| The online holiday home advertising market is a | | | | interior lights on to help improve lighting conditions |
| very crowded place to find your ideal vacation | | | | if required. Remember dull pictures look boring and |
| rental. With thousands of fantastic holiday | | | | unattractive, use your imagination and create |
| properties available to rent, how do you make | | | | attractive & interesting pictures. |
| your holiday home stand out from the 1000's of | | | | Let holidaymakers make an informed decision and |
| other listings? | | | | provide lots of information describing your |
| This article looks at how your property | | | | property and its location. Use short paragraphs |
| advertisement can be optimised to improve its | | | | with 3 to 4 sentences, and break up paragraphs |
| attractiveness and readability, and to highlight its | | | | by using bullet points and sub-headings. This |
| uniqueness ensuring holidaymakers select your | | | | makes it easier to read and digest the |
| property first. | | | | information. |
| As with all holiday home marketing sites, your | | | | If your holiday home marketing site has the |
| property advertisement will be displayed in their | | | | facility, ask your guests to add their feedback to |
| standard format and will find itself amongst many | | | | your property advertisement. Holidaymakers like |
| other properties in the search results, but what | | | | to read about 3rd party experiences before |
| can you do to make it stand out? | | | | deciding where to take their family vacation. If |
| * Write an interesting title for your property. | | | | your property has been shortlisted with one or |
| Instead of "Two bed villa in Spain", spice it up with | | | | two other properties, your guest's comments |
| "Beach front Villa with Breathtaking Views over | | | | could win you the booking. |
| the Mediterranean". Try and limit the title to 10-12 | | | | Don't overprice the rental rates for your property |
| words, more than 12 words becomes too much | | | | - be realistic. Check out the market and compare |
| of mouthful. | | | | other similar properties in your location. If you |
| * Choose your best most attractive photograph | | | | overprice you may loose a booking, and hence a |
| to be used in search results. Remember at this | | | | weeks rental income which can never be |
| point, this is the only picture of your property | | | | recovered. The exception to charging higher rental |
| holidaymakers can see. Make sure it's a complete | | | | rates is if your property has a unique feature or |
| picture of your property. | | | | more/better facilities than other similar properties |
| * Your brief description should summarise the | | | | within your location. Regularly review and update |
| best attributes of your property. If you have a | | | | your rental rates based on market conditions. |
| privately heated pool - mention it. Don't forget to | | | | Once you have completed your advertisement, |
| mention the location. | | | | check it for spelling errors and ensure you haven't |
| Now you've persuaded holidaymakers to view | | | | repeated yourself. When your advertisement is |
| your property advertisement it doesn't end there, | | | | live, check it again and also ask your family |
| you need to maintain the charm throughout the | | | | & friends for feedback - they can provide an |
| main body of your advertisement. | | | | unbiased opinion which can be invaluable. |
| Provide lots of photographs of your property, the | | | | Ensure you maintain your property advertisement |
| surroundings and any special features (pools, | | | | and keep all your information & prices up to |
| balcony with sea view etc). After all, people want | | | | date and accurate. If you redecorate your |
| to see where they will be staying during their | | | | property or change the way it looks, take new |
| holidays. With a rental listing site you are usually | | | | photographs and update your advertisement. If |
| limited by the number of pictures you can add, so | | | | you use an availability calendar, keep it up to date. |
| don't cram your advertisement with too many | | | | These points are quite straightforward and cost |
| scenic pictures - 1 or 2 is fine. Don't forget to add | | | | nothing to achieve, but its surprising how many |
| a caption with each picture to help draw people in. | | | | property rental owners overlook the more |
| Take your outdoor photographs on bright clear | | | | obvious and simple things. A carefully planned and |
| days, preferably when the sky is clear and the | | | | well written holiday home advertisement will help |
| sun is shining. Take your indoor pictures during the | | | | generate more interest - leading to more booking |
| day with plenty of natural light, switch all the | | | | enquiries. |