Hi, we just created a website for our three vacation homes. We're trying to boost rentals, and would appreciate your feedback on our site and our efforts to get more weeks booked. What we've done and are doing is (1) boosted rates (maybe a bit much); (2) setup our own website; (3) advertised the homes on CyberRentals.com; (4) evaluating listing the houses on additional websites; and, (5) will start discounting unbooked weeks in February.
The website is www.sandnc.com
Regarding Paulo's questions...
If there is something in particular bothering you – not enough weeks booked (we typically get 10-15 each summer)
give an idea of your target market – family groups, typically several families rent together.
single biggest selling point - large, new-ish, spacious, comfortable, ocean-view home just a quick walk to pristine ocean beaches (how's that for a "single" point!)
why my place instead of another in the same area? - our homes are in great condition (renovated continually), have many desireable features (large heated pools, good ocean views, tasteful decorations, well-equiped)
Thanks!
-Marc
Requesting feedback on our website & marketing
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MarcManley
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2004 8:28 am
- Location: Corolla, Outer Banks, NC, USA
- Contact:
Welcome to the forum, Marc! 
I think your site is doing a terrific job. I really think that the optimum site design for a rental property is a white background with lots of sunny pictures - let the pictures do the talking. This is just what your site does.
The copy is also good, it carries over your enthusiasm for the houses.
Your heading is a graphic and I would make this text to influence the search engines. They won't 'see' a graphic.
'We have great homes for you to enjoy!' isn't doing much for you. I'd change that to something that expresses your USP, like 'On one of the East Coast's "best undiscovered beaches"'
There is only so much a website can do to find you potential bookings on its own. If you are only advertising on Cyberrentals I would invest in at least 2 others, preferably 4. Some are free and some give free trial periods, so are worth going on.
In the first year your investment in advertising will be higher. When it comes to renewal time you will know which sites are performing best and which can be dropped.
Here is my method for finding the best listing sites to advertise on:
viewtopic.php?t=257
I think your site is doing a terrific job. I really think that the optimum site design for a rental property is a white background with lots of sunny pictures - let the pictures do the talking. This is just what your site does.
The copy is also good, it carries over your enthusiasm for the houses.
Your heading is a graphic and I would make this text to influence the search engines. They won't 'see' a graphic.
'We have great homes for you to enjoy!' isn't doing much for you. I'd change that to something that expresses your USP, like 'On one of the East Coast's "best undiscovered beaches"'
There is only so much a website can do to find you potential bookings on its own. If you are only advertising on Cyberrentals I would invest in at least 2 others, preferably 4. Some are free and some give free trial periods, so are worth going on.
In the first year your investment in advertising will be higher. When it comes to renewal time you will know which sites are performing best and which can be dropped.
Here is my method for finding the best listing sites to advertise on:
viewtopic.php?t=257
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat
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livinginitaly
- Posts: 202
- Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:46 pm
- Location: Italy (at last!)
- Contact:
Hi Marc,
Very clear, very crisp site you have there, good choice of colour and layout.
It appears to have been made using free 'website builder' software, probably supplied by your Internet Service Provider or Domain Name Registrant.
This is an excellent solution for people that don't have the time or inclination to get 'too involved' with the complexities of learning a 'software package' to develop their website. The result is often 'visually pleasing' due to the template led process.
If you're planning on gaining all your bookings from 'paid for' ads placed with the major 'holiday property rental' sites, then what you've done is great.
However, if you're hoping to gain extra bookings from people using the search engines to find your site direct .... i'd think again.
The actual code produced isn't too 'pretty' (a technical term), and prevents the likes of Google / MSN / Yahoo etc, from correctly searching and listing your site.
a few of these 'problems' are ...
1 - no text links between the pages
2 - no informative Page Titles
3 - no 'search friendly' urls, ie. http://www.sandnc.com/6982.html
4 - Impossible to make the site confirm with the new laws on 'Accessibility'. Something gaining momentum (even on this forum!)
At the end of the day though ....... it depends on what you want the site to do
Very clear, very crisp site you have there, good choice of colour and layout.
It appears to have been made using free 'website builder' software, probably supplied by your Internet Service Provider or Domain Name Registrant.
This is an excellent solution for people that don't have the time or inclination to get 'too involved' with the complexities of learning a 'software package' to develop their website. The result is often 'visually pleasing' due to the template led process.
If you're planning on gaining all your bookings from 'paid for' ads placed with the major 'holiday property rental' sites, then what you've done is great.
However, if you're hoping to gain extra bookings from people using the search engines to find your site direct .... i'd think again.
The actual code produced isn't too 'pretty' (a technical term), and prevents the likes of Google / MSN / Yahoo etc, from correctly searching and listing your site.
a few of these 'problems' are ...
1 - no text links between the pages
2 - no informative Page Titles
3 - no 'search friendly' urls, ie. http://www.sandnc.com/6982.html
4 - Impossible to make the site confirm with the new laws on 'Accessibility'. Something gaining momentum (even on this forum!)
At the end of the day though ....... it depends on what you want the site to do
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MarcManley
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2004 8:28 am
- Location: Corolla, Outer Banks, NC, USA
- Contact:
Thanks guys for the feedback, it was very helpful.
I'm going to re-write the web site without using the web building software from my ISP. What tools (preferably free or low-cost) do you recommend for this? Back in 1996 I was hand-stitching web sites with HMTL & CGI-Perl using text editors, so I'm not afraid of HTML, it's just been a while...
Ideally I'd like a WYSIWYG builder that generates clean HTML. Alternatively, something that'll generate a simple framework (i.e. I ask for a 3 column 5 row table and it creates boilerplate tags for me to add content to).
Any thoughts on frames? I'm thinking of having three: one across the top plus one down the side (or maybe just one across the top) so navigation links are always visible.
You mentioned a lack of text links, are these just the links between pages in my site? Any other specific recommendations about adding them?
Thanks!
-Marc
I'm going to re-write the web site without using the web building software from my ISP. What tools (preferably free or low-cost) do you recommend for this? Back in 1996 I was hand-stitching web sites with HMTL & CGI-Perl using text editors, so I'm not afraid of HTML, it's just been a while...
Ideally I'd like a WYSIWYG builder that generates clean HTML. Alternatively, something that'll generate a simple framework (i.e. I ask for a 3 column 5 row table and it creates boilerplate tags for me to add content to).
Any thoughts on frames? I'm thinking of having three: one across the top plus one down the side (or maybe just one across the top) so navigation links are always visible.
You mentioned a lack of text links, are these just the links between pages in my site? Any other specific recommendations about adding them?
Thanks!
-Marc
Marc,
I may be corrected on this but frames will make your text invisible to search engines (although there is a fancy workaround). That will mean you won't be found on a search engine search.
I think links at the top and bottom are fine for sites like ours, if all you want to achieve is a navigation menu always in view.
I may be corrected on this but frames will make your text invisible to search engines (although there is a fancy workaround). That will mean you won't be found on a search engine search.
I think links at the top and bottom are fine for sites like ours, if all you want to achieve is a navigation menu always in view.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat