This article was written as we entered the 10th week of lockdown measures in the UK, and summarises our experiences, findings and observations as we continue to run our entertainment websites as close to normally as possible.
Effect on website visitor counts
Prior to lockdown we had been enjoying a small increase of website visitors compared to 2019 - thanks to our continued efforts in SEO and other initiatives to reach more people. In late March when lockdown was announced and everyone was told to stay home, we expected the worst but in reality visitors have remained extremely buoyant and are averaging almost double 2019's figures. We suspect that much of this is due to folks having more time on their hands and casually browsing the web, but when we dig a little deeper we can also see that the routes visitors take through the websites suggest that many are trying to rearrange previously cancelled or postponed events.
The last few weeks since the initial easing of lockdown restrictions started, we have seen the visitor counts stabilising somewhat and are currently running on average at around twice the 2019 levels. Our advertisers are therefore seeing twice as many eyes on their details than a year ago.
Effect on website enquiries (leads)
Again, prior to lockdown we'd been seeing a strong increase of leads compared to 2019 - running at an average of around 2.5 times the previous year, but as soon as lockdown was announced this, expectedly, fell dramatically to virtually nil and then recovered slightly in April to run at around one third of 2019s rates. With venues closed indefinitely and many thousands of weddings and events cancelled or postponed, this was understandable.
During May, however, after a few days where enquiry levels almost recovered to 2019 levels, the daily average has now settled for a while at around the 50% mark compared to a year ago.
To summarise then, whilst we are currently seeing around twice the number of site visitors, we are generating around half the number of enquiries compared to a year ago, which is why we are rebating 50% of your subscription.
The types of enquiries coming through
As you might expect, the types of mobile disco enquiries coming through recently have tended to be mainly for weddings in the 2021/2022 seasons, and a higher-than-usual number of midweek events suggesting that a lot of these are from people rearranging their dates. There is a sprinkling of other types of events, but in the main no-one is hosting birthday parties or school discos right now and this is completely understandable.
What we have seen is quite a few requests for garden parties (yes, during lockdown), "lockdown ending" parties without a firm date, and New Years Eve.
One positive metric is that the proportion of enquiries going on to be firm bookings has increased dramatically over the last couple of months from around 55% to almost 80%. This shows that the people who are requesting information are those that are more serious about their events.
What's happening with venues?
It was widely feared at the beginning of lockdown that many entertainment venues wouldn't survive, however we've been speaking informally to quite a few owners and managers whilst updating their listings and in the main there is great optimism thanks to the various government support schemes put in place. Most pubs and bars have seen significant grants being issued, deferral of business rates and of course the furlough scheme enabling them to more or less cancel their staffing bills when combined are proving to be keeping places in hiatus ready for reopening.
The main concern just now is around the length of time they may need to remain closed still, followed by a combination of enforced reductions in trade due to social distancing requirements and voluntary reductions in trade as customers elect to stay away either because of fears of contracting the virus in crowded spaces or due to a tightening of the purse strings due to layoffs and redundancies in their own sectors.
At present many venues are gearing up for a partial reopening in early July to catch some of the pent-up summer demand, however this looks like it may only serve well those venues with outdoor spaces, and the larger indoor venues that can provide sufficient socially-distanced tables to make the footfall worth opening for. One concern for gatherings is that venues will forego dancefloor spaces and function rooms, turning these into social spaces at the expense of one-off events.
We continue to monitor the situation regularly and will update our news articles as things unfold. In the meantime, for all days where the new enquiry count remains below the level seen on the same date in 2019, we are rebating our members 50% of their daily subscription equivalent via Site Credits, effectively letting you use the website at half price. When these credits amount to more than one month's subscription, your end date is being automatically extended. We are also extending PAT proof for members that had valid PAT on file as at 23rd March until 30th June so you can keep your DJmark, and if your PLI has expired during lockdown as you have no need to renew it just yet, we can also help keep this active for you.