On the Water in Maine: Taking Guest Services to a New Level
On the Water in Maine's website helps set the business apart from its competition.
On the Water in Maine
Location: Rockport, ME
Website: OnTheWaterInMaine.com
Quick Quote: “LiveRez helps us stand out in our localized vacation rental industry by offering us a site that far supersedes anything that any of our local competitors offer.”
In the race for the vacation rental management company that offers the most services to its guests, Justin Ford thinks he’s got a winning horse.
Ford – co-owner of On the Water in Maine with his wife, Tiffany – has made it a priority to offer his guests just about anything they need to make their vacation a hit. In addition, when it comes to amenities offered, Ford is happy to put his company against anyone else in the country.
“There’s almost nothing we won’t do for a guest,” he said.
Resort Harbour Properties: Sunsets, Service, Software…and Success
Resort Harbour's LiveRez-powered website makes it easy for travelers to find and book properties online.
Resort Harbour Properties
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Website: ResortHarbourProperties.com
Quick Quote: “They’ve taken (our) suggestions and they’ve made some changes. That’s impressive. Not a lot of companies will do that.”
Someone once said “location is everything.”
And while Angelo Celmo of Resort Harbour Properties could probably make a very good case for that statement, he knows location is just one of many facets that have made his business successful.
But when you look at Resort Harbour’s success, location is an undeniable accomplice. You see, Resort Harbour Properties seems to be based at the epicenter of fun, near the intersection of natural beauty and luxury accommodations.
Carolina Beach Realty: Your Gateway to Pleasure Island
Carolina Beach Realty's partnership with LiveRez.com has allowed the business to dramatically increase its web presence.
Carolina Beach Realty
Location: Carolina Beach, NC
Website: CarolinaBeachRealty.net
Quick Quote: “In the two years that we’ve been dealing with LiveRez, the rate of growth in our business has doubled and our revenues have increased tremendously. I really attribute a lot of that to the presence LiveRez has given us on the Internet.”
Imagine taking a trip back in time – to a place that’s family friendly, with uncrowded beaches and where a business really hangs its hat on true customer service.
It’s not a dream – it’s called Pleasure Island. And with 45 years of experience in the area, Carolina Beach Realty has the inside track to a wonderful vacation there.
The company offers a wide variety of homes and condos for rent, ranging in size from one to seven bedrooms, with a variety of ocean front and ocean view properties, and at prices that can fit a wide variety of budgets. Its selection of properties is among the largest offered on the small island.
Cambria Seaside Getaways: Planning Your Perfect Escape
Cambria Seaside Getaways' LiveRez-powered website helps visitors find and book their perfect escape.
Cambria Seaside Getaways
Location: Cambria, CA
Website: CambriaSeasideGetaways.com
Quick Quote: “We have been very, very pleased with LiveRez. And with the money that we’re saving, we’re able to advertise. And we weren’t able to advertise with (our previous software provider).”
You could call Lesli Godfrey and the staff at Cambria Seaside Getaways escape artists.
Cambria is the quintessential get-a-way locale, located off the beautiful Central California coast, and Godfrey and the staff at Cambria Seaside Getaways are the artists that can create your perfect escape.
Far removed from the hustles and bustles of modern life, Cambria offers beautiful coastal scenery set in lush, green foliage and outlined by the area’s famous moonstone beaches. It’s located off historic Highway 1– you know, the one in the movies where the protagonist is racing his Porshe around the tight corners that overlook the Pacific Ocean.
How Did Victoria Smith of Alpenglow Vacation Rentals Get Her Free Time Back with LiveRez.com?
LiveRez.com let Victoria Smith of Alpenglow Vacation Rentals worry less about her day-to-day business and gave her more time to spend enjoying the amazing outdoor activities in Bend, Oregon.
Alpenglow Vacation Rentals
Location: Bend, Oregon
Website: http://www.alpenglowvacationrentals.com/
Quick Quote: “It (LiveRez.com) gave me my life back.”
Time is an important commodity for Victoria Smith of Alpenglow Vacation Rentals in Bend, Oregon.
As a professional vacation property manager, a hair stylist and an outdoor enthusiast in beautiful Central Oregon, Smith doesn’t have a second to waste.
So, as her vacation rental business started to grow, she turned to LiveRez.com.
So far, Smith’s recipe for success is a combination of price, quality, location and customer service. She offers quality homes at competitive prices, and specializes in the west side of Bend, which, she says, is the most desirable location in the area, due to its great scenery and close proximately to both the mountain and the town.
LiveRez.com’s SEO/SEM Service Helps Drive 115 Percent More Online Bookings for Partner
Want to increase the number of lookers coming to your website? Regina Berg of Cabin Rentals of Helen (RentHelen.com) had just that in mind when she signed up for LiveRez.com’s professional SEO/SEM service.
Administered by SEO/SEM Manager Sam Martin, LiveRez.com’s efforts for RentHelen.com yielded positive results for Berg in every category – and in just her first month with the service.
“My bookings in May have more than doubled from a year ago,” Berg said. “I know a big part of that is the great work LiveRez.com’s Sam Martin has done for our SEO and SEM campaigns. The quality and quantity of our website visitors has definitely increased since Sam began directing our efforts.”
Below is brief case study detailing those exceptional results:
With help from LiveRez.com's SEO/SEM Manager Sam Martin, Regina Berg and the team at RentHelen.com increased the traffic coming to their website and experienced a 115 percent increase in online bookings from one year ago.
GOALS
- Increase bookings
- Increase traffic to RentHelen.com
- Increase placement in key organic search results
- Increase efficiency of SEM Campaigns through elevated click-through rates
WHAT WE DID
- Completely analyzed SEO Strategy
- Redesigned SEM Campaign
- Implemented key off-site tactics
RESULTS
SEO
- Increased website traffic by 22.69%
- Increased organic placement in a number of key search terms across all major search engines.
SEM (pay per click)
- Clicks rose 56%,
- Cut Impressions by 24%
- Click-through rate (CTR) increased 65%
- Average Cost-Per-Click (CPC) decreased by 7%
- Average placement position of ads rose from 4.2 to 3.6
Online Reservations (May 2010 to May 2011)
- Bookings increased 115%
- Nights Stayed rose 93%
Are You Protected from Vacation Rental Scams?
According to police, at least 15 people in Coachella Valley in Southern California were the victims of a vacation rental scam. According to police, two Palm Springs men – Michael Maloney, 49, and Matthew Wehling, 45 – were arrested and will likely be arraigned today.
Avoid vacation rental scams by dealing with established vacation rental managers.
Police say they used websites, including HomeAway and Vacation Rentals by Owners, to list homes they did not own or manage. Allegedly, they took down payments on these homes and kept the money for themselves. When their unsuspecting victims finally showed up to the homes they thought they rented, they discovered they were scammed – definitely not the way they wanted to start their vacations.
This situation brings to light a major security issue with renting homes directly from the owner. One way to avoid these issues is to rent from a professional vacation rental manager (VRM). Vacation rental managers are active members of their communities. They’re often members of their local chamber of commerce. And, they’re rated by the Better Business Bureau. But, even more importantly, they have a brand to protect.
Most all VRMs are established and trusted. When you rent from them, you can trust that the property exists, is as advertised, and is available for the time you booked it. And, if for some reason you have a problem, they’re ready and available to help you – not hours away as is the case with many owners who rent their vacation homes.
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.
Meet Heather Dawson of Tamarron Vacation Rentals in Durango, Colorado
Heather Dawson, director of the Tamarron Rental Program, enjoys the beauty of Haviland Lake with her husband, Shane, and her son, Kelley.
Tamarron Vacation Rentals
Location: Durango, Colorado
Website: TamarronVacationRentals.com
Quick Quote: “I haven’t come across anything that it (LiveRez) hasn’t been able to do that I’ve asked for. So, I’m really happy with it.”
For Heather Dawson, one of LiveRez.com’s newest partners, honesty is always the best policy.
As Director of the Tamarron Rental Program, she’s found that advertising properties as accurately as possible has always led to more satisfied customers. That includes taking pictures that accurately reflect the property and writing descriptions that best match what the condo offers. And, often it includes talking to guests ahead of time.
“I usually talk to guests before they arrive, so I can determine different activities to do in the area and whether or not the condo is going to be a good fit for them,” she said. “I usually try to have a real personal communication with the guest before they get here.”
But for Dawson, it’s easy being honest when what you’re advertising is as appealing as the vacation condos at Tamarron.
Located just 20 minutes from downtown Durango, Colorado, and just 10 minutes away from ski lifts, the resorts offers outstanding views and amazing opportunities for outdoor adventures.
Meet Rebecca Alexander of Casas de Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico
The LiveRez-designed Casas de Santa Fe website reflects all the beauty of Santa Fe that keeps guests returning year after year.
Casas de Santa Fe
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Website: CasasDeSantaFe.com
Quick Quote: “Being the bookkeeper in the office, my biggest thing is that it attaches to QuickBooks. That’s my favorite part.”
For Rebecca Alexander of Casas de Santa Fe, integration is important.
Just like how the town of Santa Fe blends rich history with modern-day luxury, Casas de Santa Fe offers a mix of old-school customer service and the convenience of a cutting-edge website with online booking. Integrating those things is something the business does exceptionally well.
You see, Alexander and the staff at Casas de Santa Fe go the extra mile in offering their customers a personal touch. It’s a traditional approach that not all businesses apply these days.
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