Tag: camp software

Blog

How Responsive Camp Software Appeals To Staff and Families

Posted on by Erin Lehmann
responsive camp software

With over half of all internet traffic coming from mobile devices in 2019, responsive web design is more important than ever before. By definition, a responsive web design means that a web page will display correctly on any device regardless of screen size. The page retains the intended format, functionality, and navigation. It becomes easy to provide a highly customized experience on even the smallest of devices. It’s pretty impressive; most internet users can tell immediately if a web page doesn’t live up to this standard. 

An unresponsive web page doesn’t translate as seamlessly on smaller devices. This can lead to wonky formatting, oversized or micro-text, image or widget misplacements, and a difficult-to-navigate interface. There’s no doubt that users prefer a web page that they can interact with whether they’re at home or on the go – without sacrificing the experience. 

Nowadays, most camps communicate with their staff and camp families through web portals and online dashboards. Responsive design is necessary to effectively communicate and exchange information, no matter where they are.   

Responsive Camp Software Is Convenient For Camp Families 

As you know, many camp families are on the move. Offering a responsive parent dashboard lets parents check for updates, complete tasks, make payments, and enjoy camper videos and photos. They’ll have access whether they’re on a lunch break or on vacation! The responsive parent dashboard retains all of the same robust functionality parents are familiar with on their desktops. This means they have 24/7 access to the information that matters most – right at their fingertips. 

Responsive Design Smooths Out Camp’s Application Processes

Younger generations know all too well the perks of responsive design; they can do almost anything on their mobile devices. Don’t let your staff miss out on the same experience when they engage with your camp’s Staff Dashboard. Your prospective staff will be able to fill out forms, share documents, and provide qualifications as usual. But now, they can do it all on their mobile phones or tablets anywhere with an internet connection. 

Busy teens, college students, and professionals on-the-go can easily apply from anywhere (instead of putting it off for “later”). This is a big win from a recruitment perspective. Remove a common barrier that can deter qualified candidates: an application process that only works best from a desktop computer. 

The Right Software for Your Community

You can see how responsive camp software can make a huge difference in how your camp’s community interacts with your brand. Luckily, it’s easy to offer your families and staff the convenience they’re searching for. CampSite’s core product includes the responsive parent dashboard. The a la carte Staff module just released a default responsive design upgrade. As technology progresses at the speed of light, there’s no better time to offer your community a camp software service that meets and exceeds user expectations!

To hear more about CampSite’s Responsive Parent Dashboard and Responsive Staff Dashboard, request your free personalized demo today!

Blog

Camp Admin Software: Why Customization Matters

Posted on by Erin Lehmann
Camp Admin Software by CampSite

Camp Admin: Choosing Quality Software

Camp admin have their fair selection of camp management softwares to shop for these days. We stress the importance of choosing a software that meets all the needs of your camp. You’ll also want one that will be flexible moving forward as you evolve and grow. We’re big fans of flexibility and customization here at CampSite! To help you find the best software for your camp admin team, we’ve put together a reference list to remind you of the great benefits of customizable tools!

Increase Your Overall Ease of Use

The belief that running camp should be less about chaos and confusion and more about passion, meaningful programs, and happy campers is what inspired CampSite. So, we created a camp management software that would remove the headache from the pre-registration planning process. Plus, each and every camp admin can tailor CampSite to their own camps’ needs. Our easy-to-navigate admin dashboard highlights your favorite CampSite features and even boasts an Enrollment Setup Wizard expertly designed to guide you through the entire process.

Personalize Your Connection w/ Campers and Parents

Within CampSite’s admin dashboard is the opportunity to completely customize the Parent Dashboard (and registration process for parents). We designed the Parent Dashboard so that camp admin can easily create custom messaging and branding to represent their camp. This is a great way for your camp to offer a personal and unique registration experience while reinforcing your brand and mission. Of course, there are plenty of other customization options available to you in our admin dashboard, including registration forms!

Cater the Enrollment Process to Each Camper

Perhaps the most consistent feedback we get from our current clients is their love for how customizable the enrollment process is. Our Admin Dashboard has an Enrollment Setup Wizard that puts the control back in your hands. You can choose the information you want parents to see and elect which questions or inquiries show on forms. Better yet, you can create your own questions or prompts with multiple response possibilities (drop-down menu, open-ended text, and more!). Our flexible customization feature was the topic of praise at the American Camp Association’s National Conference this spring! Many camp admin are thankful they’re able to provide non-binary responses when collecting information on a camper’s gender. This is just one of the many ways CampSite allows you to create a comprehensive, customized enrollment process.

Fit the Software to Your Camp

More than anything, finding a camp management software that will fit to the design of your camp and its processes is crucial. A good software will also give you plenty of room to grow. CampSite software makes running camp easier, more efficient, and less time-consuming for any camp admin team. Our core package is an affordable bundle of some of our most sought-after features such as online registration, advanced reporting, our Parent Dashboard, and more! From there you can add on modules such as transportation management and medical management for an extra benefit. The power is all yours – we’re here to help along the way!

Think CampSite might be the right fit for your camp? Request a free demo today!

Don’t miss this quick read   detailing the benefits of taking your camp digital!

Blog

The Best Camp Software: 4 Parent-Friendly Features

Posted on by campmanagement
4 Hit Features of Parent-Friendly Camp Software photo

For camp software to be at its best, it needs to appeal not only to camp directors and stuff, but it must also be parent-friendly. This doesn’t just mean that it should just look nice but that its functions go beyond satisfying the basics of parent expectations.

Parents are the customers your camp business must appeal to first. Which is why parent-friendly camp software is a big deal. So, what is parent-friendly summer camp software? It’s software with easy-to-use features that parents want to engage with—and if your current summer camp software lacks them—it may be time to consider other options. Here’s an idea on what to look for when it comes to parent-friendly summer camp software.

1: A Clean Parent Dashboard

You want enrollment that makes it easier for parents, year-after-year. To ensure that, the display of the Parent Dashboard should be simple-to-use and pleasant to look at. This way, parents can get to their financial pages, print out receipts and add in their payment information without additional help from your staff.

Remember that ease of use doesn’t just benefit your camper parents. It benefits your staff too. The time that your staff saves by not having to help guide a parent can now go toward anything pending on the camp agenda. With parent-friendly summer camp software, you are continuously satisfying both parties.

“The ease of which you can re-enroll, log onto the parent dashboard, fill out all their forms in one location. And frankly parents have said, this is the most efficient and easiest way for them to go about doing what they need to do.”-Brian Cohen Associate Director, Iroquois Spring

2: Advanced Email Tracking

How a software communicates is everything. Understanding the success of these communication lines is a big part of that everything. But, how do you measure successful email communication without the ability to sufficiently track it? You deserve to know what happens to the emails sent out to your camper parents. Parent-friendly camp software, like CampSite, takes care of that with Email Tracking.

Was the email opened? How many views did it get? Email Analytics tools take care of that. They allow your staff to ensure that no stone is left unturned. In Campsite’s summer camp software, camp staff can track the success of any email campaign by analyzing ‘click-through rates’ from your families.

“With the different features at CampSite we can specialize all kinds of marketing tools for our families, it’s really helped us move our enrollment earlier and faster and grow our business.”-Michele Rowcliffe Executive Director, YMCA Camp Cory

3: An Interactive Photo & Video Blog

A private blog is a wonderful resource to share photos and videos with your camper parents. Let’s say you have one integrated with your software. Two weeks of summer camp have gone. Your blog is now full of photos of your campers. Nearly hundreds of them. Do you want these parents to sift through them all to find their child? No. They want something that can direct them to the photos they want to see—in a snap. They want parent-friendly camp software with an interactive blog that includes Facial Recognition. If your software doesn’t have this function, it could be time for a change.

So, what is Facial Recognition? It’s a feature that connects both parents and campers in a highly convenient manner. Intuitive summer camp software, like CampSite, will run Facial Recognition for added parent and staff ease-of-use and it works like this. It cuts down on the laborious process of looking through every single picture and instantly brings the photos of camper children directly to a parent. It’s the simple power of convenience that well defines a parent-friendly camp software.

4: A Texting Feature Between Parents & Your Camp

Of course, there’s more to keeping in touch with parents than through a blog. A photo and video blog – while awesome for camp parents – cannot effectively communicate in an individual and private manner. For instance, what if a camper fell and scraped their elbow at day camp? Or if a camper cried on their first night at sleepaway camp? These situations aren’t meant for a blog post that all camper parents can see. A private messaging system is much more suitable.

When you think about it, a private text messaging module that integrates with your camp software is parent-friendly by concept alone – it is an instant source of contact between camper parents and your camp staff. If you are using a text messaging system with your software, it should satisfy these functions.

  • Send one text or a hundred as simple as sending an email.
  • Archived correspondence for easy access through family accounts
  • All correspondence collected in one place, making sure you don’t miss any new replies.
  • A personalized phone number in your local area code – making it easy for parents and staff to get in touch!

Parent-friendly camp management software, like CampSite, can be your solution to running your summer camp just the way parents want it. With it, staying in touch with your camper parents becomes less tedious and more seamless towards nurturing a better parent-to-camp relationship. CampSite has a friendly easy-to-learn layout with happy, helpful staff to guide you along the way.

 

For more of CampSites favorite new tech features, check out this 4-min read.

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