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How many properties in your destination are similar to yours – with the same number of bedrooms, capacity, almost identical amenities, perhaps even the same pieces of furniture and the same facilities? How many such properties are there in all of Croatia, and what makes yours stand out among them?
When you decided to rent out your property – a holiday home or an apartment – you surely gave it a name, something by which it would be recognizable. You decorated the property in a certain style, carefully choosing wall colors, fabrics, and materials so they would complement one another. You arranged the surroundings so that they radiate harmony and recognizability. You may have made sure that your property looks modern, is well furnished, that guests feel comfortable in it and lack nothing, but are you communicating all of that to your future guests?
How to build your property's brand?
In the article How to write text for your website that brings reservations?, we explained how to define three unique selling points. These are the three most important things that make your accommodation different from the competition. These are exactly what you will highlight in your branding – through images, colors, fonts, a logo, and more.
Let us take as an example a holiday home in a rural setting, surrounded by untouched nature and a river flowing nearby, with a beautiful view from the property's terrace. This can be exactly the detail you incorporate into the visual and textual communication of your brand.
Perhaps your property is pet friendly and you have made a special effort to ensure that four-legged guests receive royal treatment in your property. If that is your property's main unique selling point, your branding can go in the direction of highlighting pets who are more than welcome with you.
Perhaps you have a completely typical property, not special in any particular way, but you, as a host, are a passionate lover of olive growing, winemaking, gastronomy, fishing, water sports, or some other activities that you can offer your guests as an experience during their stay. In that case, branding can move in the direction of selling experiences that guests can enjoy during their stay in your property, whether for an additional fee or free of charge.
Where to start when building your brand?
Building a brand begins with a decision about how you want to present yourself to guests and what feelings you want to evoke in them, what first impression you want to create. Is it relaxation, a family holiday, luxury, exclusivity, or perhaps an eco-friendly approach, the peace and quiet of untouched nature, cultural and historical heritage, or the family story behind the property?
Before you start presenting the property in the style you have chosen, check whether that style matches the actual condition of the property or whether certain changes may be needed: refreshing the space with new wall colors, details, or new furniture.
It is, namely, very important that your brand tells a true story, that it credibly represents the actual condition of the property, because an important part of the brand that you cannot influence much is your reputation. If it becomes negative, not even the best photos in the world or the most expensive logo will help you gain the trust of new guests.
Once you have chosen one feeling, impression, or experience that you want to highlight and by which your brand will be recognizable, incorporate it into your online communication. “Tell” it through the name of the property, the images you highlight, the text, colors, logo, type of font, communication style, and other details that make the brand consistent and harmonious.
You can emphasize luxury and exclusivity with black and gold colors, as well as textures such as silk, velvet, or plush. You can highlight an eco-friendly approach with green, blue, or even turquoise, and if you want to emphasize that the property is located in the heart of nature, you can add natural elements to those colors – a leaf, a tree, a river, a mountain – something that best describes its surroundings.
How to best highlight your brand?
Although hosts most often focus on advertising on portals and travel agency websites, that is precisely where the opportunity to highlight many elements that make the offer unique is missing. Namely, agencies and portals do not allow property branding, meaning the highlighting of its recognizable symbols such as logos, color palettes, fonts, and the like, as well as the highlighting of additional offers that differentiate you from the competition (such as canoe rental, wine and olive oil tastings, lavender, olive, or grape harvesting, and the like, which your property may offer). Because of this, it is very difficult to stand out from the rest of the offer, so in the end you have to place all your hopes in the filters that will single out your listing during portal searches.
On the other hand, on your own website you can highlight exactly what makes you different from others, your uniqueness and individuality, and that is exactly what your guests connect with, what they will remember you and your property by. In this way, you attract the guest's attention and also increase the likelihood that they will choose you and your property. If you add these elements to Google Maps, that is, Google My Business, you make it possible for the guest to find exactly what they are looking for without spending hours searching portals and travel agency offers.
On your website, in addition to the description of the property, its facilities, and equipment, you can tell the story of the property, the location, the destination, natural and cultural attractions, events, and even about yourself as the host, your family, and the tradition of your family business, which makes your offer unique and recognizable.
Why do all this when booking is already going well?
Although many hosts count the number of days their properties are occupied, success is not measured only by that, but also by the income the property generates. You may have good occupancy, but not good earnings, simply because you cannot highlight the unique value of your property in your listings on portals, and therefore a higher price does not pass. There are also portal and agency commissions that significantly reduce income, as well as uncertainty and rigid business conditions that limit your business.
On the other hand, a unique presentation of your property on your own communication channels, such as a website connected to Google Maps and social networks, helps you present yourself better to future guests, but also earn more, even with the same occupancy throughout the year.
When the “cards” are laid out this way, is it worth investing in a website that will help you achieve greater success in business and earnings?
Is it time to invest in your property's website?
Join thousands of satisfied hosts who are already building their brand with specialized websites for holiday homes and apartments.
