Before a guest steps foot in your rental, they will already have a detailed expectation of how their vacation will unfold.
They may be excited about the view from your balcony, unwinding in the hot tub, or strolling down the road to that trendy restaurant. You see, a vacation starts from the moment that a visitor sees your rental on a booking website.
That's why it's so important to get it perfect. Here are five features to look for in vacation rental websites that work.
1. A User-Friendly Vacation Rental Website Design
People looking for a vacation don't want to encounter a cumbersome or confusing website. The best vacation websites emphasize a user-friendly interface.
It should be clean and well-organized with a simple search facility. Vacation properties should be easy to browse, including checking the location on a map and scrolling through photos.
Plus, if the website has a vacation rental booking system, it should be a simple step-by-step process that works on desktop and mobile.
2. High-Quality Listings
Each listing on a vacation rental website needs to include as much information as possible so that the visitor can make a firm decision.
That means high-quality photos and detailed descriptions of the properties. A virtual tour is also a good idea.
The descriptions should go beyond the features inside the rental and include local amenities, attractions, and other relevant information about the area.
Accessibility information is also handy for those with disabilities.
3. Secure Booking Technology
Streamlined booking processes are vital. However, the security side of booking a vacation rental is equally essential.
People who reserve a rental and part with their credit card details need assurances that their information is safe. The booking side of the website must use the most up-to-date encryption methods.
Offering the most robust payment gateways also strongly signals to users that they are booking on a secure and trustworthy platform.
4. Provide Vacation Rental Online Guest Reviews
Customers love to rely on reviews before deciding on a vacation property.
It's often the best assurance that the vacation and living arrangements meet their expectations. So, ensure you have an easy system for guests to leave reviews and prominently display them for all property listings.
You can boost your trustworthiness by using independent review sites, which will enhance the credibility of your property listings.
5. Excellent Customer Service Support
Your website should have multiple support channels to accommodate every visitor's needs. These should include live chat, an email address, a contact form, and a phone number.
It helps speed up problem resolutions. It also means your visitors can get answers to their questions faster. Those answers might be the difference between finalizing a vacation booking or abandoning it to look elsewhere.
Vacation Rental Websites That Work
Securing regular bookings for your vacation property is vital to seeing the best return on your investment. So, before listing your property, prioritize a service that offers vacation rental websites that work hard to secure those bookings.
At Gulf Coast Property Management, we have over twenty years of experience in vacation rentals in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, and Venice. So we can help you get the best return on your vacation rental. Contact us today for more information.
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