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.
levettsarah
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:31 pm

Website

Post by levettsarah »

Just brought a house in france, looking for some advice. Do i have my own website built or do i just register my property with some of the listing sites out there?
kirkland
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:11 pm
Location: North West Cumbria
Contact:

Post by kirkland »

Do both, list your site, then do a website that reflcts your property. Good luck.
la vache!
Posts: 11065
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:22 pm

Re: Website

Post by la vache! »

levettsarah wrote:Just brought a house in france, looking for some advice. Do i have my own website built or do i just register my property with some of the listing sites out there?
Where did you bring it to?

Sorry. I'd get it on a listing site first as it is more likely to be found there, then get your own website done.
levettsarah
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:31 pm

Post by levettsarah »

Thanks for the advice, i have been looking into listing sites for some time now and just googled "holiday home by owner" the top four listing sites at present appear to be ownersdirect.co.uk, villarentals.com, FORUM SPAMMERbedsandhomes.com and holidaylettings.co.uk. Have any of you had any experience with any of these four companies? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank Sarah
la vache!
Posts: 11065
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:22 pm

Post by la vache! »

ownersdirect is good and not as expensive as holidaylettings, which is equally as good. We have had threads about bedsandhomes before on this forum, but they must be doing something right!
darkwright
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:16 am
Location: Brittany & Brighton
Contact:

Post by darkwright »

I'd would recomend the same, get advertsing on the property listing sites first and then get a website and link to it from your listing site.

You're website could take a while to bring in bookings on it's own but it is a great addition to a listing site as you can say a lot more about you're property.
Margaret
Posts: 3574
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:46 am
Location: Bavaria and Mid Wales
Contact:

Post by Margaret »

You need to Google for search terms which your potential guests would use. The phrase you used is one which other owners might use! Canvass your friends - ask them what they Google when they are looking for holidays - in your area.
User avatar
Mountain Goat
Posts: 6070
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:31 pm
Location: Leysin, Alpes Vaudoises, Switzerland
Contact:

Post by Mountain Goat »

Sarah

I agree with Margaret. No potential guest is going to search for 'holiday home by owner' which appears to be a slogan used by N.American sites, and actually doesn't mean anything.

Put yourself in your punters' shoes when using Google and at least add the property's location, and maybe the type of property, to your search string. That should narrow your choice of listing sites considerably.

MG
judyc
Posts: 353
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 10:42 am
Location: Lot-et-Garonne, SW France
Contact:

Post by judyc »

As the other says, best to get yourself on some listings site as they will be the ones to generate the bookings for a while.

In the meantime, if you want to try making your own website, independentowners.com give you all the templates and it is extremely easy to make something presentable!

Mine is perhaps not the best example of an iowners site as I have had to adapt it for three properties, but have a look at some of their other examples for ideas.

Good luck!

www.faysselle.iowners.net
User avatar
paolo
Posts: 3885
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:18 pm
Location: Provence, France
Contact:

Post by paolo »

It's almost exactly a year since bedsandhomes last spammed the forum, nice to see you trying again, better luck next year.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Post Reply