Marketing Aabode.com: Improve ROI
Whether you are ready to let your first holiday home or are an established owner looking to increase your property ROI (return on investment), knowing how to market your holiday rental successfully is a common predicament for many owners and property managers.
With the growth in popularity of websites like Airbnb and Stayz/HomeAway, Booking.com here in Australia and around the world with millions upon millions of listings, it has become even more challenging to stand out against the competition and get bookings without paying a huge commission plus high ongoing digital marketing and advertising costs. Often these costs are very opaque making it hard to calculate your property ROI (return on investment)
So how do you get as many bookings and regularly returning guests as possible, while keeping digital marketing and advertising expenses low and improving your property ROI ?
Here are some tips to help you effectively market your holiday rental business and increase your property ROI with Aaabode.com
Define your target audience
Think about who your property is best suited to and who you would ideally like to attract. Every target market has different preferences and needs. The features and experience you offer should appeal to your target audience.
For example, a property on a beach will attract beach goers but will also appeal to non-beach goers who are attracted by the scenery and facilities that your property can offer. Your marketing should focus on both markets – don’t just focus on promoting excellent beach access, also sell the views sunset / sunrise, the luxury on-site jacuzzi , nearby quality restaurants and attractions.
Whilst it’s important to cater to your main target audience, it’s equally as important to ensure your property lets you appeal to as many people as possible.
- Couples on a romantic break will want to surprise their other half: unique features such as a knock-out view, jacuzzi, fluffy bathrobes, quality bathroom products, cinema room, surround sound, Wi-Fi (a must), or in-house catering will do just that.
- If you want to encourage pet owners and walkers, then promote that your property is dog-friendly with lots of walks and dog-friendly pubs nearby. And that furry friends get their own welcome treats!
- If you are looking to attract large families: provide a high-chair, stair gate, cot, sterilizers, hand blenders, toys, TV’s, DVDs, games room, board games, books, ‘rainy day’ items, a jacuzzi or swimming pool.
Once you have defined your target audience, you can begin creating your marketing strategy.
There are many listing sites where you can advertise your holiday rental: Airbnb, Stayz, HomeAway and Booking.com to name a few all of which charge big commissions plus fees and already have millions of listings. Do they care about your property?
Although it’s important to consider how much it will cost you (subscription or commission), your goal is to generate the best return on investment (ROI).
Aabode.com Premium has zero booking fees and zero commission. You just pay the low month to month subscription to effectively boost your ROI
The Aabode Channel Manager allows you to choose which of the 60+ OTA’s to connect each specially chosen for their reach to travelers seeking private holiday home rentals.
Seamless and easy with no additional fees.
Write an story for for your listing description.
With more than 6 million listings on Airbnb for example how do you stand out from the crowd? Engage the reader on the story of how the stay experience will be for them. Set the scene for a wonderful stay experience. Both inhouse and in the surrounding local area .
To start with be clear about:
- The type of property – villa, cottage, house, cabin, glamping, etc.
- Who it appeals to – families, couples, pet friendly, luxury, adventure, etc.
- Location and any major attraction close to you – e.g. Beach , Art , History, etc.
- Highlight a special feature – Rooftop garden , outdoor deck , scenic views etc.
- Your listing description should take the reader through a journey of what it’s like to stay in your holiday home.
- The Aabode.com Premium team will help optimize your listing to improve your ranking and improve your property ROI.
As a rule of thumb: engaging copy, good communication, a speedy response, a strong description, online booking availability and great guest feedback will improve your property’s search ranking. Ensure your iCal is connected or update the easy to use calendars.
Capture attention with great photos
Photos are one of the best marketing investments you can make and will pay dividends. Good quality images catch a traveler’s eye, allowing them to imagine themselves at your property and location. Whether that’s watching the sun setting over the sea from your terrace, enjoying a glass of wine in your jacuzzi, relaxing in a hammock by the pool or reading a book by your log fire. Ensure that the default featured image on your listing stirs emotions and makes people want to be there.
If you can, hire a professional photographer to come and stage your property, take professional photos.
Price to maximize revenue
Setting your holiday rental rates is probably the hardest decision you will have to make. Set your rate too high and bookings could be slow. Set your price too low and you may not be able to earn a profit, or you’ll only attract people who abuse your property. Look at what competing rentals in the area are charging and think about how you compare value-wise to them.
- What’s their pricing strategy?
- Is there a minimum stay?
- Do week/weekend rates fluctuate?
- Are prices adjusted according to peak/high/low season?
- Are there any discounts for long stays?
- What commission do need to payout (Aabode.com Premium is zero commission)
Travelers are not all looking for rock bottom prices – but they do want value for their money. You may be surprised to see that people may pay a premium if you offer something ‘extra’ that makes you stand out.
Special offers are great for creating a sense of urgency to spur people to book with you, but remember they are meant to increase your revenue and profit, not lower them. Use them only when you know it’s going to be difficult to sell low season weeks or to fill a booking gap.
Always structure your prices so that they are all-inclusive (cleaning, electricity, laundry, etc). Don’t charge ‘add-ons’ which can deter guests.
Exceed expectations
The aim is to have guests come back to stay with you and recommend your property to friends and family. This is the easiest and cheapest way to increase bookings and profit. To do this you have to deliver value and exceed your guests’ expectations during their stay so they can’t wait to return.
Here are some ideas…
- Your guests may well be stressed and tired when they arrive from their journey, so make sure your property is warm, cozy and welcoming when they arrive. Provide a welcome pack of essentials so guests don’t have to immediately go shopping after a long journey.
- Private home rental guests expect the same standards they would find in a luxury hotel. Your holiday rental has to be immaculate. Also, don’t underestimate the importance of big comfy beds with quality linens. If guests don’t get a good night’s sleep you can say goodbye to that 5-star guest review.
- No doubt you’ll have a guest book in your holiday rental full of insider tips and advice on where to eat, the top attractions, the best beaches etc. Go one step further and partner with local businesses to ‘curate VIP experiences’ for your guests. For example: arrange days out with a tour guide, a reservation at the best restaurant that is booked up for months or discounts at the best local attractions.
- If you can, allow guests an early check-in or late checkout, provide towels so travellers can save on luggage charges, include free logs for the open fire, free Wi-Fi and pool heating – all these little extras made a difference to the holiday experience.
- Share your Aabode.com unique property link with your social media, blogs, etc.
Get reviews – easy to do on Aabode.com
More than ever, travelers will consult reviews when making a booking decision. When your past guests share their experiences and memories of their holiday they become your greatest asset. Reviews add valuable credibility and are an essential part of your marketing strategy.
Immediately after your guests depart from your rental follow up asking for feedback or if there is anything you can improve (even negative reviews help you learn and improve). One simple click from your Aabode.com dashboard. Simple and quick follow up.
Become a featured property in Aabode.com email marketing campaigns
E-mail marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing your holiday rental to travelers As a Premium featured property you will gain an audience from Aabode.com who have are both registered users and are past guests booked via Aabode.com (as at 30 April 2021 50,116 users)
Get involved in Aabode.com social media
It’s no secret that travel and social media go hand in hand. Facebook and Instagram are the perfect platforms to reach new guests and stay in contact with old ones. When potential guests are researching your holiday let, one of the places they’ll look is your social media accounts to see what you’re sharing and what people are saying about you.
Having active social accounts with user reviews, tips and advice, as well as answered comments, will show them that your property is reputable and one they can trust.
Aabode.com Premium will increase your property ROI with improved visibility to the right audience and enormously reduce your digital marketing and advertising cost.
Aabode.com is a digital marketing channel exclusively for private holiday home rentals.
Sources :
Google : About Vacation Rentals
https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10062327?hl=en
What’s next for Googles expansion into Vacation Rentals
https://www.phocuswire.com/google-vacation-rentals-whats-next
Experienced Hosts share their top tips
Ultimate guide to listing your property as a holiday rental
Top tips on how to create the ultimate holiday house
https://www.homebeautiful.com.au/how-to-create-the-ultimate-holiday-home
8 Vacation Rentals tips for property managers to increase revenue
