How to Build a Direct Booking Website for Your Short-Term Rental
Summary
This article discusses how short-term rental hosts can create their own direct booking websites to reduce commission costs, build brand recognition, and own their guest data. It provides a step-by-step guide on building a website and explains the benefits of direct bookings. Consider building a direct booking website to gain more control over your business.
Key Insights
- •Commission costs on OTAs can significantly reduce profit, with these fees often representing a substantial loss of revenue over a year.
- •Direct bookings start small but grow steadily as repeat guests and branded searches increase.
Action Items
- ✓Design your direct booking website with guest behavior in mind, focusing on clear photos, simple navigation, and fast loading pages.Effort: mediumImpact: medium
- ✓Choose a platform that allows for growth, like WordPress, for long-term flexibility and ownership of your website.Effort: mediumImpact: medium
Tools & Resources
- →WordPress: The article suggests using WordPress for building a direct booking website.
Watch Out For
- ⚠Ignoring SEO is a mistake, because if your website cannot be found in search results, it will rely entirely on paid traffic or repeat guests.
- ⚠Treating the website like a brochure instead of designing it around booking behavior is a common mistake.
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