Meet Julie Weeks of Arrow Point Vacation Rentals in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

A former marketing manager for GE Business, Julie Weeks has built Arrow Point Vacation Rentals into a thriving business.

Arrow Point Vacation Rentals
Location: Coeur d'Alene, ID
Website: ArrowPointResort.com
Quick Statistic: In just five months with LiveRez.com, Arrow Point Vacation Rentals has already increased online bookings by more than 70 percent when compared to all of 2010.

While so many businesses around the country are obsessed with their bottom line, Julie Weeks of Arrow Point Vacation Rentals in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, takes a different approach. Her philosophy: focus on the people first and just let your profits follow.

And to date, that philosophy has been very successful. Currently 70 percent of Arrow Point Vacation Rental’s customers are return guests.

“I really believe that a big part of that is we just focus on each individual person and really have a heart of service,” said Weeks, a former marketing director for GE Business.

Founded by Weeks in 2003, Arrow Point Vacation Rentals has become the primary provider of luxury condos along the 135 miles of shoreline surrounding beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho. Those condos are fully-equipped with full-kitchens, private patios with grills, gas fireplaces, two or more full bathrooms, two or three bedrooms, and guest linens and towels.

Guests there never have a shortage of things to do, either. Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding area offers a number of activities for visitors, including biking, bird watching, fishing, golfing, hiking, skiing, water sports, museums, nightlife, scenic tours, shopping and the arts.

Arrow Point Resort's LiveRez-powered website has helped Weeks increase her online booking revenue by more than 70 percent from last year -- and in just five months.

These activities, along with the natural beauty of the lake and the incredible accommodations at Arrow Point, attract a variety of guests. But one of the biggest segments of those guests is families, Weeks said.

“We have a lot of families,” she said. “A lot of people will come to go to Silverwood.”

Silverwood Theme Park, just north of Coeur d’Alene, is like the Disney Land of the Northwest. Spread out over more than 200 acres, the park offers more than 65 rides and attractions, which include, among other things, roller coasters that hit speeds of 65 miles per hour, water slides, wave pools and a steam engine.

From great customer service to luxury accommodations to a wide variety of recreational activities, it’s no surprise that guests keep returning to Arrow Point Vacation Rentals.

But, since switching to LiveRez.com this past January, Weeks has noticed one big change in her guests: They’re booking online, and in droves.

According to Weeks, in just five months with LiveRez.com Arrow Point Vacation Rentals has already increased online booking revenue by more than 70 percent when compared to all of 2010 (January through December) – not a bad statistic, considering it’s not even halfway through the year.

“That speaks volumes,” Weeks said of the increase in online bookings experienced after switching to LiveRez.com.

A view from one of the many beautiful condos that overlook Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Weeks was looking for a better website interface, and that was one of the major reasons she switched to LiveRez.com.

“I was with RezOvation before, and their website just didn’t look professional. It was kind of clunky,” she said. “So, I think that’s why people hesitated to make reservations online.”

With LiveRez.com, Weeks has a dynamic, professional-looking website that has been specifically designed to increase bookings through a combination of aesthetic beauty, an easy 3-click path to booking, and advanced SEO features that make it easy to find online.

“I love the website,” she said. “I’ve gotten a lot of compliments.”

LiveRez.com’s end-to-end system also allows guests to make reservations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and this compliments Arrow Point’s existing customer service efforts.

“One of the things I think we do that other companies don’t is we take calls throughout the weekend and after hours,” Weeks said. “So we don’t have set hours. We try to keep up with phone calls as they come in.”

But whether they choose to book online or over the phone, one is thing is clear: Arrow Point puts their guests’ needs first.

And the business keeps rolling in.