Executive Summary
Refreshing Mountain had built a reputation for delivering exceptional retreat experiences, but their digital marketing wasn’t keeping pace with their goals. Despite steady operations and a loyal customer base, they lacked a clear path for scaling lead generation. With support from Improve & Grow, they took ownership of their marketing, embraced new tools and strategies, and steadily built a lead generation system that aligned with how they served their guests.
Over a five-year period ending in 2019, retreat inquiries grew from just over 100 per year to more than 700—a testament to their commitment to continuous improvement and strategic execution. And the growth didn’t stop there. Today, Refreshing Mountain is generating over 1,200 retreat inquiries annually, fueled by a marketing system that continues to evolve and support their mission.
The Challenge
Refreshing Mountain had a strong foundation and loyal customer base, but their digital presence wasn’t helping them scale. Their website was generating retreat inquiries, but it wasn’t clear how visitors were finding them or what content was resonating. There was minimal channel tracking, no CRM integration, and limited nurturing of potential leads. Additionally, they lacked targeted content for their distinct retreat audiences, like youth groups, women’s ministries, or leadership teams. Despite offering a full-service retreat experience, they weren’t communicating that value effectively online—and they knew they were missing opportunities.
The Solution
Refreshing Mountain didn’t just need more leads—they needed a better system for attracting, engaging, and converting the right ones. With guidance from Improve & Grow, they began rethinking how their online presence could work for them—not just as a digital brochure, but as a strategic tool for growth.
They started by restructuring their website to speak directly to the different groups they serve. Each landing page became a destination in itself, tailored to the unique questions and priorities of youth pastors, ministry leaders, and event planners. This shift in messaging helped build immediate trust with visitors who saw their needs reflected on the page.
To make planning easier for prospects, Refreshing Mountain introduced an online pricing tool. It allowed retreat planners to explore availability and get customized estimates based on group size and lodging preferences. This tool became a game-changer—not only improving user experience but significantly boosting lead quality and volume.
They also embraced paid search advertising to reach more planners at the moment they were searching. With a targeted strategy in place, Refreshing Mountain quickly began seeing a steady stream of qualified leads—far beyond what previous campaigns had delivered.
At the same time, they committed to growing their organic presence via SEO. By developing a consistent flow of helpful, group-specific content and optimizing their retreat pages for search, they steadily increased visibility while positioning themselves as experts in retreat planning.
Lead nurturing became a priority too. With the help of a thoughtfully designed email workflow, new inquiries received timely, relevant information that kept them engaged and moving toward a decision.
And behind the scenes, they invested in tools to measure and improve performance. With robust analytics, CRM integration, and user behavior tracking, they finally had visibility into what was working—and where to improve. Over time, this data-informed approach became part of how their team made decisions and prioritized marketing efforts.
What started as a marketing upgrade quickly became an operational mindset shift. With every improvement, the Refreshing Mountain team grew more confident in their ability to attract and serve retreat groups—season after season.
The Results
Over five years of focused collaboration, Refreshing Mountain’s retreat marketing transformed:
- Traffic to the Retreats section of their website grew by 351%
- The volume of new retreat inquiries grow by 256%
- Significant reduction in reliance on offline referrals and seasonal traffic
- Improved data visibility and lead tracking across all channels
- Transitioned from seasonal to nearly year-round retreat bookings
By combining organic, paid, and owned channels into one cohesive system, we created a scalable engine for predictable lead growth.
What Changed
Beyond the numbers, the transformation at Refreshing Mountain was strategic and cultural. Their team gained clarity and confidence in their marketing. They could see which channels were working, understand lead quality, and make informed decisions about budget and content. They had tools to nurture leads automatically and a clear path for converting interest into bookings.
Even more importantly, this wasn’t a one-time surge—it was the beginning of sustained growth. Our partnership has continued beyond the original engagement, and retreat inquiries have surpassed 1,200 in the most recent year alone. The results we achieved together have proven to be scalable, durable, and built for long-term success.
“I have worked with Improve & Grow over a number of years. Prior to that, I worked with 2 other SEOs that over-promised and under-delivered. Not so with Carl and his team. They have taken the time to understand our goals, study our market, and guide us toward being well positioned in every respect.” —Justin Harnish, Refreshing Mountain
Final Word
Refreshing Mountain had the hospitality and experience to deliver exceptional retreats. What they needed was a marketing partner who could translate that value online. Through careful strategy, creative execution, and constant iteration, Improve & Grow helped them build a system that continues to fuel sustainable, mission-aligned growth.
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