How to Drive Traffic to Your Vacation Rental Site and Boost Conversion Rates
Take a moment to imagine that instead of a vacation rental manager you are the owner of a brick and mortar store before the internet took over and most industries only existed in physical places, instead of on the web. If you could choose between an aesthetic storefront that is appealing to look at, has a big sign, and overlooks a busy street, versus a store with one door that has no sign and is tucked away behind a building, which would you choose? Hopefully, you said the store with the big sign on the busy street.
When you think about your online presence as a vacation rental business, think of it in this context. In the vacation rental industry, most communication happens online, but the same principle can be applied. You need to make it easy for travelers to find your business, and you want to make it appealing to stay once they walk in the door. A clean, easy to find, and simple to navigate website with professional photos and property descriptions is a crucial element to a successful vacation rental business. If you want direct bookings, you have no choice but to get this right! Here is how you can drive traffic to your vacation rental site and boost conversion rates:
Improve Website Traffic
A website that is not utilizing SEO and marketing itself effectively cannot easily be found through an internet search and, therefore, is metaphorically hidden behind another building — that building being the websites of competitors. You could offer the best services, prices, and products, but if no one knows you exist, then it won’t matter.
So, how exactly do you put your vacation rental site on the main street and give it the big sign? The first thing you need to do is create original content that will tell search engines that you exist. You do this by using relevant keywords and phrases that your potential customers might use to find you. This process is called SEO, or search engine optimization, and it takes a bit of research and practice to get good at, but it is worth investing some energy into. You also can hire professional writers, content creators, and SEO management companies to assist you in this process. Many of these companies have affordable rates and can help you improve website traffic tremendously.
Increase Website Conversion
Okay, you’ve got your customers to come to your vacation rental site. Obviously, the goal now is to convert those visitors into customers. If they can’t find their way around or read your content because of crazy colors and fonts, they probably aren’t going to stay too long. Making your site easy to navigate and easy to look at is key to keeping customers engaged, and keeping customers engaged is how to increase conversion rates.
The other major thing to keep in mind is the quality of the content you have. You need professional property photos that are well-staged and show all the best features of the property. A crooked photo of a dark room you took on your cell phone is not going to cut it. You need professional, quality photos with quality written descriptions to match. If there is a gorgeous view or a beautiful garden tub, those things should be highlighted by a great photo. Once you hook them with those high-quality photos, you can convert them into guests with a detailed and well-written description. Your SEO-friendly property description should include all the amenities the property has to offer and its proximity to local attractions. The description is what ultimately will help your customers decide whether they want to stay in your property or not, so the more details and amenities you can offer, the higher your conversion rate will be.
Learn More
Writing SEO-friendly content, taking professional and well-staged property photos, and writing effective property descriptions will help you draw in travelers and convert them into guests. At Vacation Rental University, we have combined our decades of experience in the vacation rental industry with the best (nerdiest) SEO professionals to provide you with very detailed strategies on how to effectively (cheaply) grow your website traffic and boost your conversion rates. We have examples and in-depth lessons on how to approach this and all the other aspects of operating your business. Become a part of Vacation Rental University today to learn what you need to know to succeed in the vacation rental industry.