It’s Thursday evening. A parent is sitting on the couch, scrolling their phone, trying to figure out what to do with the family this weekend. The zoo? The aquarium? The children’s museum? The trampoline park? Stay home and save the money?
This moment — the consideration moment — is where your attraction wins or loses. And most attractions have no presence in it whatsoever.
The Decision Funnel Has Changed
Ten years ago, family outings were driven by habit and proximity. You went to the nearest zoo because it was the zoo. Today, families have more options than ever, and the decision is increasingly made digitally. Google searches, social media posts, review sites, and word-of-mouth in parent groups all influence the choice.
The attractions winning this moment share three characteristics: they’re visible, they’re specific, and they make the decision easy.
Visibility: Being Top of Mind
The attraction that comes to mind first has an enormous advantage. This is where ongoing digital engagement pays dividends far beyond its direct impact. A parent who received a push notification Tuesday about new baby animals at the zoo is thinking about the zoo on Thursday evening. A parent who hasn’t heard from the aquarium since their last visit three months ago has probably forgotten about it.
Social media helps, but it’s unreliable — algorithms decide who sees your posts. Push notifications and email reach your audience directly, making them the most reliable tools for staying top of mind between visits.
Specificity: Answering “What’s There to Do?”
The generic pitch — “Come visit our zoo!” — doesn’t work because it doesn’t answer the question the parent is actually asking. They know you’re a zoo. What they want to know is: what’s happening this weekend specifically that makes it worth the drive, the parking, and the $80 their family of four will spend?
The winning message is specific: “This weekend: Keeper talks at the new gorilla habitat, face painting at the Nature Play area, and the last weekend of our butterfly garden before it closes for the season.” That message gives a parent three concrete reasons to choose your attraction over the couch.
Ease: Removing the Friction
Even after a family decides to visit, friction can kill the plan. “How much does it cost? Do we need tickets in advance? Where do we park? What time does it open? Will it be crowded? Is there food my picky eater will eat?”
Every unanswered question is a reason to default to the easier option: staying home. The attractions that convert intent into visits are the ones that answer every question before it’s asked. Mobile apps, updated websites, and proactive communication eliminate the research burden and make saying “yes” effortless.
The Post-Visit Flywheel
The decision to visit next time starts during this visit. A family that has a seamless, well-organized experience — easy parking, a helpful app, shows that run on time, food that’s easy to find — files your attraction in the “easy yes” category. Next Thursday evening, you’re the first option, not the last.
Conversely, a single frustrating experience — a confusing layout, a show that was canceled with no notice, a 45-minute food line — can permanently move you to the “maybe never again” category. The stakes of every visit are higher than they appear.
Competing on Experience, Not Just Attractions
Here’s the insight that separates growing attractions from stagnant ones: families aren’t choosing between your animals and someone else’s animals. They’re choosing between experiences. The attraction that’s easiest to visit, most communicative, and most respectful of their time and money wins — regardless of whether they have pandas or penguins.
The technology to deliver that experience is available to every attraction, at every budget level. The question is whether you’ll be the one your community’s families choose this weekend.