If you have a small hotel or BnB, then you will understand the importance of advertising your space.
In fact, without advertising it’s very unlikely that you will get any traction at all for your venture.
Sure, you could go to one of the larger websites out there that will advertise your hotel or BnB for you, but they’ll take a cut of your profits and you will in the end be accountable to them.
You would be forgiven for wanting to do this yourself and keep the business all yours.
Take a look at what others are doing on review sites like reviewsbird.co.uk. This way you can get an idea of what is out there. Researching your niche is very important before you start this venture.
You’ll want to know what others’ opinions on hotel bookings are in your area so that you can appropriately market yourself.
Know Your Customer
Knowing your customer is vital before you start anything. By checking what else is available in your area, you can begin to position yourself in the market.
Once you have done this, then you will have a good idea of your customers’ budgets, what they are looking for in a stay away from home, and why they would choose you over the competition.
Knowing your customer will allow you to market yourself appropriately.
Options For Building The Website
If you are going it alone, and making your own site, then you’ll need to choose between a hosted option, such as Wix or Squarespace, or building your own.
The advantage with choosing one of the all-in-one sites is that they probably have all of the functionality that you’ll need built in.
Beware though, you should check thoroughly beforehand to make sure that you can do what you want to do. Much of this functionality is added with plugins. You’ll need to pay for these in many instances. In addition, these sites have a monthly fee that you will need to take into account in your finances.
Alternatively, you could choose your own content management system, such as WordPress, Joomla or Drupal.
This would mean you would need to create the site from scratch, Whilst you don’t need to be a coding expert, you will need a certain amount of computer savvy. This option isn’t best for those who are just starting out fresh.
The advantage of doing this though is you will reduce the monthly fees and the website is completely within your control.
The Paid Option
If you want to ensure that you get a professional site with the least fuss, then obviously paying for an expert to build the site for you is the way to go.
This can get quite expensive, but you can be sure to get something stunning if you choose the right designer.
Costs can always be put through the business, so there will be benefits there, and you will have the peace of mind in knowing that it was professionally built.
