Online booking service.

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.
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Online booking service.

Post by Hells Bells »

Following a conversation with my sister, who has just booked through French Connections, I have decided to add online bookings to my website, as she says everything they treid with online booking was already fulluy booked. Came across the site below when browsing . Has anyone used it? Is there anything better?
holiday-bookings-online.com
User avatar
vrooje
Posts: 3202
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:48 am
Location: Burgundy, France

Post by vrooje »

Hm... I've never heard of this site, though it does look professional and they have a nice FAQ page. It also doesn't look like it's too expensive, although it seems like the main thing they do that I don't already do is allow people to make an actual provisional booking, rather than just inquiring about particular dates.

I already use PayPal and just send the clients an e-mail link; this has always worked well, and the e-mail contact prior to the booking lets me a) sell the client if they hadn't already made up their mind, and b) get a feel for whether I want them staying at my house in the first place!

Then again, I enjoy web programming so I see their services as something I could program for myself. It may be that this is a good service for people whose hobbies don't include web design. :)

Cheers!
Brooke
User avatar
paolo
Posts: 3885
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:18 pm
Location: Provence, France
Contact:

Post by paolo »

I have decided to add online bookings to my website, as she says everything they treid with online booking was already fulluy booked
I'm surprised to hear that. Both because I didn't think very many rental properties had online booking function, and because I wouldn't use it myself as a property-seeker.

I always want to email and speak to the person offering a rental, because I want to know that the place exists, and establish that it will be as advertised. I also want to make sure there is availability because I don't trust availability calendars.

As an owner I wouldn't use such a system because I want to know who is going to stay in my house. By email and phone I can build some sort of relationship, and I have the option of saying no, which would not happen with an automatic booking system.

In fact I can think of no pros, only cons. But I bet not everyone agrees!
Paolo
Lay My Hat
pauluk2020
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 7:18 am

Online Availability

Post by pauluk2020 »

I was quite surprised to see Paolo's response.

As a customer I've seen a lot more places with online booking than without it, especially agency websites.

I recently booked a holiday - two weeks in Cornwall at two self catering properties. I started off my search for places with a browse on the net. I emailed/phoned a few owners with dates and found a lot of places were booked up for the weeks I wanted. As I was booking two places I needed to ensure one started when the next ended.

I found the emailing/phoning route very slow. There are I guess literally thousands of holiday properties in Cornwall alone - the idea of spending weeks emailing/phoning them just doesn't appeal - I wish I had that level of free time!

So in the end I just looked at ones with online availability/booking and found two lovely properties that way.

I think if you're more organised - i.e. book a couple of years ahead then it is no problem doing the old fashioned route of phoning - as you can be pretty sure everyone you'll call will be available. If you leave it a little late (i.e. just months ahead) then it's really not practical to phone/email people. In which case availability guide is essential
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

I've set up a 15 day trial and it is now live on the website. If any of you want to try it out you wont be making a live booking as I have to reply so feel free, just put Lay my Hat in the comments box.
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

Paolo, just noticed the guy who runs the online booking service had posted in the Owner-to-Owner section. I hadn't mentioned Lay my Hat though. A coincidence?
User avatar
paolo
Posts: 3885
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:18 pm
Location: Provence, France
Contact:

Re: Online Availability

Post by paolo »

pauluk2020 wrote:As a customer I've seen a lot more places with online booking than without it, especially agency websites.
As a customer I haven't! Agency websites OK, but I don't rent from agencies because I want to pay the direct-from-owner rate. I have seen very few personal websites with a direct booking system.
So in the end I just looked at ones with online availability/booking.
How did you do that? What do you type into a search engine to ensure you are only looking at properties with online booking?
If you leave it a little late (i.e. just months ahead) then it's really not practical to phone/email people. In which case availability guide is essential
The majority of personal websites and listing site ads have an availability calendar. You check if your dates are available and then you book. In booking through the owner rather than an automatic booking system you are also double-checking that the house is indeed available when you want it, and you find out something about the person you are renting from, and strike up a conversation in which you may find out things that have been glossed over on their website.

So I am still not seeing a net benefit for either party with online booking. I can see the benefit for the booking software supplier!
Paolo
Lay My Hat
HolidayBookingsOnline
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 7:38 am

Holiday Bookings Online Ltd

Post by HolidayBookingsOnline »

hello all,

Very interesting to read people's comments. In response to Helen, I was doing my web log analysis this morning and discovered a few hits referred to from Lay My Hat.

Agency websites do tend to be quite expensive - basically due to the usually not insignificant commission rates charged.

I don't personally charge any commission on bookings - just a yearly fee based on number of properties. This covers hosting costs, maintenance costs and further development costs. it also covers the 52 free text messages a year which an owner has the option of receiving to their mobile. One owner found this handy earlier this year as it allowed her to speak to the customer to confirm the booking taken while she was herself on a two week holiday.

It's also worth noting that bookings are provisional and that communications between owner and customer must take place before the booking is finalised. Both parties therefore get the option to say "no thanks". The customer when discovering "sea view" requires high powered binoculars and the owner when realising 20 larger louts are looking to rent the property!

Of course it's all personal preference. I personally have never liked leaving messages on telephone answer machines - other people don't think twice about it.

I suspect hell will freeze over before Paolo signs up for my system!

Paul
User avatar
oskar
Posts: 140
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 2:22 pm
Location: Lanzarote
Contact:

Post by oskar »

I agree 100% with Paolo.

The biggest fear with people renting a private villa is that they have no comeback if there is a problem with the booking. Their money is not protected in any way. For that reason, some are prepared to pay up to, or more than, 25% extra by using the likes of James Villas to get protection for their payment.

Like Paolo, there is no way as a renter, that I would part with any money which had no protection, without some sort of contact with the owner of the property. I would want to satisfy myself as far as is possible that I was going to get what I was paying for first.

Similarly, as an owner, I would want to have some sort of contact with the people who are going to be living in my home, so that I could satisfy myself, again as far as is possible, that they are suitable guests. Unless of course I had bought the property purely as a rental investment and had furnished it purely for rental purposes.

I market a number of properties, and owners and renters use my services in a lot of cases simply because of the above reasons. The owners and the guests can "feel their way" before full commitment is given. If I had a "Book Online" facility, I would lose most of my owners, and a good number of guests.
User avatar
paolo
Posts: 3885
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:18 pm
Location: Provence, France
Contact:

Post by paolo »

In view of what Paul of HolidayBookingsOnline said, I still can't see a benefit.

If the booking is only provisional then it is not a booking and it is no different in effect to an enquiry that says 'If it is available I would be very interested in booking it'. You still need to get in touch with the renter to decide if you want to rent to him/her.

The payment is to your own PayPal account, so the company is not involved in handling payments and deposits, that is still between you and the renter.

So what does that leave? No tangible advantage that I can see.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
HolidayBookingsOnline
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 7:38 am

Holiday Bookings Online Ltd

Post by HolidayBookingsOnline »

[Post edited in line with forum rules]

The system offers customer and owner a little more convenience. It does not keep owner and customer apart so yes they will still have contact with each other. I don't see that as a disadvantage myself.

And it's true I don't keep hold of owners money in my account. It does indeed go directly to them, with no commission taken by me. So yes the system merely makes life easier for the parties involved, it doesnt take the place of the personal touch.

Again I don't see owners paying no commission to me as a disadvantage to owners. Nor do I see them having their money right away as a disadvantage.
User avatar
paolo
Posts: 3885
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:18 pm
Location: Provence, France
Contact:

Re: Holiday Bookings Online Ltd

Post by paolo »

HolidayBookingsOnline wrote:The system offers customer and owner a little more convenience. It does not keep owner and customer apart so yes they will still have contact with each other. I don't see that as a disadvantage myself.
The disadvantage lies in the fact that the contact comes after the 'booking'. Cart before the horse in my opinion.
And it's true I don't keep hold of owners money in my account. It does indeed go directly to them, with no commission taken by me. So yes the system merely makes life easier for the parties involved
That is the part I am struggling with - how does it make life easier? I offer PayPal payments, many do, some even offer direct credit card payments. But I take the payment after I have agreed the booking, not before.
Again I don't see owners paying no commission to me as a disadvantage to owners.
But you do charge a yearly fee.
Nor do I see them having their money right away as a disadvantage.
I do, because if you take their money by PayPal and then decide you don't want their booking, apart from the inconvenience to them, you lose almost 4% in commission every time you move money with PayPal.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
jacmgr
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2005 1:47 am
Location: Poconos, PA, USA
Contact:

Post by jacmgr »

I often have to try and find vacation rentals for potential guests when I am booked (or for family members who want to "use" my condo and I am "booked"). Even though I have a calendar that says I am booked, many folks still send emails asking. During my searches for these people, I often find that other owners have not updated their calendars, or do not show calendars. I then feel bad sending the potential guest on a wild goose chase for an available rental only to recieve emails later that these properties to are not available. (however, every potential guest has been thrilled with me going the extra mile, so I hope they think of me first next time)

As a potential guest, I do like the idea of being shown available properties only in my search. It puts me in a better frame of mind, and not as nervous waiting for a reply from the owner, and more confident about the place I am going to rent.

I agree that the personal contact between owner-renter is critically important to both sides prior to closing the deal. Maybe services like this one's real value, is that by referring the potential guest to someone with real availability, the guest is pre-disposed to having a good relationship with the owner.

john
John and Hyonmi Del Ferro
http://www.vacationrentalworkshop.com
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

OK, so I've opened a real can of worms here. I hadn't realised until this afternoon that the Paypal thing appeared before I have had a chance to accept the booking. Not sure thats really what I wanted either. I have however, placed an enquiry form on the page now so anyone can contact me more easily first. It is above the online booking link to encourage contact. What I liked about the online facility was the ability to manage your bookings easily, even if not on home PC. If anyone has another method I'd be willing to try it out. This is a learning curve for me as I've never done anything like this before.
A-two
Posts: 2091
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 10:05 am
Location: USA

Re: Holiday Bookings Online Ltd

Post by A-two »

paolo wrote:I do, because if you take their money by PayPal and then decide you don't want their booking, apart from the inconvenience to them, you lose almost 4% in commission every time you move money with PayPal.
Excuse me for chiming in, but a refund made through Paypal also credits back the 4% commission, which is exactly why it's useful for taking the security deposit. It cost nobody anything. I did not check to see if there is a time limit on refunds, but so far as I know, none.
Waves from America
Post Reply