We can't prove it, and we have no hard data to back it up, but here is what we believe:
In the past few years, the Internet has had a profound impact on how prospective renters search for vacation properties. They don't send for color catalogs anymore. They do a Google search for "vacation rentals" and "Aspen" or "Bermuda" or "Maui."
If you want to make sure that your property is fully booked, you've got to find a way to plug into this trend.
Once you do plug in, you may discover that you no longer need a rental agent and can thus pocket all of the money you used to pay out in commissions and fees. Or, if you decide to stay with an agency or property management company, you will be able to negotiate lower commissions (or even no commissions) on the renters you bring in due to your own Internet and other marketing efforts.
Again, we have no analysts' studies to support these assertions. Then again, analysts and their vaunted studies have been more or less discredited since the collapse of the Internet bubble.
What we do have is over 25 years of experience tracking, writing about, and showing readers how to tap the incredible power of the "electronic universe." (Alfred wrote The Complete Handbook of Personal Computer Communications: Everything you need to go online with the world for St. Martin's Press in 1982.) We know an effective online application when we see it. But leave that aside. The fact is that this approach to renting your second home or vacation property works!
What's The Secret?
As the authors of numerous books and articles about Internet search engines, you can believe us when we tell you that the best way to develop a reasonably complete list of all the sites specializing in vacation-rental listings is to search Yahoo! Unfortunately, when you do this, you will discover that there are literally hundreds of sites.
Where do you start? Even if you can afford the money involved in listing your vacation-rental property on dozens or even scores of sites, you can't afford the time to update them all every time you take a booking, get a cancellation, want to change your rates, or want to offer a seasonal "special."
Maybe you take a chance on a few sites and, in addition, decide to create your own Web site featuring your property. Creating your own Web site is an excellent idea. But don't expect it to show up on the first few pages of Google search results.
How to Plug Your Property into the Net
So how exactly do you plug your property into the Internet so you can begin benefiting from its power?
The answer is simple, logical, and inexpensive. But it's not immediately obvious. The answer is to advertise your vacation-rental property on the biggest Internet vacation-rental advertising sites—the ones with thousands, even tens of thousands, of property listings.
Our book explains this concept in more detail. But basically, you want your property to be listed on the largest sites because, like all of us, prospective renters want as many choices as possible. And they don't want to have to chase all over the Internet to view those choices.
Equally important, the more listings a site has, the bigger its search engine "footprint." That means that when a prospective renter does a Google search on "vacation rental" and "Disney," there's a pretty good chance that one or more of that site's property listings will appear on the first page of search results.
It doesn't matter whether the listing for your property is the one that appears. What matters is that prospective renters will click on a search result and be taken to the site—where they will discover that they can explore thousands of vacation-rental listings. Suitably impressed, some of them will bookmark the site and start there from now on instead of starting with Google or some other search engine.
Besting the Competition
Our "seminar-in-a-box" not only introduces you to the leading Internet sites, it also takes you by the hand and shows you how to quickly create an online listing on these sites for your property. You'll find that the programs supplied on the CD, particularly ClipMate, make this process exceptionally easy.
But simply putting up a listing isn't enough. At least not in a highly competitive location. So we make a point of teaching you how to prepare a listing that will really sell your property, and how to take wonderful pictures that reinforce your message. (You wouldn't believe how pathetic some listings are and how easily you can trump them if you follow our advice.)
Finally, our goal in this "seminar-in-a-box" is to give you everything you need to do everything on your own—or do next to nothing on your own. It's your choice. The key point is that, thanks to the Internet and thanks to our book/CD package, you have options.
So, in addition to practical advice on how to market your vacation rental, you will also find the tools you need to manage your property. That means all of the information, the handy, customizable forms, the tips, tricks, and experience-tested techniques you need—in print and on CD. The forms on the CD include:
Booking Form/Procedures Checklist
Reservation Confirmation Form
Rental Agreement
Confirmation/Rental Agreement Checklist
Guest-Information Binder Checklist
Getting Property Ready Checklist
Check-Out/Cleaning Procedures Checklist
What does it cost?
The list price for this book/CD package is $99.95. However, our special online price is $69.95. You will want to check with your accountant, but the entire amount may be tax-deductible as a business expense.
We offer a 30-day, money-back guarantee. If you're not completely satisfied with our book/CD package for vacation-rental owners, simply return it within 30 days and we will refund the purchase price.
"Free Month" Bonuses!
When you buy a 12-month listing on any of the leading vacation-rental Web sites featured in the book, each will automatically extend your listing by one or more extra months for free. Depending on which services you choose, you could save $100 or more on your first-year advertising costs—more than the cost of our book/CD package!
We have absolutely no financial relationship with any of these sites. We receive no benefit of any kind from them. Having identified them as the leaders, we simply suggested to them that making this offer was a win-win proposition for everyone.
Here's the key point:
Regardless of your rental rate, and regardless of season, if you get just one extra booking as a result of what we have to teach you, this vacation-rental owner's training package will have paid for itself many times over. And it will continue to do so year after year from now on. Add the "free-month" offers and our 30-day money-back guarantee, and you simply cannot lose.
