You have an awesome vacation rental in a great geographic area. You have it decked out with the best amenities for any traveler. But you still aren’t seeing the bookings you had hoped for. When it comes to vacation rentals, the competition is fierce. AirBnb has over 150 million users worldwide alone. In fact, the vacation rental industry is expected to topple the current hotel industry. These are exciting figures for a vacation rental owner. But it also means that you need to find ways to stand out from the rest. Posting your rental on a vacation rental site and hoping for the best is not enough in this climate. You will want to take a good look at your listing to ensure that you are getting the exposure you need. Here are some ways that owners miss the mark with their vacation rentals.
You Can’t Be Found
Just placing a listing on a rental site is a basic first step. Most successful rental owners employ important marketing techniques to drive traffic to their listing. Google searches run on organic content. Using the correct amount and the right keywords is imperative to ensuring that your guests will be able to find you. Have a great website presence implementing good SEO strategies and you are more likely to be found by the guests you want to attract.
Speaking of Websites
If your website design is bad, it looks bad for your listing. And this doesn’t just mean the way it looks. Maneuvering the site should be very user-friendly and mobile-optimized. A messy and frustrating website will cause visitors to go elsewhere. Don’t let this happen after you have finally gotten them there.
Make Your Description Stand Out
Having a good website isn’t enough if it doesn’t give enough information. Having a stellar description is essential. Don’t use tepid words that give no insight into the listing. Describe your listing in ways that your guest will WANT to be there. Highlight all the amazing things that your rental is. Don’t use cliches and overused terms that have no real meaning. Detail is important when vying for attention amidst the hundreds of other vacation rentals in your area. Your description should be clear with as much detail as possible. Whether your preferred guests are families, business travelers or singles, consider who you are speaking to when writing your descriptions.
Invest in Great Photos
Just as if you were looking for a home online, travelers are drawn to your photographs first. Not many of them will be able to see the place in person before they book. That’s why your photos must be good quality, accurate and show your vacation rental in its best light. Make sure to add detailed captions to your photos so guests understand exactly what they are looking at.
Make Sure Your Pricing is Competitive
Pricing can be difficult but it’s essential to get this part right. Consider competition and what they are charging for both high and low seasons. When you are in line with your competitors, you don’t have potential guests wondering why you are so cheap (something is wrong with the place!) or why you are asking so much more for your rental (setting the bar VERY high).
A Prompt Response
You can do everything right but unless you respond promptly to guests, you may miss some very promising bookings. If you don’t have time to give your vacation rental your full attention, you should consider hiring a property manager. At Five Star, managing vacation rentals is what we do. Give us a call at (310) 902-4133 to discuss how we can help get you the bookings you want for your vacation rental.