Working Hard To Get Those Email Addresses?

Obtaining your customers’ email addresses provides you an additional and excellent outlet for reaching your customers. It allows you to market directly to them for free, a channel to offer incentives to keep members loyal and customers coming back, and a place to request feedback on the course’s performance. There are endless possibilities with a good customer database.

Cypress Golf Solutions is here to help you. Cypress can build, manage and maintain your customer database. Nevertheless, the following are some simple savvy ideas for course owners and managers to get started building a database on their own:

• Get a Website – In this day and age, I cannot stress enough the importance of a website. It’s cheap, it’s easy, it’s valuable, and it makes sense. One of the greatest reasons to have a website is to get people registered and collect their email addresses. Your website can offer promotions and contests that draw people’s email addresses or an area to submit feedback on the course and staff. If you are unsure how to create a site, let Cypress build one for you. *Consider setting up auto-responders so that people who enter the online contest or submit feedback will have the option to sign up to your emailing list or send the promotion to a friend.

• Host a Contest – Set up a contest registration box in the pro shop that offers a free round of golf for a foursome. It is as simple as putting out a nice looking bowl with a sign advertising the prize and suggesting to players that they drop in their business card. This also can work well at tradeshows or public events that golfers frequent. Remember to make the offer worth the trouble.

• Free E-Postcards – Golfers love to brag to friends and associates about what courses they have played. Quite simply, set up a link on your website or in-house sign-up sheet that offers free E-postcards. Set it up where both the sender and receiver are emailed, and you get two email addresses for the price of one.

• Digital Photo Shoot at Your Best Hole – This is one of the greatest ways to get golfers’ email addresses. Ask a staff person with photography skills to stay at the best and most scenic hole on the course where each golfer that plays it will be offered a complimentary digital photo of either themselves or the entire group. Have them submit their email address (and any recipients) so that the picture can be sent to them. When you download the photos, send the pictures with a thank-you card and special offer inviting them back. This method is inexpensive and a great way to collect emails from virtually every person who plays your course.

• Lessons – Every time someone registers for a lesson at your course, have them fill out a student registration card. Ask the player if they have any friends that may be interested in a free lesson? Or, if they are interested in a chance to win a free group lesson with friends?

• Offer Coupons Online – Any specials or coupons found on your website should only be accessible by providing a valid email address first.

• Just Be Upfront – Why not just tell golfers what you want? Put an email sign- up box on your home page or leave a sign-up sheet in the pro shop. Be sure to use viral marketing whenever possible.

Remember, a good way to stop customers from joining is to overload them with too much information. Don’t ask too many questions when having them hand over their email addresses. Whether they are signing up for a contest or a monthly newsletter, do you really want to scare them off by asking them at that time how long they have been married or how often they eat at the clubhouse?

Lastly, you may be tempted to buy a cheap list of names of people who haven't given their permission to be e-mailed. Don’t do it. Think about the junk that comes into your inbox – and how you want your course to be regarded.