I have opened this subject so we can share our practices in rental business.
We are all here from different countries and different cities so basically we are not competition to each other.
So it would be nice to see how others are doing in this business.
So lets start with some questions:
1. What are your basic channels where you get the most reservation.
2. How do you secure the reservations when you get an off-line booking (by phone or e-mail from some page)
3. Do you promote to your old guests and how. Do you use beds24 for this maybe?
4. Do you noticed the drop of the prices manly on sites like booking.com and airbnb. What do you do about it? trying to keep the same prices or do you lower your prices as well.
5 how do you keep good rating on some sites like tripadvisor or booking.com?
And lets start with my answers:
1. booking.com airbnb and tripadvisor. Other channels like hosetrip, wimdu, 9flets were good before but not any more - do you also have this experience?
2. we ask the first day payment in advance. We noticed that if guest has to pay at least something it could be 10% the reservation is than almost 99% certain.
3. not really but i will. now with beds24 we have a good database of guests. It would be perfect if they (bed24) make some promotional tool to make those e-mail marketing promotions easier.
4. yes. I am trying to keep the same prices because if we all drop them the others will drop the prices again and in the end we will rent apartments for nothing.
5. I dont know how. I just know that reviews are not the only thing that matters. I have lots of excellent reviews and bad position on the list.
Hope you will share your experience and any questions that you have.
Share your practices and expiriences in rental business