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increase off-peak bookings

How to increase off-peak bookings

increase off-peak bookings

With the busy summer holiday letting season fast becoming a distant memory, now is the time to be thinking about how to increase off-peak bookings during the low season. 

As you’ll already know, the opportunities for parents to take their children out of school during term time are now limited, meaning that focus needs to be moved to other target markets where competition is becoming increasingly fierce. 

We take a look at some of the potential markets you could be attracting as the summer sun sets and Autumnal and Winter breaks begin…

Dog owners – there are 14 million dog owners in the UK

If your cottage welcomes dogs, then the great news is that a lot of us have one; 14 million in the UK to be precise! With as many as 44% of Britain’s households owning a pet, this is a market certainly worth taking advantage of to increase off-peak bookings.

If you’re wanting to attract the dog-friendly market, you’ll need to:

  1. Make sure it’s immediately obvious that you welcome dogs – you don’t want potential guests having to root around for the information as the more effort they have to put into finding it, the more likely you’ll lose the online conversion.
  2. Tell them what’s available for their pet in your cottage.  This should also include whether you have an enclosed garden and policies on leads etc.
  3. Build a dog-friendly destination for them – what there is to do in the local area with their dog? Walks they can go on, dog friendly pubs, dog friendly beaches and attractions.

When welcoming dogs to your holiday home our top tip is to ensure that your holiday home insurance is dog friendly too!

Young families with toddlers

Because school-aged children will need to take their holidays outside of term time you often find that pre-school families will look to take advantage of shoulder months when prices are lower and crowds more dispersed.  

If you’re wanting to attract the pre-school market, you’ll need to:

  1. Highlight everything you have in your cottage for their children, so they’re clear on what they need to bring and what you’ll be providing.  Car space can be at a premium so think of ways in which you can make their life easier.
  2. Tell them where can they go and what can they do with their children. They won’t want to be cooped up so giving them specific days out suitable for younger children will make your proposition stronger. If you can give personal recommendations, they’ll be more credible than just providing a standardised long list.
  3. If you’ve got additional features such as animal feeding, these can prove to be extremely popular with younger children so feature them prominently.

Walkers, hikers and cyclists

There’s nothing better than a good walk in fresh air.  Don’t just take our word for it; 42 million people take to the Wales Coast Path each year while that figure is equalled and eclipsed in the South West of England. 

If you have good cycling or walking routes near your holiday cottage you should:

  1. Include information on all routes on your website and promote them through your social media. 
  2. There should be routes for all levels and ages of walker with varying difficulties.
  3. Make sure you share the best photos and videos from your routes. Encouraging guests to do the same can gain you even more social media traction.
  4. Make use of local walking organisations and coastal paths in your marketing – some will have great video and photography you can tap into.
  5. Try to turn your walking routes into an event – where are the best places to stop for food and drink on the way? What else can they do? Create a day rather than a walk.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. Need an insurance quote for your holiday let? Give us a call on 01237 429444 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.

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Five online tips for marketing your holiday home to walkers

Promoting your holiday home to walkers online

iStock_000022911204MediumIn 1988 the Proclaimers confidently claimed they would walk 500 miles and may well be prepared to walk 500 more. Whilst that’s far enough to arrive in Barcelona from our North Devon base and still have a few miles in the tank, many of us have followed them by strapping on our own walking boots opening up opportunities for marketing your holiday home to walkers.

Whether marching on moors or plodding the Peak District, we’re a nation that loves the great outdoors. If you own a holiday cottage with natural resources on your doorstep you’ll want to ensure your guests know all about them from the point they begin looking for their break to the moment they leave.

Here are five online tips for marketing your holiday home to walkers

1. Is there information on your website?

For many people the first step in selecting their holiday accommodation will be online research. The words ‘holiday cottage’ are searched for on Google more than 2,500 times in the UK each month. If you market your own property this will be your biggest shop window; your opportunity to explain why they’d stay with you rather than go elsewhere.

Remember that there are a wide variety of guests that will want to enjoy local walks; some will be looking for more challenging terrain whilst others for a more leisurely stroll with a stop off point for lunch. When highlighting local routes also explain the level of difficulty and always link it back to your target market.

The more content you have surrounding a subject area the more Google will understand what your website is about.  If you’re attempting to attract and promote your holiday cottage to walkers having informative content on this area will be a key determinant of your ranking success.  It will also increase engagement with those visitors looking to get out into the countryside as you’re providing them with information they need in order to support their decisions; you’re ticking their box.

If you’re using a holiday letting marketing and management company let them know about your intention for marketing your holiday home to walkers and provide them with information on walk’s near to your holiday cottage so they’re fully aware of what you think makes your cottage different.

2. Get blogging!

There are many different benefits to blogging for a holiday cottage; it can increase the regularity with which Google crawls your website, the number of key terms you rank for and as a result, the amount of people that visit your site and the level of engagement they have with it.

A great asset of local walks is the views, the photos and the visual.  If you have recent photos from local walks, for example sunrises, sunsets, breathtaking views that go on forever, put them onto your blog. This content doesn’t need to be generated just by you – why not encourage your visitors to share their photos with you?

3. Are you using social media?

Twitter and Facebook provide the ultimate opportunity for sharing photos and experiences. A photo can help you to stand out from that crowed Twitter newsfeed and have been known to regularly attract more re-tweets, spreading your word further.

Facebook also gives the opportunity for your guests to share their walking photos. If you can, encourage them to do so. Social groups are usually bound together by common interests, so their friends and family on Facebook are potential new walking visitors to your holiday cottage.

4. Gaining the right visibility

Effective online marketing is inextricably linked to creating visibility with the people you want to reach. Establish if there are any opportunities for you to feature on websites that would be frequented by walkers. Do they have an accommodation section? Are there opportunities to take part in walking forums and discussion groups to highlight your local routes?

5. The big picture

If you’re looking to attract walkers to your holiday cottage it’s vital that you communicate with them and find them. Blogging and adding content to your site will enable you to rank more and engage with the new website visitors you’re reaching. Social media and other websites will allow you to extend your reach further, building dialogue and discussion.

Boshers are specialist providers of insurance for holiday homes and cottages. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444. 

 

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Marketing your holiday home as suitable for walkers

Hiking, walking and exploring – a growing Holiday Home market

iStock_000021901682SmallFresh air, stunning views, great company and the sun on your back, what could be better than enjoying a walk in the British countryside?

Your doctor will likely agree; from lowering stress levels to a reduction in potential coronary complications, studies indicate there are many benefits to getting out for a daily walk.  NHS research has recently shown that those walking an extra 2,000 steps a day were 8% less likely to suffer from a cardiovascular event.

Combine this with the fact it’s an activity that is relatively cost free, is able to be enjoyed by all age groups and that we have an abundant natural resource waiting to be explored, you’ll quickly understand the growing popularity of walking amongst self-catering holiday home guests. We explore how you can make your holiday home walking friendly and opportunities for marketing your holiday home as suitable for walkers.

So how do you ensure that your holiday home is able to keep up with the ground swell of walkers marching toward your property?

Provide them with the information they need

Make life as easy as possible for your visitors to find the most appropriate local walks and routes. Some will be looking for challenging terrain, others for a leisurely stroll towards a beer garden or something they can enjoy as a family, so it’s vital they’re able to easily understand which routes are going to be most appropriate for them.

Also think about other things they may wish to do while out walking. Are there picnic facilities? A beach, woodland or great local pub? Play areas for the kids or wildlife viewing areas?  If so how far are they away from your holiday home and how long in minutes may the walk be?

Answer all of the questions your visitor may have.

Think about how to and where to communicate this information

The most obvious place to provide your guests with this information will be in your visitor information pack but the journey toward that walk will begin long before they step through your door. Ensure your website has sufficient information on local walks and scenery in order to make sure they know they exist.

Use what is around you to your advantage in marketing your property. The old adage remains that a picture speaks a thousand words; if the walks are incredibly scenic ensure photography and images form a large part of your communication here.

These can also be used in your social media activity; photographs can break through the clutter of a heavily populated Twitter or Facebook news feed, gaining more likes and re-tweets along the way.

Remember social groups are bound together by common interests so always encourage guests to share with their Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

They are your potential guests of the future.

A place to put muddy boots and clothes

With just a few tweaks you can make your holiday home more suitable for walkers, at very little expense. Not many of us would be unwilling to admit that the British weather can be somewhat inclement at times.  With that come muddy boots and wet clothes. Consider having somewhere that boots and trainers can be placed and stored, either at an entrance or in a porch or patio area. This will avoid mud being trampled through the interior of your home.

Also look at installing facilities where sodden clothes can be hung and aired. If you don’t have masses of room for this there are plenty of space saving options available on the market.

Services your visitors may need

Whilst we hope your guests will have an enjoyable experience of the great outdoors sometimes things will go wrong. Whether that’s a tangle with some unfriendly brambles or a twisted ankle ensure your guests are provided with the contact information of local services, such as accident and emergency or doctors practices, along with a first aid kit within your holiday home.

Boshers are specialist providers of insurance for holiday homes and cottages. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444. 

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