5 ways to prove your holiday rental is the best

When potential guests are searching for the perfect self-catering holiday, a number of factors will influence the ultimate decision they make. Location, size of property, accessibility, facilities, proximity to key attractions and events all play a part; but these alone won’t clinch the deal.

To get noticed in a digital world you have to prove that what you say is true, and that begins when someone starts searching online for their next holiday. You do that by providing a snippet of the experience and giving guests a taste of what’s to come.

Here’s how …

1. Invest in some professional photos to showcase your property on your own website, then use them on your listings on booking sites like Booking.com and Airbnb as well. Make your shop window the best it can be.

2. A quality video is a fantastic way to grab (and retain) guests’ attention. An aerial video gives your guests a feel of the setting, and confidence that they are making the right choice.

3. To truly embrace the experience economy, invest in an interactive virtual reality tour. Let visitors to your website walk around your properties, look at the rooms, see the facilities – it’s what the digital world is all about. What better way to communicate what you offer to potential guests than to show them!

4. Social media plays a big part. It is where you build your audience. Get the attention of your guests past, present and future; nurture relationships, engage and interact. Make your guests the heroes: share their posts, testimonials, recommendations and more. Get it right and your followers will comment on and share your posts too, and in turn your audience will grow.

5. Reviews provide the ultimate social proof that your self-catering property is the best choice, and that you are willing to invest to keep it that way. Encouraging reviews, responding and interacting shows that you listen to and value your guests’ feedback. Don’t let the fear of a bad review put you off. One or two negative reviews in a sea of many positives lends credence to the good reviews – and that’s a good thing!