Why Custom Websites are a No-Brainer for Airbnb Hosts
While Airbnb provides limitless opportunities for your property to be seen by millions of people worldwide each day. However, it invariably places you against your local or city's direct competitors.
That is why, in addition to becoming an Airbnb host, vacation rental owners should carefully consider their complete Airbnb marketing plan. It's a good idea to have an Airbnb host webpage.
Yes, you may experiment with Airbnb SEO and personalization. But you're still limited to Airbnb when there are so many opportunities for the taking.
Airbnb is an excellent avenue for acquiring bookings. However, it does not have to be the "be-all and end-all" of your company. Having your own Airbnb host website lets you handle your vacation rental your way - with your regulations, not anybody else's.
1. An Airbnb Host Website is an Online Business Card
You want to get your vacation rental business card into your guests' hands and viewable on their phones.
Netflix has their own Netflix.com website landing page. Food delivery has Instaorder.com. Lots of businesses have been smart (and forward-thinking) enough to have their own websites from day one.
A vacation rental Airbnb host website is an obvious way to put the vacation rental business card into your guests' hands. And put it there, where it can be easily bookable, and your guests will likely refer to it repeatedly.
Imagine your own customized vacation rental website. Your own. Your own logo. Your own design. Your own brand. Your own message. Your own pictures. Your own everything.
2. You Can Take Direct Bookings and Avoid Fees
Airbnb charges a 3% fee for all bookings placed on Airbnb.com. In addition, Airbnb charges the guest 10 - 15 % of the booking amount, and Airbnb pays the guest's credit card processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30.
This 4.9% fee is added to the cost of your rental, costing you more money. And it makes your vacation rental less competitive against other vacation rentals in your area.
Your own Airbnb host website lets you take direct bookings. You can play with different pricing and models to see what works best for your business. If you have a good website, you can increase the size of your vacation rental customer base.
3. Stand Out From the Crowd
There are hundreds of thousands of people using Airbnb. Most of them are using it because Airbnb is the de facto vacation rental search engine.
And if you're a vacation rental owner, you're competing against many of those users. You're also competing against Airbnb's millions of listings.
An Airbnb host website can be considered one more tool in your vacation rental marketing toolbox. And for you to have your own tool, you need to have your own place to put it.
By having your own website, you can showcase your property in a way that fits the unique spirit of your vacation rental.
4. Gets You More Bookings
Nowadays, customers compare costs across several websites. If you mention your brand name on Airbnb and a visitor enters it into Google and is unable to find your Airbnb host website, you may lose the booking.
But if they find it and realize that your rates are even a teeny little bit lower since it's not on Airbnb, that's another thing!
What about guests who wish to return to your home for a second visit? Giving them your Airbnb custom URL will save them from having to pay additional Airbnb fees. That's even more reason to make the reservation!
Bottom Line
A vacation rental host website is an easy way to give your vacation rental its own online presence. It's a way to offer direct bookings. It's a way to branch out and get more bookings.
It's also a way to impress your guests and keep them coming back for more. If you are an Airbnb host, it's a must-do.
Beyond BNB helps you run your Airbnb like an expert without needing to be one. If you're looking to learn more about how to maximize your Airbnb's earnings, click this link to join me for my next free training event, where I'll go into detail on how we've helped hosts increase their earnings by up to 389%!