Launching a Vacation Rental Website Without Being Tech-Savvy is Possible

Background

Rodobaldo Álvarez and Rossana Curbelo, the owners of House Gallery 10, rented their beautiful and luxurious property on a long-term basis for years and, given the amenities and rooms that the property has, this solution was great for them for a while. However, they had always thought about the idea of refurbishing it and decorating it to transform it into a vacation rental that a lot more people could enjoy.

When they crunched the numbers and saw that renting their property out on a short-term basis could make their little gem more profitable, they decided to jump into the deep end and fulfill their dream of being vacation rental owners.

Challenge

Rodobaldo and Rossana knew that if they wanted to start a new vacation rental business they needed software that was specifically designed to meet their needs. And that’s exactly what they looked for! They created their own vacation rental website and connected to external channels with Lodgify, so they were ready to launch their business the same instant they finished decorating their property.

When going about choosing software that could help them to build the website they had dreamed of, there was one main obstacle which repeatedly got in the way: their lack of technical know-how.

“Given that we’re not IT professionals, we searched for a simple and intuitive platform that would be easy to navigate, but at the same time, we needed one which would fit our business model and offer a well-designed template.”

As well as this, they had the worry of having a tight budget. After all, they had just begun their adventure as vacation rental owners and had already faced a heavy initial investment in their new business.

Solution

As they had it clear from the beginning they wanted to have their own website which would help them in their new challenge as vacation rental owners, they considered several options. During the selection process, they found Lodgify who offered them a seven-day free trial. By testing Lodgify’s software, they could play around features such as the channel manager and different website templates – they even customized their website and translated it into different languages at this point.

During their trial, they were delighted at being able to build the site and get it ready to accept online bookings for their new rental property. They decided that Lodgify was the right choice for them, given that it provided all the necessary tools to satisfy their business needs at a really affordable price.

What they liked most about Lodgify

From the very beginning, the owners of House Gallery 10 fell in love with the web design that Lodgify offers for vacation rental businesses.

“The platform gives you very good designs to choose from, all different but with the same common denominators: elegance, class and professionalism.”

In addition, they were pleasantly surprised to be able to create everything by themselves, without needing to be experts in programming or hiring anyone to help. Thanks to the easy operation of the interface, they have built a stylish and competent website.

“I never thought that we, alone (without being experts in the computer world), could manage to build such a professional website – it’s better than anything we had dreamed of from the beginning.”

How they found the process of creating their own website with Lodgify

Starting to set up the website was better than Rodobaldo and Rossana had expected. Due to the intuitiveness of the software, they were able to build what would end up being a page that would perfectly transmit the message they wanted to give their prospective guests. And, despite the fact that some doubts arose, they could easily resolve them with the support of Lodgify.

“Thanks to the fast and concrete help of Lodgify, I was able to solve any inconveniences that I stumbled upon.”

In short, it turned out to be a very motivating creative process for them, and another challenge that they had overcome: to create a website with their own hands.

How they got their first bookings

The first reservations were the result of a cluster of different marketing actions. For starters, the owners of House Gallery 10 decided to send an email blast to all of their contacts to let them know about their beautiful vacation rental. As well as this, they also benefited from the power of social media to reach an even wider audience.

From there on, the first guests who stayed in their vacation rental were recommending their property to other travelers, and they were receiving more interested visitors to their website as a result.

“This is how we accomplish bookings – with a lot of effort – which makes it a very rewarding experience.”

Results

How Lodgify helped them grow their vacation rental business

The owners of House Gallery 10 say they are very happy to have Lodgify as a witness to their greatest successes, since it has always helped them from the very first day.

Despite receiving reservations from other channels such as HomeAway, Wimdu or Airbnb, they consider it essential to have a website of their own – not only to promote themselves and have a more professional appearance, but also because it really generates as many bookings as any other channel. In addition to this, it gives them the possibility to respond to guest inquiries in a more personal, direct and simple way.

“As owners of a single property, all the functions provided by Lodgify are more than enough for us. Your calendar, the option to import and export, to be able to create quotes and send them to guests, add notes, etc. All this makes it easy and simple to have control over our own business.”

Recommendations

For all those who are trying to gain a foothold in the vacation rental sector, their advice is simple and direct: image is everything. Therefore, they recommend taking the time to create a website and hire a professional photographer who can get high-quality images that show off your property’s unique selling points.

“You have to get inspired by searching the internet, seeing what the competition offers, and comparing how you can be different or thinking about what services you can offer so that your business is different from others. You will, as a result, reap the reward by hosting guests who always want to return!”