ResmarkWeb Hosts Free Webinar for Tour Operators to Help Boost SEO with Social Media

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Released on Tuesday, 17 September 2024 13:31

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 17, 2024 – Tour operators and digital marketers are asked to mark their calendars. On Thursday, Sept. 19, Nikki DeSantis, Marketing Director at ResmarkWeb, will host a free webinar revealing how to leverage social media for SEO-driven results. This dynamic session will provide actionable strategies to increase engagement and grow your online presence.

“Struggling to stand out in a crowded online marketplace?” DeSantis asks and points out, “Tour operators who aren't maximizing their social media strategies are missing out on crucial opportunities to boost visibility, engagement and bookings."

Secure a spot now: The Ultimate Social Media Strategy Workshop for Tour Operators is scheduled for Sept. 19, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific Time.

Participants will gain expert insights on maximizing social media for better SEO outcomes, with tips tailored specifically for the tourism industry.

Key Takeaways:

• Master creating, optimizing and scheduling posts to maximize engagement.
• Discover top social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook, ideal for tour operators.
• Learn practical strategies for finding influencers and building an engaged audience.
• Gain tips on balancing time management with impactful social media practices.
• Understand the nuanced connection between social media efforts and SEO results.
• Explore essential metrics for measuring success, including impressions, engagement and follower growth.

About Nikki DeSantis:

Nikki DeSantis began her marketing journey at 19, launching a successful travel blog. After earning her MBA, she focused on helping small businesses grow through organic marketing strategies. Now at ResmarkWeb, she builds successful social media strategies that drive engagement and sales for clients.

About ResmarkWeb:

Founded in 2021, ResmarkWeb helps tour operators and businesses optimize their digital presence with powerful website design, SEO, and paid advertising services. Our mission is to help clients achieve their sales and growth goals through a stronger online presence. Learn more at ResmarkWeb.com or call 435-268-3747.

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Media Contact Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins: 720.301.3822 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UnTours Foundation's Reset Tourism Fund Raises $1.5 Million Ahead of Schedule to Support Changemaking Tourism Businesses

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Released on Friday, 13 September 2024 10:32

MEDIA, PA, Sept. 11, 2024-- The UnTours Foundation is thrilled to announce that the Reset Tourism Fund has surpassed its Phase One fundraising goal, raising $1.5 million from a coalition of key partners in the travel industry to support changemaking small tourism businesses. Together these funding partners enable the Reset Tourism Fund to provide access to the kind of flexible and affordable capital that innovative entrepreneurs need to grow and expand their positive impact in communities across the world.

Reset Tourism Fund:Partners Leading the Way

This significant milestone demonstrates a collective commitment among travel industry leaders to build a more inclusive and sustainable future for tourism. Surpassing this goal would not have been possible without the support of the Reset Tourism Fund’s visionary community of industry-leading funding partners, whose contributions have had a major impact on small tourism businesses around the world:

• Expedia Group
• MaCher
• TUI Care Foundation
• EXO Foundation
• Skyscanner

The Reset Tourism Fund has already deployed over $700,000 in capital, making 30 investments to a diverse range of small tourism businesses that prioritize accessibility, inclusion, community impact and environmental regeneration.

On reaching this fundraising goal, Jonathan Coleman (Co-CEO of the UnTours Foundation), says: “We are so proud to have created something that has already achieved resonance across the tourism industry. Our incredible partners have confirmed that there is real interest in supporting the tourism businesses who make up the backbone of the industry and who represent the brightest future of travel.”

Partners like Expedia Group have supported the Reset Tourism Fund as part of their broader leadership in the travel industry around critical topics. Aditi Mohapatra (Vice President, Global Social Impact & Sustainability at Expedia Group) says, “Creating inclusive travel experiences is critical for the travel industry and requires collective action. Expedia Group is committed to supporting an improved and equitable experience, and our partnership with the Reset Tourism Fund enables us to support numerous local travel providers innovating to offer more inclusive opportunities.”

Kapawi Ecolodge: A Reset Tourism Fund Investee in the Amazon

One of the many inspiring stories from the Reset Tourism Fund’s portfolio is that of Kapawi Ecolodge, an award-winning ecotourism lodge deep within the Ecuadorian Amazon. As a 100% Indigenous-owned enterprise, Kapawi represents how the people of the Achuar indigenous communities chose their own path for economic development through sustainable tourism rooted in their cultural heritage and harmony with the natural world.

Every aspect of Kapawi reflects a commitment to preserve the Achuar’s traditional way of life, protect their ancestral lands and to celebrate their culture. The lodge operates entirely on solar power and is built using traditional materials and methods, blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment and preserving the biodiversity of the Amazon through its operations. It is a hub of cultural exchange and learning where visitors engage with the Achuar people, learn about their traditions and witness firsthand the wisdom that has been passed down through generations. Perhaps most importantly, Kapawi provides local employment and economic opportunities, ensuring that the Achuar Nation can support itself for generations to come and direct profits back into their local communities to fund education, healthcare and infrastructure projects.

The Reset Tourism Fund has provided Kapawi with the funding needed to construct a new family bungalow, which will expand its capacity to welcome more visitors seeking immersive and transformative travel experiences.

On the support from the Reset Tourism Fund, Juan Carlos Garcia, General Coordinator of Kapawi, shared: “The help received from the UnTours Foundation has played a key role in helping Kapawi Ecolodge expand its network, adapt to new travel trends and improve our experience for families traveling with young children as well as for all future clients. We see this investment as the start of a long-term collaboration with the UnTours Foundation that will help develop an entire indigenous ecotourism region in the Amazon basin of Ecuador.”

Other investments from the Reset Tourism Fund have ranged from supporting the growth of sustainability-focused study abroad programs for students and young professionals (The GREEN Program), investing in the first Black-owned hostel in the United States (Wanderstay), helping finance the rebuild of an ecolodge in Zambia that burned down in a fire (Taita Falcon Lodge), funding a community-based ecotourism enterprise in Rwanda (Red Rocks Rwanda) and creating a regenerative tourism trekking initiative in Bali (Astungkara Way).

Reset Tourism Fund: Looking Ahead

As the UnTours Foundation and its partners celebrate this milestone for the Reset Tourism Fund, they are also looking ahead to the ultimate goal of raising $10 million for the fund.

Derek Hydon (Founder of MaCher) invites others to join his company in supporting the Reset Tourism Fund: "We hope we can encourage everyone in travel and tourism to think, no matter the amount, how becoming a funding partner directly helps underserved communities and its businesses gain a more equitable share of the tourism ecosystem, responsibly developing the collective wealth of the industry through strategic investments.”

The door is open for travel businesses, foundations and individuals to join the Reset Tourism Fund’s journey to continue supporting high-impact tourism businesses that are paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable future for the tourism industry.

About the UnTours Foundation

The UnTours Foundation was born out of the slow travel company, UnTours. Amongst other claims to fame, UnTours was the world’s first-ever Certified B Corporation. Since 1993, 100% of the profits from UnTours have been donated to support the work of the foundation. In 2016, the foundation became the sole shareholder of UnTours. UnTours Foundation uses the profits from UnTours and donations from generous funding partners and donors to provide flexible and affordable investments into changemaking businesses, helping to grow over 350 businesses with over $10 million of transformative capital in its 30-year history.

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For more information or to become a Reset Tourism Fund partner, please contact:

Jonathan Coleman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Photo Credit: © Jake Matthews | Kapawi Ecolodge

ResmarkWeb Launches Free Comprehensive Digital Marketing Guide for Tour Operators

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Released on Thursday, 01 August 2024 11:03

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, Aug. 1, 2024 – ResmarkWeb proudly announces the release of its new 90-page DIY Guide to Online Marketing for Tour Operators. This comprehensive resource is tailored specifically to help small businesses in the tourism industry enhance their direct bookings through smart, targeted marketing strategies. The guide is available for free download at ResmarkWeb Online Marketing Guide for Tour Operators.

Nikki DeSantis, Marketing Director at Resmark, WaiverSign and ResmarkWeb, led the creation of this guide, aiming to empower tour operators with the tools and knowledge to expand their customer base.

"This guide is crafted by tour operators, for tour operators," said DeSantis. "We hope it not only assists businesses in boosting their online presence but also encourages them to consider partnering with our tourism marketing agency. However, even if they choose to go it alone, we’ve done the legwork by identifying the best digital marketing practices and providers."

The guide covers essential concepts such as SEO (search engine optimization) and leveraging social media to increase brand awareness. DeSantis emphasizes that the guide is accessible even for those new to digital marketing. "Our guide provides foundational knowledge along with actionable steps to help tour operators start making impactful changes to their marketing strategies," she explained.

Key Strategies Covered in the Guide:

• Building an Effective Website

The guide discusses choosing the right website builder, considering factors like technical expertise, budget and the need for design flexibility.

• Mastering SEO

With statistics indicating that four out of five consumers use search engines for local information, the guide details SEO strategies to enhance visibility and trustworthiness.

• Utilizing Organic Social Media

The importance of organic social media over paid ads is highlighted, encouraging businesses to engage actively with their audience.

• Enhancing Local Visibility with Google Business Profile

Tips on setting up and optimizing a Google Business Profile to improve local search presence.

• Creating Targeted Google Ads Campaigns

Strategies for developing effective Google Ads campaigns to reach specific audiences.

• Amplifying Brand Awareness with Facebook Ads

The guide underscores the value of combining organic social media with targeted Facebook ads for comprehensive digital marketing.

• Building Relationships Through Email Marketing

Practical advice on growing an email list and crafting compelling messages to drive engagement and conversions. The guide includes ideas such as hosting contests, utilizing liability waiver data and collaborating through referral programs.

DeSantis and her team invite tour operators to engage with them for further discussions and personalized advice. They offer free consultations and website reviews, which can be booked through the ResmarkWeb site.

About ResmarkWeb

ResmarkWeb offers tailored solutions for enhancing online presence, including website design packages, search engine optimization (SEO) services, and paid ads management. For more details on their services, visit ResmarkWeb or call 435-268-3747.

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Media Contact:

Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins: 720.301.3822 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Follow ResmarkWeb on Facebook,Twitter,YouTube, and Instagram.

Unlock the Power of Social Media: ResmarkWeb Reveals Six Secrets for Tour Operator Success

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Released on Tuesday, 11 June 2024 11:13

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, June 11, 2024 – To meet assorted challenges, the ancient Greeks conceived of uber-mortals each with 50 heads and 100 arms. Today’s overstretched tour operators might well wish for the kinds of efficiencies these creatures could bring to their tables.

“Wish no longer,” says Nikki Desantis, Marketing Director for ResmarkWeb. “Today’s digital capabilities, especially those available through social media, may well be the 21^st century’s version of multiple heads and arms.”

Before engaging with social media, she suggests that ResmarkWeb can begin journeys that elevate tour operations to new heights.

“We specialize in optimizing websites to guarantee that visitors arriving from social media encounter meticulously crafted and effortlessly navigable webpages for booking tours,” Desantis explains. “Then social media can help tour operators expand their reach.”

Learning how to navigate social media can be a game changer for a company’s business as she has outlined in a blog post: How to Leverage Social Media Marketing for Tour Operators.

Following are her guidelines for getting the most out of social media.

Know your audience. A well-understood audience is more likely to engage with your brand. To identify your audience, start by identifying the demographics of your customers. Some social media business pages can track data on users' age, location, interests, spending habits and other analytics to help understand your viewership and their online behavior.

Consider the type of content you want to post. Platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are ideal if your content is visually based. But there’s more space for engaging narratives or industry insights storytelling on Facebook and X. The key is to match your content's format and style with the platform that best amplifies its strengths. 

Create captivating content. It’s difficult to gain attention from social media platforms if your content is uninteresting to your audience. Craft your posts around their interests. For example, are your Instagram followers young and single, or are they middle-aged and married with children? A younger audience may be more interested in party-like gatherings and tours and content; others may be looking for family-friendly posts. Use high-quality images and videos to display your products or services. Add variety with different formats, like behind-the-scenes glimpses, tutorials or customer testimonials. Keep content fresh and relevant, and don't be afraid to show your brand's personality!

Choose social media platforms best suited to your business. You don't need to use every single platform to grow your business. In fact, if you spread yourself too thin and try to grow a presence on every site, you may grow tired and fall into the trap of simply over-reposting content across multiple platforms. While it's okay to share content between pages, remember that each platform has its own purpose. For example, posting a tweet as an Instagram caption might not do your content justice.

Consider hashtags and collaborations. The main purpose of social media accounts for businesses is to increase sales. This can best be done with a strong online presence. Hashtags can act as a means to drive users to your content. Consider using both popular and niche hashtags to both reach a large audience and target specific interests. Similarly, collaborations open doors to new followers and fresh content. If you partner with other big names and industry influencers, you can introduce your business to new communities. These collaborations often result in cross-promotion, which benefits all parties involved.

Budget for social media advertising. Social media advertising can help even the smallest of companies reach a large audience beyond your existing followers. Platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, have targeted ad options where you can tailor your marketing campaign to specific demographics, interests and behaviors. This means your ads reach people most likely to be interested in your services. Effective social media ads combine compelling visuals, engaging copy and clear calls to action. They can drive website traffic, boost sales or increase brand awareness.

Desantis has studied the social media platform field and recommends that tour operators consider the following channels.

• Instagram: People purchase with their eyes; Instagram is all about photo sharing. Capture the essence of your tours in photography and videography; then share your results on Instagram to draw users in.
• Facebook: This global gathering space engaging with a diverse audience is great for sharing detailed travel itineraries and customer reviews utilizing Facebook Groups and targeted ads.
• Snapchat: By creating a profile, you can post stories that are public to all users, regardless of whether they follow you or not. Sharing quick, unscripted videos of your tours adds a sense of reality to your business and makes you more relatable. 
• X (formerly known as Twitter): Within proscribed character limits you can share quick updates about your business, travel tips, fun stories,and witty remarks. Businesses frequently go viral on X for sharing engaging tweets, thus drawing more attention - and customers - to your company. 

ResmarkWeb offers three options for enhancing websites:

• Website only
• Website plus SEO
• Website plus SEO and Paid Ads

See tour operator website design packages

About ResmarkWeb

Founded in 2021 and based in Salt Lake City, Utah, ResmarkWeb’s mission is simple, “Helping Companies Succeed is in our DNA”. The company helps individuals and businesses find greater success in achieving their sales and growth goals. They believe that online presence is key to that success. They excel in creating beautiful websites and making sure the world not only sees them, but engages with them at a whole new level. For more information, visit https://www.resmarkweb.com/ or call 435-268-3747.

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Media Contact Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins: 720.301.3822 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

How to Double Trip Bookings - ResmarkWeb Outlines 10 “Musts” for Tour Operator Home Pages

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Released on Wednesday, 03 April 2024 11:43

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, April 3, 2024 – The home page counts. In fact, savvy tour operators may even double their bookings if they follow basic home page guidelines recommended by the experts at ResmarkWeb.

“As a tour operator, you want your website to be engaging and trustworthy and to capture potential customers. This means your pages must have a clean and compelling design, be easily readable, and quickly navigable while representing what you have to offer,” underscores Nikki Desantis, ResmarkWeb’s Marketing Director.

DeSantis predicts that enhanced booking successes will follow if the tour operator's home page includes the following 10 elements:

1.           Engaging Branding and Color Scheme– Create a consistent visual appeal by harnessing the power of imagery with a recognizable logo and the use of color to evoke desired emotions.

2.           Clear and Concise Heading– Choose words that grab the attention of visitors and compel them to explore further. Tie the heading to the deepest emotional needs of your visitors.

3.           Representative Images– Select high-quality, authentic pictures that will evoke emotions. Invest in professional photography if necessary. A stunning image will pay for itself over and over.

4.           Easy-to-Navigate Menu– Start off on the right foot with visitors by providing an intuitive menu that allows the visitor to effortlessly find what they want. A well-structured menu will decrease bounce time and improve SEO by categorizing information logically, such as dividing tours by destination, type or duration. It should be intuitive, with clear labels and a straightforward layout visible on both desktop and mobile devices. Dropdown menus may be useful for subcategories as well.

5.           Search Functionality– Save visitors time and effort by providing a clear path so they can quickly locate specific tours, destinations or information. Position search features prominently and consistently and ensure that the search feature returns well-organized results that filter for dates, locations, or other characteristic information that can further streamline the search process.

6.           Information About Your Business– Build trust with visitors by providing a company history. Explain why the company is unique in the industry. In addition to the company’s expertise and experience, create deeper connections with visitors by sharing the company’s business values and mission. If possible, share how the business is giving back to the community. This information reassures visitors of a company’s authenticity and commitment to delivering exceptional travel experiences.

7.           Trust Badges and Certifications– Display industry accreditations, awards, professional affiliations, and traveler review ratings from well-known platforms to establish credibility and build confidence with potential customers.

8.           Social Proof– Testimonials from satisfied customers are powerful endorsements that add a layer of trust and authenticity, more effectively swaying decision-making than standard, biased company marketing content.

9.           Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons– Whether booking a tour, requesting information or signing up for a newsletter, the call to action that increases user engagements and conversion rates should be clear, concise and action-oriented, visually striking in contrasting colors and placed strategically on the page to catch the user's attention.

10.       Contact Information and Live Chat– Ensure phone numbers, emails, and physical addresses are easy to find. Real-time communications with live chat options enhance user experience and increase the chances of conversion by providing timely and personalized support.

For the complete blog post please see: https://www.resmarkweb.com/top-10-elements-to-have-on-your-tour-operator-home-page

Dena Merrill, proprietor of Viking Yurt in the Wasatch Mountains near Park City, Utah, sought a mobile-friendly tour operator website concept for her 20-year-old website. “The collaboration with ResmarkWeb to build the website was very pleasant and a lot of fun. They matched our enthusiasm for the new venture and were full of creative ideas. They were very clear and realistic about what they could do and how quickly, and were very thorough about what they needed from us to accomplish our goal.”

ResmarkWeb offers three options for enhancing websites:

●      Website only

●      Website plus SEO

●      Website plus SEO and Paid Ads

See website design and marketing packages.

For more information, visit https://www.resmarkweb.com/ or call 435-268-3747.

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Media Contact Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins: 720.301.3822 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ResmarkWeb's Expertly-Crafted Website Packages Deliver Outstanding Results

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Released on Tuesday, 05 December 2023 12:23

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, Dec. 5, 2023 – What do river tubing, culinary travel and slopeside dining companies have in common?

Simply, driving qualified traffic to their respective websites helps propel their business success. 

Once potential clients have landed on their sites, the stunning design and innovative technology of the website design packages provided by ResmarkWeb assist them in achieving higher-than-average conversion rates.

Peter Gagne of Saco River Tubing did his due diligence when looking for a company to create a new website.

“A website is the most important thing in marketing your business. It sets the tone, the mood, and the potential experience. Websites need to stay current. Our previous website was seven years old. It felt stale. We also had issues with slow loading speeds,” Gagne said.

In the summer of 2023, he called on ResmarkWeb to bail him out when one of Saco River Tubing’s websites crashed. 

“We had a corrupt WordPress plug-in. Our website was down for five days. I reached out to ResmarkWeb, and they were able to rebuild and launch a new site in 48 hours. This saved my summer!” he added. “The website build-out through ResmarkWeb was quick and seamless. The website editor makes it so easy to update the website yourself. The new website loads much faster. We’ve had an increase in email inquiries and the feedback has been excellent. The reports make it easy to understand guest needs and wants.”

Global Foodies Tours provides exceptional food tours in Nashville, Tennessee. When Mike Dotson began building this e-commerce business, he needed a robust platform to launch it.

“I needed a company that specialized in building tour-based websites that also provided online booking capacities. Through my research, I found ResmarkWeb. They checked all the boxes from the start. They seemed to offer the A to Z platform development that I was looking for,” said Dotson.

“I am happy with the finished product. I have stacked my website up against my competitors’ sites, and I feel now that I can run head-to-head with the big dogs! I attribute this to my decision to use ResmarkWeb. I am ready to bring people to the global table, and Resmark has helped set that table,” he emphasized.                                                                                 

Dena Merrill, proprietor of Viking Yurt pairs a romantic sleigh ride with European-style dining in the Wasatch Mountains near Park City, Utah, wanted a fresh, mobile-friendly concept for a 20-year-old website. The sites they liked best were simple, to the point, and visually compelling, and many had been designed or refined by the team at ResmarkWeb. This team was also able to get the new site up and running in time for the upcoming fall 2023 season.

“The collaboration with ResmarkWeb to build the website was very pleasant and a lot of fun. They matched our enthusiasm for the new venture and were full of creative ideas. They were very clear and realistic about what they could do and how quickly, and were very thorough about what they needed from us to accomplish our goal,” said Brian Merrill.

Especially important to them moving forward is the fact that they can now update and modify the site content themselves while having the experts at ResmarkWeb on hand to help with any major updates, additional content, or new development.

“We plan to continue to improve it as we generate our own photos, videos, and customer reviews. We are also considering a summer operation to cater to hikers and mountain bikers,” said Dena Merrill.

Brandon Lake, Founder of ResmarkWeb, said their company culture thrives on being responsive, innovate, and producing results for our clients.

“The success of our clients means everything to us. We not only listen to their goals and needs but also help each client assess what the best path to success will be. ResmarkWeb is a direct result of evaluating what clients need and then making that magic happen for them,” Lake said. “We’ve been in tourism industry ourselves for decades, so we know what produces results and we love sharing that with other companies.”

ResmarkWeb.com is predicated on today’s reality that an underperforming website wastes time and money and misses out on potential revenue, said Lake. “A well-designed website is one of the absolute keys to the success of any business and is often one of the most overlooked.”

ResmarkWeb provides custom quotes for initial design and development based on the needs of the client. Clients can then decide which monthly operational plan fits their needs. Each of the three plans ranging from only $79 to $239 per monthinclude intuitive page editing, built-in SEO tools, fast-loading optimizations, regular backup service, unlimited edits, and so much more. Each is designed to work efficiently on mobile and desktop.

See website design and pricing packages.

For more information, visit https://www.resmarkweb.com/ or call (801) 849-9060.

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Media Contact Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins: 720.301.3822 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WaiverSign: The Digital Game-Changer for Nonprofits

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Released on Wednesday, 11 October 2023 12:18

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, Oct. 11, 2023 – WaiverSign’s seamless digital waivers are transforming the way nonprofits manage liability.

From cat sanctuaries to large-scale civic projects involving thousands of volunteers, nonprofits are embracing WaiverSign's digital innovation, marking a shift from traditional paper waivers to a more efficient and eco-friendly approach.

Brandon Lake, the visionary behind WaiverSign, remarked, “Over the past decade, we've observed a dynamic shift in our clientele. While our roots remain deep within the recreation and sports sectors, we've expanded to support churches, civic groups, educational institutions, animal rescues and many more. Our platform adds a layer of professionalism, assuring the public that they're supporting an organized and forward-thinking entity."

The tangible benefits? Enhanced public perception, environmental conservation and administrative efficiency.

WaiverSign continues to be the trusted digital partner for nonprofits, streamlining operations while upholding environmental responsibility. For more information, visit WaiverSign's official website.

Save the Cats, Gilbert, AZ:

A compassionate sanctuary offering shelter and adoption services for 65 abandoned domestic cats, Save the Cats operates primarily through donations and the unwavering support of volunteers. Transitioning to WaiverSign was a pivotal step in enhancing their administrative efficiency.

Spokesperson Anissa Shores emphasizes, “Being a nonprofit that solely relies on donations, it’s crucial we utilize funds judiciously. WaiverSign, being reasonably priced, ensures our volunteers electronically sign waivers annually. Its user-friendly interface and accessibility have drastically reduced paper consumption and storage challenges. Additionally, the provision for guardians to sign for junior volunteers is invaluable."

Highlighting the tangible impact, Anissa shares, “Sending waivers electronically has significantly accelerated the signing process, eliminating the oversight of paper waivers at the sanctuary. If you're a small business or nonprofit, investing in WaiverSign is a decision you'll cherish."

Serve Noblesville:

Represented by Patrick Propst, Serve Noblesville is a consortium of programs aimed at fortifying the Noblesville, IN, community. Their initiatives range from large-scale volunteer mobilizations and community parties to the “Come Together Weekend.”

Propst states, “Mobilizing over 1,000 volunteers necessitates efficient systems. Traditional paper waivers were cumbersome and elusive. WaiverSign's digital solution, easily integrated into our website and registration software, has revolutionized our volunteer onboarding, benefitting both our volunteers and overseeing administrators."

Forces Wives Challenge (FWC):

Forces Wives Challenge unites military wives in thrilling adventures, raising funds for military-affiliated charities. From wilderness canoeing in Sweden to equestrian events, ensuring participants’ safety and compliance is vital.

A representative from FWC illustrates the transformation: "WaiverSign's digital transition has been a boon. Participants now sign waivers in advance, ensuring smooth event kickoffs and eliminating cumbersome paperwork. The convenience and savings in printing costs are undeniable."

Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN), Washington, D.C.:

With a mission to safeguard clean water rights, PRKN is a beacon for environmental advocacy. Their community engagement initiatives, like the RiverPalooza paddling series, have benefited immensely from WaiverSign.

Kasey Dutrow, spokesperson for PRKN, remarks, “Transitioning to WaiverSign's virtual waivers streamlined our check-in processes. Its adaptability was evident when we easily updated our waivers for our bilingual RioPalooza event, ensuring inclusivity. WaiverSign's system is not only user-friendly but also environmentally conscious, aligning with our core values.”

About WaiverSign

Founded in 2013, WaiverSign offers one of the most efficient, easy-to-use digital liability waivers and electronic liability release solutions available in today’s marketplace. An API (Application Programming Interface) allows other reservation and customer relationship databases to push and pull customer data directly to and from WaiverSign. This provides a simple and fool-proof way for collecting customer information in whatever reservation system being used. For more information, visit https://www.waiversign.com/ or call 877.741.7705.

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Media Contact Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins: 720.301.3822 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WaiverSign Contact:

Bob Birrell, Business Development Manager / 888.737.6275

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tour Operators Benefit From Legal Expertise and WaiverSign Digital Waivers

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Released on Thursday, 01 June 2023 12:34

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, June 1, 2023 – Tour operators who guide people through activities that run the gamut from river rafting to rock climbing use waivers to help protect themselves from activity-related liabilities.

But what constitutes a solid waiver?

WaiverSign recently engaged Chun T. Wright, who serves as legal counsel to businesses across the country, to answer questions from tour operators who are currently using or considering using WaiverSign’s digital liability waivers.

Q: Can one person sign a liability waiver on behalf of a whole group?

Wright: This strategy tends not to hold up in court. The purpose of the waiver is to inform the signer of risks involved with an activity and to give the signer a chance to release the tour operator from liability. If only one person reads and signs, there’s no guarantee that others have been properly informed. Also, without individual signatures, no one else has officially waived their rights.

Q: Is there a family or group booking option that makes collecting online waivers with WaiverSign easy?

WaiverSign: The WaiverSign platform makes it easy for parents to sign for themselves and minors with a single link. If groups of adults are traveling together, the signature link for the required Waiver can be shared with everyone in the group and each individual gets their own signed copy of the liability waiver.

Q: When should guests sign digital waivers?

Wright: Email the digital waiver to guests after they have booked and paid for an activity. This gives them time to focus on the waiver, then to read and to sign.

Q: If signers need ample time to read the waiver, what about walk-ins?

Wright: If businesses ask clients to sign after walk-ins and they are required to sign during a time crunch before a tour departs, those clients may make a “signing-under-duress” argument later in court. This is something to consider when thinking about the timing of signing or electronically delivering the waiver prior to departure when possible.

Q:What if someone books an activity but then doesn’t want to sign the waiver?

Wright: Give them a refund. A reluctance to sign indicates that they are uncomfortable with the risks of the activity.

Q: Should I have multiple places for signatures or initials, or just one at the end of the waiver?

Wright: You just need to show that the person got the waiver, that it's conspicuous, it's stand-alone, that they had time to read it, and that they signed it -- clearly agreeing to a release.

Q: Can I require a signer to initial a paragraph on a digital waiver?

WaiverSign: WaiverSign provides for a final signature at the bottom, requiring a signer to acknowledge the whole document. The platform also allows signers to initial specific paragraphs or sections and even provides for an accept/decline selection at the bottom of any paragraph or section.

Q: How long should waivers be stored?

Wright: Statutes of limitations for someone to bring a lawsuit against you vary by state and nation (think global customers). In certain jurisdictions, minors can potentially retain the right to sue when they become of age. This means some years can pass from the time of the alleged incident to a lawsuit. WaiverSign offers indefinite storage, making it easy to exceed the statute of limitations.

Q: How do you track clients to ensure they've signed their waivers?

WaiverSign: If utilizing the RESMARK booking system together with WaiverSign, you can take online bookings, and the system automatically sends out emails to collect waivers. If someone hasn't signed by a certain date, the system tracks that and will continue to remind the participant about collecting a signature.

Q: If you're only using WaiverSign (without the RESMARK booking system) do you need to track manually which ones haven't signed?

WaiverSign: Yes. Many companies will utilize a flag in their reservation system that shows whether or not the waiver has been collected. Ideally, they could then trigger messages from that reservation system to let participants know that the waiver has not been collected. With just a digital waiver app, however, that becomes more difficult.

Q: Is there API integration for WaiverSign?

WaiverSign: Yes, WaiverSign offers an API that allows clients and software partners to integrate with the digital signature and data collection process.

Q: What are the main differences between an online waiver service like WaiverSign and a service like DocuSign?

WaiverSign: DocuSign does a great job with custom agreements between two or more parties where the agreement (think real estate) is different every time. With WaiverSign clients sign the same document every time; the same link goes to every participant and a new signed document is created every time. WaiverSign automatically handles the variations of an adult signing for themselves or a parent/guardian signing for a minor. And it creates a contact database of who signed when inside the application.

Q: Can I use my waiver to collect emergency contact information?

WaiverSign: Information such as emergency contact, dietary requirements, height, weight, etc., is collected digitally in advance of signing the waiver itself and then the fields necessary for signing the waiver are auto-populated with the waiver. 

Q: Can WaiverSign take payments, or do I need a separate service to do that?

WaiverSign: When using RESMARK together with WaiverSign, each time someone signs, all of the information you collect on that waiver is inserted into the booking and payment collection, providing a manifest with complete data for each participant stored in the system. Using only a stand-alone WaiverSign, you create the booking, collect payment to secure the booking, then send out a link for all participants to sign the required documents.

Q: Does WaiverSign play well with other booking systems?

WaiverSign:The robust WaiverSign API can be integrated into other booking systems or simply send the WaiverSign link when customers make a booking.

Q: What if my company works with a local tour operator and we both have waivers? Do all the participants need to sign all the waivers from both companies?

Wright: One way is to have a single waiver that covers both your business and your partner. Include language that specifically names your partner as a covered entity, so the signer is releasing both businesses from liability. Or, have two separate-but-coordinated waivers that don’t undermine each other and both of which are to be signed.

Q: What is the contractual period for WaiverSign? Would we still pay monthly for off-season times?

WaiverSign: WaiverSign offers a month-to-month subscription that can be canceled and revisited based on seasonal operations.

For more details regarding this Q&A please see https://www.waiversign.com/blog/online-waiver-questions-from-tour-companies

Sign a sample activity waiver and release form and learn more about how the system works specifically for tour and activity companies.

About WaiverSign

Founded in 2013, WaiverSign offers one of the most efficient, easy-to-use digital liability waivers and electronic liability release solutions available in today’s marketplace. An API (Application Programming Interface) allows other reservation and customer relationship databases to push and pull customer data directly to and from WaiverSign. This provides a simple and fool-proof way for collecting customer information in whatever reservation system being used. For more information, visit https://www.waiversign.com/or call 877.741.7705.

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Media Contact Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins: 720.301.3822 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WaiverSign Q&A on How to Avoid Fines and Lawsuits Stemming from New Privacy Laws

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Released on Thursday, 30 March 2023 16:03

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, March 30, 2023 -- Arecent online Washington Post story (March 2023) headline reads: “Your therapist is on TikTok. Will your therapy session end up there too?”

This may be an extreme example of a potential invasion of privacy, says Brandon Lake, CEO of WaiverSign. His company is an established online waiver software provider serving a wide array of industries including tourism, fitness, health and beauty, and events.

“Ensuring our customers understand the privacy policies around the data they gather on waivers and similar agreements is extremely important to us,” adds Lake. “If companies and not-for-profits policies ignore privacy safeguards, such failures can result in fines starting at $2,500 per website visitor. So, this is a really big deal. I think it's only going to get bigger and more complex as laws continue to change all the time.”

With six new privacy laws coming out at the start of this year and more to come, WaiverSign (https://www.waiversign.com/) recently hosted a webinar to help any business that collects personal information from website visitors, either through analytics, lead forms, registration, or by the signing of waivers, to address privacy concerns now.

The webinar generated several questions that are important for any business to consider. Although they were quick to point out that their answers are not legal advice, Donata Skillrud, an attorney licensed in Illinois, a certified information privacy professional and chair of the American Bar Association's ePrivacy Committee, and her husband, Hans Stroink-Skillrud, share a lot of helpful material. Their software company, Termageddon, generates privacy policies for website owners. This platform automatically updates with new disclosures related to privacy policies that are currently legally required under multiple privacy laws.

Watch the webinar here or read a full transcript: https://www.waiversign.com/webinar/privacy-laws-how-to-avoid-fines-lawsuits

Here are a few of the questions highlighted from the webinar:

Q: Why are we talking about privacy laws now?

A: The Cambridge Analytica scandal woke people up when that company used for political advertising the “stolen” personal information of millions of Facebook users. There are federal privacy laws related to health information, and financial or children's information. But to date, there is nothing federally to protect such personal information as names and emails of consumers online.

Q: How is this deficiency being addressed?

A: Some states are passing privacy laws. For example, the California Privacy Rights Act replaces the California Consumer Privacy Act. And there are new privacy laws in Virginia, Colorado, Utah, Connecticut, and in Quebec, Canada.

Q: What are the implications of these laws?

A: If the shoe fits, a business must wear it. This means that a business, no matter where it’s located, must have a compliant privacy policy with all the disclosures required by these privacy laws. These may include offering consumers certain privacy rights such as the right to delete their information and having restrictions on how personal information can be used.

Q: Do these laws protect consumers or businesses?

A: The laws are created to protect consumers -- not businesses. So, consumers can go online and submit their personally identifiable information (PII) anywhere; you don't have to be located in these states or in Quebec for a law to apply to you. A fine might be $7,500 per violation. Without a compliant privacy policy and multiplied by 100 visitors, a fine quickly becomes very large.

Q: What is personally identifiable information (PII)?

A: This is any data that could be used to identify an individual: people's names, email addresses, phone numbers, physical and IP addresses. Even their signatures could be considered personal information.

Q: How exposed is an online consumer?

A: Any modern website is collecting personal information beyond the waivers that businesses use. When consumers submit names and emails on a contact form, thebusiness often ends up sharing that data with their email service provider. Other examples include signing up for an email newsletter subscription or sending/receiving waiver completion confirmation emails. All these forms of information gathering are considered PII and are regulated to provide that information. From the moment a website collects PII, even without the intention to share, there needs to be a compliant privacy policy.

Q: What is a privacy policy?

A: This is an explanation of your privacy practices: what PII you're collecting, what you do with that PII, with whom you share it, and more. A privacy policy is not a random disclosure but needs to be dictated by applicable privacy laws.

Q: What privacy laws are applicable?

A: Privacy laws apply to geographic locations where a company is doing business. Ask first whose PII are you collecting? Who is submitting their information to your forms? Where are they located? Where are your customers located? If doing business online, where do you ship? To whom do you offer goods or services? Where do you do business? And who do you track online through services such as Facebook Pixel, Analytics?

Q: What do privacy laws require?

A: Privacy laws have similar requirements as regards privacy policy requirements. First, they apply outside of the state in which they're passed. If a business isn’t in any of these states that are listed, that does not mean a green light. Second, the laws require businesses to have a privacy policy that makes certain disclosures. Third, they provide certain privacy rights to consumers such as the right to delete, the right to opt out of direct marketing, the right to opt out of sales of PII.

Q: What are some repercussions of avoiding the laws?

A: Data obtained illegally can trigger privacy laws going to work to wipe out, for example, an email list of 50,000 people and create an environment whereby consumers can sue businesses directly.

Q: Is it enough to have a privacy policy that complies with today's privacy laws?

A: No. What you also need as a strategy to keep your privacy policy up to date with new disclosures as new laws pass and as existing laws get amended; otherwise you run the risk of being non-compliant with changes in privacy laws.

Q: What should a privacy policy disclosure include?

A: Most important, the privacy policy depends on the privacy laws that apply to a specific business. Then the policy needs to address such issues as the effective date of the policy; whether you use cookies or other similar technologies; the use of analytics; how is PII collected then used and how long is it stored; how people can complain; and what are the terms of service.

For individuals and businesses wanting to discuss compliance with these new privacy laws and review the solutions recommended by WaiverSign please go online and submit this request form: https://www.waiversign.com/contact, or call 877.741.7705.

About WaiverSign

Founded in 2013, WaiverSign offers one of the most efficient, easy-to-use digital liability waivers and electronic liability release solutions available in today’s marketplace. An API (Application Programming Interface) allows other reservation and customer relationship databases to push and pull customer data directly to and from WaiverSign. This provides a simple and fool-proof way for collecting customer information in whatever reservation system being used. For more information, visit https://www.waiversign.com/ or call 877.741.7705.

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Media Contact Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins: 720.301.3822 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Community Church Commends WaiverSign To Assist with Liability Waiver Form Collection For Youth Activity Programs

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Released on Tuesday, 18 October 2022 09:39

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, Oct. 18, 2022 – Clovis Hills Community Church in Clovis, CA, prides itself in providing youth activities that in a given year can reach some 1,300 students from ages 6 to 17.

To facilitate communications between parents, teachers and activities directors, this church community’s youth-related activities depend on an online waiver software company to collect signed waivers for its varied youth programs. This digital waiver system is called WaiverSign and is headquartered in Salt Lake City.

“Clovis Hills is a great example of how WaiverSign can be used for churches. They have been with us for over three years. In their account they have 22 different document templates ranging from summer camps, leadership training and volunteering,” said Bob Birrell, WaiverSign’s Business Development Manager.

WaiverSign is seeing more churches, schools and universities than ever before convert to a digital process to collect liability waiver and permission slips from participants’ parents and guardians, program supervisors and volunteers.

Derrick Alvarez, who is director of Family Ministries for Clovis Hills Community Church, recalled the pre-digital days when paper waivers were distributed for signatures, collected, reviewed and then stored.

“Whatwe were doing wasn’t scalable. We’ve grown so much,” Alvarez said. He explained that everyone directly involved in the delivery end or the receiving end of the youth activities programs is required to adhere to legal and insurance demands. Waivers are required for on and off-campus programs, including transportation to and from.  Diverse activities run the gamut from attending camps and participating in mission trips to learning how to scramble up a rock wall. 

Three years ago, when Alvarez was researching digital waiver programs, he discovered that WaiverSign was not only the most affordable plan on the market, but it also provided one of the easiest-to-use waiver signing and collection processes.

Over the past three he has been very satisfied with WaiverSign’s customer services that he called ‘fantastic’. He emphasized, “The WaiverSign team always has the answers and are there asking how they can help us.”

Applications for faith-based activities environments can include:

• Church Liability Waiver Forms
• Sports Waivers
• Event LiabilityWaivers
• Medical Information ReleaseForms
• ActivityWaiver and Liability Release
• Permission Slips
• Code of Conduct Agreements
• General Liability Waiver

About WaiverSign

Founded in 2013, WaiverSign offers one of the most efficient, easy-to-use digital liability waivers and electronic liability release solutions available in today’s marketplace. An API (Application Programming Interface) allows other reservation and customer relationship databases to push and pull customer data directly to and from WaiverSign. This provides a simple and fool-proof way for collecting customer information in whatever reservation system being used. For more information, visit https://www.waiversign.com/or call 877.741.7705.

# # #

Media Contact Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins: 720.301.3822 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WaiverSign Contact:

Bob Birrell, Business Development Manager / 888.737.6275

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.