Trying to figure out how to get bookings through 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.
Jemima Copping
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Trying to figure out how to get bookings through website.

Post by Jemima Copping »

My website has been up and running for a couple of weeks now.
People can find it through WalkHighlands, Isleofskye.com, CG, Blaven.com, Facebook.
Using GA I found that the biggest percentage of views came through Walk Highlands, which is telling me about the interests of the viewers, i.e they like doing outdoorsy stuff. The largest age group is between 25 & 34. So, young active people seem to be my main possible market.
So, how can I improve my site to encourage tnem to book?
So far I've only had one inquiry which came to nothing as I already had a booking for those dates.
I'm thinking of using Freetobook which I mentioned in another post today. I can't use my mobile phone because where we live thereis no signal and I only go into town once a week.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Looking forward to hearing any suggestions,
Cheers
Jemima.

www.bluebellcottageisleofskye.com
:?
Better to be mutton dressed as lamb than mutton dressed as mutton!
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kevsboredagain
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Post by kevsboredagain »

It takes much longer than a few weeks to get a foothold on the internet with a new website.

You obviously need lots of good content and links from other sites.

Some issues I can see are te lack of descriptions. Google simple says:

Bluebell Cottage
www.bluebellcottageisleofskye.com/
Holiday Cottage in Torrin, Isle of Skye, Sleeps 2.

The images have no alt tags, so nothing there for Google to index. Some of the translated pages are not ready and not all is translated. The pages all indicate to the search engine that they're in English. Your Google map would suggest that you don't have the property indexed on Google maps yet. Well worth doing and also add a Google+, Facebook and Youtube channel. The links page of just 2 links is a bit empty.

The main thing is to keep working on it and keep improving. It can months or years to see the benefits.
Joanna
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Post by Joanna »

As well as developing your site, as Kev says, try searching out more niche sites to link to you.

You could subscribe to walkingworld.com and then you have the option to put up a sort of small ad that will be shown whenever anyone searches for walks in your area. It's around £18 per year and the ad will link to your web site. Sounds like it could fit your target market.
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Jemima Copping
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Post by Jemima Copping »

Thanks for your comments Kev. I really appreciate your taking the time.
There is something I don't understand though---what are alt tags exactly?
I know about the translation defects. I tried Google translate but the Spanish was mostly cr.. and I wanted to at least get that one right. Haven't got round to the Portuguese and French yet. Sorting it all out is now on my Must Do list.
I have got links to other sites embedded in the text - should I also add the same ones on the links page? I diidn't know whether to do this or not.
The map will be sorted asap.
Cheers
Jemima
Better to be mutton dressed as lamb than mutton dressed as mutton!
Jemima Copping
Posts: 176
Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2013 5:22 pm
Location: Scotland
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Post by Jemima Copping »

Thanks to you Jo also, I'll have a look to walkingworld tomorrow.
Better to be mutton dressed as lamb than mutton dressed as mutton!
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Cas & Irene
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Post by Cas & Irene »

We got about 35% of our bookings through our website and it grows with approx 10% per year.

After every direct booking we ask the guest how did they find us, and somtimes through a rental site or our business listing on Tripadvisor.
But also many times just by a Google search.

Irene put every day some new content on our site. For example, next to the marina is the CCIB (Congress Centre) we mentioned all the congresses on our website. Many times I see in Goolgle organic, search words related at one of the congresses. Also information about the festivals in BCN

Next to that we put every day postings on FB and Twitter. Lot of work but with Hootsuite you can organize this very well.

Maybe you can put some local or regional events on your site.
Famous products from the region etc.
.
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
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kevsboredagain
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Post by kevsboredagain »

Jemima Copping wrote:Thanks for your comments Kev. I really appreciate your taking the time.
There is something I don't understand though---what are alt tags exactly?
I know about the translation defects. I tried Google translate but the Spanish was mostly cr.. and I wanted to at least get that one right. Haven't got round to the Portuguese and French yet. Sorting it all out is now on my Must Do list.
I have got links to other sites embedded in the text - should I also add the same ones on the links page? I diidn't know whether to do this or not.
The map will be sorted asap.
Cheers
Jemima
Alt tags are the textual alternative for an image on your web page. The html would have a src="image.jpg" as well as "alt="image name" If you were to browse with images turned off, this text is what you'd see. The fact that you have then given the image a text name means that search engines can index this. It would also help using meaningful names for images rather than the camera defaults like DC12345.jpg Having your images indexed by Google is a big plus and people often visit your site after searching for a picture of something.

I've no idea how alt tags are implemented with PMP. Perhaps someone else can advise.

Even if you have links embedded in your text, I would still tend to list them somewhere. It's very useful for guests when making plans on what to do. Just my opinion though and not every site does this.

Edit: Having checked the source again. many images do indeed have alt tags.
eg.
src="/Uploads/Property/1735/DSCF0665.jpg?width=200&height=0&grow=1" alt="Curlew beside Loch Slapin." It seems PMP was able to use your title as the alt text in addition to being a title.

It's stil worth having a meaningful image name though instead of DSCF0665.jpg
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CSE
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Post by CSE »

Some on-line tips about SEO work:
https://support.google.com/webmasters/a ... 5291?hl=en
http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo
Not say these are the best but just two of the many examples to be found on the interweb.
Never try to out-stubborn your guests.
Jemima Copping
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Post by Jemima Copping »

Thank you too Ian and Irene, and Cas and Irene
There is certainly food for thought in every reply I have had. It's a matter of just addressing each one by one and putting the suggestions into action.
It's very touching that you have all taken the time to help out a beginner,
and I hope to be able to do the same for other Hatters in the future.
Cheers
Jemima
Better to be mutton dressed as lamb than mutton dressed as mutton!
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