own website v rental listing site?

[sammyboy]

I have had a new website built and it has been live for about 2 months, my Idea was to drop a listing site in the hope that my new site would bring in the bookings, but I have had no enquires so far on my new site and the listing site is due for renewal in 2 weeks time, SO what to do???

[mario]

Don't bother,just go with the big listing sites.

[DaveN]

I have to agree with Mario.
It takes a lot of effort, and more than a couple of months to build the sort of web presence that you would need to bring in all your bookings.
Afraid the rental listing sites are a fact of life for most of us.

Dave

[Cotterdale]

They say it takes around 18 months for google to really list you a bit higher up on the listings. I would go and put a add on an independent site also.

[Wendy@NorthIdaho]

I don't know that I've had any bookings just from my website, I'm pretty sure they've all come from one of the big sites... one may have googled but I think they ended up on VRBO, as when my area gets googled all the big sites come up and my ad is usually there depending on how specific they are...

Don't get rid of your listing site, actually if you only have one I'd get on several more.

Wendy

[kendalcottages]

Don't bother,just go with the big listing sites.

As a general rule, I disagree. Far better in the longer term to have your own website IMHO.

This said, it sounds like it'd be worth you keeping with your listing sites until your own site generates more traffic. This does take time and 2 months is too early to judge.

[Maurmc]

I can't access your site through the link!

[sammyboy]

just checked the link myself, still does'nt work, any Ideas! I checked the site and it is active?

I have several listing sites but the one I am thinking of droping has'nt been very good and its expensive (mentioned on another post), Just trying to justify the big cash outlay !!

[Big Sis..]

http://www.gites-poitou-charentes.co.uk/

Is this you?? if so the spellings wrong,

on your link its charantes......

[Margaret]

Your own website is essential because you can say exactly what you want, how you want and with whatever photos you want. You can get far more on it than with a listing site.

But it takes years to get the performance you want on searches. We set up our own website in early 2005 and it is only in the last 2-3 years that we have been getting good search results. According to Google Analytics, 67% of hits on our site come from searches and only 18% from referrals from other sites.

Listings sites are a matter of using Paolo's advice and then trial and error. Drop anything which doesn't work for you. But remember that listings do help you to show more often on search results and some people will find you on a listing site and then search to find your website.

[sammyboy]

big sis
thanks for spoting a really stupid spelling mistake,
Try this

http://gite-poitou-charentes.co.uk
Margret
I must say I did not realise it would take such a long time to benefit from your own site but what you say makes sense, just impatient I guess

[pete]

I have to say that I think with your domain name you will always struggle for a 'site only' marketing,

try adding an 's' to your gite in your 'gite-poitou-charentes' and see what happens

if 'site only' is the way you would want to go in the future then a different and unique domain name is a must,

good luck,

[Casavarenna]

They call it a marketing mix I think.

You need both as you can link from the big ad sites (generally). They also have hundreds of your competitors on there of course.

We fond that doing two sites and working hard on the content oof the second helped. The second is the name of the place you property resides. This could even be a blog

Most people research where they are going and if you can find your way well up a search engine and your second site has a clear large ad for your accommodation, then this adds a lot of opportunity! A good domain name helps as well.

The problem is being web literate and doing it yourself r by somebody else cost effectively.

[Windy]

Don't bother,just go with the big listing sites.

er ... no.

(Unless of course you have an unlimited marketing budget and absolutely zero IT skills in which case that's all that's left for you)

[Austria]

In time my website will be a stand alone website, and the plan is to drop other websites along the way.

But until fully booked with loads of repeat bookings it is still a long way off.

Probably spending around £1000 PA on marketing at the moment.

Most of my enquiries now come via my blog, so that is worth developing your own, others come in direct, but still reliant on OD , HR, HL Trip key and a few others.

Repeat booking are the way for forward and we have one set of guests on their third booking, and we have only been open 3years.