Embracing online sales is essential for maximizing your attraction venue’s potential. With most customers preferring the convenience of online transactions, an efficient and intuitive online checkout is not just an operational necessity—it unlocks substantial revenue opportunities. One of these key revenue opportunities is the ability to upsell guests during the online checkout process, an effective method to increase average customer spend and ensure guests experience all your venue has to offer. 

How to upsell your guests

The easiest way to upsell your guests online is to offer add-on products and experiences. Imagine a family planning a day out at your family entertainment center. Your guests want to purchase a game of bowling for the family, and during the checkout process, they are offered the chance to pre-purchase a meal or add a game of laser tag. This offers them a more complete experience, increases the average value of each booking, and encourages your guests to stay longer at your venue, boosting revenue potential even further.

The beauty of add-ons lies in their convenience, relevance, and the value they provide to both the operator and the customer. For customers, the ability to tailor their experience to include more of what they love is a powerful draw. For operators, it’s an effective way to increase revenue without significant additional overhead.

Context is key

To maximize the effectiveness of add-ons, it’s crucial to consider both the timing and the relevance of the offers. Here are some tips to effectively implement this strategy:

1. Relevance: Ensure that the add-ons offered are relevant to the customer’s initial purchase. For example, offering a souvenir photo package at a zoo, or jump socks at a trampoline park, are contextual purchases your guests will likely benefit from. Irrelevant add-ons, such as jump socks for a laser tag session, can be jarring and distracting in the checkout process when, ultimately, you want to ensure the customer completes their purchase.
2. Timing: Introduce the add-on at a point in the checkout process where it feels like a natural extension of the purchase rather than a hard sell. In ROLLER, add-ons are presented to guests right after they select their tickets, before the payment process, and are easy to skip if the guest isn’t interested.
3. Simplify the experience: Make selecting an add-on straightforward and intuitive. Customers are more likely to add to their purchase if it’s a hassle-free experience. In ROLLER, you can select an add-on in just two clicks, speeding up the checkout process and streamlining the guest journey.
4. Highlight the value: Communicate the benefits and savings of the add-on, and include a compelling description for your add-ons to entice customers to buy.

Increase revenue by up to 10% with add-ons

ROLLER has recently upgraded its upsell functionality, allowing any product or experience (excluding party packages) to be sold as an add-on. This has had an immediate impact on the amount of revenue that ROLLER customers are bringing in through the online checkout.

In just a few short weeks, ROLLER customers have seen online revenue increases of up to 10%—equating to over $USD 29,000 in a single month, solely through add-ons. 

THE LUME’s VR experience add-on

One venue that has seen great success with add-ons is THE LUME, the world’s largest digital art gallery. As part of THE LUME’s Leonardo da Vinci exhibit, customers can add on a VR experience where they can virtually fly over the Florence cityscape. And the results have been phenomenal—online checkout revenue has increased by 7% just from introducing these add-ons, and they’re selling nearly all available tickets.

By building those add-ons into the main checkout journey, we've seen quite an extraordinary uplift in the conversion of those experiences. Almost one in ten people booking online are buying an upsell. We’ve achieved a 95% utilization rate of this experience, which would’ve otherwise been less than 50%.

Josh Ogilvie

General Manager, THE LUME

This success is a testament to the power of upselling.

Add-on tips for operators

So, where should you start if you’re not already offering add-ons? Make sure to introduce add-ons that are relevant to your venue and your audience to maximize uptake. Here are just a few examples of common add-ons across different venue types:

• Family entertainment centers: Offering additional experiences or attractions, such as a virtual reality game, a game of bowling, or a fun climbing session, can entice guests to extend their visit and explore more of what you have to offer.
• Water parks: Consider offering cabana rentals as an add-on. Cabanas provide guests with a private, comfortable space to relax, which can greatly enhance their day at the park.
• Laser tag: Offering gun upgrades or additional sessions can appeal to competitive players looking to extend their fun.
• Trampoline parks: Jump socks are often a necessary item that guests either forget to bring or don’t already own
• Zoos and Aquariums: Consider offering animal encounters as an add-on. These exclusive experiences allow guests to get up close and personal with their favorite animals, creating memorable moments that are worth the extra cost.
• Roller or ice skating rinks: Shoe rentals are a great fit, especially for first-time visitors or those who don't own skates.

With ROLLER's latest feature, operators can offer more while gaining more, creating a win-win situation for both the business and its guests. This is available to all ROLLER customers using the progressive checkout, so if you’re a customer who hasn’t upgraded to the progressive checkout yet, build your checkout today!

Schedule a demo with us to learn more about how ROLLER can help you increase online revenue.