How to get bookings!!

[isplumm]

Hi,

So I have launched the website (www.lapellerineloire.co.uk) - thanks for Lay My Hat users for all their help, advertised on Chez Nous and http://www.loirelife.com.

So the next question is how do we get bookings? I am on twitter, building up my followers, regularly pushing the website.

Any advise? Should I be advertising elsewhere?

Thanks Mark

[Casscat]

I guess it's just a case of being patient! I'm not in France so I don't know the best techniques for reaching your market, but as a total newbie I felt that I had to get my place onto at least one of the big boy sites initially as I tried to get a book of repeat guests built up so - for better or worse - I went with Owners Direct and received my first bookings within about 48 hours of going live. This was mid June last year and I assumed it was too late to aim for the summer season as everyone would surely have booked by then, but I was wrong. Far more last minute bookers than I had ever imagined! The very best of luck with your new venture

[kevsboredagain]

You could list for free on some of the commission sites. If you're unhappy with the cut they take, your prices can be adjusted to compensate. Apart from your time creating your advert, you've nothing to lose.

Sites might include AirBnb, Holiday Lettings, Homeaway and Homelidays. You can also list on http://www.leboncoin.fr/ for free if you wish to attract French guests but you'll need to give prices in Euros not pounds and communicate to them in French.

[Hells Bells]

Hi, I advertise on some smaller French only sites which all cost a small fee (around 50€ max from memory). They all bring in one or two bookings a year.

http://www.pour-les-vacances.com/index.php (brings traffic straight to your website)

https://www.france-voyage.com (probably the most successful, 3 bookings this year, including a 2 week summer one)

Gitelink has also brought quite a bit of traffic to my website.

[French Cricket]

Well done for getting the site up and running, Mark!

I'd strongly suggest that you create a French language site as well - it's that that will bring you in the majority of last minute bookings as the French will typically leave booking a holiday until the last minute (once they've checked their bank balance and the weather forecast!). You're seriously limiting your market if you restrict yourself to the English language/sterling prices.

I'd second France-Voyage - I use it and have had a couple of bookings from it for this year, including a 2 week booking from two guests who've just left. I don't use Le Bon Coin but I know some here do and find it great for late availability French bookings ... providing you set yourself up with that French website and euro pricing!

Good luck with your first bookings!

[isplumm]

Well done for getting the site up and running, Mark!

I'd strongly suggest that you create a French language site as well - it's that that will bring you in the majority of last minute bookings as the French will typically leave booking a holiday until the last minute (once they've checked their bank balance and the weather forecast!). You're seriously limiting your market if you restrict yourself to the English language/sterling prices.

I'd second France-Voyage - I use it and have had a couple of bookings from it for this year, including a 2 week booking from two guests who've just left. I don't use Le Bon Coin but I know some here do and find it great for late availability French bookings ... providing you set yourself up with that French website and euro pricing!

Good luck with your first bookings!

Ah yes - but my French is not the greatest!!! And if someone calls me then my limited French will really destroy any chance of a booking!!

But I will give it a go!!

Thanks Mark

[louloup]

I'm a chambres d'hôtes and most of my guests are French. My local tourist office has a good website and charges about €50 per year to include me in their "hebergement" section, with links to my site. French bookings do tend to be last minute. I've had so many French bookings that I never bothered doing my website in English.
Local events generate a lot of bookings for me, here it is hang gliding and cyclosports, whatever it is near you, they will probably allow you to advertise on their site/posters etc for a small fee or donation.
Phone calls can be tricky if your French isn't great, so ask people to contact you by email. That gives you the opportunity to make sure that you've understood the request properly. Keep your sentences short and run them through Google translate forwards and backwards, because it can let you down badly if you don't.
With one notable exception my guests have been truly lovely, friendly and left their rooms so clean I have wondered whether they actually slept in the bed. Bonne chance!

[Frenchlady]

We are quite a few French sites - they are cheaper than the big English sites but you do need to be on at least one of those too. Go on as many FREE sites as possible. May not bring in much business but keeps you in the searches. As it is another relatively slow year we have just gone with Airbnb as you do need to move with the times as advertising has changed a lot since we first started 12 years ago. We have only had 4 bad guests in those years and none have been French - they have been very respectful and lovely people. Good luck.