2018 has been another exciting year for vacation rentals! Technology has enabled the traditional vacation rental market to move into the buyer and travel industry standard. The “Airbnb effect” has encouraged more and more people to stay in and invest in vacation rentals.
With the year coming to an end, we wanted to take the time to look back and share our most popular posts and resources. We’re sure that 2019 will bring even more direct bookings, more industry TV shows and even more breaking news headlines. To prepare you for the New Year, here is a roundup of your favorite, most helpful articles of 2018:
VR Industry | VR Owners & PMs | Marketing | Listing Sites | Free Resources
8 Key Takeaways from Netflix Vacation Rental Series “Stay Here”
The new series from Netflix, Stay Here, hit our screens halfway through 2018. Lodgify is proud to have been involved in the series and helped the owners to create their beautiful vacation rental websites. Here are our top eight takeaways for any budding short-term rental professionals. Warning: spoiler alert!
19 Women Who are Making Waves in the Vacation Rental Industry
There are a number of admirable women who are making a real contribution to the vacation rental industry. Get to know our shortlist of the top influencers, voted for by other professionals in this sphere.
7 Vacation Rental Industry Trends to Watch in 2018
Experts predicted the market would reach $36.6 billion by the end of this year. These were the forecasts Lodgify made for 2018 – which of these trends came to fruition?
Long vs. Short Term Vacation Rentals: Here Are the Pros and Cons
Once you decide to invest in a vacation rental property, you have to choose whether you prefer long over short-term rentals. Here are the pros and cons of both to help you with this new adventure!
What is Sustainable Tourism and How Can Your Vacation Rental Support It?
Sustainable tourism initiatives ensure that travelers cause no harm to the area while contributing to the local economy. As a vacation rental owner, you can do a lot to contribute and encourage sustainable travel – find out you need to know in this article.
Case Study: First-Time Vacation Rental Owners Get More Than 50% Direct Bookings
We interviewed Dorothy and Lynn Eppich, the owners of Bitterroot River Ranch, who created their own vacation rental website with Lodgify and received more than 50% direct bookings in their first year.
8 Deductible Vacation Rental Property Expenses
Taxes can take a huge bite out of your rental income. Here are some suggested vacation rental property expenses you can deduct if you’re a vacation property owner in the US.
Vacation Rental Scams: 10 Red Flags for Spotting Hoax Guests
With the rise of vacation rentals, there are increasingly more scams that catch owners off guard to take advantage of them. We’ve listed down 10 warning signs that signal your guest might be trying to defraud you.
10 Most Common Negative Reviews (and How to Prevent Them!)
No one likes receiving negative reviews for their business. Luckily, we’ve identified the steps to follow to avoid problems before guests can even think about writing a negative review.
24 Must-Have Amenities for Every Vacation Rental Home
Amenities can set your property apart from competing vacation rentals or hotels. We’ve listed down some ideas that will help guests love your rental and return again and again!
20 Beautiful Vacation Rental Websites Built Using Lodgify
If you’re looking for inspiration for your new site, here are 20 beautiful Lodgify vacation rental websites to help you get your creativity flowing.
101 Ways to Increase Vacation Rental Website Traffic
Not sure what to do after creating your own vacation rental website? Here are 101 tips to help you increase website visits and achieve more direct bookings!
5 Simple SEO Tips for Your Vacation Rental Website
We know search engine optimization sounds intimidating, but there are a lot of basic techniques that will help your website rank higher on Google. Follow our five simple steps for better results!
How to Choose a Vacation Rental Brand Name
Choosing your vacation rental brand name is one of the funnest parts of starting a vacation rental business. We shared our top tips and advice to help with your decision!
Google Vacation Rentals: How to Prepare Your Website
This year, Google began to beta test a new service which allows vacation rentals to show in accommodation search results. Our recommendations will help ensure your website is ready and compliant for the rollout!
8 Reasons to Create a Facebook Page for Your Vacation Rental
If you’re still not sure whether or not you should get a Facebook Page for your business, these eight reasons will help convince you social media is the way forward!
Top 16 Vacation Rental Marketing Experts to Follow
Whether you’re just getting started or have been marketing your property for years, we’re sure you’re going to appreciate the tips, tricks and hacks you’ll learn from these 16 experts.
8 Tricks to Convert Window Shoppers Into Direct Bookings
Increasingly, travelers are using OTAs and listing sites to check out what’s available, before then Google the same accommodation brand to try to get a better price. Here’s how you can guarantee to convert them!
7 Podcasts That Will Turn You Into a Vacation Rental Pro
There are many podcasts out there for aspiring vacation rental professionals. Let’s take a look at seven of the industry’s most popular choices!
Vacation Rental Websites: Comparison of Rates and Fees
We created a comprehensive guide with the most important vacation rental websites in the industry, complete with initial listing costs, host fees and guest fees.
7 Airbnb Horror Stories You Won’t Believe Are True
While most Airbnb hosts and owners usually have great experiences with their guests, sometimes thing don’t go exactly as planned. These shocking tales are 100% true!
Top 15 Airbnb Blogs All Hosts Should Bookmark
This really useful list of blogs will help all owners stay in the know and up-to-date with Airbnb and vacation rental industry news.
Optimize Your VRBO Listing With These 9 Tips
Although it’s getting harder to be found on VRBO, our guide walks you through the nine most important things to do to optimize your listing and get more bookings!
How to Write Winning Vacation Rental Listing Descriptions
Potential guests prefer well-written, unique and useful content when it comes to booking a vacation rental over another. We’ve put together the top tips for writing listing descriptions to help get more inquiries.
Vacation Rental House Rules Template to Avoid Guest Trouble
House rules are a must for any vacation rental business owner. If you’re not sure how to write yours, check out our free template!
6 Essential Items for Your Vacation Rental Welcome Letter
Find out what to include in your welcome letter to guarantee all guests have a memorable experience in your vacation rental.
Vacation Rental Business Plan: 12 Steps for Success
We know how hard everything seems when you’re about to start a vacation rental business. To help make things easier, we’ve created a list of the top 12 things to include in your business plan.
Vacation Rental Agreement Template for Total Peace of Mind
Having a rental agreement in place can help ensure owners and guests are on the same level. All owners and property managers can download and adapt this free template as a base!
7 Things to Include in Your Vacation Rental Welcome Book
Not sure what to include in your welcome book? Here’s a free checklist to help you out.
Having a look at our most popular blog posts this year, it’s clear that vacation rental owners and property managers are interested in professionalizing their business and improving their overall guest experience.
We’re excited to continue helping owners and managers make the most of their vacation rental in 2019, with tips and advice for everything from marketing to web design, industry updates to property management – and more!
Start the new year with your own vacation rental website!
