- Introduction
- Step 1
Preparation - Step 2
Content - Step 3
Offline Advertising - Step 4
Online Classified and Directories - Step 5
Online Listing Sites - Step 6
Search Engines - Step 7
Optimization
Step 1 – Preparation
Your domain name
Your domain name is imperative to the success of your website; it is where you will direct all your potential customers to. For them to become customers you have to make a good first impression, and having an ‘iowners.net’ web address enables you to do this.
Your domain name is your own unique identity and you will have more traffic to your website as more and more people use and remember your address (if you haven’t yet then do check out the My Website Stats in your Central Management Area), as your marketing starts to kick in and as the Search Engines (see Step 6) begin to recognise & list your site.
Sometimes size does matter. There are a number of advantages to having a shorter domain name - it's easier to brand, easier to remember and it's harder to misspell. For example www.cocobay.iowners.net
Alternatively, having a name that is easy to remember and sounds good also works… general words are usually best for this. Take www.bulgariaadventure.iowners.net for example.
For Optimization purposes (go to Step 7 to find out more about Optimization) a reference to the property (eg villa, cottage, apartment etc.) and its location is advisable. For example using devoncottage, villacostablanca, floridacondo or apartmentingeneva is favourable with Search Engines
If you want to change the domain name you registered with originally, then simply click the ‘Edit website name’ in your Central Management Area and enter your new choice. Remember that this will change your future login details as your domain is also your username.
Where is your market?
To successfully and efficiently market your property you will need to understand where the majority of your renters will come from.
Are holidaymakers in your region primarily English, Dutch, German, American or a mixture of different nationalities?
Does the area of your property attract golfers, skiers or water sports enthusiasts? Is it truly a family orientated venue with lots of activities for kids to do? Is it seasonal? Do you provide facilities for young children… or the elderly?
Will you consider ‘long term rentals’?
Once you answer these questions (and many others) then you can recognise and choose the most relevant media for the right nationalities… and the right magazines and websites dedicated to the specific target markets of golfers, skiers, divers etc. We do suggest that you consider producing your website in more than one language… see My Languages in your Central Management Area for more information.
Setting a budget
How much do you want to spend on advertising and promoting your property? Set yourself a budget for advertising and stick to it. When planning how to spend it, do keep a percentage back for ad hoc promotions and to re-enforce some of the more successful advertising campaigns. What we’re saying is “don’t spend it all at once”!
It is also important that you keep accurate records of where you advertise and of where holidaymakers first heard of your property. Then in the future your marketing can be more targeted using those mediums that gave you the best responses.