Anatomy of Vacation Rental Listing Pages on Distribution Sites

VRMA Europe

Anatomy of Listing Pages on Distribution ChannelsStand Out From The Competition and Increase Bookings

Amy Hinote, VRM Intel

Koryn Okey, TripAdvisor

2

ANATOMY OF LISTING PAGES ON DISTRIBUTION CHANNELSSTAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION AND INCREASE BOOKINGS

Overview

Distribution channels spend a significant amount of time and money testing and developing their listing pages.

This session will analyze the elements on these listing pages and how they are evolving and offer insight into how rental agents can use new features and functionality to gain a competitive advantage.

Koryn Okey from TripAdvisor will reveal the best ways to differentiate your listings from the competition to convert more leads to bookings.

3

Being a vacation property manager or booking agent is not easy.

We’re expected to forecast (and control) the weather, fix appliances and plumbing, troubleshoot the entire internet, be marketing experts, and offer financial advice.

Guests want us to predict the future, arrange their travel, control airfares, critique restaurants, and sometimes even be chicken whisperers.

4

SESSION STRUCTURE• What we will cover in this presentation

1Listing Page

Elements

2Off-page

ranking

factors

3Differentiating your

properties to gain a

competitive

advantage

5

RANKING HIGHER ON LISTING SITESPERFECT CHALLENGE FOR SEARCH ENGINE MARKETERS IN THE VACATION RENTAL INDUSTRY

Ranking Algorithms

For those of us who were enthusiastic about SEO for our vacation rental websites, the idea of ranking higher on 3rd party sites has many similarities.

“What is good for the consumer is good for Google”

=“What is good for the guest is good for listing

sites”

6

SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS VS. LISTING SITE RANKINGS

• COMPARING RANKING FACTORS IN SEARCH ENGINES WITH RANKING FACTORS ON LISTING SITES

Search

Engines

Meta Title

Meta Description

Alt tags

Content

Keywords

3rd Party

Listing Sites

Titles

Descriptions

Amenities

Content

Search

Engines

Updated Content

Local Location

Local info

Off page factors

Social

3rd Party

Listing Sites

Updated Calendars

Verified Location

Social

Off page factors

PhotosMapping/What’s

nearby

7

ELEMENTS OF A LISTING PAGE• On-page elements of listing pages

TitleSales headline: Attractive and

informative

1

PhotosProfessional photos, number of

photos

DescriptionWell-written, informative,

accurate

AmenitiesSearchable amenities on

channels

MappingWhat’s nearby (Restaurants,

Attractions, etc.)

ReviewsAsk for reviews, make it easy, offer

incentives

VerificationsProfiles, location, etc.

Accurate Calendars and RatesUpdated frequently, accurate and easy to

understand (discourage negotiating)

Owner/manager profilesEncourages trust, confidence and

accountability

Floor PlansProven to increase conversions. Give

guests more info at a glance

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

9

Provide powerful property titles to attract guests

‘GESTJ’ or ‘Great Expectations’

or

‘Luxury Villa with private pools and spectacular views near town’

Descriptive Property Titles > Property Ids or Names

10



informative

1


photos


accurate


channels


Attractions, etc.)


incentives





accountability



2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

9

The more high quality photos, the more inquiries you receive.

What you show them matters

12 photos is “enough.” 20+ photos is “ideal.”

Photos tell the story

14



informative

1


photos


accurate


channels


Attractions, etc.)


incentives





accountability



2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

9

15

ANATOMY OF A LISTING PAGE-EXAMPLES

Give travelers what they want to help them book

Most Popular Amenities Top “Luxury” Amenities

Wi-fi (21%) Amazing View (61%)

Washer & Dryer (18%) Private beach (51%)

Private Pool (16%) Large Outdoor Deck / Patio (49%)

Outdoor Living Area (10%) Housekeeping Services (29%)

Professional-grade Kitchen (5%) Hot Tub (26%)

Not surprising: Pool, Hot Tub, A/C are most popular search filters. Only behind bedroom, sleeps & rates.

Source: TripAdvisor Vacation Rental Survey Responses to Which of the following vacation rental amenities is most likely to motivate you to book?, February 2014

17



informative

1


photos


accurate


channels


Attractions, etc.)


incentives





accountability



2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

9

They have to find your property to get the inquiry

Properties with exact locations have 2x conversion

Properties that do not provide exact address location can’t be found

20



informative

1


photos


accurate


channels


Attractions, etc.)


incentives





accountability



2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

9

Saw a lift in conversion

saw improved owner relations

Were able to make property

improvements

Saw changes in staff behavior

46% 25% 58% 28%

Reviews help across the board

*TripAdvisor Vacation Rental Survey Responses to: Are you more likely to book a vacation rental due to increased availability of candid user information online, such as photos and traveler reviews?, February 2014

22



informative

1


photos


accurate


channels


Attractions, etc.)


incentives





accountability



2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

9

Is the property really available?

Updated calendars see 3x bookings than open calendars

Providing accurate rates give your properties a boost.

25



informative

1


photos


accurate


channels


Attractions, etc.)


incentives





accountability



2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

9

Properties with Interactive Floor Plans book an average of 22 days faster and 18% more nights than properties without

Floor Plans Improve Conversion

27

RECENT ADDITIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

• Here is a look at some recent changes implemented by 3rd party listing sites in the last year.

Airbnb

More readable

calendars

One-screen layout

Neighborhood guide

Attraction maps

Airbnb app

TripAdvisor

What’s nearby

feature/mapping

More searchable

types and amenities

Dining/seating

capacity

“Suitable for”

Floor plans

Your

website?

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

HomeAway

Listing scorecard

Response score

PPB Model

Glad App

Sort features

28


29


30


32


33


34

OFF-PAGE LISTING PAGE ELEMENTS

Response

Time

Cancelations Online

Payments

Quoteable

RatesOnline

Booking Frequency

35

FROM NAVIS LEADERS CONFERENCE, FEBRUARY 2015

HomeAway Listing Scorecard Based On:

1. Online Booking2. Reviews3. Response Score4. Quoteable Rates5. Integrated, Updated Calendar6. Verified Location7. Number of Photos

36

OFF-PAGE EXAMPLE

Is this cabin still available for 10/15-10/19? What is the rate?

Sorry, but that cabin is no longer available. We manage a number of similar properties that could be a good fit for your stay.

Please visit our website to view Cozy Cabin, Gavigan’s Guesthouse & Charlie’s Condo. All of these properties are available during your dates and offer similar amenities to your original request.

Please contact me if you have any additional questions or are interested in reserving one of these properties.

Sorry, but that cabin is booked.

Improved Response:

I am wondering if this house is available from February 10-17. What is the cost and where exactly is the property located?

Yes, the property is available.

The Total Reservation Cost listed below includes the following: cleaning, taxes and all fees.

Dates: February 10, 2015 thru February 17, 2015; 3 bedroom, 2 bathTotal Reservation Cost: $ 3,500. We require a deposit of $1,000 to secure the property. Final payment is due 30 days prior to your arrival.

Payment can be made by check or credit card. Please let me know if you’d like to reserve this property.

My entire family is coming out for my nephew’s destination wedding on May 25th, 2015. Looking at pricing and amenities to figure out where we are going to stay...was curious why there is so much availability in May, is it not a good time to visit? Let me know if this property is available. Thanks!

Congratulations on your nephew's wedding plans and thank you for your inquiry about our villa. We can comfortably accommodate 14-15 adults and 2 children in 8 bedrooms.

Each bedroom has central air-conditioning, walk-in closets with wall safes, and private patios with spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea! Each bedroom has a private bathroom with double sink vanities and spacious indoor-outdoor showers. The Club Room and Den too are air-conditioned and each have a private bathroom. You can take a 'virtual tour' of the Villa to see what the rooms look like by clicking on our Video.

Yes, we too have been wondering why there are so few villas booked yet for May; it really is one of the most beautiful times of the year to be on St. John (the weather is beautiful in May). I suspect it may have something to do with airfares these days (you will save money on airfare by coming, rather than on the weekend, mid-week to mid-week). The weekly rate would be $7,500 (plus 10% US Virgin Islands Tax and $500 refundable security deposit). We have arranged special discounts for guests of our villa; including offers from a number of car rental agencies on island and discounts with the best private chefs and provisioning services, to specials from professional photographers to record events such as weddings, and even discounts on sail and power boat trips!

The villa is located in the southwest part of St. John (see map) about a 5 minute drive from Cruz Bay where, as you know, the ferries from St. Thomas arrive. The US National Park beaches which people come from all over the world to experience are only a 10-15 minute drive along paved roads. The most famous of them, Trunk Bay, is one of the 10 most photographed beaches in the world (how they know that I have never figured out). We can give your nephew and fiancée the names of some wedding planners whom our guests have used previously to help them plan their ceremony and reception, if they wish.

Please do not hesitate to contact our team if we can provide any additional information or you’d like to book. We’ll also follow up by phone in the morning!

I suspect it may have something to do with airfares these days (you will save money on airfare by coming, rather than on the weekend, mid-week to mid-week).

Congratulations on your nephew's wedding plans and thank you for your inquiry about our villa.

We can give your nephew and fiancée the names of some wedding planners whom our guests have used previously to help them plan their ceremony and reception, if they wish.

Please do not hesitate to contact our team if we can provide any additional information of if you’d like to book. We’ll also follow up by phone in the morning!

Earn the right to Ask for the Booking

Trying to make the sale before this results in half the bookings.

• Average conversations between with Traveler before booking5

• Most successful response time (in hours)6

• Average time between inquiry & confirmed reservation (in hours)8

41

Improve Conversions

Listing Quality

PROPERTY INFO

Titles

Descriptions

Amenities

All searchable criteria

Updated calendars

Quotable rates

Owner/manager info

Reviews

PHOTOS

AREA INFO OWNER COMMUNICATIONS

Mapping

Restaurants

Attractions

Activities

Ahopping

Professional

Inside and outside

Floor Plans

Videos

Response time

Autoresponders

Online Booking

Online Payments

Cancellations

Follow Up

Anatomy of Listing Pages on Distribution

Channels

Koryn Okey

TripAdvisor

[email protected]

Amy Hinote

VRM Intel

[email protected]

Stayed in a Holiday Rental in

2014

52%

More travelers are staying in rentals

94% are satisfied with their experiences!

An increase of8% from 2013

Offer lower rates than hotels

VRs offer better amenities

Primary motivation was spend time

together

53% 50% 48%

Top Reasons Travelers Book

57% of respondents had an “excellent” VR experience

More living space

67%

What would make you more likely to stay in a VR than a hotel on a future trip?

Plan to stay on an island or

countryside (tie)

Plan to stay near a beach or ocean

Plan to stay in a city

17%

65%

27%

Where travelers want to book

Plan to stay in the mountains

18%

Plan to stay at the lake

13%

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------

--------

--------------------

--------------------

What types of settings will you book a VR stay in 2014?

What type of trip is a VR better for?

Hotel VR

Which type of lodging do you think is a better option for the following type of trip (not all answers displayed).

I’m afraid the VR won’t appear as

advertisedI’m more

comfortable in a hotel

I think hotels offer better amenities

10%

18%

13%

Why travelers do NOT book

I did not think of staying in VR

19%

It’s more time consuming to

research

5%

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------

--------

--------------------

--------------------

What’s the primary reason you haven’t stayed in a VR?

Booked a VR because they were

on a budget

21%

Money is a big influencer in the decision making process

Would stay in a VR if it meant saving money

87%

Would NOT need to save money to

stay in VR

27%

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------

--------------------

• $100-20045%

• $200-30022%

• Less than $10014%

A savings of $25-$50/night is enoughFor which of the following have you booked a VR stay? Approximately how much do you plan to spend per night on your VR? How much would you need to save to choose a VR?

1- 2 Weeks

16%

How long do travelers say they want to stay?

3-6 days

23%

One Week

32%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------

--------------------

Most common stay length for

booked reservation is

15-21 days

How far in advance are travelers inquiring?

1 year out

2 -7 days out

2-3 months

out

Source: From the date of inquiry to check in date, which leads convert most highest?

Marketing

Anatomy of Vacation Rental Listing Pages on Distribution Sites