How Four Season Guides Increased Revenue While Cutting Ad Spend by 35%
When it comes to guided adventures, Four Season Guides sets the standard for authentic outdoor experiences. Based in Flagstaff, Arizona, the company has been leading hiking and backpacking trips across the Southwest since 1999, exploring Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite, and beyond.
President and Owner Dave Logan knows firsthand the power of nature to transform lives. What began as a passion for the outdoors has grown into a thriving adventure travel company with a loyal following and a reputation for excellence. But even the most established tour operators face new challenges as the digital landscape evolves.
In 2024, Dave partnered with
ResmarkWeb to elevate his online presence, streamline marketing performance, and strengthen direct bookings. Within a year, Four Season Guides saw measurable growth in traffic, conversions, and revenue, all while spending less on ads.
The Challenge: Growth Meets Complexity
Before joining ResmarkWeb, Four Season Guides was already successful but needed a more scalable way to attract guests online.
“Our primary lead source was always paid ads,” Dave said. “We spent a lot to compete in spaces like ‘Rim to Rim’ Grand Canyon trips. It worked, but it was expensive. We wanted to grow more efficiently.”
The company relied on forms and manual follow-ups to capture leads. The website worked, but updates were difficult, and SEO performance plateaued. Dave knew that to expand his audience and compete with national operators, he needed a stronger digital foundation and the right team to guide it.
The Partnership: A Website, Marketing, and Growth Engine
Dave signed on with ResmarkWeb in May 2024 for a complete website redesign, full-service SEO management, and paid ad optimization. His new site launched in September 2024, marking the start of a new era for Four Season Guides.
From the start, ResmarkWeb’s dedicated website, SEO, and account management teams worked in sync to build a scalable digital ecosystem. Each client has a single
Client Success Manager overseeing strategy, while SEO and web specialists collaborate behind the scenes to execute quarterly plans and ongoing improvements.
The Process: Quarterly SEO Plans, Monthly Momentum
ResmarkWeb runs on strategy, not guesswork. Each quarter, the team develops a living, breathing plan that outlines action steps for the next three months, always adaptable based on data, seasonality, and results.
For Four Season Guides, that plan includes:
- Collaborative strategy sessions to plan campaigns and new ideas
- Ongoing Google Business Profile updates and posts
- Fresh blog content and destination pages
- Technical SEO improvements and structured data updates
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and landing page testing
- AI-driven insights and content optimization
- Seasonal campaigns like the annual photo contest
- Lead-generation improvements
- Monthly reporting, reviews, and action plans
“It’s a collaborative effort,” says the ResmarkWeb team. “We use data to guide our priorities, but we’re flexible when new opportunities arise. If Dave has an idea or new trip, it goes right into the plan.”
The Results: More Revenue, Less Ad Spend
The impact was immediate. Within a year of launching the new website and implementing ResmarkWeb’s strategy, Four Season Guides achieved measurable improvements across the board.
Here’s what the numbers show:
- Ad Spend: Decreased by 35% compared to 2024 levels
- Customer Count: Steady growth, with no decline despite reduced ad budget
- Revenue: Increased year-over-year, driven by stronger organic visibility and conversion rates
- Organic Clicks: Up from
2,881 in October 2024 to
6,060 in October 2025 (a 110%+ increase)
- Impressions: Grew from
149K to
590K, showing major visibility gains
- Average Position: Improved 34% across tracked keywords
- CTR (Click-Through Rate): Up 6%, reflecting better targeting and page quality
“We cut our monthly ad spend by about 35%, and we haven’t seen a drop in customer count,” Dave shared. “In fact, we’ve seen an increase in revenue. That’s exactly what we were hoping for: spend less, earn more.”
The Experience: A Team That Feels Like an Extension of the Business
Dave’s praise for the ResmarkWeb team centers on communication, collaboration, and speed.
“Everything is handled almost immediately,” Dave said. “I’m amazed at the responsiveness and quality of the work. Whether it’s building new pages, updating content, or fixing forms, everything gets done fast and done right.”
For Dave, this responsiveness has been essential as his business evolves. When he launches new trips or adds destinations, his Client Success Manager is just a message away.
While ResmarkWeb doesn’t promise every request within hours, the team does promise fast communication and realistic timelines. Most updates are completed far quicker than expected. That reliability builds trust and frees up operators like Dave to focus on what they do best: leading incredible adventures.
Collaboration in Action: The Annual Photo Contest
Each year, Dave runs a Four Season Guides Photo Contest, a creative campaign that engages past guests, generates hundreds of user photos, and fuels new content for the website and social media.
ResmarkWeb helps him execute the entire promotion:
- Designing and updating the contest landing page
- Drafting the promotional email
- Managing submissions and entry flow
- Showcasing winners online
The 2025 contest prizes include $1,250 toward any Four Season Guides trip for first place and $500 for second place, in exchange for up to ten submitted photos per participant. The result is a library of authentic guest photography that powers future marketing year-round.
“It’s ideas like this that make the partnership fun,” the team explains. “Dave brings creativity and insight into what his guests love. We bring the systems and strategy to make it happen.”
Adapting with Technology: Adding Resmark Systems
In late 2025, Four Season Guides decided to take another step forward by adding Resmark Systems booking software to streamline operations. For years, Dave relied on forms and manual follow-ups. Now, integrating Resmark’s CRM and automation tools will allow him to manage bookings, waivers, and customer communications seamlessly.
“I’ve resisted change in some areas,” Dave admitted with a laugh. “But I realized no system will ever be 100% perfect. What matters is flexibility and improving the customer experience. Resmark gives us that balance.”
By combining
ResmarkWeb’s marketing with
Resmark Systems’ automation, Four Season Guides is creating a unified growth engine built for the next decade.
Lessons from the Trail: What Tour Operators Can Learn
- Trust the process. Growth takes time, but consistent strategy compounds.
- Collaborate, don’t delegate. The best results come when tour operators stay engaged and share ideas.
- Balance automation with authenticity. Use technology to save time, then use that time to connect with guests.
- Measure what matters. Cutting costs doesn’t mean cutting results.
- Invest in relationships. Having a dedicated team that knows your brand makes all the difference.
A Partnership That Feels Personal
“Resmark has hit it on all marks,” Dave said. “Everything is seamless and top quality. And honestly, I don’t even have constructive feedback, just gratitude. The product is great, but the people are even better.”
From responsive communication to measurable growth, Four Season Guides’ journey shows what’s possible when strategy, creativity, and trust align.
Ready to Grow Like Four Season Guides?
If you’re a tour operator ready to take your marketing to the next level, ResmarkWeb can help you build a website and marketing system that converts.
👉 Schedule your free website audit and see how our team can help you grow.
FAQs for Tour Operators
How long does it take to see SEO results?
Most tour operators see meaningful organic growth within 6 to 12 months after launching a new site and SEO plan.
Do I need to run paid ads alongside SEO?
We recommend both. SEO builds long-term equity, while ads drive consistent leads during seasonal peaks.
How involved do I need to be in the process?
We encourage collaboration. Your Client Success Manager leads the process, but your insights make the strategy stronger.
What makes ResmarkWeb different from generic marketing agencies?
We specialize exclusively in tours and activities, so we know your audience, seasonality, and booking behavior better than anyone else.
What kind of results can I expect?
Our clients typically see higher conversion rates, more qualified leads, and a lower cost per booking within the first year.
Travel & Tourism Marketing Blog
