MARKETING

January Website Stats:

  • Users & Page Views: 
    • Users who visited the site in January were mostly females (63.6%), ages 55-64 (27.9%) and new visitors (82.3%). While New Visitors and Returning Visitors both exhibited increases, New Visitors had the larger increase at 184.8%.
    • Month over month, acquisitions continued to exhibit considerable increases – with Sessions increasing by 81%, Users increasing by 92% and Pageviews increasing by 91.9%. Pages per Session increased by 6%, Average Session Duration increased by 12.3% and Bounce Rate improved by 5.1%.
    • The concurring increases in both acquisitions and engagements suggest that the newly acquired visitors are largely staying on the site and engaging with the content.
  • Geography:
    • Texas delivered the most Sessions this month, followed by Illinois and Georgia, respectively, with Illinois having the largest increase of +123.6%.
    • Sessions in Chicago and Dallas-Ft. Worth surpassed Atlanta this month, making Chicago the metro area with the most visits to the site. Major increases were observed across all major cities this month with the largest increases happening in Houston (+141.2%), Chicago (+134.8%) and Cincinnati (+119.8%).
  • Top Areas viewing our site: Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, and St. Louis. The number of Sessions for St. Louis was up 118% from December, suggesting this may be an emerging market.
  • The most viewed pages:
    • The most viewed pages in January were the Home page followed by the Plan Your Trip page and the Rosemary Beach neighborhood page. Pageviews in general exhibited an 88.8% increase this month with the largest increases seen for the Plan Your Trip page which increased by 1,365%. Most of the Pageviews for the Plan Your Trip page came from Facebook ads. Out of the top 10 viewed pages, the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa page had the longest Average Time on Page. This high level of engagement combined with the high Entrance and Exit rates suggests that users were primarily being sent to the page instead of finding the page organically, and the users that were sent to the page largely stayed on the page and consumed the content.
  • BookDirect had 127.3% more overall clicks than the previous month, with the most clicks coming from the Home page widget (+94.6%), followed by clicks on the "STAY" link from the main navigation pane (+183.7%) and then clicks on the Build My Trip button from the widget on the Plan Your Trip page (+286.4%). BookDirect clicks were consistent throughout the month except for a surge of traffic on January 14th from msn.com referrals.


Print Publications:
Visit South Walton has officially launched three new publications, VISIT, STAY and Perfect. For those who are familiar with our annual Visitor Guide, we are changing things up a bit. VISIT will be a revamped version of our Visitor Guide, complete with features on the South Walton culinary scene, lifestyle, events and outdoor exploration. STAY is going to showcase our diverse collection of accommodations, in addition to annual events and the different ways you can "stay" in South Walton. Perfect celebrates the businesses and events that were honored as our 2020 Perfect in South Walton Award winners. 

These publications will complete our exciting new lineup of print products which are available for our partners to share with their guests and patrons. In addition to VISIT and STAY, we have these supplemental pieces. 

  • SCENE: Beyond the beach, South Walton is known for a diverse collection of art galleries and lively musicians. Scene is a showcase of all things arts and culture. 
  • FOREVER: Say "I Do" in South Walton. Forever is your guide to weddings in South Walton. Learn about the variety of venues available and all of the ways you can create lasting memories on your big day. 
  • EXPLORE: With more than 200 miles of hiking and biking trails, and 40 percent of the land in South Walton preserved, Explore is exactly what you need to get out and explore nature, from hiking and biking to stand-up paddleboards and kayaking. 
  • SAVOR: Foodies, rejoice. Savor is our spotlight on all things culinary in South Walton, from waterfront and fine dining to coastal casual eats and full restaurant listings. 

 

 



Interested in our free guides? We'd love for you to share these with your guests. We've lifted the limit on the number of guides we can now distribute. Contact Industry Relations Specialist Lisa Foster at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com for more information. 

BookDirect Accommodations Search Engine: 
Visit South Walton has partnered with BookDirect to provide accommodation partners with the ability to display real-time rates and availability on visitsouthwalton.com. Our Partner Extranet does not sync with the BookDirect platform at this time. Please email Haley@visitsouthwalton.com to add or update a rental property listing.

To view the BookDirect user interface and its functionality, please visit the stay page of our website. If you need more information about BookDirect or signing up as a a South Walton partner, please contact Lisa Foster, industry relations specialist, at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com. 

Highlight your Special Events on the Visit South Walton Website:
There’s always something going on in South Walton. Beyond the sugar-white sand beach and turquoise water, endless events await. From wine tastings to art walks, farmers markets to half marathons, there’s never a dull moment. Check out our events page to browse the latest happenings or submit your own event to our calendar.

This Month's E-Newsletter: Our most recent edition showcases South Walton's walkability, where to find amazing oysters and why we're a year-round destination. Sign up here to follow all the tips and trip ideas we share with visitors each month.

 

 

 

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Visit South Walton
25777 US Hwy 331 S | Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
VisitSouthWalton.com | (850) 267-1216