Vacation Rental Owners Blog

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Outdoor Amenities That Help Attract Guests Posted: 07 Oct 2014 09:00 AM PDT Guest post by Jeff Caldwell  When you're trying to rent your vacation property, your first priority is to attract interested renters — and to do that, you need features that will catch people's attention when they're searching online. Some of the most important are outdoor amenities: the right kind can grab the eye when someone is browsing hundreds of online listings, and can help someone choose your rental over the competition. A place to sit and relax People go on vacation to relax, so show that your property gives them a place to do this. Put plenty of outdoor seating on your property: A hammock between two trees in the backyard might be a good fit. An outdoor table and chairs encourage relaxation and conversation. Add an umbrella to provide shade while your renters sit outside. Your outdoor space can be as simple or as complex as your budget allows. If you have a porch or patio, you don’t need to spend a fortune on fancy seating. Just make sure you have something there — something that will handle the weather well — and your potential renters will notice. Don’t forget about lighting so people can still use the space after the sun sets! A place to cook out If the weather in your area is conducive to outdoor cookouts or marshmallow roasts, consider adding an attractive grill or fire pit area. People enjoy the relaxation that comes from gathering around a fire with hot dogs or marshmallows in hand, swapping stories with friends or family while they enjoy the cool evening air. Be sure to check with your insurance or the homeowner’s association in the community to ensure that a fire pit is allowed. A place to play Does your rental appeal to people with kids? A small swing set, if it’s not too much of an insurance liability, can be a major draw. Many parents will opt to rent a property that gives their children a place to play — they'll have more opportunities to relax if their kids aren't constantly saying, “I’m bored!” What can you do if a playground is not allowed or practical? Consider some outdoor games to give the kids something to play with. Anything that provides some distraction and entertainment will be valued by your guests. A place to swim If you have the budget for installation and upkeep, consider investing in a pool or a sauna. Giving your guests a place to swim can make your property feel more like a resort or hotel. Yes, it can add significant upkeep costs, but the benefit can be more renters who are thrilled to have an on-site pool available. You can also raise your rates because of the extra feature. A place to enjoy beauty Don’t forget about the landscaping and garden when you're improving the outdoor space around your rental property. Your landscaping doesn’t need to be fancy, but it does need to look nice. This is what will make people stop and take a closer look. Add a few low-maintenance perennial plants to keep the yard looking fresh, clean and beautiful, and enjoy the benefit of more interest in your rental property. Don’t forget to add rocks or mulch to keep the weeds at bay. A place for pets Does your rental property allow pets? If so, consider adding a dog run so animals have a place to enjoy the outdoors off-leash. For vacationers who travel with their pets, this small addition can show that you're truly a pet-friendly property. There's a benefit for you, too: because pet owners are likely to put their pets in the designated area if it is available, it can help protect your lawn and landscaping. To make your rental property a success, you have to think like a potential renter — which means thinking about what renters look for in a property before they decide to book. Invest in the outdoor amenities and you will get it back through more inquiries and happy guests.  photos by Chun Kit To, Austin Kirk, Jenn Jeff Caldwell is Brand Manager of Superior Shade (www.superiorshadeinc.com) in Carrollton, GA. Superior Shade provides protection from the elements with products like column umbrellas, custom shades, and shade hips, that provide protection from the sun and harmful UV rays. They provide custom shade structures to fit your business needs.

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MyVR’s Explainer Video Wins Award in International Competition Posted: 24 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT MyVR has a platform that delivers the tools you need to market and manage your vacation rental business — but what does that actually mean? For people looking at their marketing options, not to mention owners who are new to the industry, it's hard to capture what we offer in a brief but engaging way. We contacted Adelie Studios to create a video that would explain what we offer in a way that was quick, engaging, and not full of "marketing speak." The MyVR explainer had the impact we were looking for: we got a 34 percent increase in trial signups as a result. And we're not the only ones who were impressed! Of 6,000 videos entered into an international competition, Adelie Studios was recently awarded a Silver Communicator Award of Distinction from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. Congratulations to the team at Adelie Studios, and thanks for creating such an effective video!

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New MyVR Features Will Help Cut Your To Do List Posted: 29 Apr 2014 12:00 PM PDT Want to save money, save time, be more organized and look more professional when it comes to managing your vacation rental property? The MyVR team has been busy building great new features — it's like spring cleaning for your property management to do list. Lower your credit card rates Travelers prefer to pay by credit card, but owners often skip the option because of the fees involved. I think this is a big mistake; your guests increasingly expect to be able to book immediately online. We’ve negotiated the best rates in the industry: 2.5% + 30¢, including international cards and American Express. Free up more time to spend growing your RBO business Delivering good customer service takes time, so focus your time where it matters most. Auto-responders are great, but sometimes you can't send the same message to every inquiry. Our conditional auto-responders let you send personalized, templated replies based on criteria you set up yourself. This means that if you need multiple auto-responders, you can easily set them up. Every inquiry creates a new contact entry where details like special notes, past reservations and correspondence are tracked — all in one spot, so you won't need to fish for it later. There's also a renter screening tool that brings up information like social media profiles, so you can get a better understanding of your guests and confirm that you're corresponding with the person they claim to be. Look and feel more professional Running your rent-by-owner (RBO) like a professional gets easier when you have the right tools. Sign up for text alerts and find out as soon as a new inquiry comes in. Response time matters for new inquiries; by getting text alerts to your cell phone, you'll know whenever a new inquiry arrives in your MyVR Inbox — whether it comes via your website, Craigslist, or other advertising channels (like HomeAway, VRBO, FlipKey and others). We have new website templates that let your photos do the talking. If you have multiple properties, we have templates for you, too. These templates are photo-centric, customized for vacation rentals, and mobile friendly — delivering the information your guests want right up front. If you are managing multiple properties, we now have an integrated multi-property calendar that shows all your rental properties on one screen. If one property is booked, but you have a suitable alternative available, you can spot it right away and get back to your potential guests immediately. We don't talk about MyVR much on the blog, but we're excited to add these new features to our existing online platform: one Inbox to manage, one hub for all your advertising, one great-looking website. After all, we're vacation rental owners, too; we want to streamline the management process so you can focus on the things that need a personal touch. What do you think? Tell us how else we might help you manage your vacation rental business in the comments below!

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Are you missing out on vacation rental referrals? Posted: 12 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT Referrals are a common way for businesses to grow, and rent-by-owners (RBOs) aren’t any different; you likely already know that word-of-mouth marketing from happy guests can be one of your most powerful assets. But what about referrals from other businesses — and other vacation rental owners in particular. Is it weird to get referrals from your competitors, or is it a potential source for new bookings that you’ve overlooked? How referrals work We make referrals almost daily, whether we're pointing guests to favorite restaurants, unique boutiques or a local taxi company. In general, we make referrals to help other people get the information or service they’re looking for. But referrals can also be part of a more formal arrangement, whether through networking organizations like your local chamber of commerce or using vacation rental-specific networks. Some networks offer incentives for referrals; for example, Matt Landau shared the idea of the Vacation Rental Referral Pledge, which encourages a 10 percent commission. Other businesses might offer a fixed cash incentive or other type of reward. Why referrals can help build your business Building positive relationships with RBOs in your area can be a smart move, whether you’re interested in referrals or not. Who knows the challenges of running a vacation rental in your area better than other owners? “Ask them their experiences, how booked they get,” suggested owner Pat Luftman in an interview with MyVR, whose local network also sends referrals to each other. I think building a vacation rental coalition can be an effective part of your overall marketing strategy, and it’s one of the best ways to deal with what can otherwise be frustrating situations: Large groups looking for additional accommodation (i.e. weddings, family reunions) People who want to book your property for dates that are already taken Inquiries that may not be a good fit (i.e. people who want to bring the family dog to your pet-free property) Sending guests to a property across town costs you nothing; whatever the reason, this inquiry isn’t a good fit. But saving them the hassle of starting their search over again builds goodwill and could turn into a booking or referral in the future. When you’re on the receiving end of a solid referral, you’re helping a fellow owner out of a jam while benefiting from a new booking. And, however they find you initially, a happy traveler can always lead to more business down the road. Things to watch out for Referrals work because people trust the source; a business owner won’t risk their reputation by sending a new customer to someone who can’t deliver. That means two things within a referral network: Your property and customer service must be top notch or the referrals will quickly dry up. You need to be confident that the properties you refer people to have the same high standards you follow, or your own reputation will take a hit. Incentives can be effective and having them in place — and detailed in a written agreement — can help avoid strife. Referral agreements work without incentives, too, but it can be frustrating if you consistently make referrals and get none in return. If you get a referral fee or other incentive, however, you'll always receive a benefit. MyVR has a referral tool that lets owners share leads with each other and, if you refer a traveler to someone else, you can track whether it converts into a booking. Whether you pass referrals back and forth as part of being a good neighbor, or turn referrals into a whole new revenue stream, is entirely up to you. But it’s something I think every owner should consider adding to their business-building strategy. What works and what doesn't when it comes to sharing referrals with other RBOs? Share your advice in the comments section below!

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Why your new vacation rental website isn’t showing in search results Posted: 22 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT Launching a new website for your vacation rental business is an exciting event…that can quickly deflate when nothing seems to happen. Where are the website visitors? Where are the new bookings? Like building a business, generating web traffic takes time; over time, there are a lot of different ways you can improve your search engine optimization (SEO) — where you show up in search results — and make it easier for people to find you. But for now, you just need your site to show up! Whether you use Google (by far the most-used search engine), Bing or Yahoo, search engines find new web pages through sitemaps — the index pages for individual websites (created automatically if you have a MyVR website!) — and links that point back to those pages. There is no specific "waiting period" for having your site start showing up in search results, but there are things you can do to move the process along more quickly. How to flag your new site for Google to find In "How to Get Google to Index Your New Website & Blog Quickly," Kristi Hines explains eight  tactics you can use to tell search bots that there's a new site they need to pay attention to. Her top tip? "The best way to ensure that your new content is discovered quickly is simply by sharing it on social media networks through status updates, especially on Google+." Social media can make a big difference — not just for a new site but on an ongoing basis. In a blog post last year, we looked at the impact social media has on your search rank. It's not surprising that Google+, Google's own social network, tops the list of factors that can impact where you show up in search results. However, it's worth noting that Facebook is a close second. What else can you do to help people discover your rental? Check out our top tips for getting your vacation rental to rank higher on Google. Have a question about getting your website to show up in search results? Ask about it in the comments below.

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At A Glance: February News For Vacation Rental Owners Posted: 22 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Skift || Here's a First Look at the Expedia-HomeAway Vacation Rental Experiment After announcing a partnership late last year, Expedia and HomeAway have just launched a beta version of their combined vacation rental search. The user experience is a little rough, explained Skift's Dennis Schaal, saying that it "functions more like an advertising relationship would than a tightly integrated booking process." He also notes, however, that these are only first steps; much will likely change as they gain information and feedback. Travel Daily News || Vacation rentals even more popular with U.S. travelers in 2014 A recent survey by TripAdvisor found that 52 percent of American travelers plan to stay at a vacation rental in 2014—up from 44 percent last year. Where are they planning to go, what are they willing to spend, and what amenities are they looking for? Reporter Theodore Koumelis covers the survey's highlights. Vacation Rental Marketing Blog || 1 Simple (But Forgotten) Image You MUST Include In Your Gallery Here's an interesting question: How many of us include floorplans in our image gallery? Reflecting on a conversation he had recently, Matt Landau relates that his friend didn't understand why vacation rental owners don't include floorplans: "That would, at least, help me decide whether this random home would be a good fit for my family," he said. Skift || How Should Tourism Businesses Respond To Extreme Weather: A Practical Guide Earlier this month, we offered ideas on how to manage guest expectations with such unpredictable weather. The UK's tourism authority, VisitEngland—an area that has also been battered by extreme weather—took it one step further and wrote an e-book. While their advice is tailored to the UK, there is a lot of good information regardless of your location. For example, they offer advice through different stages of an extreme weather situation, suggesting things like working with other hospitality groups in your area and recognizing the power of the rumor mill, even if your particular area hasn’t been touched. tnooz || A Facebook take on travel in 2014 – silent, blurred and visual While not announcing anything particularly unique, Facebook’s Aoife Desmond recently reiterated a number of trends we've discussed on the MyVR blog, like the blurred lines between travel and leisure, the growth of mobile when it comes to researching and booking, and the importance of good visuals. Another common thread is the draw of local experiences: "Guests don't want to know the hotel has got a bed but what is local and what is the experience they are going to get." Has your property been included in the Expedia-HomeAway beta? Will you add a copy of your floorplan to your image gallery? Tell us what's kept you busy this month in the comments section below. Images: travel poster in the puiblic domain, photo by Karsun Designs Photography

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What Would You Do? Reacting to Droughts, Blackouts and a Polar Vortex Posted: 08 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST From a drought in California to snow in Texas, transportation blocked by ice storms and blackouts—not to mention the introduction of “polar vortex” into everyday vocabulary—it’s been an unpredictable season for traveling. What do you do when your guests’ vacation is derailed by extreme weather—or worse, they can’t even make the journey to start their trip? How you respond to any particular situation depends a lot on you and the relationship you have with your guests; there are no clear-cut answers, and it’s unlikely you’ll hit the same unexpected situation twice. But here are some ideas and best practices from other vacation rental owners. Plan ahead for yourself and your vacation property "When an emergency strikes, there are two things you need to protect: Your home and your guests," we advised in a blog post about disaster planning for your vacation rental. This means having the right insurance regularly doing preventative maintenance (or hiring someone else to) providing your guests with appropriate supplies, an emergency plan, and a contact person. Encourage guests to buy travel insurance Always encourage your guests to buy travel insurance for themselves. Depending on the plan, travel insurance can cover a lot of expenses that you won't. For example, your guests can purchase coverage that will help if their flights are delayed, their bags are lost or delayed, or they need to cancel at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. Put it in your policies While there are legitimate situations that arise, your policies should anticipate both big issues and minor annoyances. Heather Bayer offers solid advice about making sure it's included in your policies. "Of course you can use your discretion in terms of refund or compensation but it is good to have a clause in your contract that you can refer back to in case of unreasonable complaint," she wrote about compensating guests over complaints or negative situations. Again, if your guests have good travel insurance, some of the situations can be mitigated so that the focus becomes the quality of the service you provide rather than the financial details. In case of emergency—major or minor When it comes to good customer service, HomeAway suggests a great way to be a proactive owner. "In the case of a major disaster, call your guests to discuss their concerns or, if need be, any evacuation procedures," they advise for owners facing bad weather conditions. "Call all guests with reservations up to two weeks from the start of a natural disaster. While you may not know much more than they do, they will likely be very grateful you called, especially if they are just seeking reassurance and comfort." If the situation is of a more minor nature, consider the impact of the situation on your guests and see what you can do to mitigate it; when you're on vacation and in unfamiliar territory, even minor problems can seem significant. Address the problem as soon as possible. Offer alternate accommodations, if necessary. Connecting with other owners in your area can help you refer with confidence. Consider a partial refund, or a discount towards a future visit. Look for another way to make their visit special, like dropping off a bouquet of flowers or a gift certificate for a local business. Whatever you try to plan for, you will always run into the unexpected. By doing what you can to be proactive, then taking reasonable steps to fix a problem or address a situation, you can still help your guests make the most of what might be a bad situation that's out of your control. How have you dealt with travel interruptions? Share your advice in the comments below! photo by Amanda B on flickr

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At A Glance: January News For Vacation Rental Owners Posted: 28 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST Sydney Morning Herald || The hottest travel trend of 2014? We know everything about you We’ve talked about different ways to connect with your guests and provide truly personal service, something vacation rental owners are in a great position to provide. But hotels are upping their game, too. In this article from Australia, industry executives say they're focused on details—from remembering a guest's preferred room temperature to buying personalized gifts inspired by their social media posts. Vacation Rental Marketing Blog || 4 vacation rental guru predictions for 2014 Will 2014 bring more competition or more opportunity for vacation rental owners? Likely a good dose of both, according to the four vacation rental pros interviewed for this predictions post. From new initiatives by big brands to the need for better systems and more comprehensive marketing, our industry is poised for significant growth and change over the next couple of years. Tnooz || Travelers will smile about service, but are irate over Internet Free Wi-Fi isn't a perk, it's an expectation. Despite a beautiful location, great service and a bright clean room, Margaret Addy gave a hotel she stayed at recently just a mediocre review. "Why? I had to pay $22 per day for internet service." Addy highlights a recent survey that shows that even when everything else is good—or great—a hefty Internet bill will wipe out a five-star review. That explains why some luxury hotels are taking steps to provide free Internet, too. HomeAway | Expedia.com to showcase HomeAway vacation rentals  While the collaboration to feature HomeAway's vacation rental properties on Expedia.com was announced last fall, the new venture is set to launch early this year and generating a lot of buzz. With demand for vacation rentals consistently on the rise, the increased visibility from this venture bodes well for our industry. And, as Jay William of Villa Marketers referenced in the predictions post linked above, it could signal moves by other big brands over the next year. What news has caught your attention recently? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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“Living Like A Local” Made Easier with Travel Apps and Websites Posted: 18 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST Once they decide where they want to go, travelers want to know what they can do when they get there, relying on the Internet and a sense of exploration to serve their needs. However, new and emerging websites and smartphone applications are popping up all the time, many of them delivering information that's local, socially curated and—in some cases—highly personalized. And they require little if any extra work from you! Pointing your guest towards resources like these can help make their travel research much easier. Jauntful Image from Jauntful. On the MyVR blog, we’ve talked a lot about the value of local guides for vacation rentals and the fact that, even in our increasingly digital world, providing a printed version is a good idea. Jauntful is a new service—currently in preview mode—that pulls these two ideas together. Through the Jauntful website, you create a list of your favorite attractions and restaurants. These are added to an interactive map of your community, which is not only easy to share online but also to print in a very clean and foldable format. Jetpac City Guide You can learn a lot from an image—including, apparently, what the local hot spots might be. Jetpac scans and filters images and locations on photo-sharing service Instagram to assess factors like which spots have the best views, where business travelers like to go, or the perfect haunts for foodies and wine lovers. How does it curate this information without asking people to answer a single question? Jetpac analysis photos for visual clues like shades of lipstick, the white of smiling teeth, or blue sky; they recently used their filters to reveal Belfast as the happiest city in the UK. Accuracy, presumably, depends on the type of people posting photos to Instagram in a particular area. You can judge for yourself by checking out their top travel collections on Pinterest. Check out Jetpac’s top travel collections on Pinterest. Triposo Image from Triposo. Billing itself as "one travel guide for the whole world", Triposo is a smartphone app that provide ideas on the go. It uses a wide variety of data points, from photos to Wikipedia to scanning for keyword frequency in travel articles, to deliver recommendations that are tailored to a person's current location, time and weather in addition to their personal preferences. Will it work in your area? It's not available everywhere, but they do have fairly broad coverage—at least by state if not specific location. The application is free for iOS or android phones, so the easiest way to test it is to install it yourself and take a tour. Vayable If the curated guides and personalized information from the above sources isn’t enough, Vayable offers another option: it connects travelers with locals who are willing to offer themselves up as tour guides. As you might expect, Vayable tours are largely focused in cities at the moment, but it's an interesting concept that's spreading Other sites, like Couchsurfing, have played a similar matchmaking role in the past, but Vayable has a slight twist. Local tour guides are vetted, with interviews, background checks and references reviews before their suggested tours are made available. Tours also come with a fee of $20-70 per tour; Vayable "charges the traveler a 3% fee and charges the tour guide a 15% fee." Travelers are looking for a local experience; that's one of the factors that draws them to vacation rentals in the first place. Emerging complementary services like Jauntful, Jetpac, Triposo and Vayable make it easier for you to help your guests shape a vacation that's truly "living like the locals." Do you point your guests toward any particular travel applications to use during their stay? Share your favorites in the comments below.

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