Apr 26, 2012 4:12 AM
Newbie...need some basic info?
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Hi - I apologize if this subject has been treated elsewhere, but I have some very basic questions and I am not finding the answers.
1) I don't qualify for the reservations manager as my home is in France and I don't have the requisite 6 months on HomeAway yet. I know nothing about how to accept payments. Where can I find an article that tells me what my options are?
2) I am completely new to renting and thought Homeaway guided you through the process but feel like I have been left in the lurch a bit. Now that I have put up my site am not sure what is expected and how to handle things from here on in. Is there a checklist somewhere that takes me through accepting reservations, rental agreements, security deposits etc...
3) Is there any way I can see how many views my page is getting. I've looked but see no way to do this though other people in this communtiy seem to know how many views they get vs. inquiries.
4) Any advice on my page would be aprreciated.
Thank you....
sydsyd,
Homeaway has provided owners with extensive downloads, checklists and forms on everything you mentioned above. It's a little hidden though so I will guide you on where to find everything. If you look on the top of the page, there is a dark blue link called FORUMS. Click on that and you will 6 different categories. If you looking for rental agreements, click on POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. You will then see 4 light blue tabs named OVERVIEW>DISCUSSION>ARTICLES>POLLS>
If you click on ARTICLES, you will see tons of reading material on everything you can imagine If you looking for housekeeping, etc., then click on the appropriate link and then click on ARTICLES for that section. When I started years ago, these forms and advice was invaluable to me. Take some time to read through everything. It's going to take a while and then come back here and ask specific questions.
As to the view counter, you should be able to see that in your dashboard, I think. Are you on vrbo or homeaway? I can take a look and try to find it.
Thanks for your informative reply. I am reading those sections now and will comeback with questions. I am on Homeaway and don't see a viewcounter on my dashboard but then again, maybe I am not looking in the right place. It seems like it would be hepful to know if I am getting any views at all....Thank you.
On Homeaway, you need to sign into your dashboard and under listing summary is the # of visits your page has had. It is right under status. It is a running total.
Sydsyd,
For a reservations manager, I use ReservationKey.com and have used it for 4 years. It's inexpensive, has a billing component, and is extremely straightforward.
As for seeing the amount of views your website gets, I recommend installing Google Analytics (free). If you only have a VRBO listing, I think you can see your stats (views, inquiries) in the owners dashboard.
As for advice, the best thing you can do is consume as much vacation rental marketing information as possible. These forums are a good start. But there's nothing that generates bookings like experience. There are a bunch of great sites out there. Good luck!!!
Matt, author of The Vacation Rental Marketing Blog
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