Working at the interface of domestic violence and child protection
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1. FIVE SECRETS TO HIGHER
OCCUPANCY OF YOUR
VACATION RENTAL
BY DUKE VONGGAVEESAKUL
2. Do you want to book more nights? If so, read on.
Did you know that the latest statistics show that
travellers are more likely to book an independent
vacation rental (more commonly known as an
‘AirBnB’) as opposed to a hotel room?
The number one reason why people prefer a
vacation rental over a hotel room is for the
experience, but not all hosts are experienced
enough to provide a concierge and booking
service like a hotel can.
What if you could combine the strengths of the
two?
If you are considering managing your own
vacation rental, here are five valuable tips I have
learned over the years which can assist in
securing more guest visits.
DO YOU WANT TO BOOK MORE
NIGHTS?
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3. Multi-Channel Marketing refers to the method of
advertising your property on listing portals such as
HomeAway, Stayz, Trip Advisor and Flipkey.
The benefits of advertising through these channels
is that they constantly have high traffic volumes
driven by their large marketing budgets which
translates to greater audience reach which
increases the likelihood of your property being
seen and eventually booked.
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MULTI-CHANNEL
MARKETING
4. Listing on multiple channels means you can also
select the target market you want to appeal
to. Whether it be the luxury traveller or a traveller
with pets, there’s a channel targeting every
niche.
Depending on your subscription type, property
listing portals will take a fee, a commission, or
both. Some will be more simple than others, so
keeping track of your expenditures across
multi-channel marketing is an ongoing
necessity if you want to make a decent profit out
of your listing(s) especially when fee structures
are constantly changing.
The main advantage of listing your property
through these portals is that 9 times out of
10 they will handle the payments on your behalf.
Taking away the accounting headaches allows
you more time to focus on what’s important:
the guest experience!
However, to manage multi-channels efficiently
you will need to handle the synchronization and
update of your calendars and your seasonal
pricing which, without the appropriate software,
could become a task you might find time
consuming. So always make sure you have a
way to update your calendar across all
channels to avoid problems like double-booking
or under or over quoting prices.
This also means that if you have different rates
throughout the year, you will need to make sure
you keep them synced up and avoid any
complications with guest payments.
You should never put all your eggs in one
basket, but at the same time, you need to make
sure you can handle carrying multiple baskets!
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5. Everyone knows that a great first impression is
extremely important when it comes to making a
sale. So when it comes to marketing your property
in addition to having a well written compelling
description, photography is an equally important
factor to your listing success.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
6. This is especially paramount if you’re using a
listing portal. As you are obligated to list your
property through their generic and standard
website theme, photography is one of the only
true ways to really standout amongst other
hundreds of listings to make a lasting
impression.
Having your photography done right isn’t just a
point-and-shoot process. To create the greatest
impact with lasting impressions you will need to
capture both the visual and the emotional
aspect of the space you want to rent out.
Having the right photography equipment and
using the correct settings to capture every
aspect of the scene is one technical feature that
is usually better understood by the professional
rather than the amateur. Utilizing techniques
such as HDR (capturing different exposures of
the same shot and combining them to create a
dynamic view) can help bring your photography
to life. In its simplest forms, HDR can help
capture an external view from an indoor
standpoint.
The photographer should also have a keen
interest in architecture and interior design.
Capturing these fine details properly and
highlighting the unique features of the property is
by definition showcasing the uniqueness of your
property, which leads to you standing out in the
crowd of other listings.
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BEFORE
HDR
AFTER
HDR
7. Your first competitive advantage is how fast you
respond to your potential guests before they hear
back from other owners. Travellers who are looking
to book accommodation aren’t just looking for a
space that matches their needs,
but also a service that matches their wants.
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RESPONSE TIME
8. Response technique is also important. Email
might be the easiest and quickest way to start
communication, but as the relationship develops,
text messaging and phone calls might be a
preferred medium in delivering prompt response
and heightening customer satisfaction.
Being a prompt responder will not only win you
business, but will produce satisfied customers -
which is the foundation for great reviews and
returning guests. If you’re in the business of
vacation rentals, you’ll know how valuable
positive reviews are to your repertoire.
(More on that later)
The number two reason why people choose to
book a vacation rental is the understanding that
they’ll have ‘direct contact with the host’.
Therefore, always anticipate and prepare to be
‘on-call’.
Remember the common emotion behind most
purchases isn’t just desire and impulsiveness –
enthusiasm also plays a part. Simply being as
enthusiastic as the potential guest helps you
establish an instant rapport. That alone is
powerful enough in winning trust and ultimately
making a sale.
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9. Positive reviews are the (life-force) of any
business, especially when it comes to vacation
rentals. The more reviews you have the more
valuable your listing becomes.
Trip Advisor studies show that 80% of travellers
are more likely to book a property that has past
guest reviews than those that don’t.
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REVIEWS
10. If not convinced, AirBnB rank their listings according to how many positive reviews that listing has
obtained – the more positive reviews, the higher the ranking. So what are you waiting for?
Unfortunately, as we all know, not everyone is ready to dedicate five minutes of their time to leaving
you a positive review, so make sure you ask for it, even if it means giving people an incentive
(like a discount on their next stay or a gift voucher to a restaurant). Positive reviews are priceless in
giving your listing added value and appeal, so make sure you connect with your guests and
encourage them to review their stays.
This will benefit you in the long run, in ways aside from what has been mentioned above.
Having a positive communication with your past guests means that you're also nurturing their
interests in the service that you provide. Therefore, even after they’ve given you a review, do make
sure to keep in touch with them.
This brings us to our next point:
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11. You are in an industry where a lot of importance is
placed on returning customers. This means your
work doesn’t stop after the guest leaves the
building. If anything, re-marketing and keeping
clients interested and loyal is the most important
part of the marketing process if you want to
succeed.
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RE-MARKETING
12. We’re talking about contacting your past guests
with a simple questionnaire about their
experience or, like we mentioned above, asking
them to write you a review. Offering incentives
to your past guests (like discount for returning
visits) to encourage them to engage with you is
extremely useful.
Each instance of connecting with a past guest
becomes an opportunity to re-market or
re-sell.
Attract them back with discount vouchers or
packaged deals - offer to take them on a day
tour next time, or simply keep them updated of
what’s new with the neighbourhood. All these
little things can mean a lot to someone who has
already had a great experience with you.
The great thing is that online marketing
technology is at a point now where these tasks
can be automated, if you have the software. It
may be worthwhile to invest in specific
Customer-Relationship-Management
software to help with your re-marketing.
Pro Tip: A successful re-marketer will keep a
database of recent enquirers and past guests.
This can also mean your ‘Likes’ on Facebook,
your ‘Followers’ on Twitter and your Blog
subscribers. If they have anything to do with
your vacation rental - they’re part of your
database. Simple as that.
Also, the advantage of re-marketing through
social media is that it’s quick and concise.
Especially when used strategically it will
engage your audience on a personal level
which will create a feel of exclusivity and being-
in-the-loop.
So now is the time to start building a following!
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13. As a hospitality entrepreneur successfully operating Duke's Lounge Cafe since 2010;
Duke Vonggaveesakul currently dedicates his spare time and analytic skills to consult in Real Estate -
specialising in digital marketing strategies such as SEO and multi-channel networking.
With an administration background in Investment Banking - Duke has a sound interest in finance and
economics, as well as enterprise workflow systems.
By devoting himself to strategic marketing and focussing on SEO technology, he has teamed up with
three different companies in the finance and real estate sector to create sustainable marketing and
lead generation systems.
Diploma in Property Studies - Real Estate
Advance Diploma in Hospitality - Management
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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