internet directories

Everything to do with using your own website to advertise your rental property. Design, usability, hosting, getting listed on the search engines, optimising your site, pay-per-click, etc, etc.
Vanessa
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Location: Rotonda West, Florida
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internet directories

Post by Vanessa »

How many of you are submitting your sites to travel directories and have you found it helpful in increasing your traffic? I am new to this and have been reading everything I can find to help market our villa. We have listed on vacation rental sites and have received inquires but no bookings as yet. Whereas, our website is new I have read it often takes months to be picked up by search engines. Any hints to help market and drive traffic to our website?www.florida-gulf-rotonda-villa.com.
Thanks
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A-two
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Re: internet directories

Post by A-two »

Vanessa wrote:We have listed on vacation rental sites and have received inquires but no bookings as yet.
Hi Vanessa,
I just checked your availability calendar and it is showing that you are fully booked between now and November 2nd, at least that's my reading of it. Available is shown in white and booked is shown in green, correct? Could this be part of your problem? Nice site by the way. Sorry, I didn't answer your question did I......
Vanessa
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Location: Rotonda West, Florida
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Post by Vanessa »

Yes, it does appear it is booked this is because the villa is under construction and will be completed this summer. We then will furnish and set it up to be ready for rent in November. It was recommended to us to get our website online as early as possible. We blocked out dates until early November so people would not request dates before it is ready. Any other suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks
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oskar
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Post by oskar »

Hi Vanessa

Listing your website in directories will have little affect on traffic to your site directly, but it will increase traffic indirectly as your search engine position will rise. I see you´ve got 2 back links so far - bit of a way to go! :wink:
A-two
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Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 10:05 am
Location: USA

Post by A-two »

Vanessa wrote:Yes, it does appear it is booked this is because the villa is under construction and will be completed this summer. We then will furnish and set it up to be ready for rent in November.
Oh I see. So how can you show photos of the outside of the house with beautifully landscaped lawn, pool area and every room already furnished? Please don't tell me that the house in the photographs is a completely different house from the one you are offering for rent. Well, I guess it must be, so please point me to the disclosure on the website that tells me the house is currently under construction and the photos are only an indication of how it will look when finished. Sorry, I missed that page. When did you plan to tell them?
Vanessa wrote:YIt was recommended to us to get our website online as early as possible.
I don't think anyone recommended that you take photos of another house and pretend it's the house you are offering, I think they meant to get it online even if you only have an exterior photo. If the interior isn't finished, you can use floorplans, architect sketches etc. I wouldn't even have a problem with the interior photos if there were a caption under every one saying this is a "sister" house on which the new house design is being based. But to not tell them at all?

Forget the internet directories, you have a much bigger problem. If anyone inquiring about this house finds out it doesn't exist yet, they might well report you to the listing site where they found your ad, then you would have a hrad time getting a booking because I'm fairly sure they will cancel your account.
Last edited by A-two on Tue Apr 18, 2006 1:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Vanessa
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Location: Rotonda West, Florida
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Post by Vanessa »

The house shown is the house we are building and the floorplan (layout) on the website is our home. On the first page description it indicates that the photos are of the model home and its furnishings and our home will be of similar or higher quality.
Look for the positive!
A-two
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Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 10:05 am
Location: USA

Post by A-two »

(sorry, I added another paragraph to the above post which cross-posted with you)

OK, now that you mention it, I do see one sentence at the bottom of the home page, "The photographs on the site are of the showhome pending completion of our home which will be ready for bookings from September 2006. The furnishings will be of a similar quality or higher."

However, that's the only place it appears and as you can see, I had to be pointed to it, it was not something I found on my own, neither does it appear on any other page. For example, when you click on the floor plans, it shows a photo of a pool which describes it as if it is the house being offered.

As well, you talk in terms of the present, not the future, by saying things like, " The Family friendly Villa is furnished and equipped with everything you need.". That definitely means it is already furnished, otherwise it would say, "The Family friendly Villa will be furnished and equipped with everything you need." or , "This Family friendly Villa is being furnished with....."and that's a theme that runs throughout the site, (implying that whatever you are describing already exists). That's why I have a big problem with your site.

For a start, I definitely think you ought to have a caption with every model home photo to identify it as such.

I'm sorry if this seems harsh, but I just find the whole site misleading and as an inquirer, even if you told me during our first conversation that the house wasn't yet finished and all the photos were of a model home, I'd find it very offputting and wouldn't book. I'd feel cheated, so what I'm saying is that I don't think you're doing yourself any favors.

The house is obviously going to be gorgeous and no reason why people wouldn't want to book it if it is planned to be finished months earlier than their arrival.
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