Signs Your Vacation Rental Website Needs an Update
There are just too many vacation rental owners out there who are still attempting to establish a name for themselves in a competitive industry with a website that is simply not cutting it! When was the last time you took a step back and examined your website? Is it time for an update?
We present the seven sure-fire signals that you need to overhaul your vacation rental website to get back in the game!
1. You are unable to take safe payments.
Suppose your vacation rental website is unable to take reservations but still accepts cash or check payments upon visitor arrival or requests bank transfers. In that case, prospective renters may not have a high level of faith in your site’s legitimacy (or lack thereof!).
A simple booking system that enables you to take safe, online payments (e.g., by credit card) will not only instantly update your website but will also boost your reputation as a vacation rental company.
Credit cards are not only the preferred payment option for most younger renters but also give several advantages for both owners and visitors, particularly in terms of online security, fraud protection, and ease.
2. It is unresponsive
It’s official: more than half of all travel excursions will be booked on cell phones, so if your vacation rental website isn’t mobile-friendly, you might lose out on many reservations.
Not sure whether your website is responsive? Put your URL into Google’s free mobile-friendly testing tool and see what happens.
Many vacation rental software choices available may offer you a ready-made template that can adjust your site to mobile and tablet displays, keeping you out of problems with Google’s tight mobile requirements.
3. To create an update, you must have a computer science degree.
Modern website development does not have to be difficult, nor does it need the use of additional hands to update basic information such as your contact information.
If your vacation rental website provider is out of date and making even minor changes is tough, consider moving to a straightforward website builder that realizes that not all of its customers are developers with years of expertise…
Whether you design your site using Lodgable’s templates or another provider like WordPress or Wix, you’ll be granted access to your website’s CMS (content management system) and backend, allowing you to make any adjustments you need, as simply and fast as you want.
4. Guests are unable to reach you about questions.
Is your contact information easily accessible on each of your website’s pages? Do you have a simple contact form? Because without these qualities, you would not get any queries.
In addition to choosing a vacation rental based on location, pricing, and facilities, visitors want to get to know their owner personally before booking. Your visitors are most certainly looking at (and inquiring about) other properties in your region, so don’t give your competitors the upper hand.
Even if you merely configure your inbox to send a polite autoresponder message when you get an inquiry, this may boost your customer service and cause an interested visitor to choose your resort over a competitor’s.
5. It is not aesthetically appealing.
Take a step back from your website, put yourself in your visitors’ shoes, and reopen the page: does your website entice you to reserve your vacation rental?
If the answer is no, it’s time for a facelift.
There are many dos and don’ts when it comes to vacation rental web design, but first and foremost, you want a stunning site that will entice and attract prospective visitors to stay at your house.
This includes high-quality pictures, a complementary color palette, simple navigation, and a positive user experience. Without them, no visitor will get beyond the site.
6. It takes an eternity to load.
According to research, more than half of internet users would quit a website if it takes more than three seconds to load. Do you want your website to be included in prospective visitors’ blacklists of outdated, inoperable websites?
There are other techniques to optimize your site for quicker load times, which we won’t go into here, mainly because many top providers already do the legwork for you. Just remember that having a quick website may make all the difference for a visitor who is scrolling through possibilities and attempting to decide which vacation rental is ideal for them!
7. You are not accepting reservations.
Shouldn’t this have been the first point? Not necessarily, since many vacation rental owners rely on listing sites for reservations, even though there are certain drawbacks to doing so!
Your vacation rental website and any listing sites where you appear should work in tandem. However, your customers should be able to browse freely to your website and book without any additional fees or expenses imposed by Airbnb and HomeAway.
If you can’t recall your last direct booking on your vacation rental website, it’s time to take action! To drive traffic (and bookings) to your site, you must first get acquainted with SEO, learn about various sorts of internet marketing, and become acquainted with social proof; only then will queries begin to pour in.
