What’s Better a Listing Site or Vacation Marketing Site?
Just a Listing Site or Vacation Home Marketing Site? Answered Here
The key is direct contact!
As the competition heats up for travel bookings and places to stay while guests are on vacation, so too does online “Listing Sites”. More choice sounds like the best deal until all the facts are uncovered. Guests think they are shopping for preference and price, then go to book and see some ugly added fees. Vacation home rental have no control over the added fees except to maybe lower their nightly rate. The results ends up as a race to the bottom and any profit margin squeezed thin.
Along with increased service/booking fees come other offers from places in the search criteria that many times don’t apply, only to try and induce potential renters to book. Many times ending up in some kind of misrepresentation of premises, location, and or amenities. Most owners now feel the need to charge more for extra guests, pets, children and etc. An obvious downward process of financial viability/survival.
Many vacation home owners would love the chance to know who has inquired instead of the “Big Listing Sites” blocking contact details so as not to be able to charge add-on fees. Having just 1 more chance to reach out to potential guests to offer a discount or suggest other times vanish with the site offering “Gang” of other hopeful options of places. having a real vacation home owner respond to requests questions, minor changes and or considerations is lost in anonymity, always trying to keep renter separated from owner.. Whoosh.. opportunity lost as vacationer clicks away to find internet (fools)gold. 🙂
Misconceptions about the power of choice meets the reality of “over choice” with total control extracted from the content contributors(YOU). Did they know you just had a cancellation before the calendar could update? or Do they know other payment options could be considered. Trying to converse in closed contact message systems could get you banned or lower your search position if you provide direct contact info. Not good. How about your search placement lowered because you took a booking from a past guest and have to decline on their system? They start to not like you for that.
In reality the big box sites do offer a service, but cannot match personal conversation and communication. Sometimes minor tweaks in scheduling or instantaneous specials being offered can make all the difference. Or telling a potential guest about a previously unscheduled event in your immediate area??
Q: I’m already on a “listing” site for vacation rentals that has seen a decline in my bookings, why this marketing website?
A: Travelers are getting tired of so many added charges and “pop ups” showing hotel rooms competing for bookings. Many owners are lowering the nightly rental price to offset the increased costs from these sites; All the while paying even more to be listed. We are a MARKETING SITE alternative.
