Cycloparks steps its online offering up a gear with Legend, substantially increasing website traffic and online bookings by giving customers a website that's informative and easy to use

The Kent-based operator of world-class cycling facilities and fitness services has undertaken a website and marketing communications project with Legend Leisure Services, to redesign its online customer journey and implement a fully integrated system that encompasses everything a customer needs, including web bookings, membership, reception and payments.

Since it went live in July 2016, there has been a dramatic increase in visitors, page visits and online bookings.

The Challenge
In early 2016, recognising the increasing popularity of cycling as a great British sport and wanting to capitalise on the busiest period in its calendar year – the summer holidays, which also coincided with the 2016 Olympic Games – Cyclopark sought to undertake an initiative to revitalise its online customer journey.

Cyclopark offers a wide range of cycling activities, from a world-class BMX track, road track and mountain bike trails, to a skate park and cycling and other fitness classes.

However, its website poorly defined the extent of the offering. Customers had difficulty finding information and booking activities online. In addition, Cyclopark wanted to increase return visitors and turn repeat visitors into long term members through defined customer marketing.

Lenette Howard, Marketing Manager, Cyclopark, comments: “As our main customer facing presence, we knew that our website could work far more effectively for us. We wanted to to give visitors a true feel for the depth and breadth of our offering, and make the online customer journey slick and easy – from finding information, to asking for help, to booking and paying online. In addition, we wanted a single system that brought everything customer-focused under one umbrella.”

As an existing user of Legend Club Management Systems, the move to Legend as its website developer was a logical one. “Legend has great industry knowledge,” Lenette says. “They understand how our customers act and what they need from a website. Plus they offered us the ability to fully integrate bookings, membership and our website for a seamless customer experience.”

The Solution
The first phase of the project was to identify key objectives and model the various customer journeys. Legend developed a fully device-responsive website optimised to include best practice guidelines. These included live timetables, membership options; a chat function for those visitors seeking additional, immediate support; the option to subscribe to a newsletter that integrated with Cyclopark’s Mailchimp marketing automation tool; and a fully bookable online system.

In addition, employing data driven strategies using the wealth of CRM data, online sources and behavioural insights, Legend implemented a range of customer journeys, aimed at increasing customer retention and cross- and up-sell opportunities. Different communication channels including email and text messaging were also considered to optimise engagement. Not only are the journeys automated as far as possible, saving time, but they can also be adapted to respond to customer engagement. This approach maximises the effectiveness of messages, making sure customers receive them at exactly the right time and with the most appropriate information.

Capturing prospect data from the website also allows opportunities for retargeting customers with abandoned baskets to ensure that no customer goes unnoticed.

“Legend’s engagement has been second to none,” Lenette says. “The solution they have developed looks and feels fresh. The website offers everything we – and more importantly, our customers – wanted, and we are now making the best use of the data we have for everyone’s benefit. Moreover, with deadlines to get the new website live looming, we trusted that Legend had our best interests at heart – and the support they have offered us throughout this project has proven that to be the case.”

Conclusion
Cyclopark’s new website and customer journeys went live in July 2016. Since then, website traffic has increased substantially. Users are up 28 per cent compared to the same time last year, sessions are up 33 per cent and page views are up 57 per cent. Online bookings have increased by 40 per cent, demonstrating that customers are now able to view live activity timetables and book online much more easily than before.

“Although it’s too early to measure the impact on customer retention and average usage, automated data driven customer journeys using email, text and the website, all support our overall customer strategies – improving service, improving retention and increasing usage. And it’s largely due to Legend that we have been able to achieve this,” Lenette concludes.

Ingrid Hay, director, Legend Leisure Services, adds: “In today’s increasingly competitive environment, in order to truly engage prospects and customers, a website needs to tell a story from first view.

"Moreover, customer journeys need to be seamlessly woven together so that each touchpoint and message is relevant and consistent. We are very pleased to have been able to work in such close collaboration with Cyclopark to deliver these solutions, and are delighted with the business benefits already being achieved.”