Before booking a campsite, RVers check online reviews, just like when choosing a hotel or restaurant. For campgrounds and RV parks, these reviews act as trusted word-of-mouth recommendations that heavily influence decisions. In fact, according to multiple hospitality research studies, 81%–97% of travelers read reviews before booking accommodations, highlighting the critical role of reviews in the decision-making process for campers.
To get more reviews, campgrounds need a clear system to request them.
As full-time RVers since 2018, we’ve navigated many review sites and know what builds confidence or causes hesitation. Campgrounds with few or negative reviews raise doubts about the experience and can impact a guest’s decision. With 51% of campers preferring to book their campsite online, the influence of reviews on their choices has increased significantly, making online reputation management essential for campgrounds.
You don’t need a complicated website; just clear info and plenty of glowing reviews from happy campers. Reviews are vital not only for attracting guests but also for building trust and credibility in a competitive market.
Guests who have a great time are more likely to leave positive reviews, which boosts your reputation and search visibility.
Actively gathering reviews for your campground isn’t just smart; it’s essential.
Your online reputation is often the first impression potential guests have. Reviews build confidence, and when potential campers read multiple reviews, they get a well-rounded understanding of what to expect from a campground, as reviews often contain detailed descriptions of personal experiences, highlighting both positives and negatives.
Here’s what we’re going to cover:
- Where to collect reviews (Google)
- How to make it as easy as possible for guests to leave a review
- How to incentivize your staff to ask for reviews
- Where to display those reviews for maximum exposure (hint: Your website home page can automatically refresh new Google reviews)
- How to respond to negative reviews so they look positive to the reader
81% of RVers will check your website before booking. THAT’s where you need to show your reviews
Where to Collect Campground Reviews
We suggest our clients prioritize Google reviews. That’s the search engine most people are checking on the way to your website, and the most recognizable when displayed on your home page. It’s easier to give one spot where you’re asking guests to leave a review than give them a list of options.
Additionally, you’ll also want to set a weekly reminder to check and respond to your RV park reviews on:
Despite asking for reviews on Google, guests will often leave reviews other places. Set a weekly reminder to check and respond to all of your reviews here.
- TripAdvisor
- Yelp
- RV Life
- Campendium
- Good Sam
- The Dyrt
- Other sites that your campers mention finding you
Why Positive Reviews Matter More Than Ever for Campgrounds and RV Parks
In today’s fast-paced digital world, online reviews are crucial for campground success. They build trust by showcasing authentic guest experiences and reassure potential visitors that your park delivers quality and amenities.
Positive reviews boost your search engine rankings, helping your campground appear higher in results for queries like “campground near me” or “best RV parks in [area].” This makes reviews a powerful local SEO tool that drives organic traffic and bookings.
Reviews with a photo and text are considered “more valuable” by Google than just a 5-star rating.
Happy campers leave great reviews. Don’t forget to ask them!
Reviews also serve as ongoing feedback, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.
Ignoring them means missing out on valuable insights and opportunities to enhance your reputation and attract more happy campers. Ultimately, reviews are essential for building a trustworthy, visible, and profitable campground business.
Look for opportunities to improve your guest’s experience with key phrases like “I was expecting A, but I experienced B,” or “I was no expecting…” – this shows where expectations are not matching experience.
Why Most Campgrounds Struggle to Get Reviews
Campground owners often wonder why happy campers don’t leave reviews. The main reasons are simple: many campgrounds don’t ask, and the review process can be too complicated.
Owners may feel awkward asking for reviews, fearing they seem pushy (or that they’re asking guests to leave a review to stroke their ego), but most guests appreciate a polite prompt at the right time. Without asking, positive feedback often goes unshared, leaving review profiles sparse or filled with only the people who have something negative to say.
Complicated review steps discourage guests; if it’s hard to find the right platform or log in, many won’t follow through. This is why prioritizing Google reviews has been a win for our campground website clients – it’s simple and many people are familiar with Google reviews already.
Also, unhappy guests tend to be more motivated to post reviews, which can skew perceptions if not balanced by positive feedback. While a great stay speaks volumes, digital platforms require active encouragement to turn positive experiences into reviews.
Simple Strategies to Get More Reviews for Your Campground
Now that we understand why getting reviews can be challenging, let’s talk about actionable, easy-to-implement strategies that can make a real difference for your campground reviews.
Here’s a secret: making the process effortless and timing your review request just right is crucial to getting more reviews. The key is to be proactive, make the process effortless for your guests, and integrate review requests seamlessly into their overall experience. Remember, most campers want to share their positive experiences; they just need a little prompting and a clear path to do so.
Just Ask For Campground Reviews; It’s That Simple (sort of)
This might sound incredibly obvious, but the most effective strategy is quite simply to ask your guests to leave a review. A friendly, direct request can work wonders.
Train your staff – from the front desk to the maintenance team – to mention it during check-in or check-out conversations. You can also write a personal message or note to guests, thanking them for their stay and kindly requesting that they write a review about their experience.
A simple phrase like, “We’re so glad you enjoyed your stay! If you have a moment, we’d be grateful if you could share your experience on Google with a photo. It really helps other RVers find us,” can be incredibly effective.
Incentivize your staff with a goal for reviews so they remember to ask. If we hit 10 new reviews this month on Google, everyone will get a $20 coffee gift card, and if we hit 20 new reviews, we’ll order in pizza for lunch.
The following month, set the goal a bit higher than what was achieved. If your campground got 12 reviews, then set the goal at 14.
Make It Ridiculously Easy to Leave a Review
Once you’ve asked, make leaving a review as easy as possible. Provide direct links to your preferred review platforms so guests don’t have to search for your campground.
Sending an email or text with a link that opens straight to your Google Business Profile’s review form works best. You can also include a prominent button on your website or in your emails that directs guests to your review page, making it even easier for them to leave feedback.
You can also use a QR code on a flyer in the welcome packet or near the office linking directly to your review page. The simpler the process, the more likely guests will follow through.
Time Your Ask Perfectly
The timing of your request can significantly impact its success. The best time to ask for a review is when your guests are feeling most positive about their stay. This might be during check-out, especially if they’ve expressed satisfaction with their experience.
A large printed QR code sittting on the front desk that links to your google reviews is low friction. When they scan the QR code and leave the review, give
Use Follow-Up Emails or Texts After Checkout
A follow-up communication is a fantastic way to catch guests who might have been too busy to leave a review immediately. A day or two after they’ve checked out, send them an email or text thanking them for their stay and including those direct links to review sites. Add a simple call-to-action line, such as “We’d love to hear about your experience—please leave us a review,” to encourage guests to share their feedback.
This re-engages them while their positive memories are still fresh. Frame it as a way to help other campers plan their trips.
Some parks we’ve visited even include a small incentive, like a discount on their next stay for leaving a review (though this should be handled carefully to comply with platform guidelines – platforms often allow you to incentivize leaving a review, but you’re not allowed to incentivize some regarding the content of their review).
“Leave a review today with a picture from your visit, and on your next visit, your first bundle of firewood is on us” is acceptable, but “Give us a 5-star positive review, and then we’ll thank you with a free bundle of firewood” is not.
Create Physical Reminders Around Your Park
A small, nicely designed card or flyer in the welcome packet, placed on their campsite table upon arrival, or available at the office can serve as a prompt. Include your park’s name, a thank-you for staying, a note on how to get in touch after hours, and direct links or QR codes to your preferred review platforms.
Place a sign with a QR code that takes people to your Google Reviews. On the sign, print off someone’s actual review where they left 5 stars and a photo to serve as an example. Post these in high-traffic areas like the camp store, pool patio, or common areas can also catch people’s attention.
It’s about keeping the idea of leaving a review top-of-mind in a non-intrusive way for your RV park reviews.
Leverage Your Website as a Review Funnel
Dedicate a clear, easy-to-find section on your site for testimonials or reviews.
From there, link directly to your review profiles on Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor, or any other relevant platforms. You can even embed a feed of your latest reviews on your homepage or a dedicated “Reviews” page (something that is standard on all of our campground website client home pages).
These review links need to be prominent and easily clickable, especially on your mobile-responsive site, so visitors can immediately go from reading about your park to sharing their own positive experiences.
For all of our campground website packages, new Google reviews automatically show up on the home page of the website, so you don’t have to check and copy and paste new reviews each month.
How you respond to negative reviews for your campground is more important than the review itself
How to Handle Negative Reviews (Without Losing Your Cool)
Encountering a negative review can feel like a punch to the gut, especially when you’ve worked hard to make your campground great. It’s normal to feel defensive, but how you respond matters more than the review itself for potential guests reading them.
Few businesses get perfect five-star ratings, and balanced, constructive reviews actually build trust. The goal isn’t zero negatives but managing them professionally.
When a negative review appears, take a moment before responding.
Try to identify the guest and issue privately. Then, respond publicly with empathy and without defensiveness.
- Start by thanking the guest and acknowledging their feedback, for example: “Thank you for sharing your feedback, [Guest Name]. We’re sorry your experience didn’t meet expectations regarding [specific issue].”
- Briefly address the concern or explain steps you’ll take to improve. If a guest complained about noise, you might say, “We strive to provide a peaceful environment for all our guests and will be reviewing our quiet hours enforcement with our staff.”
- Avoid arguing or making excuses. The purpose of your response is not to win an argument with the reviewer, but to show potential guests reading the reviews that you care, you listen, and you’re committed to improving.
- Offering to discuss the matter further offline can also be a good strategy: “We’d appreciate the opportunity to discuss this further with you directly. Please feel free to contact us at [phone number/email].” This shows you’re proactive and willing to make things right.
Potential campers reading your reviews don’t expect your park to be perfect, but they hope that if something didn’t go quite right, you’re making an effort to communicate and resolve the concern.
How Your RV Park Website Plays a Role in Getting More Campground Reviews
Your website is more than just a digital brochure; it’s a central hub for engaging with current and potential guests, and it should play an active role in your strategy to get more reviews for your campground. By fostering a sense of community among your guests through your website, you encourage them to share their experiences and leave reviews.
This is why it’s important that your website is designed by RVers who understand what other RVers are looking for. Here’s how to choose a website designer for your campground.
A well-designed, mobile-responsive website makes it significantly easier for happy campers to share their positive experiences. If your site is difficult to navigate on a phone, takes forever to load, or if booking and contact information is hard to find, a guest who’s had a wonderful stay might simply give up before even thinking about leaving a review because the overall digital experience was frustrating.
Here’s how to find out how your website is performing on phones.
Summary: Get more reviews; Campground & RV Park Edition
- Online reviews are crucial for building trust and influencing booking decisions for campgrounds and RV parks.
- Positive reviews significantly boost local SEO rankings, making your park more visible in search results.
- The most common reasons for a lack of reviews: Not asking and making the process too difficult.
- Actively asking for reviews, providing direct links, and timing your request correctly can dramatically increase review volume.
- Create a weekly reminder to check and respond to all reviews – positive and negative.
- Handling negative reviews professionally – with empathy and a commitment to improvement – can actually enhance your credibility. Remember that campers are more interested in how you respond to a review than the review itself.
- A mobile-responsive website is essential for making it easy for guests to leave reviews from any device. How to check if your website is optimized for mobile.
- If you don’t have your Google reviews displayed on your home page, contact our team and we’d be happy to take a look at your website.
Ready to turn happy campers into glowing online reviews?
A website designed for success makes all the difference. Visit campgroundwebsites.com to explore how our $0 upfront, full mobile-responsive website service can help your campground attract more guests and build an unbeatable online reputation. Let’s get your park the reviews it deserves!
