One advertising site recommendation

For topics that are specific to France, please go here.
chipiechoo
Posts: 155
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 7:07 pm
Location: SW France

One advertising site recommendation

Post by chipiechoo »

Would very much appreciate suggestions from fellow French owners as to which single site you would recommend for basically attracting UK guests, where you retain control, if there is still one that exists ?
Emmy
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2016 10:01 am
Location: Charente
Contact:

Post by Emmy »

Hello... This is only our 2nd season. We have a paid listing with Chez Nous and one with Holiday France Direct where you pay £29 per booking, and we had the same last year. We retain control of both.

Last year I'd say Chez Nous found us more bookings, this year HFD. Last year, we had the option to book through Chez Nous enabled, but at 15% (?) commission we ditched that this year. I think it was useful for our first year - credibility - but not this year, since we now have reviews and people can hopefully see that we're genuine. We take payments by bank transfer.

This year, after initial contact through the listing site, I think pretty much all the bookings were made directly through our website, which I'm really pleased about. Unfortunately, other agencies/ listing sites have generated nothing for us.
chipiechoo
Posts: 155
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 7:07 pm
Location: SW France

Post by chipiechoo »

Thank you Emmy, your comments were interesting and appreciated.
We have also been with HFD since Sept-16 on the £29 per booking
option. Had one booking by referring a previous guest and one enquiry that was last minute and didn't fit.
With Gitelink and that has produced two bookings this year and well worth listing with.
All our bookings for this year, where we have filled all but 2 weeks have been direct. But we have now dropped OD and all our 11 years of reviews, so our website address is no longer visible on the larger sites. Maybe on your comment we will try Chez Nous though having monitored that site for some time the owners don't appear to get to many bookings or don't update very often, can't quite work it out.
JP
Posts: 61
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2015 7:16 am
Location: var france
Contact:

Post by JP »

My bookings come from the following 40% direct/facebook etc 25% Airbnb 25% B.C and the remaining 10% made up from HL/HA/HT/OD not had any this year from HFD. I don't think I could go down to just a single site.
User avatar
oasiscouple
Posts: 456
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2012 11:55 am
Location: Port Leucate, France
Contact:

Post by oasiscouple »

This year I no longer offer my 3 bedroom Gironde house for Holiday lettings, but up to last year (and the previous 12 years) Chez Nous subscription used to fill my 16 week season without advertising elsewhere. Now I do B&B and ABB and BC bring me enough bookings.
Honi soit qui peu y boit
chipiechoo
Posts: 155
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 7:07 pm
Location: SW France

Post by chipiechoo »

This year I no longer offer my 3 bedroom Gironde house for Holiday lettings, but up to last year (and the previous 12 years) Chez Nous subscription used to fill my 16 week season without advertising elsewhere.
Thank you for this advice. We have now listed with Chez Nous and will see if it produces anything for their 300 GBP charge. Wonder if you can tell us, are you able to getting viewing figures from this site, unable to see how?
User avatar
oasiscouple
Posts: 456
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2012 11:55 am
Location: Port Leucate, France
Contact:

Post by oasiscouple »

chipiechoo wrote: Wonder if you can tell us, are you able to getting viewing figures from this site, unable to see how?
I am not sure as I can't remember trying. As the bookings kept coming in, sometimes a year ahead, it didn't seem important.
Honi soit qui peu y boit
Post Reply