Ok. So you’ve prepared your place. Now you need to promote it.
You know the tricks that help sell a home – clutter tidied away, the smell of coffee or freshly baked bread drifting in the air, flower show in the living room.
The same hold true for a holiday home.
Only you don’t have smells. You’ve got words and pictures. And they’ve got to be good. People looking for a holiday home will judge your website in seconds. Every word and picture matters.
It’s easy to get it wrong. But it’s just as easy to get it right. Follow these simple steps and you’ll have a memorable, professional advert for your holiday home in no time.
- An eye-catching description. How would you describe your place in 10 words or less? ‘Romantic getaway with stunning sea views’; ‘Quiet country retreat with private pool’; “Insult to modern architecture just off the A3”? A brilliant headline grabs people’s attention.
- Photos, photos, photos. Lots of them. Outdoor shots are good but inside shots are better. Invite people into your home. Have them imagine themselves there, relaxing there, holidaying there. Oh, and use a photographer who knows what they’re doing.
- Did we mention photos? Ok ok but it’s worth stressing the point. Your potential guests are on holiday the moment they search online. They are on holiday the moment they see your website. The moment they see your home. Get the photos right and you’re halfway to taking a booking.
- Keep it simple. Be expressive but keep your text clear and concise. Use plain language. Don’t try to sound like an estate agent. And splling mistekes are reelly silly. If you pay that little attention to your website, what on earth’s the bed linen going to be like?
- Key features. Bullet point key features up front – bedrooms, bathroom/kitchen facilities, location, local amenities. Full details should be listed elsewhere but people don’t want to search every page of your website to confirm the place has a cooker or discover that the nearest shop is 3 miles away.
- Keep it up to date. We don’t want dad to spend weeks dreaming of a creamy pint of ale in the local pub, or mum a delicious meal in the cosy family-run restaurant next door… only to find the pub is now a holiday inn and the restaurant closed months ago.
- Embrace feedback. Personal recommendations mean a lot to people. If people say they love your place it will reassure others. Never underestimate how much people trust people they’ve never met.
- Don’t lie. Be positive but don’t lie. The 5 minute walk to the beach that’s really 10, the bathroom that doesn’t really justify the “luxury” tag… it’s lying. And it’s not good. Remember that feedback page…?
Finally, don’t just think about what you’d look for when you go on holiday. Think about what makes your home special.
Is it the place itself – the incredible view from the bedroom, the majestic apple tree in the garden, the afternoon sunlight streaming through the living room window? Or is it the extras – the extensive DVD library, the MP3 docking station, every board game on earth? Or is it simply the welcoming bottle of wine?
Why would you stay there rather than the place down the road? There are hundreds of places people could choose from so write with passion and make it personal.
So what are you waiting for? Tidy up, make coffee, bake bread, call the florist.
Promote your place.
Leave a Reply