bring weekend visitors all year.
What to market
- A locals’ special or loyalty program, announced on your email list and Google profile.
- Off-season hours, posted clearly and matching Google. Changing hours without updating Google is the most common off-season mistake we see.
- Events: trivia, live music, tournaments, holiday parties. They give people a reason to come out on a slow Tuesday.
- Gift cards before the holidays.
Use the quiet months
- Fix the website: the menu, the photos, the slow pages, the broken call button.
- Collect reviews from regulars.
- Shoot photos and video for next summer while you have time.
- Build the town and service pages that help you show up next season.
- Run a security check before summer, when a hacked site costs the most.
Written by Nikita Huttenlocher, founder and lead engineer at Huttenlocher Technologies, a web design and software company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.