But what about all the other potential guests who came to your site and didn't book?
If you want to increase bookings from your vacation rental's website, the key is optimizing your website.
Keep reading for some surprisingly simple tips for optimizing your site.
"Optimizing your vacation rental's website can increase your bookings with minimal or no expense for you, the homeowner."
Tweet10 Easy Ways to Optimize Your Vacation Rental's Website
1. Get Online! If you already have a website for your vacation home, that's great! Now it's time to take a look at how you can optimize your site for more bookings. If you don't have a website, ROVH recommends working with Strategic Business Solutions for a fully-customized and easy-to-use website.
2. Set up Simple Navigation. Separate your rental's information into different pages. Include a navigation menu with tabs for availability, rates, policies, nearby attractions, and a Contact Us page. Navigation menus located at the top of a site is the most popular placement.
3. Help Your Guests Trust You. Create an About Us page and upload a picture of yourself. You don't have to provide any personal information, but you can talk about why you love vacationing at your rental, your favorite activities or recommendations, and what guests can expect when they vacation at your rental.
4. Be Honest about Your Rental's Location. Not actually 5 minutes from the area's best attractions? Don't exaggerate or lie to your guests. Instead, manage their expectations and provide a positive point of view, too. If your rental is 30 minutes away from your city's attractions, talk about the benefits of being close enough to explore your exciting city, but far enough away from the bustle to relax at night!
5. State Your Policies. Create a page that clearly states your policies on deposits, cancellations, damages, check-in and check-out times, pets, smoking, extra guests, and any other important rental rules. Including a printable policy statement can also be helpful for your guest's reference.
6. List Your Amenities. List all the amenities your vacation rental offers. While some families may not need a high chair, it may swing the vote in your favor for another guest. If you don't offer something like Wi-Fi or a washer/dryer, go the extra step to provide an alternative for your guest. Perhaps your resort has an internet cafe or there's a nearby laundry mat?
7. Keep Your Rates & Availability Updated. Try a free, online availability calendar like Date Blocker. Using calendar software can help keep your availability organized and prevent an accidental double booking.
8. Provide a Way for Guests to Contact You. Include a Contact Us form on your site, or use your booking calendar's software to create an inquiry page. At the very least, list your email address and phone number and be sure to promptly return messages - ideally within a few hours.
9. Check Formatting. Fix any spelling or grammar errors. Use an easy to read font like Helvetica for headings and Georgia for text; use size 14-16. Write clearly and concisely. Make your content skimmable by using headings, lists, and bold text.
10. Offer Online Booking. Guests who find the perfect vacation rental want to book immediately. Offer a way for guests to automatically reserve your vacation rental with online payments. PayPal is a popular online payment service to use for this. TIP: If you're accepting online payments, don't forget to include the logo of your payment or SSL certificate provider.
Over 70% of your guests are using the internet to research and book vacations. If they love your rental, shouldn't you offer them the chance to book immediately?
Absolutely! If you're looking for a low-cost solution to automatic online marketing and booking for your Orlando-area vacation rental, list with ROVH.
Members receive:
4. Be Honest about Your Rental's Location. Not actually 5 minutes from the area's best attractions? Don't exaggerate or lie to your guests. Instead, manage their expectations and provide a positive point of view, too. If your rental is 30 minutes away from your city's attractions, talk about the benefits of being close enough to explore your exciting city, but far enough away from the bustle to relax at night!
5. State Your Policies. Create a page that clearly states your policies on deposits, cancellations, damages, check-in and check-out times, pets, smoking, extra guests, and any other important rental rules. Including a printable policy statement can also be helpful for your guest's reference.
6. List Your Amenities. List all the amenities your vacation rental offers. While some families may not need a high chair, it may swing the vote in your favor for another guest. If you don't offer something like Wi-Fi or a washer/dryer, go the extra step to provide an alternative for your guest. Perhaps your resort has an internet cafe or there's a nearby laundry mat?
7. Keep Your Rates & Availability Updated. Try a free, online availability calendar like Date Blocker. Using calendar software can help keep your availability organized and prevent an accidental double booking.
8. Provide a Way for Guests to Contact You. Include a Contact Us form on your site, or use your booking calendar's software to create an inquiry page. At the very least, list your email address and phone number and be sure to promptly return messages - ideally within a few hours.
9. Check Formatting. Fix any spelling or grammar errors. Use an easy to read font like Helvetica for headings and Georgia for text; use size 14-16. Write clearly and concisely. Make your content skimmable by using headings, lists, and bold text.
10. Offer Online Booking. Guests who find the perfect vacation rental want to book immediately. Offer a way for guests to automatically reserve your vacation rental with online payments. PayPal is a popular online payment service to use for this. TIP: If you're accepting online payments, don't forget to include the logo of your payment or SSL certificate provider.
Over 70% of your guests are using the internet to research and book vacations. If they love your rental, shouldn't you offer them the chance to book immediately?
Absolutely! If you're looking for a low-cost solution to automatic online marketing and booking for your Orlando-area vacation rental, list with ROVH.
Members receive:
- An optimized property profile
- Live availability calendars
- Flexible rates
- Automatic, online booking
- And more!
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