Over the past few months, we met with a lot of captains and learned that how our commission works isn’t totally clear. Many of you believe it has the biggest impact on a captain’s success on our website, but in reality we take a lot more into account. As you’re about to see, in a lot of cases, the commission isn’t the biggest factor when it comes to how well you’ll rank with us, or even how many bookings you’ll get. Let’s take a look at how you can set the right commission for your charter…
A big part of the misconception around commission comes down to our commission slider. You’ll first see this when you’re setting up your listing:
If you think that the only way to get more visibility and more bookings is choosing a high commission, we don’t blame you. But since this slider was made, we’ve created a lot of additional features to help you get more business. This means that you’re no longer getting the whole story about choosing your commission.
When we sat down to have a look, it turns out captains who see the most bookings from us actually choose a percentage somewhere in the middle, around 15%–20%. They also rely on our other factors to also boost their business. This is because commission can help you rank higher on FishingBooker, but often it’s not the strongest factor. Other factors, like your reliability score and reviews from other customers, give your listing an even stronger boost. In addition:
- We don’t handpick captains based on how much commission you choose. Instead, fishing charters are suggested based on the customer’s budget, available dates, and other relevant factors such as targeted species or techniques.
- We advertise all captains equally no matter how much commission you choose. We’ll do the same work on our end to promote your charter, investing into advertising and SEO so that you’ll be seen by customers you wouldn’t normally reach. We don’t run fewer ads for you if you choose less commission.
- How much commission you choose won’t change the support you get from us. FishingBooker’s 24/7 support is available to you no matter how much commission you choose with us.
When should you choose a higher commission?
There are a few situations where choosing a higher commission can be a strong option for your business. Think about:
- Your location. If you’re located in a highly competitive area, choosing a higher commission percentage will help you stand out in the search results and get more views of your listing.
- Your experience. Just listed on FishingBooker? This is where temporarily opting for a higher commission rate can help you out. You can give yourself a small advantage by setting a higher commission rate. Once you feel like you’re most established, you can always adjust it.
We’re also working on developing future exclusive benefits. This means that choosing a higher commission will get you a lot more. This could include priority support and participation in future loyalty programs free of charge.
Want to know what you already get for paying commission? You can read about the benefits here.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what percentage of commission works best for your business. Think about where you run your charters, how established your business is, and the fact that you’ll receive the same support from us no matter what, and you’ll have all the tools to make up your mind. That way, you can get back out onto the water as soon as possible, and focus on doing what you do best!
What are your thoughts on FishingBooker’s commission? Anything you’d like to share? We’re all ears…
