If you own a vacation rental property and want to rise to the top of the vacation rental market, people need to know that your rental is one of the best. How can you be a superstar in the world of vacation rentals? It’s all about word of mouth. Get standout vacation rental reviews with these tips.

Vacation rentalsWhy Do Reviews Matter?

If you want to buy a new pair of running shoes, a vacuum, or a vacation, where do you turn? More and more, people look online for advice. According to Search Engine Land, “nearly 9 in 10 consumers have read online reviews to determine the quality of a local business, and 39% do so on a regular basis.”

You want to know about the characteristics of the product, but most of all, you want to know what other people think of it. If a product gets consistently poor reviews or if reviews are quite mixed, you might not purchase the product. The same applies to your vacation rental. If prospective visitors see many poor reviews, they’ll click away from your rental and onto a new one.

1. Focus on the Visitor Experience

When you’re managing vacation rentals, you need to understand visitors’ experiences and give them the vacation that they deserve. From water toys for the children to chocolates on the pillow for a couple’s weekend, adding these small touches adds a lot to your relationship with your guests. It makes them feel welcomed, and it increases your chances of getting a positive review.

2. Give a Human Touch

Whether you run ten vacation rentals or you have a single rental, you want to give your visitors the feeling that they’re talking with a human all of the way from booking to the end of their stay and beyond. If your marketing and communication is too generic and automated, it feels easier for visitors to give you a bad review. It feels like they’re just reviewing the property, not a person’s business.

3. Solicit Feedback

People are willing to give reviews for very good and very poor service, but if they have a pleasant stay, they might not consider adding a review. Be sure to ask your guests to give a review, but do it at the appropriate time. Thank them for coming, and follow up with a note about a review as their stay is ending. According to Vacation Rental Marketing, you should aim for reviews from those who are extremely satisfied: “when soliciting reviews, target only the crème of the guest crop.”

4. Be Humble

Pushing for a good review leaves a bad taste in a visitor’s mouth, and it can actually lead to poor reviews. Be humble when you ask for a review. Let your visitors know that online reviews are a big part of running a business these days, and if they wouldn’t mind spending a few moments filling out a review, it could help you improve your rental and help others learn about it.

5. Ask for Complaints

You might not want your complaints to be posted online for all to see, but you do need to know about any problem areas that affect your business. If you don’t know, how will you improve? Provide other venues for complaints so that your guests know that you’ll address their concerns. This could be a comment card, an email address, or a phone number that they can call during or after their stay. According to the Vacation Rental Marketing blog, “if one particular bit of criticism is repeated by multiple people, there should be extra effort to take it seriously.”

When you do get complaints, ridiculous or otherwise, you need to address them in a public and professional way. Address the specific situation, and let your guests know that you’re always working to improve.

At Lori Gill & Associates and Windermere Vacation Rentals Lake Chelan, we know that you work hard to market your vacation rentals. If you need help with your marketing strategies, we’re here to provide that assistance. Let us manage your rental properties, and you’ll see how easy it can be to own a vacation rental. Connect with us today.