How to Increase the Bookings of Your Vacation Rental

Sep 2, 2013

Having a vacation rental and no travelers is not something owners want to dream of. However, attracting travelers and increasing the bookings takes time and perseverance. But, it is not an impossible task to increase your vacation rental bookings in the current economic scenario. In fact, this is the best time to work on building customer loyalty, as many of them are looking for a cheaper and more comfortable alternative to hotels.

Here are some great tips that will help you build on your current occupancy rate:

1. Create Facebook Profile

There is a reason why businesses are flocking to Facebook and creating profile pages. You too should tap into the power of Facebook by setting up a Facebook business page of Vacation Rental Home. It is free and what’s more you can use this social media to market your rental house. Invite your friends and current customers to click on ‘Like’ your vacation rental’s Facebook page.

This will be seen by their Facebook friends and before you know it, your Facebook page will be in the midst of viral marketing. This will get you several likes and a few testimonials which will pave the way for increasing your bookings significantly. Google also loves Facebook business pages and if your page is optimized for the right keywords, you could end up on the first page results.

2. YouTube Videos

YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. Today, many people have handheld devices that they use to access information via the Internet. YouTube is one of the sites where billions of people visit every day to search for websites and information. Many of these people are travelers looking for travel destinations and rentals. Use the power of YouTube by uploading a video that shows your vacation rental in all its glory. You can use free software to make a powerful and effective video that it compels people to reserve your vacation homes.

3. Email Marketing

You already have an existing customer-base and you can use them to find more customers. Email marketing is pretty effective in this regard. Send your customers regular updates, offers and promotions about your rentals. Make sure you include your past customers too in the mailing list, as it could bring them back, especially if they had a great time and enjoyed the amenities.

You even can use paid email marketing to target new audience. Just make sure that the company providing you this service has an updated list and the demographic that you are targeting.

4. Have a Website

If you don’t have a website already, get a website developed. It is not very expensive to get a creative and appealing website designed. Make sure your website is user-friendly and easy to navigate and allow people to view photographs of your property. It is also important to make your website search engine friendly, so use the right keywords to get listings on high search engine results.

Furthermore, include a payment gateway that allows you to take online bookings. According to trends, most travelers wants to be able to book their vacation rental online. It is also beneficial for you, as you will not have to put in that much effort and it will reduce the chances of potential travelers going to your competitors.

5. Getting to Know Your Target Customers

It is important that you first make it a point to find out the type of travelers who visit the destination where your vacation rental is located. This will allow you to target just those travelers and market your property to them. Otherwise, you will be targeting all and sundry without great success.

6. Knowing What Your Customers Want

The needs of travelers are very dynamic and keep changing. So, you should be aware of their needs at all times so that you can cater to them. You can conduct a survey amongst your present customers or read their feedback carefully to find out how you can improve your services or vacation rental to make it more appealing to customers.

7. Evaluate Your Listings

As a vacation rental owner, you will use number of listings to market and advertise your property. Check each one carefully to see which listing brings in the maximum customers and which the least. You may want to do away with the listings that do not give a good return on your investment. Also, check the photographs and description that you have uploaded at the different portals and sites. See if you can change them and make them more attractive. Besides being appealing, your listing should be personalized and talk to each and every reader.

While you may love paid listings, it never hurts to use free listing sites as these can help you reach out to a wider audience.

There are many holiday homes and they are all competing with one another to increase their occupancy rate, especially during the off-season. Hence, you should stay a step ahead of your competitors by using unique, creative and innovative methods to capture the market.