It has enormous advantages when a Bed and Breakfast has its own website. The 5 most important reasons to go online are listed here. After a long preparation, a renovation full of surprises and perhaps even a move abroad, you have festively opened your Bed & Breakfast and you are ready to receive the first guests . You have registered your guest accommodation on various booking sites such as Airbnb and Booking.com . Perhaps the first bookings have already been received and you are wondering why you should also have your own website for your Bed & Breakfast?
Whether you have a B&B, holiday home, guest house or any other type of holiday accommodation, the website is always the center of all marketing activities. With a professional website optimized for vacation rentals, you can set yourself apart from the competition, accept direct bookings and increase your online reliability.
The most important reason why you want to have your own website for your holiday accommodation is that you can then accept direct bookings from guests. For all bookings that come in through booking sites, service costs are charged to the landlord and often also to the tenant. Booking directly through your website is therefore cheaper for you, but also for your guests. There is a clear trend that direct booking with an accommodation is becoming more and more popular, especially for returning guests.
A well-maintained website with clear information is a sign of professionalism and an essential part of your company’s identity. Your guest house is a business and that simply requires a professional website with its own domain name. What other link would you put on your business card or give to potential guests? In addition, an email address with its own domain name is a lot more professional than a Gmail address.
Searchers become bookers when they are confident that they have come to the right place for a wonderful holiday in a well-maintained accommodation that suits them. Tell something about yourself on your website and show what you stand for. Post rave reviews, award badges and links to articles about your guest house in the press. Many searchers who find your accommodation on a booking site also come to take a look at your website. If you don’t have a site, that can be a reason for potential guests not to book at all and to continue their search.
Where you are limited on a booking site by their set-up and rules, you can go your own way on your website and show what your unique concept is. Just as your guest house is your own place in the world, your website is your place on the Internet that you can tailor to your style and the guests you want to attract. Let the concept of your guest house be reflected in your logo and corporate identity to create a unique and recognizable identity.
The accommodation and all it has to offer is of course extremely important to potential guests, but they also want to know what to do in the area before booking. On a special page on your website you can add value by providing tourist information about sights and activities in the area. You can also work with local entrepreneurs for, for example, a cook at home, wine tasting, bicycle rental, or special discounts for your guests.