I compiled a check list for vacation rental websites prior to the heavy season. The list is based on the renter’s comments, our observations and general industry research. The goal of this list is to have your visitors (and potential guests) to enjoy your site and come again.

1. First impression counts.
If you are running a great vacation rental, why settle for a not so great website. The bad news is the time of copy/paste websites from Microsoft Word is long gone. The good news is that it doesn’t cost a fortune anymore to build a professional looking website. I am a big fan of Wordpress, so here is a scenario that I want to offer you:
Step 1 – Buy hosting (30 minutes max)
Step 2 – Set up Wordpress -most hosting plans come with the ability to set up Wordpress (30 min).
Step 3 – Find a theme that you like (1 hour or less). In 2 hours you will have a great start. There are many variations – you can pay for custom design; you will want to experiment with pictures that you have. However, it will pay on the long run to have Wordpress content management. You will not be stuck to “canned” predefined designs, you can make more entries. You can have designs for each season – just find nice templates for summer or winter and within minutes, your site will look new.

Here are a few sites I found by simply doing a quick search online for vacation rentals websites built with Wordpress:

• http://southernitaly.wordpress.com
• http://beachfrontonly.wordpress.com
• http://villascapeflorida.com
• http://www.floridavacationrentals-usa.com
• http://www.crespilane.com/content/
• http://www.dillonbeachvacationrental.com
• http://seattleduckhouse.wordpress.com
• http://www.matzkoscottage.com

2. Stick with a clean and easy to understand design.
Flying stars and falling leaves needs to go. All scripts must be replaced. Every page has to be clean and simple. The motto of current Internet promoters is “don’t make them think”. Anyone who comes to your website needs to know from the very first visit that it is about your perfect vacation home.

A website that’s easy to understand will help your visitor make a decision and it will also help you to maintain your site.

3. Clear navigation is the key!
Every vacation rental website has the same set of pages:

1. Vacation home details
2. Availability calendar
3. Picture gallery
4. Rates
5. How to contact or book information

Most of your visitors are expecting to find this information easily. Remember you have only 7 seconds to present your site to someone who comes to it for first time.

Clear and simple navigation without menu options, pop-ups and other complicated items is the best way to lead potential guests through your website to the information they’re looking for.

4. Ensure that your content is up to date.
Your availability calendar and current rental rates will be the most visited pages on your vacation home website. Update them as needed.

If you have a contact page with any form – ensure it is functioning. If you have an email posted on the contact page – make sure it is working.

Go over your site and see if you have any broken links.

5. Start an interaction with your visitors.
“Social marketing” - is a somewhat new area of Internet development, you better get to it fast. The first step would be to collect emails and contact information of your potential guests to convert them into renters in the future.
A few quick ideas:

• Create a form where visitors can enter there email for specials. You can also offer them to sign up for postal mailing if you are interested in mailing advertising.
• Buy an e-book online with interesting information. It can be recipes, or a “how to” book – and offer to enter email so that you can email the book to them. You can find free e-books online.
• Compile a comprehensive list of “things to do” and “things to see” in your vacation rental’s area. Offer them to have it sent via email.
• Buy promotional items and create simple “sweepstakes”. Make sure you keep all entries in case of any questions.

For any of them, make sure you add a disclosure in fine print that that explains that they will receive a communication from your vacation rentals site after they submit an email.

6. Help them to share your rental site.
Offer users to bookmark your page, subscribe to an RSS feed, or submit your content to popular news sites like Digg.com.

Create a “tell a friend” form – you will be surprised how many will use that form. People are much more likely to visit a website based on a friend’s recommendation versus some other type of advertising.

Many of us focus on building traffic to our vacation rental sites, but we have to also stop once in a while, evaluate what we have, check on how interesting and relevant it is to our visitors and make improvements.