InstaManager

Does “Support” Matter for Vacation Rental Software & Marketing Providers?

joel@bookt.com

InstaManager is thoughtfully designed in order to be intuitive to the professional vacation rental property manager and his/her staff and to work correctly all day, every day. Your welcome! …But now let’s talk about the real world.

In the real world, things break. In the real world, people have questions and staff turnover. That is why “Support” is such a critical issue for our InstaManagers and why we provide unlimited email and telephone support plus unlimited access to our interactive training courses. And there are no extra charges for this because we believe that how well we support our customers will be what differentiates us from our costly competitors and will power our continued growth.

And, if you think about it, we are actually being selfish. We like being known as a company with friendly and knowledgeable support staff. And it is in our selfish interest to have created a system where all support issues are logged and ticketed so they can be handled quickly and managed professionally -- which we have done.

Another example of self-centeredness on our part is comprehensive online help documentation accessed through the control panel so that our InstaManagers can get answers on their own in real-time meaning there will be fewer calls and tickets to for Support to have to handle. Wink-wink... Same with unlimited access to our focused training sessions as the more and better trained InstaManagers are, the fewer the questions. ;)

So – does support matter for Vacation Rental Software & Marketing Providers? Don't overlook this common mistake! Evaluating the actual company supporting you is just as important as the Vacation Rental software!

What do you think?

Vacation Rentals during London Olympics

rob@bookt.com

I just read an article reporting that there is a home for rent in London during the Olympics for a record 433,000 pounds ($678,400) per month. (Link to article.) Sounds like a great place but the price is bollocks.

I asked our client Gavin Pereira, Managing Director at Check-in-London.com – what he is seeing at the source. According to Gavin…

"The Olympics 2012 will put London in the spotlight this summer and bring with it a huge influx of people who will require accommodation across the Capital while they are participating, supporting or coming to watch the highly anticipated games.

After its successful bid in 2005, the city has been gearing itself for the expected surge in visitors by increasing its infrastructure and undertaking new projects for constructing sports centres and stadiums and introducing more transport links. We have also seen a significant increase in the number of new hotels and serviced apartments hoping to launch their product at a time when all eyes will be on London.

While most accommodation providers, feel this is the time to charge customers a premium for their stay (like any other peak season or event dates in major cities), some have not found it easy to secure advance bookings at these higher rates (up to 40% higher and non-refundable in some cases).

The release of about 120,000 rooms back into the market by LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) a couple weeks back has further encouraged accommodation providers in London to make more inventory available at reasonable prices for stays during the games.

Check-in-London has been successful in placing its Olympic bookings at properties that offer good value and quality apartments and predicts that well priced accommodation will shine during this season."

Thank you Gavin. Interesting. I know that Check-in-London.com has availability during the London Games and you can check out their Special Offers Here.

It is great to speak to an expert in serviced apartments in London during the Olympics. Many Bookt clients have local events that they can build a great promotional offer around using the easy to use tools in the Bookt Platform.

Best wishes to all. Let the games begin!

International Tourism to Reach 1 Billion in 2012

joel@bookt.com

Yesterday we officially launched InstaManager™ Multilingual and today, the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (part of the UN) whose name is Taleb Rifani blogged that in 2012, for the first time, one billion will travel internationally (meaning outside their own borders) this year.

Coincidence? I do not think so. We officially launch InstaManager Multilingual and then1 out of every 7 people on the planet decides to become an international tourist. I think these two are definitely related.

I hope you take the time to read Taleb Rifani’s entire blog post because it really talks about the impact that tourism has on the entire world’s economy. I especially liked his President Obama quote: "The more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work. It's that simple."

Here is a link to the blog post as well as a link to InstaManager Multilingual press release.

Coincidence?

InstaManager is now Multilingual

joel@bookt.com

Travel is Global and so is InstaManager!

Read this Press Release on Bookt.com.

The Importance of Guest Reviews for Vacation Rental Websites

joel@bookt.com

I am in the midst of planning a road trip in Northern Europe in May which will require lodging in 5 locales over a 16-day period. This planning task again reminds me of the importance of Guest Reviews for Vacation Rental Websites as I am now doing my own research on FlipKey, TripAdvisor and Booking.com to plan and book this trip.

I have never been to most of the places we will be staying and I am struck by how important reading about other people’s experience is to my process. In fact, I would say that reputation and price have meant “everything” to my process, and it makes me appreciate the InstaManager™ FLEX product even more.

InstaManager FLEX combines FlipKey reviews and marketing (all integrated and automatic) with all of the other terrific InstaManager features and software. Want to see an example in action? Click on the “Reviews” tab on this condo -- who would not be interested in staying here?

I know that FlipKey and TripAdvisor take pains to make sure that reviews are “real” and unbiased. That is one reason why our global InstaManagers have the reputation management functionality to respond to a guest’s review and comments. There will be problems and glitches from time-to-time. It is more important on how and how fast the Property Manager responds.

There are hundreds of features and integrated functionality within InstaManager FLEX. I cannot think of one you can least do without than User Reviews from trusted partners like FlipKey and TripAdvisor.

For more insight into Reputation Management, check out this article written by our CEO, Rob Käll.

Knowledge, Tools and Tips for Vacation Rental Booking Conversion

joel@bookt.com

Having lots and lots of aggregate data from lots and lots of vacation rental managers is a real treasure trove for Bookt and our clients. Case and point, we recently did an aggregate analysis of our clients that are using the “Held Booking” feature in our software.

How many of your reservationists’ phone conversations end without a sale? What if they instead ended with something like this?

"Yes Ms. Jones, I understand that you need to think about this a little, but let me put this property, dates and rate on hold for you for 24 hours while you talk to your husband. I just need your name, email and phone to do this. In that way, no one else can book this unit and you are assured of all the details we discussed today. Plus, I will email you this quote in writing right away. Okay?"

So what are the outcomes of these held bookings? According to aggregate data for the last 4 months, 65% of the time that reservation will convert into a confirmed booking.

That is a powerful concept, isn't it? Are you using this approach it in your business? Do you have the tools to automate the processes? Do you have software solution partner who has the data and knowledge base to help you shape your online success?

Bookt clients, including our InstaManagers have these tools. Learn more at www.instamanager.com.

InstaManager Yield Management Enhancements!

joel@bookt.com

We consistently get feedback from our InstaManagers that they like that our software’s feature set is always growing as we continually refine and enhance the Bookt platform. Since many of these ideas come directly from our clients we say, “thank you and keep those ideas flowing!”

Based on these suggestions we have recently added to our Yield Management and Special’s Engine. Now it is fast and easy to create a Special Offer that automatically applies to any booking made online or through the Control Panel without the need for the guest or agent to enter a coupon code.

InstaManagers can create a wide variety of “rules” governing special offers like fixed or percentage discounts, free nights, special rates, minimums, cut-offs, blackouts and for specific properties – the Bookt Platform’s specials engine is very flexible. Now you can easily use the CMS tools to let travelers coming to your website know about last minute discounts, and then have them see those discounts being applied automatically when they receive a quote. Let’s face it – special offers create bookings, especially in competitive markets and off-season.

And speaking of a “special offer” for savvy vacation rental professionals interested in becoming an InstaManager, check out the $1 Switch! Remember -- Software & Marketing = Vacation Rental Success. Thank you for visiting www.instamanager.com.

Bookt LLC Announces Partnership Integration with FlipKey and TripAdvisor

joel@bookt.com

InstaManager™ FLEX is a Revolutionary New Product for the Vacation Rental Industry

HOLLYWOOD, FL, September 28, 2011 – Bookt LLC, a leader in cloud-based technology solutions for professional vacation rental managers, today announced their latest partnership integration with FlipKey and TripAdvisor. FlipKey is a leading vacation rental site, featuring the industry’s largest collection of verified and authentic guest reviews, and powers the vacation rental experience on TripAdvisor, the world’s largest online travel community with access to more than 50 million travelers monthly.

Bookt is launching InstaManager FLEX – a new, groundbreaking product that combines robust and powerful rental manager software with unique and tailored marketing distribution through FlipKey and TripAdvisor, all at an industry-leading price point for rental managers.

"We are very excited about the prospects for InstaManager FLEX and believe this offers rental managers a powerful and economic platform," said TJ Mahony, co-founder and CEO of FlipKey.com. "Bookt has created robust website and business management software and will now be able to offer integrated and flexible marketing options through FlipKey and TripAdvisor at economics that make sense and align with how professional managers run their businesses.”

“Initial feedback has been great,” says Bookt’s CEO Robert Käll. “Our goal was to introduce a fundamentally new and flexible solution that addresses every vacation rental manager’s operational and marketing needs.” InstaManager FLEX pricing begins at $1 with additional fees tied exclusively to a client’s booking success, which Käll noted, “makes it extremely easy and risk-free for property managers to upgrade to what is essentially a full e-commerce website and suite of back end property management software”. Since its founding in 2007, Bookt has successfully served a fast growing global network of vacation rental managers. With the introduction of InstaManager FLEX, Bookt anticipates accelerated growth and market prominence. To learn more visit www.instamanager.com.

About Bookt™
Bookt is a leader in cloud based services for the lodging industry. The company provides a complete range of services for vacation rental managers, hoteliers, innkeepers, and larger travel organizations. Sophisticated PMS, CRS, CRM, CMS, distribution and back-office functionality is delivered through the cloud to customers in 31 countries on 5 continents. Bookt also offers website & portal development, online marketing, Social Media and SEO services. Learn more at www.bookt.com.

About FlipKey™
FlipKey is a leading vacation rental service that makes booking a vacation home simple. Featuring over 100,000 vacation homes and the world’s largest collection of authentic vacation rental guest reviews, FlipKey ensures that consumers find their perfect vacation home with unique advantages of personal space and superior amenities in ideal locations throughout the world. FlipKey has been named a “Top Vacation Rental Site” by Travel + Leisure Magazine and was ranked one of the top 10 travel websites by the New York Post. FlipKey has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, MSNBC, SmartMoney, and the LA Times. FlipKey is majority owned by TripAdvisor, LLC, and exclusively powers vacation rentals on TripAdvisor, which attracts more than 25 million unique monthly visitors. Learn more at www.flipkey.com.

Search Engine Success – Are You in Control?

joel@bookt.com

SEO – What You Need to Know!

By: Sam Marks

Director of Success, Bookt LLC.

Search Engine Optimization is a topic on the mind of just about everyone these days, and if you are not thinking about it, now is a good time to start. In general, SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to rank better in the search engines, thus increasing traffic and the presence of your website in a given market. SEO is comprised of many variables, but generally grouped in two parts: Onsite optimization and Offsite optimization (link building). There are thousands of companies selling SEO services, but wouldn’t it be great to have the tools to be in control? In the past unless you were a web junky and had a deep understanding of html and programming skills, there was little you could do to optimize your web pages for search engine success.

With Bookt’s online lodging solutions, you can super-charge your onsite optimization with just a basic understanding of SEO. First, determine your keyword targets. What are you offering? Recognize the competition for this these keywords. Understand that “Vacation Rentals” is far more difficult to rank for than “Long Island Beach House Rentals”… and everything in between. Don’t shoot for the stars right away, work on longer tail keywords that are less competitive

What Web Page Content is Important to Optimize?

Now it is time to apply what you know. The next step is to understand what parts of a webpage resonate with the search engines. Aside from the content you clearly see on a webpage, here are some additional page attributes more specific to Search Engine Optimization

Page Title – The title of the page is seen at the top of your browser. This is arguably the most important page attribute to optimize

Page URL –The URL is also extremely important to write specifically.

Page Meta Keywords – These keywords read only by search engines, not users. They give the search engines and idea of what the page is about

Page Meta Description – a description of the page and it’s offering. This is seen in search engine listings as the description of the page/listing

Image Alt Tags – tells the search engines and users what an image is about

How to know what content should be optimized?

With hundreds or even thousands of web pages on your website, it is not feasible to manually fine-tune the content for every page. This is why it is so important to have smart, dynamic generation of this content automatically. Bookt’s platform dissects your business, lodging type, market area, specialties, and other important data and automatically creates these optimized pages for you! This allows you to start off with “smart defaults” that are already optimized. For your most important pages, the Bookt SEO Editor puts the fine tuning in your control, further optimizing these traffic driving pages.

Let’s take a look at an example. In this particular case, we are showing a popular category search page - “Vacation Cabins Near Gatlinburg”. With the SEO Editor, we can easily fine tune the page details to support this keyword.

Below you can see the corresponding changes SEO enhancements you have made. You are now in the driver seat, and racing toward more search engine success!

Selling Summer Vacations in January?

joel@bookt.com

In my last blog posting entitled "Lodging Managers - Are You Monitoring Your Competitors?" - I talked about the importance of consistently looking at how your adversaries are going to market. Case and point - see the HomeAway ad that came into my email box this morning. Know that all of the hyperlinks were "live" in the email; I have pasted-in the email as an image (so the links are not active).

Whether you are in the hotel business or manage vacation rentals, HomeAway is targeting your same prospects and their vacation-dollars. And they are a major force to be reckoned with - to be sure. At least once a week I receive the HomeAway mailing and I am always impressed with their keen marketing skills. Here they are now getting a jump on the competition and already starting their Summer blitz....

While it is still January, are you starting to think about Summer and getting a jump on your target marketing? Please consider doing so, and please start monitoring the competition.

Want to schedule a fast, no-obligation online meeting where we can discuss your seasonal marketing campaign planning? Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com. There has never been a better time to plan ahead and Get Bookt!

In Leisure Travel, do you sell the Steak or the Sizzle?

joel@bookt.com

Are you selling hotel rooms or couples getaways? Are you promoting you vacation rentals or your great accommodations for family reunions? Which should you sell? The product (steak) or the benefits (sizzle)?

In leisure travel, most people search for the steak – meaning your units, as in the following keyword phrases:
Orlando Vacation Rental
Palm Springs Resort
Lake Geneva Hotels

Once they get to your website, you need to create “empathy” – especially with visual images – that shows the sizzle. Families splashing in the pool. Couples holding hands walking the beach or dining under the stars. You want people to see themselves in these images so they know they are in the right place and should stop and look around (at your accommodations).

While most people search for the steak, many people also search for the sizzle, as in:
Ski In Ski Out Breckenridge
Orlando Rental near Disney
South Beach Oceanfront Condo

So there it is. In leisure travel you should be selling both your units as well as your benefits, advantages, differentiators in price, location, amenities and services.

Sell the steak and the sizzle. That’s what vacation shoppers are searching for.

Vacation Rental Managers Association on Facebook

joel@bookt.com

If you are a Vacation Rental Manager, you should be interested in Social Media marketing to help promote your properties and destination. Social Media can help you leverage the “soft sell” and build relationships with consumers who wish to engage on these emerging channels.

Leading by example is VRMA. This morning I received an alert to check out their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DiscoverVacationHomes

I immediately became a “Fan” – their 82nd, and I suggest that you consider the becoming one, too. At Bookt, we recommend that Lodging Managers get involved with Industry Groups. For Vacation Rental Managers, VRMA and Discover Vacation Homes are a terrific group to get involved with. Be sure to take a look at the Video and the Poll on this page, too.

I learned that November is designated as International Vacation Rental Awareness Month, quoting now...

As more people across North America seek ways to reconnect with family, friends and spouses – especially when on vacation - November 2009 has been designated as North America’s first-annual International Vacation Rental Awareness Month. For the first time, parents, grandparents, partners and best friends will have easy access to the tools, resources and inspiration to discover how to stay together on their next trip for less!

Here are a few ways to take advantage:

(1) VACATION RENTAL SPECIALS: Staying together will be made more affordable beginning in November, when http://www.DiscoverVacationHomes.com will list a huge amount of vacation rental travel specials across North America. Special rates and packages include a variety of multiple-bedroom vacation home, condo and villa rentals through the fall, winter, holiday and spring seasons, including regions from mountains to beaches, adventure hotspots to theme park capitals and everything in-between.

(2) TIPS AND INFORMATION: General topics and other resources will also be available online in November, including answers to frequently asked questions, debunking the top vacation rental myths, as well as planning tips, 10 secrets to saving on travel with vacation rentals vs. hotels, tips for choosing the right vacation rental and more.

A regional map will also allow you to connect for the first time with the most trusted vacation rental companies across Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico and the United States.

(3) WAYS TO CONNECT ONLINE: Making it easier to ask questions, connect with other travelers, view and share travel photos and more, “Discover Vacation Homes” will answer questions about vacation rentals on Twitter when directed to @GoVacationHomes, including knowledgeable and personal responses by experts on the category. Facebook visitors can now post to a public discussion board, post past vacation rental reviews and browse and upload vacation rental images among other features.

Coming Soon from Bookt - More on Social Media Marketing for the Hospitality Industry - watch this space!!

Vacation Rentals for Family Reunion Vacations

joel@bookt.com

According to a recent VRMA Press Release, the “Family Reunion” is growing in popularity. Here are some of the stats:

23% of leisure travelers said it was the primary reason they were traveling during the past year;
this is an increase of 13% over 2008;
2.45 million family reunion travelers who took an overnight trip of at least 75 miles from home in 2008 indicated staying in a vacation rental.

Interesting stats! Is your Vacation Rental business and properties family reunion friendly? As VRMA points out: The vacation rental option often costs less than reserving multiple hotel rooms, and homes can even be rented side-by-side in the same neighborhood. Vacation Rentals provide a sense of privacy under one roof, rather than the stress of requesting adjoining rooms, remembering floor numbers, and designating “family” floor monitors to keep a watchful eye out for “tween” and teen members of the group.

I Googled family reunion vacation rentals to see how Vacation Rental Managers are marketing their properties for this type of large group. Click Here for results. ...Then "click" around and see what other Vacation Rental Managers are doing.

Bottom line? If your inventory contains individual properties or properties in close proximity that make sense for large groups like Family Reunions, create some special content and offers on your website to attract this target group. And, if you have already hosted Family Reunions, don’t forget to blog about them as Success Stories and obtain “testimonials” and reviews from the Organizers.

Family Reunions are growing and Vacation Rentals are a terrific cost-saving option for small, medium and larger lodging needs.

Couples Retreat – Promotional Idea for Vacation Rental Managers

joel@bookt.com

There is a new movie opening today around the nation. It is a comedy called Couples Retreat and is centered around four couples from the Mid-West who go on vacation to a tropical paradise. A near “perfect” opportunity for Vacation Rental Managers to employ Borrowed Interest Advertising.

As defined previously in one of our Blog Posts, Borrowed Interest Advertising — so-named because you “borrow” consumers’ interest in something outside your company — is a way for vacation rental companies to ride the coattails of much larger events — and is "free".

Why not create a promotion around this? Why not create a “Couples Retreat” deal for your Vacation Rental Business?

Offer a special price, a special package with romantic or couples-oriented amenities – and include Couples Retreat movie tickets for all of the individual couples or groups of couples who participate.

Are there other “Borrowed Interest” ideas and themes you can think of to sell and promote your Vacation Rentals? Is there a local event or even a national or global “happening” that you can tie into? I bet there are many creative ideas you can think of to promote your properties and destination.

Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com and we'll talk "borrowed interest" and how this can be applied to your Vacation Rentals utilizing the free tools within the Bookt Platform.

There has never been a better time to borrow and Get Bookt!

Vacation Rental Blog Topics Organized for Vacation Rental Managers

joel@bookt.com

I sort all my blog posts by purpose and topic, and continually update this article - in order to make it easy for Vacation Rental Managers to find exactly what they are looking for.

Bookt Platform
> Site Score for Vacation Rental Managers
> Promo Calendar for Vacation Rental Managers
> “Lead Scoring” for Vacation Rental Managers
> “Demo” Meeting with Vacation Rental Managers
> Marketing For Vacation Rental Managers
> Online “Empathy” Books and Closes the Vacation Rental Sale
> Vacation Rental Managers: BYOD!
> The “BEST of Breed” Vacation Rental Booking Engine!
> Take Command & Control of your Vacation Rental Business Now
> Location, Location, Vacation! Why Integrated-Mapping is Critical
> “Third-Party Endorsements” are “Sales Closers” and "Build Trust"
> The BEST and PERFECT Sales Representative for Your Business
> Free Competitive Website Analysis for Vacation Rental Managers
> Why Clients Love Our "Do-It-Yourself" Content Management Tools!

Education/Webinars
> News for Vacation Rental Managers
> How To Use Online Meeting Technology to Increase Bookings
> Blogging Webinars for Vacation Rental and Lodging Managers

FVRMA/VRMA
> Vacation Rental Managers: Please Read Report!
> FVRMA – Expectation “Set” and Good-To-Go!
> FVRMA "Summer Special" Offer from Bookt!
> Vacation Rental Managers – Call to Action!
> Hello! My Name Is...
> Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association – Proud Member!

Social Media
> Vacation Rental Managers: Social Media Trends
> Keyword-Rich Blogging for Vacation Rental Managers
> Twitter and Vacation Rental Marketing
> Read Any Good Vacation Rental Articles Lately?
> Indian Shores Florida Vacation Rentals: Blog Topic Ideas
> Blog, Blog, Blog for Online Success!
> Online Marketing: Exploiting Social Media For Fun & Profit
> Picking Topics For Your Vacation Rental Site Blog Is Easy As 1-2-3!

Notes From The Road
> Notes from "the road" - Naples, Florida
> Notes from "the road" - FVRMA Conference
> Notes from "the road" - Welcome to Florida!
> Notes from "the road" - Callaway Gardens
> Notes from "the road" - Columbus, Georgia

Industry Trends
> Vacation Rental Managers: Learn From Hotels
> President Obama - Consider A Vacation Rental This Summer
> TripAdvisor Survey Shows Popularity of Vacation Rentals
> Bragging Rights for Vacation Rental Managers
> Vacation Rentals: Where Leisure Travel and Real Estate Collide!

Editorial
> Vacation Rental Ads Where You Least Expect
> Another Vacation Rental Manager's Dream
> Vacation Rental or Hotel Room in Rome?
> Kate Rice, Executive Editor of TravelPulse.com
> Bullish on Bookt for Vacation Rental Managers

Looking for more information? Is there a specific topic you would like to chat about? Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com.

There has never been a better time to learn more & Get Bookt!

Vacation Rentals - Pictures Sell!

joel@bookt.com

Nothing sells a vacation rental like a picture showing a family or couple enjoying the great activities in your area, or the terrific amenities that you have to offer. Over the last few years, Stock Photography has gotten much more economical. What used to cost hundreds or thousands of dollars can be achieved often for tens of dollars. Like many other goods and services, Stock Photos have become a commodity. That's the good news! Even better is that your friends @ Bookt use photos in a way that creates "empathy" with your target audience and they will ultimately see themselves in the shot - enjoying a wonderful time in your little piece of heaven.

Want to create some images that sell your Vacation Rentals? Want to tell your story with pictures that get to the heart of the matter? Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com and we'll look through some pictures together and Bookt's talented design team will create your unique storyboard for your amazing Vacation Rentals. There has never been a better time to show-and-tell to Get Bookt!

Vacation Rental Ads Where You Least Expect

joel@bookt.com

This morning I was sent a link about something happening in my hometown which took me to Boston.com.

As a sales and marketing professional in the vacation rental industry, I immediately was drawn to the banner ad at the top of the paper advertizing Kissimmee – where Bookt has many Vacation Rental clients.

So I clicked it.

Lo and behold I saw that Vacation Rentals were an option for Kissimmee accommodations (along with hotels.)

So I clicked it. And saw many, many, many vacation rental options for the Boston visitor to choose from. Cool!

The site www.visitkissimmee.com is one BIG advertisement driven by the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau.

As a Vacation Rental Manager, do you belong to a local or regional organization that is marketing your destination along with your properties? If not, you should look into this and perhaps join the crowd selling your community and all it has to offer. You might just find that there are some advantages and buying power when you join a group of like-minded travel and business people.

As you may have read in the Instant Software and VRMA Report I blogged about the other day, Vacation Rentals really and truly help drive the local economy. These local groups selling your destination are the exact type of group you could be spreading the word that: >Vacation Rentals Generate Billions in Annual Real Estate Sales >Vacation Rentals Generate Millions in New Construction >Rental Homes Generate Millions in Insurance Premiums >Vacation Rentals Generate Billions Finance and Mortgage >Rentals Can Dominate Resort Area Property Tax Revenues Just a thought.

Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com.

There has never been a better time to join in and Get Bookt!

Vacation Rental Managers: Please Read Report!

joel@bookt.com

As you may recall, VRMA sponsored a 2008 survey of the vacation rental market by PhoCusWright, one of the travel industry’s prominent research authorities.

That survey concluded that the vacation rental market was a $24 billion industry in 2007, generating revenue equaling more than one fifth of all hotel room revenue and 8% of the total US travel market. And, further, in resort areas, vacation rentals actually tend to be responsible for a much higher share of revenues and can far exceed the revenue generated by hotels.

Please read this new research defining State and Local Economic Impact of the Vacation Rental Industry just released by Instant Software and Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA).

Top Findings: The vacation rental industry is an economic engine that facilitates non-resident investment in resort communities and drives local real estate, finance, and insurance industries. The vacation rental industry is a major “Tool for Growth” in these communities, often poorly understood by the local powers that be.

Read This Report as it is designed to help vacation rental managers educate themselves and state/local governments regarding the impact of the vacation rental industry on state and local economies. >Vacation Rentals Generate Billions in Annual Real Estate Sales >Vacation Rentals Generate Millions in New Construction >Rental Homes Generate Millions in Insurance Premiums >Vacation Rentals Generate Billions Finance and Mortgage >Rentals Can Dominate Resort Area Property Tax Revenues

Download the entire report here! Thank you VRMA and Instant Software!! GREAT JOB! Please email: joel@bookt.com or call 1-800-941-0868 x 934. Why? There has never been a better time to take advantage of these trends and to Get Bookt!

Vacation Rental Managers - Pictures Tell & Sell

joel@bookt.com

A few “clicks” during some online research today brought me to an Internet page that has nothing to do with Vacation Rentals or Vacation Rental Managers.

However, a simple ad I saw on the page was very clear and reminded me of the power of images to tell a story and deliver a message.

I am not involved in the day-to-day technical aspect of Bookt as I spend the vast majority of time speaking with Vacation Rental Managers about Online Booking Engines, Property Management Systems and Search Engine Marketing issues. I know enough “tech” to have immediately understood the “story” in this ad, and got the message loud and clear…

How are you telling your story with pictures online? Do you sell your services and vacation rental properties as well as the musclemen for liquidweb sell their heroic support?? Do your online images tell a story with a "direct-hit" on the empathy-button for your target audience???

At Bookt we know that an effective website design must capture the vacation-travel-shopper in the first couple of seconds; otherwise he or she will simply click the back button and look somewhere else.

Our website designs clearly offer the visitor a strong “emotional motive” to stay on your site as it draws them to your properties and your destinations and attractions. We employ very talented designers who will capture the essence of your brand and great story using your property photos as well as photos and images of your destination and all it has to offer.

Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com.

There has never been a better time to find images that resonate with your target audience and succinctly tell and get to the heart of your story online to Get Bookt!

“Packaging” Vacation Rentals – Part 1

joel@bookt.com

Let’s first talk about paint as a "Case Study" for Vacation Rental Managers. Glidden paint. Familiar with it? I am staring at a gallon can of it right now as we are doing some painting in my home, including here in my office.

Primarily sold in Home Depot stores (among several other brands), Glidden paint is a quality American product that recently underwent a “packaging” redesign to recreate, rebuild and reestablish itself as a national consumer brand.

BEFORE:

For competitive reasons and because Glidden had not made any significant marketing changes in years, the Glidden brand was losing 1) share, 2) consumer recognition and 3) sales volume.

Earlier this year, Glidden turned to its expert “packaging” consultants to reinvigorate the brand’s packaging with these two goals: >> First, make the packaging work for HD sales associates so they could better use and reference Glidden’s product range in-store. >> Second, create an emotional connection between the product and the consumer.

With painting season just around the corner (April through October), it was important that Glidden find a way to bring its products back into the eyes of consumers fast.

AFTER:

The solution was to change the ”packaging” – to do a complete overhaul. In fact, the only thing that did not change [in the packaging] was the logo. BUT – while the logo stayed the same, it now appears three times on the packaging, which now enables the HD salesperson or HD consumer to view the logo from any angle.

Next, to create an emotional connection with consumers, the packaging now features photos of real Glidden customers with quotes explaining their experiences with the brand. Further, they have added abstract designs to remind consumers of the feeling of finishing a painting project – with the bright colors and circular elements on a metallic-finish foil stock label giving the package a premium, fresh look. Finally, they simplified the package with info on the can now clean and clear, better displaying the bold colors representing each paint variety. AND – to make the brand stand out further, Glidden put the trays that hold its paint cans to work by carrying the same design elements from the can over to the trays making the brand more eye-catching while creating a shelf block in the HD Stores.

The results: The redesigned Glidden brand began appearing in stores in late April 2009 and continued to roll out in 400 locations through June 2009. Within the first couple of months – before any advertising hit – stores that were reset with the new packaging were reporting a sales boost over stores that hadn’t been reset.

Glidden did all this to make the Glidden brand STANDOUT more for both consumers shopping and the HD sales associates serving these customers and staring at these shelves all day long.

THAT is the first definition of “packaging” – the literal look and feel of your brand. In “Packaging” Vacation Rentals – Part 2 we will drill down on “packaging” your units and offers as part of a larger Travel Offer to incentivize your target customers to book their vacation with you because you have connected the right lodging unit with the right amenities and activities at the right price.

In the meantime, does your Vacation Rental website “package” need a makeover? Is their an emotional connection to your visitors and target clientele? Is your BIG "painting season" just around the corner and does your online vacation rental brand need invigorating and a fresh coat of paint?

Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com.

There has never been a better time to re-package to Get Bookt!

Vacation Rental Managers: “Borrowed Interest”

joel@bookt.com

Borrowed interest advertising — so-named because firms “borrow” consumers’ interest in something outside the company — is a way for vacation rental companies to ride the coattails of much larger events — and is "free", whether it be the Olympics, a president’s birthday, a steep rise in gas prices, a local “happening” in your area, or a newly published article appearing elsewhere. I like reading the great travel articles in Forbes.com and always see the "hook" that Savvy Vacation Rental Managers can deftly apply to communicate their message, and "borrow" the pro or con to capture the interest of their target vacation shopper. Here are a few from Forbes published since May of 2009:

Ten Trips On A Tank Of Gas America's Most Polluted Beaches America's Best National Parks Obama Went To Ghana. Should You? America's Best Bargain Vacations Chill With A Cerveza By The Coup Best American Towns To Visit By Car America's Prettiest Road Trips America's Hidden Travel Gems How To Forage For Springtime Food While the borrowed interest tactic may seem clever, some marketing experts feel it is a recipe for mediocrity. I agree! When every other company is “borrowing” from the same interest in a particular event, how can you expect to differentiate your firm?

A jewelry store, for example, shouldn’t expect killer profits on February 14 without a Valentine’s day promotion in line with all the other jewelers’ campaigns. So while borrowed interest ads can and do provide a boost, they should NOT form the backbone of your advertising strategy. But they do have their place - when used appropriately and when no one else is using them in your market area. That's why I like Forbes.com articles - because they are not the typical "fodder" for the typical Vacation Rental Manager and can make you stand out if "borrowed" in a subtle and useful way! Looking for ideas to book more vacation rental shoppers and stand out online? Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com and we'll talk "borrowed interest" and how this can be applied to your Vacation Rentals utilizing the free tools within the Bookt Platform. Here is some borrowed interest that you can take advantage of because of FVRMA! Offer good whether FVRMA Member or not. There has never been a better time to borrow and Get Bookt!

Keyword-Rich Blogging for Vacation Rental Managers

joel@bookt.com

The following post is Keyword-Rich for Orlando Vacation Rentals: Bookt is working with one of our favorite clients, a savvy vacation rental firm in the Orlando area. We live in Naples Florida on the Gulf in a permanent vacation home, so we do not need a beach vacation – my family likes to go up to the Orlando area a few times a year for a Disney World Vacation. For us, family vacations are a time to think about the cost-savings aspect of vacation rentals like a condo rental or another vacation home rental as we have two sons with wives and children. A Disney vacation is a great option for us because our client provides several types of Disney Vacation Packages – and we get to select our own price-point from a luxury vacation home to an all inclusive vacation villa. While there are oodles of hotels in Orlando, a hotel in Orlando does not offer a kitchen. Vacation homes give you that choice – and I love to cook for my family and turn our time into a dining vacation. Speaking of our great Orlando area vacation home rentals expert, they provide a fl vacation with a difference. Not only can you get a terrific vacation house or vacation condo or your choice of many vacation home rentals, but they can put you in a prime location for Disney vacations, so you may enjoy a Seaworld vacation or Epcot vacation or Pleasure Island vacation or Universal vacation in addition to your Magic Kingdom vacation! Plus they give an amazing amount of customer service that you’ll be glad you did not settle for some vacation rental by owner’s beach vacation rentals this year! There are so many things to do in Orlando! Vacation rent! In one of their vacation villas! No hotels vacation this year! For more info on their Disney World vacation packages, click here! For more info on Keyword-Rich blogging, call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com. There has never been a better time to Blog to Get Bookt!

Bookt @ FVRMA, Destin, FL Aug 17-19

Florida Vacation Rental Managers, if you haven't attended a FVRMA conference, what are you waiting for?! Bookt attended and had a successful 2 day show last week in Destin, Florida located in the Florida Panhandle. The show was not too long, not too short, but just right. We were pleasantly surprised with the Sandestin Resort where the conference was located. It was like a little city in itself with shops, restaurants and bars with every kind of cuisine and all kinds of live music like piano, blues, and jazz. We give a big thanks to the FVRMA team for all their efforts and for choosing such a great place to host the show.

The highlight of our trip was a featured speech by Bookt's President, Robert Kall entitled "The First Decade of the 21st Century: What did we learn and how does it relate to the Vacation Rental Industry?". The talk began with a background on Rob and the real estate industry and how technological advances took the industry to a another level (5 million online leads in 3 years for Remax alone) and how similar technology is available and applicable today to the VR industry. Rob gave solid examples of the way technology is underused and how Vacation Rentals can improve their representation online such as 'Reputation Management' and what happens when you Google your own name or business, the Cloud, aka 'Cloud Computing' (we are all using it but often don't know it), and the online free document management service called Google Docs. People walked away from this presentation with simple, immediate tools to better their business processes and provided them with a much better understanding of technology, how it relates to them, how it changed in the past 10 years and can expect to change in the next 10.

On a side note, if you ever get the chance to go to the Florida Panhandle, make sure you visit the town of Seaside located about 20 minutes up the coast heading East. It is the quaintest little town EVER! I've included a photo of Robert Kall, Joel Fellman and Joel's wife Paula in front of the post office. Seaside is the town where they filmed the movie Truman with Jim Carrey. A must see!

So all in all, a great trip and bonding experience for our team and other exhibitors and Vacation Rental Managers. We look forward to the next one!

New Tactic for Non-Professionally-Managed Vacation Rentals By Owners

joel@bookt.com

We have all heard about “By Owner” rental scams where a consumer gets duped and the vacation rental does not exist or does not live up to its advertising. That’s why vacation-shoppers should always rent with a trusted, Professionally Managed Vacation Rental Co. Still, these Vacation Rental scams give the entire industry a black-eye and while it is not fair... we sometimes get lumped-in here even though it is more the VR By Owner problem.

Check this out: www.rentalseal.com

Interesting idea – to be sure. However, in my humble opinion, these owners would be much better off listing their property with you! Instead of just getting a seal that says “I am not a crook” – think of all of the amazing 24/7 support, services and marketing that you as a professional Vacation Rental Manager have to offer property owners! YOU WIN HANDS DOWN!

Professionally Managed Vacation Rentals are the fastest growing portion of the Vacation Travel segment. While the seal is not a bad idea, the scam artist will use it to their advantage soon enough.

Looking for a platform to show off your Service, your vast array of Accommodation Choices, and your INTEGRITY? Looking for a platform that reeks of TRUST and makes it as easy for the vacation-shopper to book online as they do on Orbitz, Hotels.com or Expedia?

Call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com. There has never been a better time Get Trusted & Get Bookt!

A Little Traveling Music for Vacation Rental Managers & Online Travel Shoppers

joel@bookt.com

While I am not fond of websites that “push” musical interludes at you when you visit, there is some really great vacation music out there if handled in a subtle and professional way.

Here are my top 5 songs/videos for Vacation Rentals – to get your travel shoppers in the mood:

#5: Johnny Cash – I’ve Been Everywhere

#4: B-52’s – Roam

#3: The Beach Boys – Kokomo

#2: The Go-Go's – Vacation

#1: Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman – Time To Say Goodbye

Want to spice up your vacation rental website with some well-placed video or music? Want to do it in a subtle and professional way?

Please call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email us at: joel@bookt.com. There has never been a better time to get the vacation travel shopper "in the mood" & Get Bookt!

Organized Vacation Rental Blog Topics for Vacation Rental Managers

joel@bookt.com

I sort all my blog posts by purpose and topic, and continually update this article - in order to make it easy for Vacation Rental Managers to find exactly what they are looking for.

There has never been a better time to learn more & Get Bookt!

Twitter and Vacation Rental Marketing

joel@bookt.com

As most know by now, Twitter is a micro-blogging site and social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time. Twitter enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers.

The question is… can you tweet your way to additional bookings and traffic to your Vacation Rentals?

Case Study: Twitter & Social Media Marketing For Small Business

Well, it is apparently working for LocalGetaways.com – Hotel and Travel Deals: San Francisco Bay Area, Wine Country, Napa, Sonoma, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Carmel, and more…

RESULTS (as of July 2009): Twitter is currently one of the largest sources of traffic to LocalGetaways.com Secured thousands of qualified followers in less than 30 days Tracked Twitter clicks through to sales Realized more than 20K website clicks in 2 months Generated national traditional media story Tweets trickled out to other social media sites, generating additional website traffic

You can find me tweeting on twitter @ bookt_solid.

The results for LocalGetaways.com speak for themselves. Please call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email: joel@bookt.com. There has never been a better time to tweet & Get Bookt!

Read Any Good Vacation Rental Articles Lately?

joel@bookt.com

Knowledge is Power ...as they say. Are you reading all the articles coming out that feature tips, trends & tech regarding Vacation Rentals? Here are a handful of the articles you may want to check out: Are Vacation Rentals the Hottest Growth Area in Online Travel? Vacation Rentals Hit by Economic Downturn? Here’s Simple Tips That Will Help Boost Your Bookings and Fill Your Calendar. Survey delves into travelers' interest in vacation rentals Are you a Lodging Laggard or a Leader? Airfare, Hotel, and Vacation Rental Sales Abound While this may be a shameless plug for my own Tips, Trends & Tech regarding Vacation Rentals, save this LINK as one of your favorites. Every day of the week I blog on topics specifically for Vacation Rental Managers. Knowledge is Power! Power to ACT! Please call 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or email us at: joel@bookt.com. There has never been a better time to read about the Vacation Rental Industry & Get Bookt!

President Obama Should Consider A Vacation Rental For His Summer Family Getaway

joel@bookt.com

I was reading the Taiwan News the other day. I really was. [I use Google Alerts to keep tabs on vacation-related news stories, and this article was in my Google Alerts email.]

The focus of the story was on how President Obama and past-Presidents seem to get a lot of heat for taking vacations and the high cost to tax-payers for leisure travel by the Vacationer-in-Chief.

Looking for a terrific and economical vacation for you and the family this summer, Mr. President? Why not consider a Vacation Rental at a great destination! You cannot beat the Vacationomics whether you are looking for a beach condo, private home or villa, cozy cottage or mountain retreat.

Plus, many Vacation Rentals are "pet-friendly" so Bo, too, can join you on the First-Family Getaway.

There is something for the whole family in a spot like Orlando. And the mountains in Park City or the ocean in Laguna Beach also deliver wonderful family fun. Seeking local "attractions" or sports? There is a U.S. Air Force museum near Okaloosa Island and Central Florida has some of the best Golf Courses in the world!

Looking for something that's kid-friendly or would you prefer to take the whole family fishing or learn to dive?

Perhaps you would like to really get away. How about an Island like Aruba or R&R on Martha's Vineyard with the Clintons? You were in Paris recently so consider South Beach which rocks all year round. And the rocks around Keystone in Colorado are especially great to climb all summer long.

You have a stressful job and deserve time-off. And you just might find that the Vacationomics of a Vacation Rental may help silence your critics and provide you and your family with memories to savor in the years to come. And yes! Basketball is one of the many amenities available at many Vacation Rental destinations.

My humble suggestion? Take your mind off the problems of the world and Go-Go find your Vacation Rental now! Enjoy your summer. Vacations Rentals are worthy of your Vote!

TripAdvisor Survey Shows Popularity of Vacation Rentals

joel@bookt.com

More terrific news for Vacation Rental Managers...

According to a recent survey by TripAdvisor of more than 2,800 travelers, forty-three percent of travelers said they are staying at a vacation rental in the next 12 months because they believe there are good deals to be had in the market. Twenty-four percent are staying or have already stayed at a vacation rental this summer.

Sixty percent of travelers would take advantage of a great last minute deal at a vacation rental this summer, and 41 percent would require a 50 percent discount or more to entice them to book. Eighty-seven percent of travelers would choose a vacation rental over a hotel if it were a better deal.

The top reason travelers like vacation rentals is that they offer more space, according to 78 percent of travelers. Seventy-seven percent cited access to a full kitchen, while 57 percent noted the benefit of a vacation rental home's privacy.

Among travelers that have already stayed at a vacation rental this summer, the south is the most popular US vacation rental region, according to 37 percent of respondents, followed by the west at 18 percent and northeast at 14 percent.

Twenty-four percent of travelers have stayed at vacation rentals more than 10 times in their lifetime and 14 percent stay at the same property every year.

Sixty-six percent said that the top activities that vacation rentals allow travelers to do is sleep more people, 64 percent said they enjoy the ability to have homemade family or group meals, and 60 percent identified common areas for hanging out. Twenty-three percent believe the best benefit is more privacy for romance.

"Travelers on the hunt for a hot summer deal should take a closer look at vacation rentals," said Bryan Saltzburg, general manager of new initiatives at TripAdvisor. "Many rentals offer comparable amenities to hotels but with more space, privacy and similar comforts of home."

Would you like to see how easily Bookt can integrate TripAdvisor and FlipKey “Third Party Endorsements” into your online marketing approach, please call us today at 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or reach out via email to joel@bookt.com today. There has never been a better time to be in the Vacation Rental Business and Get Bookt!

Summer's Keyword Ranking Recipe

sam@bookt.com

Summer’s Keyword Ranking Recipe

By Sam Marks

Directory of Success, Bookt LLC

2/17/10

There is an estimated 200+ ranking elements that are in

Ingredients

·         Title Tags

·         H1 Header Tags

·         Meta Description & Keywords

·         Keywords in Content

·         Optimized URL’s

·         Limited Trailing Slashes

·         Sitemap’s

·         Alt & Image Tags

·         Local Search Submissions

·         Inbound links

·         Domain Trust and Authority

·         URL Remapping

·         Age of Domain and Content

·         Topical Relevance of linked sites

·         Server Speed & Stability

·         Site historical data i.e. CTR

cluded in Google’s organic search algorithms. These coveted codes, although manipulated by some in the past have never been fully cracked. Further, the search engine indexes are always evolving and becoming smarter in order to show only the most relevant results for users. Google’s optimization recommendations, along side of statistically backed theories, split tests, and years of data mining have all combined to become what is known as SEO ‘Best Practices”. This summer, familiarize yourself with some of the more important ranking factors, and develop a plan to optimize your lodging website for the coming fall.

Preparation: 1 Week

Get the ‘low-down’ on the competition in your marketplace

All the energy and resources in the world can be futile without the proper preparation. You need to first understand your strengths and the competition’s weaknesses, and then put in place an aggressive strategy to obtain organic search traffic. Conduct the following research:

1. To begin, break your market into segments and determine where you have clusters of prominence. On a broad level recognize your country/state/province and even county; then establish the cities, regions, neighborhoods, developments and even streets that apply to your property.

2. Next, you want to identify your rental unit specialties if you are a vacation rental, or your hotel amenities if you are a hotel. Consider what your guests are asking forand what you can also accommodate. What people typically ask for when at your hotel or rental property is more often than not the same criteria for which people will search for online, so optimizing your pages with these keywords will resonate well with your organic search initiatives. Just to give you some ideas, here are some we know to be popular: with private pool, near beach, on golf course, waterfront, near attractions, by convention center, with boat slip, with mountain view, near ski lift.

3. Last, distinguish your property types. Terms such as ‘Hotels’, ‘Vacation Rentals’, ‘Resorts’ are the most common but are generally the most competitive terms in a market area. Don’t be afraid to target other terms such as ‘suites’, ‘lodging’, ‘accommodations’,’ villas’, ‘studios’, etc.

4. With this data defined, you now can make a list of primary target keywords, and secondary long tail keywords. Use the following tools to gauge the search volume, competition, and trends of each keyword phrase. Now you can develop your final lists of keyword targets. Time to start cooking!

-external keyword tools – for volume and competition

-Google trends – for keyword trends

Directions

1. Fine tune your Title tags

If you do only one thing this summer, review and fine tune every page’s title tag. These HTML tags identify what your page is about for both visitors and search engines. Use the keywords determined during the previous exercise as the base for your property pages. Most importantly, make sure your title tags actually relate to the content on the particular page.

*For extra flavor-fine tune and optimize your Meta descriptions, and keywords. The SEO values of this initiative are highly debated, but one thing is for sure, a well-written and targeted meta description will improve your click through rate on the SERPs. This will send more visitors to your site, and improve your historical data with the engines.

2. Rewrite and normalize your URL’s

Without clean and normalized URL’s, it’s difficult for search engines to properly index all of your pages. The more pages your site has in the indexes, the larger your footprint. In addition, having clean, keyword rich URL’s will improve your click through rate on the SERP’s. If you see a parameter in any of your site’s URLs such as “?”, then it is not search engine friendly. Additionally, if you are a vacation rental, try to limit numeric characters identifying your properties and instead, maximize the attributes i.e. property type, market area, and amenities.

*For extra flavor – try to limit the number of trailing slashes “/” in your URL’s. Most SEO experts agree to never exceed 4, for example www.myvacationhomes.com/searchhomes/floridakeys/condos/karas-cottage-nearbeach. Each additional slash will dilute the trailing keywords, so keep it simple this summer.

3. Say Hello to the Search Engines

It’s time that you formally introduce your website to the search engines. Of course, it’s best if you dress up your site in modern fashion prior to the introduction… after all, these are the governors of the Internet. Create both an HTML and XML sitemap. An HTML sitemap can be useful for your site visitors as well as the search engines. The XML sitemap should be located off the root of your domain (e.g. www.mydomain.com/sitemap.xml)) and then formally submitted to Google, Yahoo, and Bing through their respective webmaster tools. This dynamic XML feed will provide quick and easy navigation for the engines to regularly crawl your pages.

*For extra Flavor – while you are busy submitting your sitemaps in the respective engines, take the extra initiative and make a local search submission for your website/company. You will be surprised at how much traffic a page 1 local search listing can drive. It also extends your footprint in the search engine indexes.

4. Sleep, Eat, Build Links - Sleep, Eat, Build Links - Sleep, Eat, Build Links

This summer instead of squeezing oranges, reach out to where the real juices is – inbound links. Link building is without a doubt one of the most important and influential pieces of SEO, that is if it appears natural.

*For Extra Flavor – Read our 3 part series of Link Building

Topics include:

-Building links from sites with topical relevance

- Obtaining links from trusted and authoritative sites

- Deeplinking – spreading your juice to deep landing pages

- Avoiding link farms and spam sites

- The weight of links, including reciprocal vs. one way

-Out linking can be healthy too!

The Bookt Platform maximizes the automation of SEO elements to minimize your leg work. 10+ years of SEO theory testing has given us tremendous insight on the optimization initiatives that matter and we built our platform from the bottom up with this in mind. Our SEO Scorecard shows you a real time analysis of your keyword and other SEO related performance metrics so you can see ‘the proof is in the pudding’.

Bragging Rights for Vacation Rental Managers

joel@bookt.com

Despite “rumors” to the contrary, vacation rental guests are extremely satisfied with their accommodations and rental experience.

According to PhoCusWright's landmark study of the industry called Vacation Rental Marketplace: Poised for Change, nine in 10 vacation rental guests intend to rent again within three years and would recommend to a family member or friend. Nine out of 10! You cannot do much better than that!

How do these rumors get started? It’s the usual suspects. One bad apple spoils the barrel. In other words, guests who are not satisfied, or worse – have a BAD experience and their accommodations are not clean or do not live up to expectations, tell everyone. And the industry suffers by reputation.

How do we fix this? We keep sharing all the success stories, great reviews and testimonials. AND, continue to deliver great condos, cabins, vacation homes, villas and GREAT SERVICE.

Congratulations Vacation Rentals Managers. Keep up the great work and brag a little. You’ve earned the right! The PhoCusWright!

AND, if you would like to see how easily Bookt can integrate your success stories, great reviews and testimonials into your online marketing approach, please call us today at 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or reach out via email to joel@bookt.com today. Ask me about Bookt's Summer Specials! There has never been a better time to Get Bookt!

Indian Shores Florida Vacation Rentals: Blog Topic Ideas

joel@bookt.com

Picking great topics to write about on your Vacation Rental Site blog will serve the needs of:

Vacation travel-shoppers who will find your targeted content helpful in planning their trip.
Search Engines like Google, YAHOO, MSN, AOL who are looking for targeted keywords that match the content and links that these same vacation travel-shoppers are searching for.

Currently, Bookt is working with a Vacation Rental Property Manager covering the Clearwater Beach, St. Petersburg Beach, Indian Rocks Beach… to Madeira Beach, Sand Key, Belleair, & the Redingtons in FL. Let’s use her as an example of the precise kind of subjects that she and her staff could be blogging about – starting with the following rules of engagement:

Blog about what you know – what your “sweet spot” is.
Blog about subjects that will resonate with your target audience.
Blog about timely information or events.

Here are some practical Topic ideas (with search-engine-optimized Headlines) that might make great blog articles and will engage both the travel-shopper and the Search Engines:

Indian Shores Florida Vacation Rentals: Come celebrate Indian Shores 60th Anniversary and Rock Around the Clock on Saturday, August 1st

Looking for Fishing or Golf Packages during your stay at Barefoot Beach Resort on the Florida Gulf Intracoastal? Book your Vacation Condo HERE and Learn More!

Looking for Fishing or Golf Packages during your stay at Barefoot Beach Resort on the Florida Gulf Intracoastal? Book your Vacation Condo HERE and Learn More!

Rent an Economical Vacation Home Near Clearwater Beach – Busch Gardens and Tampa Zoo Close By for Family Vacation FUN!

Monthly Condo Rentals on Beautiful Belleair Beach – Value Season Starts September 1st. Our Staff Overlooks No Detail while you Overlook the Gulf of Mexico!

Vacation Rental Success Story on Indian Shores: “Our BIG Condo was amazing! You spoiled us! The beach is beautiful and the location was perfect!"

Great Shopping Venues Near Sand Key Florida Delight both Budget and Luxury Vacation Travelers!

Blogging is a great way to stand-out and get noticed online. Both vacation travel-shoppers and search engines eat this content up! Speaking of food, here is the final blog post topic/headline:

Casa De Playa Condos – a Terrific Central Location for your Florida Vacation Rental – Dining-Out or Dining-In, Great Shopping, Water Sports, Beachfront, 90-Minutes to Orlando Theme Parks

Want to learn more about blogging? The medium is the message! Read this post entitled: Blogging Webinars for Vacation Rental and Lodging Managers

Here is a Great Service to Provide to your Vacation Rental Clients

joel@bookt.com

"Trust" is something you build and it takes time and attention to the big and small details.

This morning I researched "home security" for people taking a trip. Add this to your chain of communications with guests and vacation travel shoppers to reinforce that you consider trust and security issues a top priority. The email below is part of a larger automated email campaign sent to “Booked” Guests prior to their trip.

Hello Mr. and Ms. Jones!

We are all ready for your arrival on August 17th and look forward to serving you in Paradise Coast! As you prepare for your trip, here are some helpful hints that offer peace-of-mind while you are enjoying your time-off.

Home Security Considerations When Away On Vacation > Don't tell non-trusted people you are traveling. > Tell a trusted neighbor you are going and to watch your home. > Leave a car parked in the driveway. > Put interior and exterior lights and a radio on timers. > Don't record voice mail message that says you are gone. > Stop newspaper or let neighbor collect paper/mail/deliveries daily. > Lock doors/windows; wedge sliding glass doors shut. > Tell security service you're going; provide alternate contacts. > Take photo or video inventory of your valuables. > Hide small valuable items like jewelry. > Engrave your name onto larger valuables/computers/bikes/etc.

We cannot wait to meet you and want your visit to Paradise Coast to be relaxing, secure and FUN!

- Your friends at Paradise Vacation Rentals!

Did you know that at Bookt, we make it very easy for you to create and automatically send Bulk or Special Emails AND entire multi-part Email Campaigns to your clients and prospects?

To learn more about this and many other dynamic Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, please telephone us today at 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or reach out via email to joel@bookt.com - Trust me... we have the tools to help you build a "trusted-bond" with your clients and target vacation travel shoppers. "In Bookt Tech We Trust!"

Vacation Rentals: Where Leisure Travel and Real Estate Collide!

joel@bookt.com

Collide? Maybe that’s too strong a word. But certainly, trillions of dollars in Real Estate and Leisure Travel meet, amass, convene and connect at a location-location-location called Vacation Rentals. And precisely at that intersection stands Bookt – a true thought-leader in the integration of these two massive industries, with one foot firmly planted in online property marketing and technology and the other foot firmly planted in online lodging marketing and technology. Bookt is precisely and faithfully there where these two behemoths overlap and intertwine.

Since 2001, we have been successfully marketing real estate and vacation rental properties online. On a daily basis, hundreds of thousands of agents and consumers use our platforms to advertise and find real estate and vacation rentals. While we are focused now solely on online lodging solutions and vacation-rental-shopping consumers, our proven technology has driven well over 6 million leads to our clients and we have created the best of breed lead capture and conversion tools in the industry to turn those leads into sales and online reservations.

If you are a Property Manager and want to increase your online lead capture and conversion for your condos, vacation homes, cabins or villas – look no further. You’ll find us standing tall @ 123 Bookt Blvd at a location-vacation-location near you. To learn more, please call us at 1-800-941-0868 x 934 or reach out via email to joel@bookt.com today.

Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association (FVRMA) – Bookt is Proud Member!

joel@bookt.com

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.

Plus, taking advantage of our Hot Deals is the frosting on the Summer Cupcake.

Package	Usual Price	Summer Special
Market Leader	$9900	$7920
Pro Office	$5900	$4720
Standard	$3900	$3120
Starter	$1900	$1520

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.

Vacation Rentals on Mars?

joel@bookt.com

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!

Blog, Blog, Blog for Online Success!

joel@bookt.com

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… -----------------------------------

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!

-----------------------------------

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.

A New Model for the Vacation Rental Industry

sam@bookt.com

A New Era, a New Model for the Vacation Rental Industry Bookt Launches Industry-First Platform to Drive Visibility, Bookings and Revenue MIAMI, FL – Oct 20th, 2008 – One of the fastest-growing sectors of the worldwide leisure travel market is the vacation rental industry. Once relegated to regionality and at the mercy of travel agents and immeasurable word of mouth, vacation rentals have moved into a new era of distribution and visibility thanks to significant demographic and technological shifts within the global lodging industry, and a growing consumer base that demands more choice than ever before. The evolution of the vacation rental industry has been facilitated by a confluence of key drivers and changing market conditions, according to Bookt founder and President, Rob Käll. Käll’s company, which has been more than a year in the making, capitalizes on the industry’s recognition for standardization and consolidation in an increasingly fragmented landscape, and need for more marketing channels for vacation rentals inventory. There are other players in the arena, but what sets Bookt apart is its true comprehensiveness. Developed for the global vacation rental industry, Bookt’s proprietary platform allows for a much greater degree of flexibility in design, content and business rules than is currently available. Importantly, Bookt’s platform Connect allows for full integration of client information with virtually every leading management system and portal. By providing a solid platform on which to build a highly successful marketing, sales and visibility strategy for vacation rental units, Bookt helps vacation rental managers, tour operators, developers and larger travel organizations with diverse types of properties and portfolios attract and optimize their ideal customer bases far beyond current industry norms. Founded by travel industry, e-commerce and tech professionals steeped in the nuances of the real estate marketplace, Bookt is able to develop strategies and solutions tailored to the unique dynamics of vacation rental properties. Bookt’s bi-industrial approach shows a deep and sophisticated understanding of its clients’ needs, targets, and operational aims to better manage inventory, increase efficiency and usability, and of course, drive revenues. “Simply, the Bookt platform is the foundation upon which a successful vacation rental strategy is built. Our services expand on standardized industry capabilities to reconcile consumer-centric searching and effective online booking, solving a huge problem that has dogged the lodging industry for years,” says Käll. “Bookt’s solutions integrate valuable consumer data with third-party property management systems and portals, affecting a seamless transition for companies already utilizing a PMC, and are hosted in the company’s scalable datacenter, ensuring centralization and security. In other words, a complete turn-key solution.” Bookt’s modus operandi [approach] clearly differs from others in the vacation rental landscape [eco-system]. Its sites are designed to provoke an emotional response from potential consumers, presenting them with more features and options to drive better conversion rates. Combined with a focus on expansive property search within each site and search engine optimization (SEO), vacation rental professionals can develop an immediate, and impressive, global web presence that yields tangible results. The way Bookt sees it, the vacation rental industry is on the brink of great expansion. The maturity of new technologies, the emergence of new tourism hubs, the industry’s overall shift to online marketing and the need to turn underutilized real estate holdings into profit centers, has created the need for a new business model and new industry platform for the vacation rental industry - the Bookt platform. For more information about Bookt or to arrange an interview with Rob Käll, please contact Vanessa Horwell at vanessa@thinkinkpr.com or +1.305.776.8817. Success stories, fact sheets and data regarding vacation rental industry trends are available upon request.

Bookt Showcases at VRMA

sam@bookt.com

Vacation Rentals: Here and Now at the VRMA Conference Bookt’s Solutions for the Vacation Rentals Industry on Show at Industry Conference, October 26-28 PHEONIX, AZ - Oct 20th, 2008 –

In just a few short years, the vacation rental industry has blossomed and boomed , growing to a $63 billion dollar market and steadily gaining share of the larger, $100 billion leisure travel industry. Complex, largely unknown outside the industry, and definitely underestimated, the U.S. vacation rental market is poised for change. Thanks to some significant demographic and technological shifts within the global lodging industry, and a growing consumer base that demands more choice than ever before, vacation rentals have finally moved into a new era of distribution and visibility thanks to companies like Bookt. Bookt, who will be exhibiting at the upcoming VRMA (Vacation Rental Managers Association) conference in Phoenix next week, is an important figure in the vacation rental industry landscape. Bookt works very closely –here and around the globe - with vacation rental managers, tour operators, developers and larger travel organizations with diverse types of properties and portfolios, to attract and optimize their ideal customer bases far beyond current industry norms.

The company offers industry-specific web solutions tailored to the unique dynamics of vacation rental properties and provides a solid platform on which companies can build a highly successful marketing, sales and visibility strategy for their rental units. Bookt will be demonstrating its portfolio of services at the VRMA, including Bookt Connect, Bookt Site Widgets and the Bookt Control Panel; combined these allow for a much greater degree of flexibility in website design, content management and business rules than is currently available with other providers. Bookt will also be participating in industry discussions that focus on how suppliers, intermediaries and consumers connect, and presenting industry trends from its study of the vacation rental marketplace. Founded by experts in the travel industry, e-commerce and technology fields, and steeped in the nuances of the real estate marketplace, Bookt’s bi-industry approach shows a deep and sophisticated understanding of the vacation rental industry’s needs, targets, and operational aims to better manage inventory, increase efficiency and usability, and of course, drive revenues.

According to Bookt, the vacation rental industry is on the brink of great expansion. The maturity of new technologies, the emergence of new tourism hubs, the industry’s overall shift to online marketing and the need to turn underutilized real estate holdings into profit centers, has created an urgent need for a new business model and new industry platform for the vacation rental industry – the Bookt platform. Visitors to the VRMA conference will have the opportunity of seeing Bookt’s successes within the vacation rental industry, as well receiving information on lodging and hospitality trends in 2009. For more information on Bookt or to schedule an interview at the VRMA in Pheonix, please contact media liaisons Vanessa Horwell or Jennifer Rodrigues at 305.749.5342, or Vanessa@thinkinkpr.com or jrodrigues@thinkinkpr.com. ________________________________________________________________________________ About Bookt Bookt is a comprehensive web services provider to the global vacation rental industry, delivering seamless integration and turn-key web solutions. Headquartered in the US, the company provides a complete range of services for vacation rental managers, tour operators, developers and larger travel organizations ranging from sophisticated website development, online marketing services, search engine optimization and CRM strategies, to a wide range of domestic and international clients. For more information, please visit www.bookt.com.

Is Your Sales Pitch Photo Rich?

sam@bookt.com

An Undeniable Asset: You know the old real estate phrase “location, location, location”? Well when dealing with vacation rentals, an equally important aspect is “Photos, Photos, Photos”. Photos are more important than ever when marketing Vacation Rentals and Real Estate. In fact, a recent study by the California Association of Realtors found that Multiple Photographs/Slideshows continue to be the online feature with the highest rating among all online features, followed by Maps and Directions. Photo – A First Impression: Just like a handshake, a centralized photograph is going to be the first and lasting impression upon your audience. A good photograph will capture the consumer’s attention and encourage him to read on and click through. Use this knowledge to your advantage, because just as most things, it can be used for better or for worse. Make sure your putting up quality photos, displaying all aspects of the property. If the resolution is low, ask the realtor or property owner to provide a new one, or just do it yourself…it’s that important! Quality AND Quantity: In this case, a healthy photo mix of quantity of quality will have the most positive impact on your site, and business. Research has proven that more photos listed on a property resulted in more click through and leads. A company Point2.com conducted a similar study. They found that: *Monitored over a 30 day period. o Listings with 1 photo generated 5 views and 1.37 leads o Listings with > 21 photos generated 77 views and close to 11 leads In conclusion, listings that added an additional 20 photos generated nearly 10x the number of leads and over 15x the number of views Consistency Across All Delivery Points: It is important to remember this information across all marketing channels, not just your website. Because more than likely it’s the other channels that will bring a wide audience to your website…so stay consistent. Whether its inventory advertising, blogs, brochures, flyers, magazine articles, press releases, real estate preview guides or your office window, remember to keep it “Photo Rich”

Bookt's VRMA Success

sam@bookt.com

Last week (oct. 26th, 2008), The Bookt team traveled to Chandler, Arizona to showcase their new platform at the annual Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA) convention. For the first time since the company's inception, Bookt was able to meet face to face with industry professionals and show off their Vacation Rental web solutions. The 2 day show, hosted at the Wild Horse Sheraton, attracted a huge audience of vendors and property managers both domestic and abroad. For two full days, Bookt showcased its platform (at their booth) which has been specifically developed to help property managers market and book their properties online. The team was also able to put in motion several partnerships with 3rd party portals and reservation systems. These partnerships will benefit property managers buy allowing them to sync their listings/data between the Bookt platform and any other services they are currently using - and innovative solution termed Bookt Connect. After the convention, the Bookt team traveled back to their corporate office in Miami, Florida. Bookt invites and encourages all VRMA members, and those who didn't have a chance to attend this year's conference to Contact themand schedule a free online demo of their Vacation Rental web solutions.