Are you fed up with losing out on profit because you’re paying out big commissions for online travel agents or your holiday cottage letting agency?
If you’re ready to start taking direct bookings, here’s everything you need to do:
Step 1 – Invest in Professional Photography
Sorry, but your iPhone photography isn’t cutting it. If there is one thing that you invest in for your holiday rental business, it’s some professional photography to really showcase the experience that potential guests will have when they stay with you.
You can then use these photos on your listings, website and social media marketing.
It’s a win-win!
Step 2 – Set Up Your Own Direct Booking Website
You can choose to do this yourself using a platform like Wix, or invest in a professional who will sort everything out for you, including your website SEO.
Personally, I used the team at ACT Studios who specialise in holiday rental websites, photography and SEO.
Step 3 – Choose Your Booking System
There are so many different booking systems out there, so it’s important to do your research.
Consider the following when you’re choosing a booking system:
- Do they sync with your online travel agent listings?
- Do they offer email marketing too?
- What are their costs?
- What is their technical support like?
Personally, I use Bookalet and their support is fantastic!
If you are using Wix, they have their own booking system ‘Wix Hotels’ which you can set up to sync with your Airbnb calendar.
Step 4 – Drive Traffic To Your Website
Now you have your direct booking website set up, you need to drive traffic to it so you can generate bookings.
The best way to do this, is by setting up a Google My Business page which will show your property if a potential guest searches for accommodation in your area.
You can also use social media, email marketing and other marketing strategies to drive traffic to your website.
If you want more top tips on generating direct bookings, make sure to join my FREE 4-Day Host Marketing Challenge which starts on Monday 4th March.
