9/24/2024

HOW ARE CEMETERIES GENERATING MORE REVENUE?

Cemeteries are increasingly finding innovative ways to generate more revenue beyond traditional burial and plot sales. In an industry where adapting to changes and innovation is slow moving, here are some strategies they are using:

Pre-Need Sales: Offering pre-need plans allows individuals to purchase cemetery burial plots, services, and memorialization options in advance. This secures revenue upfront and helps cemetery cash flow to support business growth and innovation.
Cremation Services: As cremation becomes more popular, cemeteries are expanding their cremation offerings, including cremation niches and memorial gardens. Water cremation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis, is a leading eco-friendly service that more cemeteries are adopting.
Memorialization Options: Developing unique memorialization products for your cemetery, such as custom headstones, memorial benches, or personalized plaques, can attract more customers.
Expanded Services: Many cemeteries are providing additional services such as grief counseling, memorial events, or on-site cremation facilities, enhancing their service portfolio. The spreading of ashes in dedicated scattering pongs is becoming very popular.
Columbariums: Building columbariums for cremated remains can attract clients looking for a more space-efficient option for memorialization.
Green Burials: Offering eco-friendly burial options appeals to environmentally conscious consumers and can differentiate a cemetery from competitors. It is also much more affordable given the green burial options of shrouds and bio-degradable caskets.
Event Spaces: Some cemeteries are transforming parts of their grounds into spaces for events, such as weddings or memorial services, providing an additional revenue stream. A celebration of life gathering is a trending option over traditional and more mundane funeral services.
Partnerships: Collaborating with local businesses for memorial services, floral arrangements, or catering can create referral networks and additional revenue sources. Monthly or quarterly subscriptions to place flowers on a loved one's gravesite is growing in popularity. Independent cemeteries will typically partner with nearby funeral homes for lead generation.
Tours and Educational Programs: Hosting historical tours or educational programs about the cemetery’s history can attract visitors and generate interest. Similarly, hosting special events and gatherings can promote your cemetery and help with the stigma that cemeteries are just for funerals.
Digital Services: Offering online memorials, tribute websites, or virtual tours can engage a broader audience, particularly during times when physical visits may be limited. More the younger generation are looking to adopt ways in which they can create an everlasting celebration of life using online tools.