According to Maine Public, Maine saw just 15 million visitors in 2023, but those visitors tended to stick around for longer trips.
If you're a vacation rental owner in Windham, the importance of attracting guests and managing bookings can't be understated. When there are fewer guests available, you must do everything possible to put them in your property over the next one.
In today's post, we're going to explain the best practices for managing bookings and reservations in Windham vacation rentals. Keep reading and we'll help you improve your strategies for booking with the top vacation rental management in Maine.
Keep Bookings in One Place
Many property owners opt to list their rentals on multiple rental listing websites. While this can help you cast the widest possible net, it can also lead to disorganization and potentially double bookings.
If you want to avoid this headache, try to keep your bookings in a central location. Pick the platform that gives you the largest number of bookings and pull your listing down from the rest. This simplifies things for you and prevents any booking mishaps from occurring.
Optimize Your Listing
When you're competing with multiple established short-term rentals, you need to invest in your listing. Take the time to optimize your listing by thoroughly describing the property and local amenities. Complete the listing with plenty of high-quality property photos to showcase it in the best way.
You can make a difference by investing in digital marketing tactics. Things like SEO keywords and PPC ads are great for casting the widest possible net for potential guests.
Implement a Cancellation Policy
Whether you're using Airbnb or independent booking software, you need a cancellation policy. If you don't implement one, guests will be free to book, hold on to the booking, then cancel it at the last minute.
Cancellations aren't a huge deal when they happen once in a while, but when they start mounting, it'll cost you a lot of money. Putting in a charge for cancellations in your customer reservation system will deter guests from doing it and make your property much easier to manage.
Communicate With Guests
It's so important to communicate with guests for so many reasons. Proper communication will provide them with the optimal guest experience leading up to their stay. Always try to provide all of the necessary details for their booking and be available to answer any questions they might have.
When your guests feel you've done a good job communicating, they'll leave you a positive review. More good reviews will lead to more bookings.
Managing Bookings and Reservations With PMI Vacationland
Managing bookings and reservations effectively will make your vacation rental more lucrative. If you need help with reservations best practices, hiring a property manager is a great idea.
PMI Vacationland is Windham's number-one vacation rental management team. We can market your vacant rentals to secure bookings and manage those bookings to help you establish your rental in a booming short-term rental market. Contact us today to discuss your needs and how we can help.
