Is it worth having your own website?

1

Dear fellow hosts,

I’ve had my website running for a year now and I never got a single booking from it in a year. To be honest I never invested money to advertise it apart from a dedicated Facebook page. Do you think I should try harder on the website or ditch it and just focus on the booking platforms? Your thoughts?

2

A website can work as part of an integrated marketing approach, as long as you have mechanisms in place to optimise the site and drive traffic to it. A FB page (how many followers do you have from your target market) just won’t cut it.

If you don’t have the time/inclination/budget/knowledge to maintain and promote it - there’s your answer.

3

I always think it takes about 3 years to get your name about without spending money.
Do you take online bookings and payments, nearly all my direct bookings are guests that have previously stayed through a booking platform or they’ve been recommended. I also get quite a few clicks from Google & Bing maps.
ps I haven’t spent a penny on promoting it.

4

I have a website for something else and it is a perennial problem to try to search engine optimise it. It’s for an area where there is lots of local competition. I would say use platforms unless you have expertise, time and money to throw at the website.

5

Do you have a contact form on the website? Or do you just drive bookings via linking Air and other platforms??

Once I added a contact form (VERY recently) I immediately got superb inquiries and bookings … no Air fees on top …