How US Park Pass Grew $3M in Revenue — While Increasing Profit Margins by 20%
In just 4 months of focused CRO and retention marketing that got visitors to buy more (without more ad spend)
Case Study Overview
US Park Pass helps outdoor lovers access over 2,000 national parks and federal sites with an annual pass. They were doing close to 8 figures in revenue — but profit per order was too low to scale. We focused on CRO and retention to fix that, adding $3M in revenue and 32% more profit per order in just 4 months.
Free Shipping Threshold + Cart Drawer Optimization
Hypothesis:
If we introduced a free shipping threshold just above the price of a single park pass, and made progress toward it visible in the cart drawer, more customers would add higher-margin gear to reach it.
Goal:
Profit Per Order and AOV.
Result:
AOV increased and more orders included profitable non-pass products like bottles and accessories — without relying on discounts.
Email Strategy Overhaul
Hypothesis:
If we improved the overall email structure — especially the above-the-fold section — with emotive visuals, clearer copy, and a strong CTA visible without scrolling, and increased the number of weekly campaigns, we’d drive more engagement and revenue.
Goal:
Email Revenue and Revenue Per Recipient
Result:
More frequent campaigns combined with better design led to higher CTR, more site visits, and a significant increase in revenue from emails — especially on mobile.
Adding FAQs to the Park Pass Page
Hypothesis:
If we added an FAQ section based on real customer questions gathered from support and research — and placed it near key decision points — we’d reduce hesitation and improve conversions.
Goal:
Conversion Rate
Result:
Conversion rate improved as visitors had fewer unanswered questions, reducing friction in the buying process.
Park Pass + Gear Bundles
Hypothesis:
If we bundled the park pass with relevant gear — like park guides, water bottles, and accessories — we’d make it easier for customers to buy more without thinking, increasing order value.
Goal:
Profit Per Order and AOV
Result:
Customers were more likely to add gear when it was pre-packaged with the pass, leading to higher-margin orders with minimal friction.
Blog Post Emails + Embedded Cross-Sells
Hypothesis:
If we sent curiosity-driven emails linking to relevant blog posts — and embedded soft product placements and cross-sells into those posts — we’d boost engagement, deliverability, and drive profitable product clicks.
Goal:
Revenue Per Recipient
Result:
Higher engagement rates improved deliverability, while subtle in-post cross-sells drove more traffic to high-margin gear — without feeling like a sales pitch.
Other Optimizations
Other changes that reinforced the core improvements and boosted profit per order, engagement, and retention.
Welcome Series + Offer:
Rebuilt the welcome flow and added a free e-book guide to boost sign-ups and capture intent earlier.Frequently Bought Together:
Contextual add-ons placed under non-pass products to drive easy gear upsells.Homepage Update:
Highlighted bundles and seasonal picks to push first clicks toward higher-margin products.Post-Purchase Funnel:
Gear offers shown on the thank-you page + follow-up emails captured leftover intent.Email Flows Added:
Filled major gaps — cart abandonment, browse recovery, post-purchase upsells, and seasonal guides.Increased Send Volume:
Moved to a consistent weekly cadence with segmented content to drive repeat sales.
The Results
The combination of customer research, systematic optimization across all channels, and data-driven testing transformed US Park Pass's business. Our three-pillar approach to improving their ads, website conversion, and email marketing led to:
$3M revenue increase in just 4 months
32% improvement in profit margin
40% increase in email revenue contribution
Successful scaling of advertising spend without sacrificing profitability
Higher customer lifetime value through improved retention
Key Takeways
Research Before Action: Understanding customer needs through multiple research methods was crucial. This revealed distinct customer segments and their specific needs before testing any changes.
Strategic Product Positioning: The right products shown to the right people at the right time made all the difference in improving profit per order.
Smart Incentive Structure: Testing and implementing strategic offers that align with customer purchase behavior proved key to increasing order values naturally.
Data-Driven Testing: Continuous A/B testing with a systematic approach is crucial for validating all changes before implementation, determining whether each optimization has a positive or negative impact.
Segment-Based Experience: Optimizing the website for different customer segments - from gear enthusiasts to gift shoppers - created a more effective shopping experience for everyone.
Integrated Marketing Approach: Maximizing profitability requires optimizing across multiple channels simultaneously - from on-site experience to email marketing. This holistic approach creates compounding benefits that exceed what any single channel optimization could achieve.
Lifecycle Revenue Optimization: Building effective email marketing flows captures revenue throughout the customer lifecycle, turning one-time park pass buyers into repeat outdoor gear customers and significantly increasing lifetime value.
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