Do I need a website?

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.
Vicky
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2015 2:20 am
Location: North Yorkshire

Do I need a website?

Post by Vicky »

I am new to this so would like any advice from experienced owners!

I am using Sykes Cottages to get my bookings and I have been happy with the level of bookings in my first year. I am considering creating a website primarily for advertising/information.

Would this work if then on the site they were directed to Sykes for bookings? When I am looking for a holiday cottage I always prefer if I can see more pictures and find out more info before I book.

I guess I just wanted to know if this would be a waste of time and money or will it bring me more bookings?

Thanks for any advice!
Vicky
User avatar
kevsboredagain
Posts: 3207
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
Location: France
Contact:

Post by kevsboredagain »

Definitely worthwhile. Once established you'll probably find you can obtain a good percentage of your bookings yourself and therefore increase your retained profit.

I don't think you'll find many of us on here that don't have a website, so clearly there's an advantage. It's probably the cheapest but most unrestricted advertising you'll have for your business.
SandyBeaches
Posts: 1071
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 8:35 am
Location: Norfolk Coast

Post by SandyBeaches »

+1

Like you I initially thought that doing our own website was really just for additional information. I was so surprised that we now get a huge chunk of our bookings from it, so definitely worthwhile.
FelicityA
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Location: Cotswolds
Contact:

Post by FelicityA »

I second what the others have said. I get a high proportion of bookings directly from my website. I don't think this is because they have found me on a vague google ( they will find me/my website on a specific one of course like my village name + holiday cottage) but they find me elsewhere and THEN google for more details, more photographs, the opportunity to communicate directly with me.

You can give so much more information on an unrestricted ' allowance' of words and I get more of the straight "we would like to book x date in your cottage" emails, rather than the time consuming enquiries with a multitude of questions, maybe leading to a booking.

It is still important to be visible with the 'big boys' I find but it is nice not to have to go through them. Only yesterday someone who booked through my website said they found me originally on Trip Advisor. No link to my website there as it is a commission listing but they obviously just googled me.

If you are looking for an easy way to build a pleasing website I can highly recommend Promotemyplace ( mine is in my profile if you want to have a look although I don't claim it to be a shining example - others have better ones). I found it so easy to do and I am not technical. Whenever I had a question they were there within hours if not minutes to help and it has continued to be like that for nearly three years now. The support is superb. There are lots of other companies out there from whom you can buy templates and no doubt others will recommend their favourites.

PS I will message you a code for a discount on PMP just in case you decide to go for it.
User avatar
Normandie
Posts: 1670
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:18 pm
Location: France - southern Manche (50)

Post by Normandie »

Someone (fairly mischievously, I think) posed the do I need a website? question last year. This is a link to the discussion. The poster did, iIrc, go on to build (or redo) his website. :wink:

viewtopic.php?t=22332&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
kg1
Posts: 2347
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:23 pm

Post by kg1 »

+1 for PMP. Mine is also on my profile if you want to look.
Vince
Posts: 112
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 10:11 am
Location: Javea, Spain

Post by Vince »

Absolutely yes, for a variety of reasons (see previous replies).
Vicky
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2015 2:20 am
Location: North Yorkshire

Post by Vicky »

Thanks for all your replies...doesn't look like I'll loose anything by doing it and it would be great if it does generate more bookings. Cheers!
sazzleevans
Posts: 290
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:48 am
Location: costa de la luz
Contact:

Post by sazzleevans »

Have a look at this course I am doing it at the moment, I'm about half way through and am happy!

http://bookingsplus4g.com/course/wordpr ... -owners-2/
User avatar
Casscat
Posts: 2692
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2014 10:43 pm

Post by Casscat »

sazzleevans wrote:Have a look at this course I am doing it at the moment, I'm about half way through and am happy!

http://bookingsplus4g.com/course/wordpr ... -owners-2/
A total web newbie rental owner shouldn't need a course to get a very serviceable web site up and running, although I do appreciate that if you want something highly individual and have multiple properties it is as well to either dig deeper into web design or pay a web designer. Vicky will probably be able to construct a really impressive site via something like Promote My Place in less than an hour. Pro tem that's likely to be a great step.
sazzleevans
Posts: 290
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:48 am
Location: costa de la luz
Contact:

Post by sazzleevans »

True!! I can highly recommend weebly.com for an easy website. I've used it for years but ive found competition is tuffer so I am upping my game and started this course. Depends what you want. A standard website is easy with lots of template options but I've found conversion low dispite being on top of Google search for my area. I'm heavily reliant on HA which I want to get away from after massive price hikes!!!
User avatar
Cas & Irene
Posts: 252
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:19 am
Location: Barcelona - Spain
Contact:

Post by Cas & Irene »

Absolutely essential in this business!
The number of bookings through our website is growing every year with more than 10%!

Maybe there will come a time that we can say goodbye to all that time and money consuming rental websites. Hurray ..... !!!

Irene make daily adjustments on our site, news about Barcelona, conferences, festivals, theme expositions in musea etc. There is so much available on the Internet.
All those info helps your site to be found on the internet

At every monthly newsletter (with Mailchimp.com) is a small price question includen with a few bottles of Cava as price, the answer is to be found on our website. Always a lot of nice comments.
A website gives endless possibilities if you are a little creative!
Sail with the wind from today and count your blessings!
http://www.Bed-and-Breakfast-Barcelona.com
St. Katharine B&B-Hotel Boat in Barcelona!
Follow us on Twitter : @Yacht_Barcelona

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BedandBreakfastBoatBarcelona
User avatar
kevsboredagain
Posts: 3207
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
Location: France
Contact:

Post by kevsboredagain »

sazzleevans wrote:True!! I can highly recommend weebly.com for an easy website.
The first visible element in your website looks like an error.

Top left corner of the page:
Google+ googled794786ed2889a9c.html

There seems to be an end tag missing in the source.
User avatar
charles cawley
Posts: 1205
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 1:53 pm
Location: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Borders

Post by charles cawley »

Websites are so important we even tell every potential owner who is thinking of joining us to make sure they have one.
No web-site for now.
Advice about holiday letting
User avatar
kevsboredagain
Posts: 3207
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
Location: France
Contact:

Post by kevsboredagain »

charles cawley wrote:Websites are so important we even tell every potential owner who is thinking of joining us to make sure they have one.
This can also lead to a dilemma itself. Many people assume that having a website is better than not having one. They then go ahead and try and build one on the cheap but the result is actually harmful to their business. Luckily there are not many such sites on LMH but I have seen some that would put me off making a booking.
Post Reply