Travelnest news
Getting the most out of Travelnest Direct
18 Feb 2023
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By Sophie Eminson
We’re excited to announce a brand new way to advertise your vacation rentals online. Travelnest Direct allows you to easily promote your vacation rental listings and receive guest bookings through your own unique web page. Take control of your bookings and avoid high commission fees, as well as powering your own marketing. You can choose how and where you advertise your vacation rental, with the help of the dedicated Travelnest Direct area in your Travelnest account.
How does Travelnest Direct work?
All Travelnest customers have their own personal Direct website for each of their properties that they can access, manage and share from within their Travelnest account. The Direct page is complete with a seamlessly integrated live calendar, photo gallery, interactive map and a secure payment system giving guests a great overview of the property itself. Best of all, it’s completely optimised for mobile. The information which appears on your Direct page will be taken straight from your Travelnest account and automatically updated regularly. As its direct, there is no added channel fees – meaning you’ll only pay 5% commission which includes payment processing fees. Travelnest handles all the hard stuff. All you need to do is share the page with potential guests.
Where should I share my link?
To ensure a steady stream of traffic it’s important to share your Direct links anywhere you can. Whether it’s Facebook groups, Twitter, Instagram or even ads in local newsletters. We’ve compiled some more suggestions below to help!
Social media
Social media has revolutionised the way businesses can reach their customers and advertise. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram provide a direct line to potential customers, allowing businesses to create relationships with them through these channels. If you already use social media to promote your vacation rental, its a great place to promote your Direct link (for example by adding the link to your bio on Instagram). If you don’t already use social media, it’s a great place to get started and grow your business.
Messaging
Sharing your Direct link via message is the quickest and easiest way to get it out to family, friends, trusted guests, and more. Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, SMS, or any other communication platform are great ways to share your direct bookings link with ease. Not only can you quickly get your message across, but you can also streamline communication with guests by providing them with an instant response to any enquiries they may have. This helps make the booking process smoother and less complicated.
Business website
If you run a business website for your vacation rental, adding a link to your Travelnest Direct page is another effective way to get more bookings. You can add your Direct link to a button or widget, or find other creative ways to include it on your website. Doing this helps create trust between you and the guest, as they know they are being directed to a legitimate booking processing page; as well as allowing guests to check up-to-date availability and make bookings quickly and easily directly from your website without you having to do the hard work.
Repeat guests
Finally, link out to your page in emails or any other communication methods you have with guests after their stay. Many hosts choose to reach out to guests after their stay to request reviews or feedback, or simply just to say thanks! This is also a perfect opportunity to share you direct bookings link, especially if they had a great stay. This encourages repeat bookings, and guests may also share the link with family and friends.
If you’re a Travelnest member you can find your Direct link in your Travelnest account, or sign up for free today. You can also check out our guide on how to develop a social media strategy to secure bookings. We also have a dedicate FAQ page which answers some of the top questions.