When the season is at its peak, vacation rental reservations sell like hotcakes. Your listed property gains the attraction that it needs to run your business. During the season, with all that is bustling around, there is a sense of confidence that the vacation property industry enjoys. However, in that high, every rental property owner needs to be privy to the fact that they will soon have the low season which might dip the business.
Off seasons can be quite unwelcoming, especially in the travel and hospitality industry. Vacation rentals pose a challenge of luring travelers and offering competitive prices to sustain their business. The low season is definitely not an easy phase for any vacation rental to do with. But there is one way to keep up in the game of relevance during those uncertain periods of the year.
The low season can also be a lucrative time of the year for vacation rentals. The trick is in tweaking the listing be it on whichever portal you host your property. Let’s take a look at how we can play around with various options in the online listings for better positioning of the vacation rentals.
- Identify the low season and guests
It will not be necessary that the peak season of some travelers will be so for the others. Say if it is February then most of the country and European tourists might not travel. Family vacations are very unlikely during that month. So, you might observe it as your off-season because most occupancies are majorly by families. But during the same time in February, the Chinese lunar new year holiday dawns upon. A huge flock of Chinese tourists travels around the world this month. They will be your potential customers at that time of the year. The people who will travel for business purposes would also be the customers you should better reach out to through the data that OTAs like Booking.com and its likes will provide you.
- Touch base with existing customers
Just because someone has already been your customer once, you will not be in touch with them is a wrong approach to doing business. Existing and old customers are as important as potential ones. During the low season, it is the existing customers who will help get you the business. Suppose someone had a stay at one of the luxurious Port Aransas vacation rentals, The Mayan Princess, for a family trip; if the rapport is well-built, they would again visit the same place during their business trip. Also, give them some lucrative offers and discounts for coming back. Just how Airbnb does it with referral credit wins, you can opt for something similar too.
- Keep the listing up-to-date
Even if your property is as glamourous as Port Aransas vacation rentals, it would not be attracting the kind of attention during the low season if you do not share pictures and update facilities with the weather change. If your low season is during the peak winters and your listing shows pictures where the hotel has all the facilities for summer, it will not do. If it’s winter, probably a picture of the fireplace or a jacuzzi will be more appreciative and catchier.
- Tailor policies keeping the low season in mind
When travelers choose to travel during the low season, they look for flexibility over affordable vacation rentals. The better flexibility you can offer in your booking, the more likely the customer is to pull the trigger. If you have multiple cancellation policies or pay at hotel options, you will have better turnover. The travelers will also look for what is it that they will avail for free. Say if breakfast is complimentary, travelers will be marking you, if not immediately booking you. You can ensure that if someone hasn’t booked you yet but just checked you out or saved you, you can use the customer’s contact information as a plugin and show them ads. Plus, just sending a “Thank you for showing your interest” will also make the customer feel good.
- List seasonal facilities
To attain good conversion rates and better listings for your vacation rentals, you must use the tools of the OTAs that you host on the exclusive facilities offered during the off-season. As simple as a free musical night will be good enough to attract customers.
Conclusion:
Listings are undoubtedly important when it comes to giving a peak to your business. Most people today are self-sufficient enough to be able to make their own bookings. With the internet, searching for their desired affordable vacation rentals is quite easy.
With the listing, however, there is also one thing; the edge of competitive offers, facilities, and prices. The homes for vacation rentals go easy during the peak seasons, but off-seasons are indeed challenging. So, follow any or all the above 5 tricks to change the business scenario, and make the best even in your off-time.
