Key takeaways
- Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park launched a new mobile visitor app and attraction management platform.
- The new app provides valuable insights into visitor behaviour and dwell times using Bluetooth beacons.
- Customisable features allow for personalised digital experiences and improved operational efficiency.
- The mobile app supports revenue generation through in-app offers and strengthens conservation messaging.
- The platform aims to enhance the visitor experience without detracting from physical enjoyment.
Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park, a popular and nationally recognised visitor attraction, has embraced mobile app technology to transform its digital visitor experience. Like many leading attractions, the Suffolk-based park, owned by farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty, recognises the need for continuous innovation to maintain and enhance visitor interest and the overall experience. Celebrating its 21st anniversary, the attraction is widely regarded as one of South East England’s leading destinations.
Following a consultation last summer, n-gage.io was engaged to develop and implement a digital strategy for the park. This involved creating an attraction management software and mobile visitor app to enhance visitor experience and gain valuable insights into audience behaviour. Working closely with Park Director Stevie Sheppard and his team, n-gage.io launched its customisable platform and mobile app within a couple of months.
With over 4,000 app downloads in the initial weeks, Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park is now engaging its audience both on and off-site in new ways, while also gaining a deeper understanding of how visitors spend their time during a visit.
Why Jimmy's Farm Chose n-gage.io's Solution
We’d been looking for a solution to re-introduce mobile technology to our visitors for some time, but we found it increasingly difficult to identify software in the industry that gave us the flexibility and control that we wanted. We’d had an app previously, but like many other attractions, found that with more recent technology advancements, and the changing expectations of our visitors, it was no longer fit for purpose.
Stevie Sheppard explained that the highly customisable nature of the n-gage.io base app and its feature-rich operator platform were key attractions. While the app offers many engaging features, the platform's ability to provide insights into visitors' on-site behaviour proved particularly eye-opening.
Enhancing Visitor Experience and Operational Efficiency
Valuable Visitor Insights
By incorporating low-energy Bluetooth beacons on-site, which communicate directly with the app and platform, the attraction can now gather valuable data. This includes visitor dwell times and other useful metrics, leading to a more engaging and immersive experience with triggered in-app content and notifications.
Personalised Digital Interactions
The fact that we can now manage our visitor’s interactive digital experience day to day, means we’ve been able to be far more personalised in our approach, based on the data the platform and app is generating. And from an operational perspective, we’re able to help our visitors plan and manage their day more effectively, from integrating with digital ticketing through to interactive mapping and wayfinding.
Stevie emphasised the importance of ensuring that new visitor technology enhances, rather than detracts from, the physical enjoyment of the visit. He believes the new platform and app are achieving the right balance.
Sustainability and Reduced Waste
The digital approach aligns with the site’s drive for sustainability, reducing the need for extensive physical signage, paper maps, and other printed information.
Driving Revenue and Conservation Messages
Marketing and Revenue Generation
We’re also seeing a benefit from a marketing perspective, with the ability to issue offers and special discounts in the form of in-app digital vouchers, not just for our attraction, but as we partner with other attractions in the area, for them too.
Educating the Next Generation
With most of the younger generation being mobile first, what better way of helping reinforce our messaging than through the digital medium they use the most.
The software app also supports the team in their educational efforts and in spreading conservation messages, leveraging the digital medium favoured by younger audiences.
Looking Ahead with n-gage.io
We’ve been delighted to work with the team at Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park and see how our technology is beginning to make a difference, not just operationally, but the positive impact it’s also making across their whole visitor journey.
Bryan Hoare expressed satisfaction with the positive impact of n-gage.io's technology on both operations and the overall visitor journey at Jimmy's Farm. He also revealed plans for further collaboration later in the year, including the launch of a second app for the KEEPERFEST event, which is the UK’s first dedicated festival for professional animal keepers.
n-gage.io’s software and mobile apps are also currently in use at other visitor attractions, including Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park (AWCP) in Gibraltar, and Northumberland Zoo in North East England.
Want this applied to your attraction?
We are happy to talk through your own plans, even at an early stage.
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