Where am I? See below...

What an amazing response to Issue 1 of Lay My Hat - thanks to all of you who took the time to email your thoughts, questions and advice - that's what this newsletter is all about: an exchange of ideas for rental home owners.

In this issue we're exploring the hottest topics from your emails: how to make your site more 'findable' by search engines...my writing secrets for making your home sound irresistible... more tips for great pics...and how to achieve repeat business.

UPDATE! Since I wrote this newsletter, the Lay My Hat forum has been launched. It's where rental owners talk about anything to do with the business of rentals, and plenty else besides! See the forum by clicking here.

Between us we must know everything there is to know about renting holiday homes - it's just a question of getting together to discuss it. That's where Lay My Hat comes in. I hope you find it useful.

Paolo De Paolis
Editor, Lay My Hat
paolo@laymyhat.com

P.S. Here's a quiz question for all you travel buffs - where was the above picture of me taken? (Clue: it's cold enough to wear the unusual matching hat and jumper my wife knitted me). Whoever guesses closest wins something money just can't buy - you can set the next 'Where am I?' question...

The first few lines someone reads about your property are absolutely crucial. They decide whether people read on, or move on. Here's how to keep them reading:

1. Say something about the location as well as the property in the very first paragraph. People tend to choose location first, accommodation second.
2. Write a compelling headline. Less 'Holiday cottage with off-street parking', more: 'Romantic hideaway between moor and sea', 'Stunning views from the highest house in Bonnieux', etc.
3. Keep paragraphs short, if possible with one idea per paragraph - it makes it much easier on the eye when you are reading from a screen.
4. People read picture captions, so use them well. A descriptive caption can alter a picture's meaning. Appeal to stomachs: e.g. 'The garden is perfect for long, lazy lunches'. Or to families: 'Kids can run around all day in the garden'.
5. Remember, when it comes to writing: less is more. Go through your copy and delete superfluous words - words whose absence does not alter the meaning can go.
6. People love to read lists. Like this one. Easier to read and easier to understand.
7. Write as if to one person, and tell them how they will benefit. Instead of 'The pool is heated year-round' try: 'You'll love the pool -we keep it at 76 degrees all year long'. 'You' and 'your ' are important words.
8. Give it a human voice, because people like to be reassured that you really exist - there is still a distrust of the internet for important transactions. Bring yourself into the copy, use 'I' and 'we' to personalise it.
9. Don't be afraid of humour. Humour is one of the best ways to get a reader to trust you and respond positively.
10. Use complimentary comments from your guest-book - if it works outside theatres it can work for you!

Find this useful? Disagree? Tell us what you think, and send in your best tips for describing your home - email us at paolo@laymyhat.com

In the last issue of Lay My Hat (if you missed it, click here to see it) I told you how to take photos of your home for the web. Many of you wrote to me with your own ideas, so here are some more great tips for internet pics:

1. Hire a professional photographer to take your pictures - it's less expensive than you think and worth every penny. One extra booking will cover the cost.
2. If you have a fireplace, light a fire. You can get an instant roaring fire in your photo by lighting a piece of newspaper.
3. Use a digital camera. You can instantly see what the picture will look like so it's much easier to get the best results.
4. For interiors, try turning on standing lights and wall lights - this can give a golden, homely glow to a room.

Thanks to Robert, Marilu, Chris and Glen for sending those in. If you have other tips to share, please email me at paolo@laymyhat.com

For many of us, repeat business is vital. So how do you make people come back? Here are a couple of ways:

Owner's secret #1

One way to drum up repeat bookings is by simply contacting your previous renters and reminding them how much they liked it the last time.

But don't just email at a random time - use a significant time of year: the turn of a season, the time of year they last booked or visited. And best of all - Christmas. You can email, but what about sending a card with your house on it? This will make them think of you at a time of year when many people plan their holidays.

Owner's secret #2

If you don't have an extraordinary home or location, don't worry, there are little things you can do to make people remember you when they book next year's holiday.

You can generate a lot of goodwill by simple gestures like having a bottle of wine waiting when they arrive - if you're in a wine-growing area make it a local wine and it will cost you very little, but make a good impression. It can be anything that's produced locally - honey, cheese, eggs, boomerangs - if they have booked your house, it must be partly because they are interested in your region.

You can reinforce this with a parting gift along the same lines - "Something to remember us by"...and they will.

Do you have any good owner's tips? Let's share what we know about holiday rentals - email your tips and suggestions to paolo@laymyhat.com and we'll discuss them in future newsletters.

Coming soon...

Now we've covered how to photograph and describe your rental property, the next step is how to respond to an enquiry - when people contact you that is only the first step in the rental process - now you have to convert them into a booking. How? I'll tell you in the next edition.

Also in the next Lay My Hat: the best rental sites on which to advertise, reader's tips and owners' secrets.

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Contact: You can email me here: paolo@laymyhat.com