Holiday home websites - why have one?
Most guests use the internet to find a holiday home
When people are looking for a holiday home to let, the first place they look is the Internet.
Internet directories alone are not enough
You probably already use Internet companies to advertise your holiday home on the Internet. That's fine - in fact Internet companies are essential (see what we have to say in our Smooth Guide about using the Internet for marketing).
However, these companies typically only display a few images and some text, so by their nature they cannot do your holiday home full justice. Nor can they provide all the information that potential guests want to see. That's why you need your own holiday home website, and that's why Internet companies usually provide a link to the owner's holiday home website.
You are no doubt proud of your holiday cottage, so having your own website is a great opportunity to really tell potential guests all about the cottage and to tempt them into making a booking!
That's why most successful holiday homes have their own website!
Are people passing you by because they don’t have all the information they need?
Imagine this situation. A potential guest has found your lovely holiday home but is trying to choose between yours and another. However, the other cottage has its own website and it really tells people all about the cottage. the website has pictures of all the rooms, and of the outside and the views, it provides plenty of detail on all the facilities, it shows the layout of the cottage, it has full pricing and availability... Well you get the picture!
But Internet directory adverts don’t usually have all this information. People may be left wondering what some of the rooms look like, or whether you have the facilities and equipment they need, or whether the layout is suitable e.g. for the elderly or children or pets. So, without the relevant information, your potential guests decide to book the other cottage!
You can put that right if you want to!
Provide everything that guests need to choose your property
Your own holiday cottage website will have all the information that guests need to make a decision to book your lovely holiday home.
If you don't provide all the information that they are looking for, guests may choose another holiday home because that website does have all the information they wanted.
Your own website is a one-stop place for all the information that guests need to make up their mind about your holiday cottage, including:
- lots of pictures showing what your holiday cottage looks like - inside and out
- all the facilities of the cottage
- the layout of your cottage (including a floor plan)
- availability and prices
- the booking process
- the attractions and facilities of your local area
- contact information
- directions (including a map)
- terms and conditions
- testimonials.
Don’t underestimate the value of your own website. When guests tell you that the extensive pictures and information on your website helped them decide to book your cottage, you will be glad that you decided to have your own holiday cottage website!
Why buy a website from howtoholidaycottage?
You could of course purchase a website from a web design company. The advantage of buying from HowToHolidayCottage is we run our own holiday cottage and so we know your business. This means that we know from experience what a good holiday home website should contain.
You will also save money compared to the cost of purchasing and hosting a website from web design companies. Find out about the costs of owning your own holiday home website.
My cottage is doing fine just now - shouldn't I wait?
Maybe your holiday home is doing well just now, especially as it's the summer, and maybe you are thinking "shouldn't I wait until things get slower before getting my own website?"
The answer is 'no', because it takes time for your wesite to get established, so it's best to get it up and running straight away.
Want to see what they look like?
We can show you them now! We have a variety of styles to show you. To demonstrate the different styles, our example websites are all designed around a single cottage so that you can compare like with like.
Click on the image below to see our styles.
What if I want something different?
If you want something different, then that’s no problem! We can customise your website as you like (although this may cost you a little more), or we can design something from scratch (but the price will depend on what you want).
Find out more about customising your HowToHolidayCottage website.
