As any schoolchild can tell you, there is not one hotel on Mars.
Now don't get me wrong, they have nothing against hotels, nor do I. Bookt loves all forms of lodging; each one has its place. But as Bookt's internal "champion" of the Vacation Rental Industry, I must say that I am not surprised at the situation up there. After all, Vacation Rentals have distinct advantages over hotels. Said in the spirit of friendly competition, summarized here is what VRMA has to say on this topic:
Vacation home rentals are the best way to enjoy a truly relaxing, rewarding and budget-friendly family vacation.
Vacation homes give you room to relax after a long day and provide unique and luxurious amenities/services versus the limits found at even the highest-rated resorts and hotels.
Vacation home rentals can provide luxurious amenities like:
...Private pools, spas, patios or decks, fireplaces, beach access
...State-of-the-art home theatres, high-speed Internet
...Multiple master suites and bedrooms
...Full kitchens and large and multiple dining areas
Plus... Vacation home rentals deliver Privacy, Great Locations, Major Savings & Priceless Value.
I often stay in hotels for a night or two when traveling on business. But I always stay in a professionally managed Vacation Rental for holidays with my wife and family.
If you're planning a trip to Mars, consider a Vacation Rental.
It's worth the trip!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Vacation Rentals on Mars?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Blog, Blog, Blog for Online Success!
The Bookt Platform comes with free Blogging functionality. Blogging is a great way to get noticed by the search engines as they “perceive” consistent, new content as a more dynamic website and will rank your site higher due to the always changing and fresh nature of the content on your site.
Here is a recent article I found that would be a terrific topic for your next blog post. I have already gotten approval from the author, Debbra Brouillette, Tropical Travel writer for Examiner.com, to link back to her article. Simply personalize with your [“Keywords” – which the Search Engines look for and love] and then cut-and-paste it into your Blog…
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10 Tips for Staying Healthy on your [City Goes Here] Vacation
At [put your Company Name Here – i.e. Destin Vacation Rentals] we are focused on ensuring that our guests have a splendid vacation. We always go the extra mile to provide outstanding customer service so our guests not only have a superb [condo, villa, vacation home] to stay in but also can take total advantage of all the [attractions, shopping, museums, golf courses] and more that our amazing [Martha’s Vineyard, Park City, Key West] destination has to offer.
As Travel writer Debbra Brouillette says in a recent article on Examiner.com, “You’ve waited weeks, even months to go on vacation, and you want to enjoy it to the fullest!”
Here are Debbra’s 10 Tips for Staying Healthy on your Vacation:
1. Water, not wine.
2. Stretch and wiggle.
3. Protect yourself from germs.
4. Wash your hands.
5. Wear sunscreen.
6. Wear protective clothing, headgear, and sunglasses.
7. Don’t overdo it!
8. Don’t overindulge!
9. Maintain your routine.
10. Pay attention to symptoms
To view the complete article on Examiner.com, which includes information under each of the 10 topics, go to: http://www.examiner.com/x-12498-Dallas-Tropical-Travel-Examiner
The entire [Mountain Vacation Cabins, Shoreline Condos, River Rentals] Team is at your service to ensure the complete success of your [Vail, Cape Cod, Grand Canyon] Vacation. Stay healthy! Enjoy your Vacation to the fullest! We are here to make your [Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall] Holiday the best you’ve ever had.
Call us today at [1-800-XXX-XXXX] or visit us online at [OurGreatSite.com] to book your [San Diego, Vermont, Great Lakes] Vacation today!
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Call your Bookt Account Executive today to learn more about Blogging for Online Success or more about how to our Websites Solutions and Leading-edge Booking Engine can be leveraged to grow your Lodging business for an even healthier bottom line.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Success Story: Be Master of Your Own Domain!
Recently, we worked diligently for over a week with one of our newest clients to help them get control of their Domain Names. Unwittingly, control of their Domains was in the hands of a former Webmaster who had moved across the country and who they had not worked with for 2+ years.
After countless emails and phone calls and dead ends, we finally broke through the barriers and achieved a Success Story – worthy of repeating here as a cautionary tale.
What does it mean to "control" your Domain Names? Why is domain name security important?
Let’s start with these Three Keys to YOUR Own Domain Name Security Success Story:
1) ...Make sure YOU are the Registrant.
2) ...Make sure the domain's Administrative Contact is someone you totally trust - or, better yet, YOU be the Administrative Contact.
3) ...Keep your domain data organized with logins and passwords in a safe and easily accessible place.
Truly, your Domain Name is at the center of your online identity. In the Vacation Rental business, having targeted domain name(s) clearly communicates your offering to your prospects and clients. And makes it easy for vacation-rental-shoppers to find your website, says something specific about you and your business, and helps protect your brand.
If you lose control of your Domains, you are risking all that you represent online. And, if a disreputable individual gains control and decides to point your Domain to a different web site or use your Domain's email addresses for nefarious purposes, your problems get significantly worse.
At Bookt, we never ask for or take Domain control. What we do is help our clients first gain then maintain control themselves and then help them “point” their Domains to their site(s) and our secure servers. Like the Vacation Homes, Condos, Cabins and Villa’s that you rent, your Domain is also a valuable “property” to which you need total command and control.
Are YOU the master of your own Domains? Here is a quick way to check. Just go to www.betterwhois.com. Type your url (without the “www”) into the center Box and click “Search”. On the next screen, enter the magic code, click “Continue” and voilà – you will have your answer. And if you find you need some help – just call on your Bookt Account Executive and we will help you make-it happen!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Online Marketing 201 for Vacation Rental Firms: Exploiting Social Media For Fun & Profit
The experts define Social Media as “…online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. At its most basic sense, social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content. It's a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologues (one to many) into dialogues (many to many) and is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into publishers. Social media has become extremely popular because it allows people to connect in the online world to form relationships for personal, political and business use.”
And it is the latter – business use – that is the focus of this article today.
The following “do-it-yourself” overview and guide to employ Social Media to drive more vacation-shoppers to your Vacation Rental business is for more advanced and dedicated individuals. It definitely takes a time commitment to consistently perform – but beyond that, anyone can do it and you can get started today.
What Google Wants is What YOU Want!
Larry Page is the co-founder of Google – the world’s largest Internet company and most important search engine and online advertising technology. He defines the "perfect search engine" as something that "understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want." Named after Larry Page, Google’s PageRank™ technology has changed the way searches are conducted with Google putting the most relevant and reliable search results first. That’s why Google is the Number 1 search engine and why their search Algorithm is so powerful.
To totally simplify why what Google wants, you want – it is all about content, keywords and links. That’s where Social Media comes in. Assuming that you have your Marketing 101 down pat and your Website is well optimized for the Search Engines, then exploiting Social Media is the next logical step to advance your progress in “being found” because it will add layer upon layer of content, keywords and links that will resonate with the Search Engines (and improve your PageRank in the process).
Social Media Includes…
Just as the Google Algorithm contains a multitude of channels and variables, your personal Social Media Algorithm (Socialgorithm) can and should leverage multiple online resources, including: Public and Personal Blogging, UGC (user-generated content), Online Video and Photo-Sharing Sites, Online Publishing and PR Sites, Personal & Industry Social Network Sites, Social Tagging/Bookmarking.
Public and Personal Blogging: Blogging should be the cornerstone of your online foray into Social Media as the search engines like nothing better than fresh content. If you are consistent, blogging will quickly improve your PageRank and drive more targeted vacation-shoppers to your site. TIP: Blog about your destination! Position your company and properties as the center of your destination universe. Write about shopping venues, restaurants, local events and local attractions. By definition, these are the “keywords” vacation-shoppers are searching for.
UGC (user-generated content): Today’s vacation-shopper is dramatically influenced by non-biased user reviews and testimonials; what was another family’s experience with your property and customer service? It is more important than what you say about your property. TIP: Integrate Trip Advisor and FlipKey into your site. Ask for and publish testimonials, both great and not so great. For the not-so-great experiences, make sure you “fix” whatever the problem is right away. Problems happen. Sometimes it is how you respond to those problems that differentiates you from the pack.
Online Video and Photo-Sharing Sites: This is perhaps the easiest of Social Media to leverage. TIP: Invest in a good camera that takes high resolution photos and videos. Create engaging, destination-centric titles and captions then post them on the usual suspects: YouTube, MetaCafe, Flikr, SnapFish, etc. Don’t forget to link to your videos and photos on your website and blog! And, like with blogging, make your visual subjects the local shopping venues, restaurants, events and attractions.
Online Publishing and PR Sites: Even if you are not the sponsor of a local event or attraction, create a special offer connected to the event or attraction and publish it on the myriad of free online publishing and public relations sites. TIP: While there is a cost involved, consider sites like PRWeb and Businesswire who will distribute your press releases globally for a fraction of the cost of traditional media. There are other sites like Ezine Articles where you can publish “expert” articles on your destination and specialties and truly standout with vacation-shoppers and search engines.
Personal & Industry Social Network Sites: The Facebooks and Twitters of the online world are definitely paying off for many Vacation Rental firms; and you can now even insert your online branding within these sites. Again, remember to post links to your blog articles, photos and videos here. TIP: Create a LinkedIn page for yourself and then join Industry Groups like Discover Vacation Homes and Vacation Rental Professionals and start networking with like-minded industry insiders.
Social Tagging/Bookmarking: Bookmarking is one of the oldest and most effective ways to connect online. Some popular bookmark sites are Digg and del.icio.us. TIP: Like all of the social networking ideas above, Bookt can help you make-it happen! In this category, Bookt provides what are called “link bait” widgets for your site to make it easy for visitors to add and share your site through simple bookmarking functionality.
Bookt is not a Website company. We are an Online Success company. Exploiting Social Media should be on your roadmap to Online Success. It's on ours and we will help you find your way. For fun and PROFIT!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wi-Fi - A Perk w/ a Punch
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association (FVRMA) – Bookt is Proud Member!
Bookt is a proud Affiliate Member of FVRMA and we look forward to participating in the 2009 Annual Convention & Tradeshow in Destin in August. While Bookt is a “Global” company, Florida is still our Home Town and we have been making award winning Vacation Rental and Real Estate websites in the Sunshine State since 2001.
FVRMA is a great group and clearly does a lot for its Members. It’s the go-to place for Information, Influence, Interaction, Education and Profitability for the Florida VR Industry. We especially respect the active “front-line” role FVRMA takes to promote Member Vacation Rentals right on the FVRMA website in the Destinations area and the Special Offers and Hot Deals pages. Well organized with great info. BRAVO!
FVRMA Members just received a special email marking the 1st day of Summer, with Bookt’s Hot Deals on our Website & Booking Engine Solutions.
Have you seen a Bookt site in action? Here are some examples:
· Rent Key West
· Rent Orlando Properties
· Lauderdale by the Sea
· Rent A Villa Disney
· Okaloosa Island
While all these sites look fantastic, a Bookt website is not just another pretty face! Our clients tell us every day what a difference the Bookt Platform has made in their Sales and Bookings. AND, there’s never been a better time to explore the Bookt Platform and see if it’s right for you. Package Price “Summer Special” Price Market Leader Package $9,900 $7,920 Pro Office Package $5,900 $4,720 Standard Package $3,900 $3,120 Starter Template Package $1,900 $1,520 Bookt is a proud FVRMA Member and we look forward to hearing from you at 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email joel@bookt.com for a free, no-obligation chat and demo. Cupcake included.
Plus, taking advantage of our Hot Deals is the frosting on the Summer Cupcake.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Why Bookt Clients Love Our "Do-It-Yourself" Content Management Tools!
I am working with a new Bookt target client on a Website “makeover” and one of his pet peeves about his current website is how content changes are handled.
As his current web company (name withheld) states…
HOW TO UPDATE YOUR XYZ WEB SITE:
Step 1. Submit to XYZ detailed information about what you would like done.
Step 2. You will be notified of the estimated time it will take to make the update, as well as the estimated time you can expect the update to be complete.
Step 3. Give approval for the update to be completed.
>Your update will then be submitted to the XYZ Design Team, and a project manager will contact you if necessary.
>>Fill-in the form below: Tell us what needs to be done on your site? (To expedite the process, please be as detailed as possible.)
That's not good! In the above case, you need to submit a work order to your webmaster even for simple corrections. That takes time and costs money. With other systems, you might be able to make changes if you know HTML or more advanced coding languages.
At Bookt we know there is a better way!
Bookt's platform provides a completely integrated Content Management System (CMS) that gives you control over your site's text and images. And it's easy!
Properties: Using your Bookt Control Panel, you can easily add, edit, and delete properties in minutes. Let your new listing targets know you will list their rental on your website immediately. Need to change rates, taxes, fees, amenities, description, photos, or availability? It can all be done in minutes, in real time!
Points of Interests: Local attraction info is important to vacation-travel-shoppers examining your rental properties. Maps and descriptions of local tourist attractions provide valuable information to prospective guests and also help to generate additional search engine traffic. Many vacation rental managers also use this page to barter for coupons and reciprocal links. At Bookt, mapping and distance calculations are done automatically - a real time saver!
Other Pages: Your site also contains "static" pages that often need regular updates, like About Us, Area Information, Rental Policies & Additional Services. With Bookt’s Content Management System, you can edit this information as easily as writing an email.
Want to learn more about our easy-to-use Content Management Tools? Want to be empowered to make your own changes yourself in real time 24/7?
Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email me today at joel@bookt.com for a free, no-obligation demo of our do-it-yourself CMS.
Bookt Clients love our Content Management Tools and you will too!
