Joel Bennett 
Want to secure more bookings and ensure guests keep coming back? As a property manager, you understand the challenge isn’t just acquiring bookings but fostering guest loyalty. It’s not enough to meet expectations; you must exceed them.
75% of users assess a company’s credibility based on its website design!
Research conducted by Stanford University reveals that a staggering 75% of users assess a company’s credibility based on its website design. Your website serves as a direct reflection of your business, making a professional-looking design essential for establishing a positive reputation and earning trust from potential customers. That’s why it is important to have a professionally designed website!
This article will focus on the main features property managers will get from website builders that are tailored specifically for the vacation rental industry. Furthermore we will explain how property managers should organize website elements and which features are important to help them not just to drive more direct bookings, but to increase customer’s retention and loyalty.
Why is it important to search for website builders specialized for the vacation rental industry?
The features you can not find with simple website builders:
- Direct Booking Engine: Unlike many website builders, Webready is tailored specifically to the vacation rental industry, providing property managers with websites equipped with a direct booking engine. Building your brand is crucial for client retention, and what better way to do so than through your own website? With Webready, direct booking engine comes at no additional cost! A Booking Engine allows website visitors to make reservations, automatically blocks your calendars and securely captures credit card details for payment.
- Lower Commissions – Attractive Prices: By avoiding commissions to OTAs, you can offer lower prices on your website. Guests often prefer booking directly to secure better deals, driving traffic to your site. With the right website builder, like Webready, you can bypass reliance on OTAs, saving on commission fees and boosting visibility on search engines like Google. Your guests will search for your website!
- Upsell and Enhance Client Retention: Webready empowers you to implement various strategies for upselling and improving client retention. From loyalty programs to incentives for longer stays and additional activities such as car rentals, sports activities, and dining options, Webready provides the tools you need to enhance your business.
- Websites that include video content boast a 4.8% higher conversion rate than those lacking it. Do OTAs give you the opportunity to set up videos to showcase your property? The answer is NO, but Webready definitely helps you leverage your business to the next level.
With Webready, you get all these features and more in an easy-to-use platform designed to help you build and grow your vacation rental business.
Below, we’ll explore the essential features every short-term rental website needs to have to increase bookings.
Here’s a checklist of what direct booking websites must have:
- High-quality photos and virtual tours
- Directions: How to get there
- Guides: What to do/visit
- Testimonials/reviews
- Cross sell/upsell
- Deals and discounts
- “About us” or a bio page
- Blog
- And of course, a “Book with Us” option
From the technical standpoint your websites need to have:
- Mobile friendly + SEO optimization
- SSL certificate
- Custom domain
- Very easy to navigate
- Beautiful customizable templates
- Analytics and Google ranking
- User-Friendly Interface:The Webready website builder offers intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces, allowing you to create professional-looking websites without any coding knowledge. A seamless user experience encourages visitors to explore your property offerings and make bookings. A clean, intuitive layout with easy navigation is key to keeping visitors engaged. According to Adobe research, 38% of users will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive. Website builders offer templates specifically tailored for property managers, ensuring a professional and visually appealing site without the need for extensive design expertise.
- Mobile Optimization: Webready websites are built with a responsive design, ensuring they adapt to any device’s screen size. This enables potential guests to easily navigate your site and make bookings on the go, boosting repeat bookings. With over 50% of online travel bookings made on mobile devices, ensuring your website is optimized for mobile is non-negotiable. Website builders offer responsive designs that automatically adjust to different screen sizes, guaranteeing a seamless browsing experience for potential guests whether they’re using a smartphone, tablet, or desktop.
- High-Quality Imagery and Virtual Tours: The Webready platform provides tools for uploading stunning images and virtual tours of your properties. Visual content builds trust and excitement, enhancing the user experience and increasing conversions. Listings with high-quality photos receive 87% more views compared to those without. Website builders often provide built-in galleries and customizable text fields, allowing you to showcase your properties in the best light and highlight their unique features.
- Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Utilize customizable CTA buttons and forms strategically throughout your website to guide visitors towards booking. Whether it’s a “Book Now” button or a contact form, clear CTAs significantly improve conversion rates and drive repeat bookings.
- Integration with Booking Systems: The Webready website builder offers a direct booking engine that is now FREE of charge. This streamlines the booking process, saving time for both property managers and their guests, reducing the risk of overbooking, and ensuring a smooth booking experience, thus increasing the likelihood of repeat visits. Streamlining the booking process is essential for converting visitors into guests. An integrated booking system allows guests to check availability, view rates, and securely reserve their stay directly through your website. Properties with online booking capabilities experience a 30% increase in revenue on average. Many website builders do not offer booking widgets or plugins that seamlessly integrate with your site. In order to have a streamlined booking process property managers need to look for website builders that are tailored for the vacation rental industry.
- Build your brand: Establish your brand identity by selecting colors that resonate with your brand image. Choose a template that accurately represents your vacation rental and incorporate your logos and elements that resonate with your clients. Easily integrate your social media handles, including Instagram, Facebook, and others to engage with your clients across all platforms and foster meaningful connections.
- Optimized for Google: In a competitive market, visibility is key to attracting organic traffic to your website. Search engine optimization (SEO) ensures your site ranks higher in search engine results, increasing its visibility to potential guests. Website builders often include built-in SEO tools and analytics, allowing you to optimize your content, meta tags, and URLs to improve your site’s search engine ranking and drive more organic traffic.
- Adding social media: You can seamlessly integrate social media into your website, and connect with potential guests. With widgets showcasing user-generated content and customizable sharing buttons, you can leverage your social following to boost credibility and expand your reach. Embedding social proof, like guest reviews, fosters trust and drives bookings. Social media integration isn’t just a trend—it’s a strategic way to amplify your online presence and drive bookings.
- Incorporating video content into your website can significantly enhance user engagement and boost conversion rates. Research from Aberdeen Group reveals that websites featuring video content experience a 4.8% higher conversion rate compared to those without. This underscores the significance of integrating video elements into your website design strategy.
As a property manager, your website is your most powerful tool for driving bookings and maximizing revenue. By leveraging the capabilities of website builders, you can create a compelling online presence that captivates potential guests and converts them into loyal customers. From user-friendly design to integrated booking systems and SEO optimization, investing in the right elements can elevate your website from a digital placeholder to a booking powerhouse.
In an increasingly competitive vacation rental market, the time to optimize your website is now. Embrace the power of website builders and watch your bookings soar to new heights. Your properties deserve to shine, and with the right website, they’ll be booked solid year-round.