The Holiday Homefront March 2018
Pick and Choose to Read the News You Need
Our format is to include a title and a short snippet that conveys the purpose of the article and the benefits in store should you choose to read it in full. To read the whole story, click on the link. You can share any article on Facebook or Twitter by clicking on the icon next to the link.
This Newsletter is free to all readers, but it will mainly appeal to anyone owning (or interested in owning) or managing a holiday cottage. It is published as and when we have a full house of interesting articles to tell you about - usually, but not always, once a month
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This month's news
Marketing
### A Website Branding Checklist for Vacation Rental Professionals If you are planning to create a new website or are not too sure if your existing one is doing all it can to get seen by more or the right people, then here's a handy checklist to use. Courtesy: https://www.lodgify.com
### The Monetary Benefits of Becoming a Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottage There's gold in them thar paws… When and why you should consider becoming a dog-friendly holiday cottage. Courtesy: Vacation Cluster.
Promote My Place - ASL Certification In response to a request or two (to say the least) from MFHC Subscribers, worried that their websites, built using Promote My Place software, did not confirm with the new ASL security certification, we approached the company and received an encouraging response. Essentially, they are not there yet but soon will be. To read the letter, go to Promote My Place ASL Certification News.
Guest News ### 7 Important Steps for Responding to a Negative Review There are effective ways to respond to these kinds of reviews for your vacation rental and convert them into positive opportunities in a professional manner. These are the seven most important steps that will guide you in responding to a negative review of your vacation rental. Courtesy: Vacation Cluster
[### How to Handle Fake Reviews
From fake news to fake reviews - such things are sadly a current fact of life. If you ever become a victim of this practice, put down that hammer and read this article from Moz -for help finding a remedy. Moz. For the uninitiated, it is an excellent piece of software for those who like to monitor their site traffic, page rankings and website issues that need fixing or link-building. Courtesy: https://moz.com
### 13 Reasons Why Travellers Prefer to Stay in Vacation Rentals The phrase 'common sense' comes to mind when trawling through this list - but think again: if you agree with them - how many do you use to form the basis of the way you are marketing your holiday property? Maybe rewrite some website content this weekend to ensure potential guests appreciate how your home-from-home cottage fulfils these needs! Courtesy: https://www.smarthosts.org
### 7 Great Ways for Vacation Rental Owners to Turn One-Time Guests into Loyal Customers
Make rental life a little easier by attracting more repeat bookings. Much of what you can do is plain common sense, but even so, it's always good to read a list that is working well for someone else. Courtesy: https://www.vacationcluster.com
### Why Vacation Rental Design Matters Great design has great benefits! The better your house, the better the photos, and the more money you earn… think about a 10-15% increase in revenue and more repeat bookings. Courtesy https://www.vrmb.com
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Property Management
### Go Green But Not with Envy The owner's guide to turning your holiday cottage into an Eco holiday cottage. Friendly on the environment and appealing to the fast-growing environmentally conscious market.
And Finally…
The Sounds of Summer or Christmas carols?
If you want to show how much you care for your guests and turn appreciative ones into total fans, go the extra yard and create a seasonal playlist of Spotify list of tracks that guests can listen to at home, in the car - or your cottage.
Just email the link to them a week or so before they are due to arrive to get them in the mood. Then whenever they hear those songs in the future - there's a reminder of their memorable holiday at your place - fuelling a desire to return.
Thanks
If you would like to receive a copy of The Holiday Homefront, please email Rick Bond at My Favourite Holiday Cottages (info@mfhc.co.uk). I'll put you on the list.