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Presented at the Vacation Rental Managers Association annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona on October 22, 2012 by Alisa Holmes, Sales Consultant of Visual Data Systems. As a veteran in the field of web development I have found it is often times, confusing, overwhelming and frustrating to put together an effective website especially in the Vacation Rental Management realm. In order to get started there is a lot of prep work, that if done right can help prepare you for the proposal process, build and eventual maintenance of a site.
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FROM CONCEPTION TO LAUNCH
Important Tips For a Successful Vacation Rental Website Build
ALISA HOLMES
15 Years of Experience in Website Development
Webmaster
Support Manager
Project Manager
Sales Consultant
6+ Years in the Vacation Rental Industry
Confused By…
Verbiage
Contract Scopes
Terms & Conditions
Overwhelmed By…
Interviewing Developers
Comparing Proposals
Unprepared for…
Providing proper deliverables
The amount of engagement required
by their own internal resource
Unforeseen changes needed to the
original scope of work
Recipe for…
Bad Partnerships
Higher Development Costs
A Sub-Par Final Product
How do we avoid this?
Strategic Planning Important things to consider upfront
Understanding the Process What does this look like? Some important things to consider during it
Looking Forward What to expect & consider after the site launches
Strategic PlanningEducate Yourself
Learn relevant terminology and how it relates to your website and the
decision making process
Audit Your Existing Efforts Determine what you have vs. what you need
The Proposal Process Outline what you are looking for so developers can provide you with
feedback, a concise scopes of work, and fair estimates
Educate Yourself
3 Terms You Must KnowPMS
(Property Management Software)
Software application used to automate functions like guest bookings
and much more
API (Application Programming Interface)
Feed of information generated by software components to
communicate with each other
CMS (Content Management System)
A computer program that allows publishing, editing, and modifying
content on a website from a central location
ABCs of Online MarketingSEM Search Engine Marketing
SEO Search Engine Optimization
PPC Pay-Per-Click
SMMSocial Media Marketing
Static Pagesvs
Dynamic Pages
Static Web Page http://www.compass-resorts.com/propertymanagement.htm
Delivered to the user
exactly as stored
Displays the same
information for all
users
Dynamic Web Pagehttp://www.booerealty.com/rental/results.html?User=BOO8986&Photos=&Limit=10&Start=1&Avail=20120908&Stay=7&NR=13&msg=
Generated at the
time of access by a
user
Change as a result of
interaction with the
user
Template Sites
vs
Custom Sites
Template SitesPros
Shorter Build Time
Less Expensive
Cons
Limited Branding Options
Customizations May Not Be Available
Competition May Have a Similar Site
May Limit SEO Options
Custom Sites
Pros
Unique to your branding
SEO opportunities abundant
Customizations can be implemented
specific to your business model.
Cons
Higher upfront cost
Longer development time
Maintenance
Mobile Websitevs
Responsive Website
Mobile Websites 2 separate websites
www.mittromney.com
m.mittromney.com
Allows you to customize the experience based on the
device a visitor is using
Responsive Websites 1 website
www.barackobama.com
All content lives under “one roof” Allows users to have the same experience no matter what
device they are using by adjusting the layout or content to
fit the browser window.
Site ArchitectureThe blue print for the navigation scheme of your website
Site Architecture
Responsible for how users move through your site
If structured properly makes it easy to find what users are looking for
Helps emphasize shorter paths to key areas directing users to accomplish the goals of your site
Do an Internal Audit
Property Management
Software The biggest piece of the VRM
website puzzle
Are you taking full advantage of it?
Does it provide an API to 3rd party vendors?
Ask Yourself…
What is and is not currently
working for me?
Functionality Working
Needs improvement
Missing
Consistent complaints or compliments? Design
Structure
Functionality
What is the site traffic like? How do they get there?
How long do they stay?
Where do they go?
What is your visibility
throughout the search
engines?
How is it affecting
internal resources?
What Do I Need?
Functionality
Booking Engine
Lead Capture
Other Helpful Tools &
Widgets
Design
Custom or Template
Mobile Strategy
How do we cater to mobile users?
Goals of your site
What works best for YOUR clientele
What works best for your budget
SEM
Strategy for implementation
How do you protect your current search
visibility?
Who will handle this?
Internal Resource or 3rd Party Consultant
Room to Grow
What changes or additions do your foresee in the future?
Larger inventory
New types of units
New content
Changing industry trends
Internal Resource
The build
Updates & maintenance
Content!!!! What content do I need?
How will my site architecture
support it?
Who will write it?
Who will optimize it?
Who will update it after launch?
Don’t copy from other sites!
The Proposal Process
What’s the best approach?
Write an RFP!
Request For Proposal
A document that invites developers to submit a
proposal on a specific project.
Supports effective communication
Speeds up the decision process
Establishes a common understanding of the outcome
Lower the bottom line
Hire a consultant or write it yourself?
RFP Company Information
Location
Current site
Inventory size and description
What sets you apart from your competition?
Budget
Be upfront
Helps developer write a proposal
RFP
Project Details
Purpose/goal of the site
Design expectations
Property Management Software details
Booking engine expectations
Unit types (houses/condos)
Restrictions
Unique business rules
Other functionality you expect to have on the site
RFP
Time Frame
Turn around of requested proposal
Internal decision
Project time frame
Examples
Design
Functionality
Contact Info
Two points of contact
Compare Proposals & Choose a Developer
Lowest cost
Fastest time frame
Highest quality
Comparing Cost
Up front cost?
Payment terms?
Recurring/monthly fees?
Support
Fixed or an estimate?
Itemized or packaged?
Cost of future updates & functionality?
3rd Party Fees
Property Management Software
Secure certificates
Domain registration
Other ancillary services
Considering Time Frame
Estimates or guarantee
How does the developer plan to stick
to it?
Impact to your business
Consider Quality
Scope of Work
Is the scope of work (SOW) completely reflective of your
expectations?
Requirements
Does the proposal deliver exactly what you need in
terms of functional requirements?
Experience
Does the developer have experience building websites
for other VRM companies with the same requirements
you have provided?
Longevity
How long has the developer been in business?
Adaptability Is the developer up-to-date with industry standards?
References What do their current clients say about them?
Relationship Do you communicate well with them?
Do you trust them?
Now What? Know the project team and their roles
Understand the process and expectations Helps expedites the project time frame
Cuts down on unexpected expenditures
Project Team
Your Internal Resource
Developer’s Team
Sales Consultant
Project Manager
Designer
Programmer
Marketing Consultant
The Build…1. Team Meeting
2. Design Concept
3. Design Comps
4. Design revisions
5. Design Approval
6. Build & Programming
7. Developer Testing
8. Client Preview
9. Client Testing
10. Revisions
11. Client Preview
12. Client Approval
13. Launch
14. Testing
Meeting Deliverables
The building blocks needed to complete each phase of
the project
You
Images
Content
Review/Approvals
Developer
Comps
Website
Meeting Deliverables
Dictates the flow of the project
Requires effective communication between your internal resource and the developer’s project manager
What are they?
When they are needed?
How they should be delivered?
Be specific!
Effective Design Why is design important?
Tells your story
Suggests internal order
Distinguishes you from your competition
Important build blocks
Logo/branding
Photography
Usability first!
Communicate your vision effectively
Beyond the Scope of WorkWork not included in the original estimate
Budget Breakers
You change your mind
Request services that the developer had not originally
proposed
Additional pages
New functionality
Customizations to proposed functionality
You have not provided the proper deliverables
You ask to expedite development
Budget Breakers
Don’t Pay For…
Additional hours spent by developer because the original
scope wasn’t met
Developer delivered a product that didn’t work
Tools were added to the site that weren’t requested
Looking Forward
Upgrades & Additions
What’s available?
Who do I contact?
Updates from your developer
Support
Contact
Process
Cost
Analytics
Measure short-term and long-term successes
Knowing the behavior of your visitors helps
determine usability
Helps to evaluate profitability of 3rd party
partnerships
Evolving Technology
New 3rd party products
New browsers
New devices
Redesign?
Technology has surpassed your site
The website no longer matches your
existing branding
The design looks outdated compared to
your competitors
Recommended