When we build an Internet business, we naturally wish to become a large-scale, global company. But, do you feel more comfortable in an overcrowded mall as one of hundreds of faceless customers-- or as a valued guest in a cozy shop? Do you like your specific needs to be as important to a salesperson as his own?
The less business you have, the better are your chances of success. Sound unrealistic? Well, here are the facts:
The smaller your region, the better your customer service.
You probably remember surfing the net, looking at hundreds of vacation rental sites. Was destination important to you or, did it make no difference? Personally, I can't imagine that someone would search for just some kind of property somewhere in the world.
I see a difference between Sydney and Rome and prefer sites dedicated to specific destinations. Why? That's easy. It's because I like the individual attention I get. If I have questions all of my questions (even about the color of the walls in the bathroom) will be answered with care and in detail. Plus, I can get information about which banks have the best exchange rates, where the best eats are and, well, about anything and everything a traveler wants to know about really.
The network does not replace live interaction.
Even the most informative web pages can not replace live interaction, when you get specific replies to your specific questions. You should read the web page to find the info you need. We all value our time and prefer to talk to a live person and get an immediate reply. Multi-user portals are simply unable to achieve that close interaction between a web site owner and web site visitors, whereas small web sites can.
As a web-site owner, you will gain negotiating skills. These will show you are trustworthy, and help you to succeed in the rental business.
Tenant details are invaluable.
If you have been in the business of leasing or renting real property for several years, youll have quite a database of tenant and owner contacts. Storing every detail about them can help you regain them as clients. Before the high season begins, send them a newsletter about a new option, discount or benefit for your website visitors and include a brief reference to their family. For instance, tell them how cute those twins, John and Jack, were, who decorated your wallpaper with their creative paintings last year, or, ask about their little dog Sparky, who misused your flowerbeds and lawn.
Your tenants will appreciate your attentions and will make early reservations. You could hardly expect that at large vacation rental portals.
'Closer' money.
If you charge property owners for listing their properties on your small vacation rental website, its easier for you to collect payments from them. Local transactions are easier, faster and more secure than payments from all over the World at international vacation rental web portals.
Document your financial relationships.
Operators of large vacation rental websites have owners from different countries with different local laws, so it is hard to control all the agreements and negotiations between property owners and tenants, but a small vacation rental website dedicated to one specific country or region shows more professionalism and generates more trust if it offers rental agreements prepared on behalf of property owners and guests.
If you operate a website dedicated to one region, you can compose legal documents valid for your region and appropriate for your owners and guests. Such rental agreements should describe the most likely disputes that can arise between owner and guest: furniture and fixture damage, insurance, guest and owner responsibilities, abandonment, payment schedule, etc. People feel more comfortable when their financial arrangements are backed up by legal documentation.
The smaller your region, the more income opportunities you have.
Would you like having more happy clients, who naturally turn to positive testimonials and word-of-mouth advertising? The owners of small rental websites can cooperate with local service providers and get good commission from this cooperation. For instance, they can agree on discounts with souvenir shops and hand out discount coupons to their guests. Discount coupons issued specially for a specific villa or house work best. The same can be done with restaurants, car hire and yacht rental services, etc. This will no doubt contribute to generating interest and building trust on your vacation rental website.
VIP attitude is more important than VIP house.
Even if the house for rent is not the essence of luxury, you may win your clients favor with your professional demeanor and attentive attitude. I have seen dozens of examples in which good attitude has compensated for the shortcomings of a property. Remember: you lease impressions, not properties.
Be Sincere.
Last but not least, the guiding principle for the owner of a vacation rental website is to really want to make people happy. Your main and sincere wish should be to make a guests stay as good as possible. Making a profit depends on this. You need to listen hard to what your guests are saying. Remember that when a guest rents house for his vacation, he wants a break from work and day-to-day worries. He does not want his vacation to be clouded by trivial inconveniences. Love your owners! Love your guests! Love properties!
Stacey Daniels is an advertising copyrighter and a marketing consultant of iStateSoft LLC (http://www.istatesoft.com)
¶ 10:44 AM 0 comments
Success means different things to different people. You may evaluate your success by: what you can buy, how you get paid, or what you can do. When most people are asked what success means to them they start off listing things they could buy, or the amount of money they would have. Sometimes theyll define success by the title they want to have, or how they want to earn a living. Thats very closely related to what you can buy because usually theyre thinking that if they could earn a living that way they would have the money to buy the things they want. But when you get past the money issues and dig a little deeper you come to realize that success is really more about being able to spend your time doing the things you want to do. You need money to make that happen, but money isnt really the end goal its just a supporting goal to get you to the point where you can spend your time doing what you want to do.
Why is it important to make this distinction? Well, if you dont know what youre really after you can get caught up in decisions that take you places you dont want to be. You can end up living a life you dont want to live in spite of fulfilling your financial objectives. In spite of having all the money you need youre miserable, and you feel trapped. You dont know how to get out of the trap because by the time you figure it out youre usually living a lifestyle that can only be supported by doing things you dont necessarily want to do.
So how do you really define success? In general, success is the continuous achievement of your own predetermined goals that enable you to do the things you want to do. How do you want to live? If you were successful what would you spend your typical day doing? Who would you spend it with? Where would you spend it? How would spending your time this way provide value to others in the world?
Success is achieved one goal at a time. But unless you understand what success means to you, and what you want its pretty hard to set the right goals to get you there. Its hard to know if youre taking the right action, and its hard to know if youre not taking the right action. The funny thing about goals is that theyre so easy yet very few people know how to get the goals they set.
Theres a right way to set goals and a thought process that greatly increases your odds of getting the goals you set. Most people think they know how to set goals, and they do get some of the goals they set. They just dont seem to get the really important goals. If you want to master success you need to clearly define success and then become a master goal getter so you can get there.
Want to develop your path for success? Success Model.
Success happens one goal at a time find Success here.
¶ 4:24 AM 0 comments
