We all have to start somewhere, right?
And this is definitely true with regard to creating a website to help promote your holiday rental online.
When you begin, there are bound to be questions that need answering. Questions you’re unsure of. Particularly if you haven’t had a website before.
- What pages do you need?
- How much information should you write?
- How should you write the content – professional over personal? Vice versa?
- What photos to include? Should you take some more professional looking ones to attract greater attention?
- Do you include a blog? If so, what content should you write for it?
- Do you need a contract and should it be on your website?
- What are your rates? T&C’s?
And the questions go on.
But it doesn’t have to feel like an insurmountable, never-ending task list. Break it down, as you would anything else, and take it one step at a time.
To this end, here are three tips we recommend concentrating on in these early days so as not to be overwhelmed:
1. Plan it on paper
Don’t jump straight in without a plan. If you do, you’ll probably just get yourself in a muddle and give up!
Write down on paper everything you want to include on your website?
- An impactful initial landing page with enticing photo and text
- Specific accommodation details, outlining all your property has to offer its guests
- Interesting local area page providing ideas for what your guests can do nearby
- Up-to-date rates and availability pages
- Reviews from past guests, if it’s an established holiday let. If not, you might want to consider adding it anyway to start collecting reviews, or add it later once you’ve received praise by email or in your guestbook
- And of course the all-important enquiries page
Underneath each of these essential pages, write down anything you need to remember when creating that page. What is it for? What do you need to include? Who are your target market? What would appeal to them?
And scribble down all your ideas – it’s much easier to do this on paper since you can cross out, re-jig and brainstorm without the technical element getting in the way.
Then finally, once you’ve got a good outline on paper, you can see if there are any gaps. If not, you’re good to move on.
2. Give photos and content equal weight
Content is important, of course – keywords are still vital to getting your website found, even though you’ll want to include them naturally and steer clear of keyword stuffing.
But when promoting your charming holiday let, you also need to show people what awaits them when they make a booking.
- What does it look like from the outside?
- Where is it situated?
- What does the interior look like?
- What are its key features?
Your photos can answer these questions far better than any amount of content can – as long as they’re professional looking, of course.
Strike a nice balance between the two elements and you won’t go far wrong.
3. Make sure you’re easy to get in touch with
It’s surprising how many times you come across business websites where a lot of care has been taken to include everything the company wants to rely.
Everything, that is, but various contact methods for people to get in touch.
Yes, you might have an enquiry form. But what about those who prefer talking with someone on the phone? Or via social media channels?
You can get so focused on delivering a website that makes your holiday rental property stand out, it’s surprisingly easy to forget something as simple as this.
That’s also one of the reasons we suggest creating a solid plan of action beforehand.
So don’t forget to include your name, alternative email (if using a contact form embedded into your website), phone number, Skype (potentially) and social media links if appropriate.
And there you have it.
Following these three tips will set you off in the right direction to create a solid and professional website to start promoting your holiday rental online.
Don’t let the details hold you back.
Get a basic website out there with all the points covered above, and then finesse it.
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