Ok so lets start with the basics. Yes you do.
There are ways of getting by without a web page or site (for example having a profile page on a gite or lettings directory) but if you’re about to start investing time and effort in raising the profile of your gite, do you really want to rely on a 3rd party website that could go bust any time? Additionally, if your site is simply a page on a directory, there’s every chance the visitor will soon be distracted by all the other rental properties on that site.
Your website is your window onto the world. It’s the first impression you give to potential guests and should be an extension of the (brand) experience of staying with you. Therefore it’s critical that it conveys the right impression from the outset and it’s only by having full control of your own website that you can really achieve that. Think of it this way; your website will be your single most viewed piece of marketing literature so spend some time and money getting the basics right from the outset, which will provide you with a platform to build upon over time.
Additionally, some of the online marketing techniques i’m going to share in future posts will require you to have your own site, from blogging to search engine optimisation (SEO) and marketing (SEM). Knowing these can give you a competitive advantage over other gites in the area, and ensure that you’re fully booked throughout the year. Your website is also a sales tool, and I plan to show you how you can use the site to ‘close the sale’ without losing the customer along the way,
Finally, having control of your own site should make your life easier; for example you can use it to let people know what availability you have, prepare guests for arrival (what they need to bring, how to get here) etc meaning fewer emails and telephone calls to deal with. You can use it to capture email addresses of prospects and customers and then start email marketing to them, again, something I will cover in future posts.
Getting a website can seem daunting at first, but it’s not actually that difficult. You need to buy a domain name (which then gives you professional email, more on that later), get server space for the site, and then get the pages designed, built and uploaded to the server.
Believe it or not, you could do it all yourself (seriously), as many websites and service providers have spent time and effort in making things really easy for even complete novices to do. The main barrier to DIY web design on the net is fear, but hopefully we can help you to overcome some of that.
There are literally thousands of individuals and companies out there (me included!) who will offer to build you a website, but with so many variables it’s often difficult to pick the right company and quite often, they’ll build your site without any thought to it being ‘findable’ once it’s launched. Additionally, many are experts in one particular field, such as flash, and so will take you down that route without too much thought for whether it’s right for you and your business needs.
In my future posts i’ll cover some of the things you need to check for when commissioning your website to hopefully help you avoid the main pitfalls.
A bientot!
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[...] ‘brochure-ware’ but your site could be so much more than that (see my post on ‘do i need a web site‘ for inspiration). What ideas do you have, and does your web designer know your business well [...]