Hi,
I am a newbie and started listing in January on OD (subscription) and TA (commission). In February I upgraded to an OD gold listing as I was getting no enquiries and I have just put an offer on for Easter, April and May.
So far I have had 3 enquiries and only one booking. I was hoping to have filled Easter and to have started taking bookings for summer by now.
What am I doing wrong? Should I list with more sites and if so which ones? Should I have my own website, and if so how do I make sure it is far enough up the internet search rankings to be worthwhile? I'm reluctant to throw more money at this until I at least start making some!
Links to my listings below - I know the photos could be better and I will take some more when we get some nice weather, and there aren't any reviews yet - could that be it? Any help greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Jen
https://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/accommodation/p6038225
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/VacationR ... gland.html
New to this - no bookings :(
Yes you need your own web page asap. In the meantime get yourself on to Facebook, set up a business page and start advertising yourself on there- plenty of groups you can join and advertise on. That's where the majority of my bookings are coming from. I get nothing from OD or HL. Won't cost you anything either.
One thing I have learned is that you can't just list on the big sites and hope for the best.
My first year we signed up with an agency ( having carefully studied how long we were tied in for!). They took their pound of flesh but they got us fully booked almost immediately and it did start to bring some much needed cash in. I grumble about them but we'd have been empty for a lot of August last year without their advertising budget. I gave them notice in time to end the contract after the shortest possible time.
If you do this also make sure you can make unlimited owner bookings so you can sell as many direct weeks as you can. Once you have the web presence you won't need the agency.
I am now fully booked (bar one week) until the end of September and I only started in July last year.
One thing I have learned is that you can't just list on the big sites and hope for the best.
My first year we signed up with an agency ( having carefully studied how long we were tied in for!). They took their pound of flesh but they got us fully booked almost immediately and it did start to bring some much needed cash in. I grumble about them but we'd have been empty for a lot of August last year without their advertising budget. I gave them notice in time to end the contract after the shortest possible time.
If you do this also make sure you can make unlimited owner bookings so you can sell as many direct weeks as you can. Once you have the web presence you won't need the agency.
I am now fully booked (bar one week) until the end of September and I only started in July last year.
Last edited by Cymraes on Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Owners Dorect are, for many people not performing well at the moment and on TA you are up against thousands of other properties.
Yes, do get yourself a web page and maybe think about a Facebook page as well. If you want to use a custom made template Promote My PLace is popular and cost £69 per year - plus I have a referral code that will give you £10 if you are interested.
Others will be along soon who can advise on other places to advertise but there is no hard and fast rule for success.
Yes, do get yourself a web page and maybe think about a Facebook page as well. If you want to use a custom made template Promote My PLace is popular and cost £69 per year - plus I have a referral code that will give you £10 if you are interested.
Others will be along soon who can advise on other places to advertise but there is no hard and fast rule for success.
Ha ha cross posted with Cymraes.
This is one FB site you can advertise on for free (I am an admin there) and there are other but you really do need a web or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/bookholidaysdirect/
This is one FB site you can advertise on for free (I am an admin there) and there are other but you really do need a web or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/bookholidaysdirect/
I understand why you don't want to spend more money at the moment so why not list on as many commission sites as possible. You can deactivate and reactivate your listings at any time.
See Essar's brilliant Members' area sticky titled 'Holiday Rentals - Listing Sites' for inspiration and in depth pros and cons.
Can definitely recommend a Promote My Place website. It's crucial to have your own site because you can give so much more detail and really sell yourself in much more your own style compared to a listing site. You can set a basic PMP site in one evening, so make it a priority tonight!
Then go back and update it when you've got more time. Good luck.
Oh and don't be tempted to pay for any OD Feature listings etc. They produce nil results and you've already paid enough to OD with a Gold listing.
See Essar's brilliant Members' area sticky titled 'Holiday Rentals - Listing Sites' for inspiration and in depth pros and cons.
Can definitely recommend a Promote My Place website. It's crucial to have your own site because you can give so much more detail and really sell yourself in much more your own style compared to a listing site. You can set a basic PMP site in one evening, so make it a priority tonight!
Then go back and update it when you've got more time. Good luck.Oh and don't be tempted to pay for any OD Feature listings etc. They produce nil results and you've already paid enough to OD with a Gold listing.
OD (and all the Homeaway sites) seem to be very quiet at the moment. I've only had 1 enquiry compared to 7 this time last year. If I wasn't almost fully booked I'd be worried, BUT all of us can go for weeks without an enquiry, - every year is different so don't worry.
As the others say, a website and an FB page help to validate you and your property once you do start getting enquiries.
Don't pay OD for any further upgrades, in my humble opinion
You do say "the view from the couch" - this is your USP so try to maximise it. Get a really good photo, including something in the foreground (the couch/the dining table) and use it as your lead photo. Even the window-sill, with a pair of binoculars and a cushion...experiment.
As the others say, a website and an FB page help to validate you and your property once you do start getting enquiries.
Don't pay OD for any further upgrades, in my humble opinion
You do say "the view from the couch" - this is your USP so try to maximise it. Get a really good photo, including something in the foreground (the couch/the dining table) and use it as your lead photo. Even the window-sill, with a pair of binoculars and a cushion...experiment.
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kevsboredagain
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Perhaps a little more advertising to get started would help. I think I started with 2 subscriptions and several free or commission sites. After the first year you can cut back when you find out what works.
You own website will also help but don't expect to be high on the search results without a lot of effort and time. The website can simply add more information than you could provide in an advert but won't be the source of bookings to start with.
I don't think paying for different levels of advert is a wise investment IMHO.
You own website will also help but don't expect to be high on the search results without a lot of effort and time. The website can simply add more information than you could provide in an advert but won't be the source of bookings to start with.
I don't think paying for different levels of advert is a wise investment IMHO.
If it makes you feel a bit better, this is my slowest year in the past 9! I'm hoping I will just get more last-minute than usual. I agree, by the way, with what the others said. You have to try quite a few different advertising angles before you know what will work. (& I do think the homeaway sites are quieter than usual. Maybe the new traveler fee?)
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LaderaCottage
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Re: New to this - no bookings :(
Throwing good money after bad by the sounds of it. For most OD is not what it once was. And to top it all you will find your listing on various other HomeAway sites too FOC such as Homeaway.com, VRBO and vacation rentals that was not the case a year ago either. https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.o ... rect.co.uk Shame you did not read that before shelling out more money to this outfit.Jenster wrote: So far I have had 3 enquiries and only one booking. I was hoping to have filled Easter and to have started taking bookings for summer by now.
What am I doing wrong?
Hello Jenster and welcome to the forum.
Don't be too disheartened by the small number of enquiries and bookings. Remember you are brand new and you will need to settle into the ups and downs of holiday rental ownership.
As others have said this year is slow and the "normal" flow of enquiries/bookings is rather "abnormal" for certain areas.
Starting without using a local agency is quite a big step and you should be congratulating yourself for this. Don't worry about the lack of enquiries; they will come, you have to be patient.
Don't spend more advertising budget on subscription upgrades with HA/OD they are wasteful until you understand your competition a bit better and how you "fit" into the locale. There is no point in being No.1 when travellers are not looking for your offering anyway.
Spread yourself onto some of the other commission listing sites; such as AB.
Others have recommended your own website - this is essential but not critical - don't rush into producing something without a bit of research, there are good website systems - like PromoteMyPlace - others on here have used them very successfully, look up the posts for more information and read it thouroughly.
Your property looks nice; as you say the photos need an upgrade when you can, warmer weather will help.
Don't be too disheartened by the small number of enquiries and bookings. Remember you are brand new and you will need to settle into the ups and downs of holiday rental ownership.
As others have said this year is slow and the "normal" flow of enquiries/bookings is rather "abnormal" for certain areas.
Starting without using a local agency is quite a big step and you should be congratulating yourself for this. Don't worry about the lack of enquiries; they will come, you have to be patient.
Don't spend more advertising budget on subscription upgrades with HA/OD they are wasteful until you understand your competition a bit better and how you "fit" into the locale. There is no point in being No.1 when travellers are not looking for your offering anyway.
Spread yourself onto some of the other commission listing sites; such as AB.
Others have recommended your own website - this is essential but not critical - don't rush into producing something without a bit of research, there are good website systems - like PromoteMyPlace - others on here have used them very successfully, look up the posts for more information and read it thouroughly.
Your property looks nice; as you say the photos need an upgrade when you can, warmer weather will help.
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Thank you so much for all the helpful replies. I feel a bit better now about the slow start .
I am setting up my own website and can see that this will be a great platform to sell myself if people access it from the main listing sites and fb. I have also posted to some groups in fb.
I will also look into advertising on other commission listing sites. It sounds like I have made a mistake upgrading with OD. What about their 'homeaway upgrade', 'european bundle' etc? I'm guessing most people think they are not worth it either?
.I am setting up my own website and can see that this will be a great platform to sell myself if people access it from the main listing sites and fb. I have also posted to some groups in fb.
I will also look into advertising on other commission listing sites. It sounds like I have made a mistake upgrading with OD. What about their 'homeaway upgrade', 'european bundle' etc? I'm guessing most people think they are not worth it either?
I've only ever paid for an OD subscription but I've appeared on several sister sites since the OD relaunch last May. I don't know if they are doing this for new subscribers too. Have you searched any of the other sites i.e. European/Homeaway to see if you come up? Since May I've only had one enquiry from Homeaway so that should tell you something. 
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LaderaCottage
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Jenster, if I were to do a search just say on Cornwall rather than being town specific, 3354 listings come up and yours is at the BOTTOM of the 5th page by default sort ranked 149. That is scary that OD have managed to talk up so many other probably desperate advertisers in to shelling out more money for a platinum or gold listing, because the default search these days produces results on he who pays the piper most money, and not rotating as it used to be, giving everyone a fair share of good exposure in search. Obviously the more desperate people they can talk up, the less visible your property becomes, and in a saturated area such as Cornwall this appears a license for them to scam as many advertisers as they can. Now until a few weeks ago I could not even change the default search to something else in the drop down menu as that feature was not functioning on my computer and OD were trying to blame me, telling me to clear out cookies etc, well of course I did all that, but then it suddenly started working one random day (I had given up really), so I suspect one of many bugs in their system that they finally got resolved, but meanwhile I can not have been the only person with such a problem!
Anyway, moving on. When one changes that default search to Sort by Special Offers First, your property appears at the top of the first page. There are only 21 properties showing with special offers in the Cornwall area, so whether you had upgraded to gold or not, your property would feature on the first page in that specific sort, but yours appears first as likely the only one of those that has shelled out for a gold listing! But I wonder how many potential guest use that drop down menu? Well as I said it did not work for me for weeks!
All we can do to make up the shortfall is to spread our nets far and wide, and Essar has a very useful document about rental sites in another thread. I read it, and have already got one booking from a site I knew nothing about before, having listed on it. Last year was my first year, and it takes a long time to build up an inventory of repeat guests. Don't let anyone else cheat you out of money! You will get calls from people offering you x y z... don't part with any more money! Over reliant on OD, I still have all of June and August blank, and I am in Cyprus, and still fairing better than most when I look at other listings! Dreadful. So it is not you, it is them! In 2014 when I first listed I had tons of enquiries without any reviews. Now I have a better listing, better pictures, lots of reviews, and far far fewer enquiries, so clearly something not right!
Anyway, moving on. When one changes that default search to Sort by Special Offers First, your property appears at the top of the first page. There are only 21 properties showing with special offers in the Cornwall area, so whether you had upgraded to gold or not, your property would feature on the first page in that specific sort, but yours appears first as likely the only one of those that has shelled out for a gold listing! But I wonder how many potential guest use that drop down menu? Well as I said it did not work for me for weeks!
All we can do to make up the shortfall is to spread our nets far and wide, and Essar has a very useful document about rental sites in another thread. I read it, and have already got one booking from a site I knew nothing about before, having listed on it. Last year was my first year, and it takes a long time to build up an inventory of repeat guests. Don't let anyone else cheat you out of money! You will get calls from people offering you x y z... don't part with any more money! Over reliant on OD, I still have all of June and August blank, and I am in Cyprus, and still fairing better than most when I look at other listings! Dreadful. So it is not you, it is them! In 2014 when I first listed I had tons of enquiries without any reviews. Now I have a better listing, better pictures, lots of reviews, and far far fewer enquiries, so clearly something not right!
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LaderaCottage
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Reference Bunny post. Your property does indeed already appear on Homeaway.com VRBO.com Vacationrentals.com and a host of others. To see the list go to your OD dashboard and click "Edit Property & Rates". Now see to left corner near to the small lead picture of your property?
You will see the address of your property and below a line:
OwnersDirect UK # YOUR PROPERTY NUMBER Preview Listing
The PREVIEW LISTING is highlighted and by clicking on the arrow you will see all sites that your property is listed on as "LIVE". You can double check by going to those sites and typing in your property number in the search bar. I have just done that for you on Homeaway.com & VRBO and indeed your property is there!
You have to pay extra now for Homeaway.co.uk BUT you can also list independently on there as a commission only listing, providing you are approved by the people who take the online payments! For some reason they would not approve me, but hey ho I only ever got one enquiry from that site when I was on it for a few months. Not worth the effort of arguing toss with them. All about money and lining their pockets, not ours.
You will see the address of your property and below a line:
OwnersDirect UK # YOUR PROPERTY NUMBER Preview Listing
The PREVIEW LISTING is highlighted and by clicking on the arrow you will see all sites that your property is listed on as "LIVE". You can double check by going to those sites and typing in your property number in the search bar. I have just done that for you on Homeaway.com & VRBO and indeed your property is there!
You have to pay extra now for Homeaway.co.uk BUT you can also list independently on there as a commission only listing, providing you are approved by the people who take the online payments! For some reason they would not approve me, but hey ho I only ever got one enquiry from that site when I was on it for a few months. Not worth the effort of arguing toss with them. All about money and lining their pockets, not ours.