Simply Owners

OTA = Online Travel Agency, which means those sites that sell the booking and take the payment for you.
volcano
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:24 am
Location: Lanzarote

Re: Simply Owners

Post by volcano »

Yes. I had the first contact in 2018, but then decided to wait and see.
July 2021 I remembered, shortly before graduation I got sick for a while and couldn't continue. They probably kept my address and wrote to me directly. With success. Within two days everything was wrapped up and I was able to hit the ground running.
Here everything is as we were used to for years. Direct contact with the guests from the first minute. All data visible to me, email, phone number. No commission or other hidden rip-offs. I can only hope it stays that way!
Pengman
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:54 pm
Location: Portland, Dorset UK

Re: Simply Owners

Post by Pengman »

I’ve recently had an email from Simply Owners and have looked at their site. However, my experience of sites like these isn’t good.

I was with Simply Sea Views for two years and think I got some business through them, although I was never 100% sure. About a year ago SSV got greedy and expanded their remit to properties that didn’t have sea views, so from that point on they didn’t do what they said on the tin. Moreover, recently SSV changed their website and I couldn’t be found anymore. (even though my property has sea views). Also, they changed their special offer listings and I couldn’t make the type of offers I’d made in the past. How crazy to make your site less attractive to your customers than it was previously? So I left. But to their credit they did refund me my last years subscription.

I’ve been with Independant Cottages for 2 years and, again, I think I’ve got business from them, although I was never totally sure. Their site doesn’t appear to have developed from the day I joined them and, although I’d made various suggestions to their programming guru, to my knowledge none of them were ever taken on board. The main one of these were their special offers which are only listed from the day a search is made, so potential guests might see 30 special offers commencing today, followed by 32 commencing tomorrow etc etc. At the very least this ‘array of special offers’ (to be semi-technical about it) could have been randomised to ensure a good mix of dates were displayed on the first screen. Better still, this ‘array of special offers’ could have been made searchable on dates and possibly other criteria, such as location. Simple stuff that I’m guessing a lot of 6th formers could do, but no it was all too difficult. And now they’ve sold the business on, it kinda makes sense. Who knows we’re they’ll go from here?

Google ads have proved no better and I’ve spent over £800 on these over the past 2 years with, nothing or very little to show for it.

The thing I notice straight away about Simply Owners is that guests have to register with them to make contact with an owner or view their website. Sorry, but doesn’t that mean that 90% of potential guests are lost at that point? However I accept that this should mean that I would know for certain if a guest has had come via Simply Owners. Something else I noted is the Simply Owners Guest Guarantee which I am required to issue to guests before they book. But as I offer direct bookings online, how’s that gonna work?

The bottom line is, although I’ve worked damn hard over the past 2 years to secure commission free direct bookings, less than 5% of my bookings come this way, so why should I spend money on any advertising sites at all? If anyone can tell me where I’m going wrong, I’d be please to hear from them.
I came, I saw, I bought it.
volcano
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:24 am
Location: Lanzarote

Re: Simply Owners

Post by volcano »

Dear Pengman - no one is forced to advertise with SO. But for some of us, it's been the way of communicating for decades. Not everyone is crazy about online bookings. And the fact that future guests go to the trouble of registering first shows that they are serious about the booking. And me, why almost every request is a hit!
Marks
Posts: 2930
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 10:16 am
Location: Costa Blanca

Re: Simply Owners

Post by Marks »

Pengman wrote: Wed Mar 16, 2022 3:55 pm The thing I notice straight away about Simply Owners is that guests have to register with them to make contact with an owner or view their website. Sorry, but doesn’t that mean that 90% of potential guests are lost at that point?
I don't see that. I have done a search, selected a property and up pops a contact form. Of course I haven't gone beyond clicking submit but I have not been asked to register, just complete an enquiry form.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
Contact:

Re: Simply Owners

Post by newtimber »

Marks wrote: Wed Mar 16, 2022 5:25 pm I don't see that. I have done a search, selected a property and up pops a contact form. Of course I haven't gone beyond clicking submit but I have not been asked to register, just complete an enquiry form.
That's still off-putting if all you want to do is to view the owner's website for more information. The guest hasn't got to the stage yet of submitting an enquiry. When looking for places to stay, I might look at 6 or 7 websites and don't want my email address to be given out to the sites I'm looking at until I definitely want to book!
Pengman
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:54 pm
Location: Portland, Dorset UK

Re: Simply Owners

Post by Pengman »

New timber said
That's still off-putting if all you want to do is to view the owner's website for more information. The guest hasn't got to the stage yet of submitting an enquiry. When looking for places to stay, I might look at 6 or 7 websites and don't want my email address to be given out to the sites I'm looking at until I definitely want to book!
Exactly! And isn’t the ‘Enquiry’ a thing of the past? What is the guest enquiring about? The host’s website should give full information on the property, including current availability, so surely there’s nothing left to ‘enquire’ about? It’s straight to booking.
I came, I saw, I bought it.
Marks
Posts: 2930
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 10:16 am
Location: Costa Blanca

Re: Simply Owners

Post by Marks »

I had hoped to get the experiences, good or bad, from people who actually advertise on Simply Owners not opinions of what should or shouldn't happen on a listing site. Maybe Pengman & new timber would like to start their own thread?
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
volcano
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:24 am
Location: Lanzarote

Re: Simply Owners

Post by volcano »

👍👍👍
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
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Re: Simply Owners

Post by newtimber »

Marks wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 10:08 am I had hoped to get the experiences, good or bad, from people who actually advertise on Simply Owners not opinions of what should or shouldn't happen on a listing site. Maybe Pengman & new timber would like to start their own thread?
I have advertised with Simply Owners since 2nd March. I have had no enquiries or views yet. I have found out today that I can alter a setting and remove the requirement for guests to hand over their details before seeing our website so have done that and see whether it makes a difference!
Pengman
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:54 pm
Location: Portland, Dorset UK

Re: Simply Owners

Post by Pengman »

newtimber wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 5:30 pm I have advertised with Simply Owners since 2nd March. I have had no enquiries or views yet. I have found out today that I can alter a setting and remove the requirement for guests to hand over their details before seeing our website so have done that and see whether it makes a difference!
Great information New Timber - many thanks! But I still remain pretty sceptical about listing sites - they charge you three figure sums annually but don't have to deliver anything for it (and in my experience, frequently don't - and that from someone who 20 years ago actually ran a listing site!). Only today I checked my visitor stats at Independent Cottages which show a dramatic improvement in the first 17 days of March, compared with January and February:

Ad Viewed Jan 98 , Feb 67 , 1st - 17th March 127
Enquiry Page Viewed: Jan 2, Feb 11 , 1st - 17th March 28
Website Clicks: Jan 2, Feb 1, 1st - 17th March 34
Online Booking Clicks: Jan 6 , Feb 1 , 1st - 17th March 32

Looks impressive doesn't it?. Then I remembered my renewal date is less than a week away, so is it possible they've fabricated the figures just to convince me to renew? I'll never know for sure but one thing I do know, although the clicks on my online booking button are allegedly up from 1 in February to 32 for the first 17 days of March, I've received no direct enquiries or direct bookings in March, from Independent Cottages or any other listing site.
I came, I saw, I bought it.
FelicityA
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Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Location: Cotswolds
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Re: Simply Owners

Post by FelicityA »

I have had the same experience as Pengman with a dramatic increase in views in March, over January and February, on Independent Cottages and was a bit suspicious about it. I think it may have something to do with the handover as in my case, the subscription is due in September. Perhaps they are checking and rechecking the listings and that is recorded?

I joined Simply Owners on the 50% offer last July but I was booked up until November then. In all I think I have only had 4 enquiries this year but 3 of them booked (March, August and September) so that will do for me and I will definitely consider renewing in the summer. They have been very nice and friendly to deal with. My cottage is in the Cotswolds.

Edited because I mis-typed the first paragraph and it referred to the wrong listing site. And with a PS that I haven't had a booking through either since April (IC) and February (SO)
Last edited by FelicityA on Tue May 31, 2022 7:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
newtimber
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Re: Simply Owners

Post by newtimber »

Pengman wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 3:58 pm
Then I remembered my renewal date is less than a week away, so is it possible they've fabricated the figures just to convince me to renew? I'll never know for sure but one thing I do know, although the clicks on my online booking button are allegedly up from 1 in February to 32 for the first 17 days of March, I've received no direct enquiries or direct bookings in March, from Independent Cottages or any other listing site.
If you use Google Analytics on your website, you can find out whether the figures have been fabricated or not. Yes there will be some users who don't allow tracking, but a reasonable number do.
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roxytoo
Posts: 1701
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:23 am
Location: Spain Costa Blanca

Re: Simply Owners

Post by roxytoo »

I emailed simply owners to ask if there was any offers or deals coming up. They did reply, quite a curt reply really, saying no!
Silverado
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Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:32 pm
Location: San Pedro de Alcantara, Spain
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Re: Simply Owners

Post by Silverado »

My experience with Simply Owners is excellent. This year 100% of my lettings in my Spanish villa came from them.
This is a genuine comment and I cannot believe what I am reading from the previous entries.
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
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Re: Simply Owners

Post by newtimber »

I've had no luck with them for my 3 UK properties.
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