How To Get More Bookings From Your Holiday Home

If your property is currently managed by a company, you can gain extra benefits with a few effortless steps to guarantee that your property gets more exposure then just through the management company.

It is a good idea to advertise your property elsewhere even if you get a large number of bookings, as you never know what the future holds. So if you were to fall out with your property management software company or they were to go bankrupt, you will still receive bookings as you will have a range of sources where your property is advertised.

Options you can take to increase exposure of your property:

1. Advertise on a mixture of vacation rental websites.

Vacation rental websites can attract extremely large amount of visitors daily and many will see your property. Advertisements are reasonably priced and are definitely not something that you should overlook; after all single booking would probably pay for your whole advertisement budget.

These advertisements do help visitors to see your site as customers are not likely to find your website directly. There are many vacation rental websites on the internet, First Choice Vacation Homes is a good place to start, one of the many features is that you can have a link to your property website (if you have one) on your advertisement.

Some vacation rental websites offer limited time free listings, its always a good idea to take advantage of these where possible.

2. Present your property the best that you can.

The most important aspect of your property is the PICTURES. Make sure you take as many as you can of your property, maybe even get a professional photographer to help if you need to. A customer needs to see what they are going to get and if they don’t then your property will never get a booking.

Descriptions are also important, take time when writing your property description, include as much information about your vacation home and the local area as you can. Another thing to remember is be competitive with your prices!

3. Have your own vacation home website.

Most vacation home websites allow you to place up to 12 pictures of your property on their listings. While customers do gain a good indication of what the property will be like, its less than ideal. A keen owner may want to display up to 50 pictures of their property. This shows to the customer that the owner is proud of the property and is not trying to hide anything.

If you have your own personal website, you would be able to give customers a whole wealth of information that you couldnt possibly display on a vacation rental website. Features such as a map of the location of your property, local information, testimonials, prices, special offers, faqs, prove invaluable to customers. You may even wish to take bookings directly from your website. Remember you cant rely on your management company for all your bookings.

First Choice Vacation Homes also offers inexpensive personal vacation home websites.

4. Advertising special deals and promotions on your vacation rental websites.

There is no doubt that the Internet has revolutionized the advertising of vacation properties. Many vacation websites have areas where you can run special rates for your property. You may want to reduce rates when there is a peak season time period that is difficult to get booked, last minute cancellations or off-season specials.

You could generate a large amount of revenue during weeks when your property normally sits empty. Many vacation property owners offer off-peak discounts of up to 60% or more compared to their high season rates. You need to run an eye catching ad that shows potential rentors that your property is the best opportunity out there. Be flexible and consider reducing the number of minimum nights required or giving someone a free nights stay if they book a minimum number of nights at your place.

5. Get to know your competition.

Do some research, check out properties online that are similar to yours so you know that your prices are right and you can use this information as part of your sales pitch when corresponding with a potential guest. You need to make sure it is worth your while to rent the property, but keep in mind that an unsold rental week can never be recovered.

6. Ask for feedback from rentors.

Perhaps your bookings have suffered for reasons that are not readily obvious. Take a close look at your property and try to see your place as a potential guest. Does your place look tired or bright and inviting? Do your pictures show your unit in the best light? Is it time to invest in some new furniture? Feedback from rentors will help you to see what you could do to improve the appeal of your property. Improvements to your property will improve your bookings. However if you are making any major improvements, update your websites to let guests know about it and include information about it in any correspondence. Remember that there is a direct correlation between rental income and how a property is furnished.

7. Make your property unique.

You can make your property unique to your competition with just little touches. Mention them in your vacation rental listing and emails to prospective clients. Ideas you many consider:

- Leave a couple of movie tickets or free DVD rental coupons on the kitchen counter with a small note for your guests.

- Have someone pick up an inexpensive flower arrangement for the dining table.

- Provide some free hot drinks packets, soft drinks or small snacks.

- Stock your kitchen with a full assortment of condiments and spices.

- Place entertainment guides, brochures on local attractions, restaurant recommendations, maps and transportation information on the kitchen counter.

8. Keeping in touch with past guests and other contacts.

We recommend that just before the beginning of your peak season, you send an e-mail or mail a card to guests that have inquired, but may have not booked, as well as guests who have rented before. Inform them that your property is still available for rent and you look forward to hearing from them in the upcoming year. Since a fair amount of guests return to the same resort area again, it keeps your name in front of them when its time for next years trip. A little bit of marketing effort on your part can help you get repeat and new bookings.

Sending a thank you note is an added personal touch and is a great way to show your clients that they are considered an important and valued guest.

I hope that all these tips help increase the revenue of your vacation rental home and I wish you the best of luck.