Getting more bookings and ranking high on the best vacation rental sites can be challenging. If you're having problems, consider these simple marketing hacks and steps that will help boost your vacation rental bookings.

Starting a vacation rental business is one of the best ways to make more money from your property, especially if you're a homeowner who rarely spends time in the house, and if you're knowledgeable about local rental regulations. Learn more about being compliant from here.

The term vacation rental describes the business of providing accommodations that travelers can rent for a short time. However, the term differs from country to country. In the US, a vacation rental is a common term, while in the UK and France it is called holiday lets and gîte respectively. Other terms used are holiday homes, vacation home rental, cottage holidays, and self-catering rentals.

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How to Increase your vacation rental bookings

Marketing is an indispensable tool for all business types, vacation rentals inclusive. Starting the business isn't always the issue. Most times, the difficulties arise from growing the business and getting constant revenues. The same applies to vacation rentals.

Whether you are new to the vacation rental business or have been in the business for a while, but are yet to get more bookings, here are some simple steps and hacks to increase your rental bookings and income.

1. Use a Name

A common mistake among vacation rental hosts is listing their vacation rentals without a name. You shouldn't list your vacation rentals with a vague description, such as “Beautiful seaside 3-bedroom bungalow”, or “Gorgeous 2-bedroom flat in Marina”, poor naming can reduce your chances of getting more bookings.  

As names are important to humans, the same applies to vacation rentals. Potential guests might like your vacation rental and be willing to book it, but without a distinct name, your vacation rental will be lost among the clutters of similar rentals. Hence, to get more bookings, you need to give your vacation rental a unique and distinct name that can be easily recognized and traced by potential guests. It could be your name and a bit of description, or a distinct name that portrays the unique feature of your vacation rental.  A good example is Amama’s cabin or Roland’s Dog-friendly Bungalow.

2. List on Relevant Booking Sites

To get more bookings as a vacation rental owner or host, you need to list your vacation rental on different booking platforms visited by your target audience.  Hence, ensure you conduct thorough audience research to determine the sites frequented by your target audience. This research will help you select relevant OTA (Online Travel Agencies) or sites where you can list your vacation rental to attract more customers and bookings.

Best Vacation Rental Sites

The following are the best vacation rental sites to list your business and attract more customers and bookings:

• Airbnb
• VRBO
• Booking.com
• TripAdvisor
• Expedia
• Tripping
• Homestay.com

3. Invest in Interior Decoration and Property Maintenance

Imagine yourself as a guest looking for a nice vacation rental. Would you pick your vacation rental over others? Does your vacation rental look attractive and appealing enough for its price? You have the answers.

To boost your chances of getting booked on OTA, you need to set up your home to attract guests. You can get the help of a professional home decorator and invest in the furnishing of your home. Also, to capture the beauty of your home, ensure you post pictures shot by professional photographers or a camera that makes high-quality pictures.

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It doesn't end with decoration alone. You need to invest in your property maintenance. Your vacation rental might be beautiful, but not clean. You need to ensure your customers get the best experiences that will prompt them to leave good reviews for you and advertise your vacation rental through word of mouth.  Note that you don't need to do all the work yourself. There are concierge companies and property management companies that can help ease the burden. Helot company is a perfect choice.

4. Pricing

Pricing is an essential factor in increasing your booking rate. You need to check the price of similar homes on multiple websites to determine a suitable price for your vacation rental. Do not set a price that will be too cheap to ensure you don’t look below standard, also do not set your price too high. An extremely high price can chase away potential customers.  However, in some other cases, an extremely high price can be used to target your desired audience. Ensure you know your audience and research pricing to get more bookings.

5. Social Media Marketing

The impact of social media marketing cannot be excluded from the growth of any business. To increase your vacation rental bookings, use social media marketing to your advantage. First, create social media accounts on relevant social media platforms for your vacation rental.

Facebook is known as a platform that attracts more searches. You can create a business page for your vacation rental on Facebook or other relevant social media pages.  Ensure you research the social media platforms that are mostly used by your target audience. It could be Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or others.

Also, you can use other marketing tools, such as email marketing, which allows you to send personalized, yet professional messages to your customers.

6. Google Map Location

No guest would want to book a home that doesn’t exist on the map. It is important to ensure your vacation rental is available on Google Maps and strategically located for easy location. If your house isn't listed on Google Maps, you can draw it directly on the map using Google Maps, to add its location.  This will prove to your customers that your vacation rental can be located with ease.

7. Quick Response

You need to prove that your guests’ satisfaction is a top priority for you. Ensure you always respond quickly and effectively to messages concerning your business, such as inquiries from customers, positive and negative reviews, as well as comments. This is also a good act of customer service that can overwrite other shortcomings of your vacation rental. Potential customers are keen on the tiniest information.

8. Seek Help

Starting a vacation rental is quite easy, but it takes going the extra mile to succeed and outdo competitors. Seek help when necessary; ensure you understand or work hand in hand with a company that understands the short-term rental landscape in your areas, such as the current/pending laws. You can consult with a company that understands the tourist space and seasons; also, one that knows about listing requirements and popular listing channels.

You don't need to worry about doing it all. There are several concierge companies and property management companies that can help ease the burden.