Marketing Insights
2024 has come and gone , and our Marketing team has brought together an update on several key performance metrics for the year — results we are particularly proud to share with you now . We continue to be pleased with the progress we have seen with the new website over the past year , and we ’ re looking forward to reviewing how it performs in Q1 in comparison to the same post-launch timeframe in 2024 . While Q4 is historically a slower season in terms of Bookings and Occupancy on the Gulf Coast , several campaigns launched in Q4 targeting past and repeat guests have continued to drive bookings ahead of our busy 2025 Q1 season .
Performance Metrics Overall website traffic for the year remained strong throughout 2024 despite the softer vacation rental market we ’ re seeing nationally , as well as here on the Gulf Coast . We increased total website views by 15 % year-over-year , growing from 7.7 million to 8.9 million views , with visitors noticeably staying longer on the site and engaging with more content compared to our old website in past years . Views per user grew by 35 % — from 5 to 7 pageviews per visitor , leading to higher revenue on our website . Total revenue generated on our website increased by 27 % YOY .
Direct traffic , Organic Search , and Organic Social continue to be the main drivers for guests looking to vacation on the Gulf Coast . The effectiveness of all three efforts is reflective of the brand recognition of 360 Blue in a softer market . Local tourism board data continues to show guests have a strong interest in traveling to the Gulf Coast communities . That said , we , as well as the local tourism boards , continue to see the growing trend of shorter stays outside of the once-standard 7-night minimum stay during peak seasons and major holidays . Additionally , requests for “ discounts and deals ” on stays have increased both in online and phone inquiries relative to the current economic market . Also of interest , the Tourism Board for South Walton recently released the results of its study that puts the total number of active vacation rental properties that operate year-round across Walton County at 19,033 ( as of Dec . 1 , 2024 ).
To help mitigate the effect of the growing number of vacation home rentals on the Gulf Coast , we focused on targeted marketing efforts throughout 2024 . This resulted in significant growth in both key digital platforms and emerging platforms . Social media growth and email database growth were key focal points , delivering a 13.6 % increase in followers and boosting our total to 127,210 followers on social . Our search campaigns also saw a significant improvement , with a 52 % increase in click-through rates ( CTR )— 180 % higher than the travel industry average of 5 %. Additionally , our social ads CTR also grew by 9 % year-over-year , which means they are now performing 90 % higher than the travel industry average .
06 360 BLUE • 2024 ANNUAL REVIEW