Lee Helms is seeing business coming back, and a good source has been BusRates.com.
“I’ve been on BusRates for a lot of years and, about four months ago, Roxana revamped my whole program,” Helms said. “We are getting so much more traffic off the internet now.”
Helms, owner of Sunway Charters in Charlotte, North Carolina, shared his experience in a video recorded during the 2021 UMA Motorcoach EXPO in Orlando, Florida. The video also featured Roxana Melgar, General Manager of BusRates.com, and Larry Killingsworth, CEO and President of United Motorcoach Association.
Advertise and market
Helms also has increased his chances for landing that business by uploading captivating photos of his motorcoaches with descriptive captions and responding quickly to inquiries.
“That’s key to it,” Helms said. “You have to advertise and market your service” on BusRates.com.
BusRates features each of Sunway Charters’ four locations, and requests for services are funneled to the correct facility so staff can respond quickly.
“It’s a great tool, and we are getting a lot of response from the website now,” Helms said.
BusRates.com evolves
BusRates.com has evolved based on the feedback of UMA operators, Melgar said. The online directory is only for operators who have their own buses and equipment to ensure that operators deal directly with potential clients.
“It is really easy to use and doesn’t take long to set up,” Melgar said. “You have an opportunity to have an online presence in all the areas you can serve.”
Those searching for buses will find BusRates.com at the top of their search lists. That’s because of a major investment in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for the website, she said.
“It’s not pay-per-click, it’s a subscription model, which in today’s world means you can customize it to exactly which markets you want to target,” Killingsworth said.
Reactivated billing
The BusRates flat-fee subscription lets operators choose the payment frequency — monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
BusRates.com reactivated billing in March after fees were on hold for a year during the pandemic. The website is offering 50% off its regular rate until May 31 for those who renew their subscription.
You can learn more about BusRates.com by reaching out to Roxana Melgar at info@busrates.com.
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Updated BusRates.com generates leads with higher web traffic