subject: How to Market your Holiday Home for Free [print this page] How to Market your Holiday Home for Free How to Market your Holiday Home for Free
The art of marketing your property is to make it look as attractive as possible, make sure its at the right price as there is a lot of choice out there and last but not least make sure that as many people as possible see your site/advert.
Presentation
When a potential holidaymaker views your site/advert he/she will be captivated or uninterested within a matter of seconds, it is your job to make sure that what they see or read makes them want to submit an enquiry.
Therefore, you need to make sure that the property is decorated to a good standard and is well furnished, try to think of it from a holiday maker's point of view. Check out other properties that are similar to yours and evaluate what you would do, would you rather go in theirs or your own. If you decide on theirs you need to start making changes although not everyone has the same tastes but you need to optimise on the amount of enquiries you can receive.
One of the most important aspects of advertising is the visual one (a picture tells a thousand words) and as people don't hang around these days you need to capture their imagination quickly, when taking pictures take lots from all different aspects. Removing any unsightly objects that may make the picture unattractive or cluttered in the room i.e. washing on the drainer, clothes washing on the floor, etc it can happen!
If you have lots of choice hopefully you will use the best possible pictures, try and take them on a sunny day with lots of light, the interior layout is important again you may think this is common sense and although we are not knocking the lack of this in some people, again it can happen! For example, if you have cushions on the sofa placed in order or alternate if different colours before taking the picture! When buying items for the property always think what it would look like in the pictures you take, for example Wall Pictures go for big images, if it is part of the room's interior, rather then personal images. [Personal items or pictures should not really be displayed in the property] Although, a welcome pack could contain various information. You could include a more personal touch and feel to the holiday maker, by having an introduction of you, how long you have been renting the accommodation, places that you recommend, etc.
Try and make the pictures interesting and use each room also pictures of outside if there is one, you can use pictures of interesting local places, beaches anything you feel would help them to decide to stay in your property, people want to see what they are paying for and hopefully if there are no nasty surprises there is a good possibility that they would re-book, with you.
When describing the property try to be as accurate as possible, if a holidaymaker is expecting air-conditioning and arrives to find a couple of ceiling or free standing fans he/she are not going to be happy about this and are likely to complain and would be unlikely to re-book so accuracy is important and the way the property is described. Try and make it sound as interesting as possible if you are struggling with this look at other adverts for inspiration and use ideas don't just copy as you want your advert to be individual andexciting.
Price
When deciding on a price, it is important that you charge enough to cover your costs but not too much to price yourself out of the market that you are trying to promote, after all the idea is to book as many weeks as possible throughout the year.
Have a look at similar properties in the same area and price yours accordingly even if you have to undercut your competitors but be aware this could cause a price war and you all could lose out so be careful.
Its also a good idea to locate the quietest times in the year and do a special offer, for example if your property rents out at 200 per week you could do a special price on the quietest month then advertise from 125 this way when you are advertising your property you can advertise lower prices.
You could also do a last minute price as it could be difficult to fill your property at short notice so the holidaymaker gets a bargain and is happy and you get a booking instead of having an empty property. However, be aware!
Remember prices are not written in stone if you are not getting bookings there is usually a reason for it and one could be the price.
Marketing
Where do I advertise my property? The obvious choice is to have a website built although this does incur costs it all depends how serious you are in generating business although you do have the upfront cost of setting up a website you can then start to promote it free of charge be writing and submitting blogs adding your website to directories or by submitting articles. This is not instant and you have to be dedicated over a period of time to gain results.
To start to get bookings almost immediately you could add your site to www.holidayapartmentsandvillas.com who are offering a 6 months free period so there is absolutely no risk involved if you go to the website, register and add your property remembering the advice from above then sit back and wait for the enquiries to start coming in.
Managing Enquiries
When an enquiry comes to you via email or text the most important thing is to respond as quickly as possible because usually a holidaymaker does not only contact one property owner and if you take a day to respond they could already have their dates booked so unfortunately managing enquiries can at times be a bit full on.
It is important to carry a diary with you so if a text arrives and you don't have access to a computer to view your online calendar on www.holidayapartmentsandvillas.com you can, at least respond immediately then add your dates and holidaymakers details at a later date.
When a holidaymaker agrees to holiday in your property it is a good idea to send out a Booking Form via email requesting a non refundable Deposit of 20% to secure their holiday dates and then diarise the dates?
The Final Full Balance due six weeks before the Holiday Date, you need to contact them for the Final payment, then you can send them property details and the holiday guide. [For your security do not send the Holiday Information till you are sure you have the monies in your account and it has cleared, as you are passing over personal and private details of how to get to the property or how to get in]
Then the only thing left to do is be very careful not to double book.
