Bill's Beneficial Blog
Does anyone really read the millions of blogs out there? Or are they really just a ploy to entice Google for a bit more ranking or space? Every other ad agency blog is going to be all about how great they are, why they are the smartest and other clearly self promoting stuff.
So we decided to just write about what interests us. Our only hope is that - every now and then - you find a nugget that is a slight value for you. We hope. If you want to get these rantings in your inbox every so often, Signup to get emails. Here goes.
Lodging Newsletter 20240229 Noel Coward Snake
By Wm, May
Published: 02/29/24
Topics: Advertising, AirBnB, Marketing, Self Improvement, Selling
Comments: 0
- To get more sales, get more inquiries
- To get more inquiries, get more visibility
- To get more visibility, advertise every way you can afford
- - - - - - -
Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0982 – 02/29/24Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
Snoqualmie Falls Lodge - Lodging Newsletter January 31, 2023
By Wm, May
Published: 01/31/23
Topics: Advertising, Lodging Newsletter
Comments: 0
The "Country Breakfast" at the Snoqualmie Falls Lodge outside Seattle, Washington consisted of just about every kind of breakfast item you could imagine.
Hotcakes, sausage (patty or links), waffles, eggs (fried, sunny-side up, over-easy or scrambled), biscuits, bacon, berries, french toast, ham, fruit, roast beef, tea, mimosas and Irish cream coffee. It even included dry cereal, granola, yogurt, toast and old-fashioned steel-cut oatmeal..
New diners were always surprised when the servers delivered dish after dish without asking. But what made the meal so famous was when the staff climbed a ladder and poured "honey form on high" onto fluffy buttermilk biscuits. (And of course the honey was from the Lodge's own honey bee hives)
On Sunday's, guests stood in long lines for hours just for the chance to splurge on more food than anyone could possibly eat in a single setting.
The advertising agency, in which I was a partner, learned from the property owner that doing things just a bit different is all it takes to stand-out from the competition.
Of course, the Lodge already had the full foundation of a sparkling clean dining room, an ever-smiling staff, along with food that was hot on delivery and perfectly tasty. But with the creativity of the menu and serving performance, it stood out.
Although the internet now dominates advertising, we still conclude that anything that can be done to make a vacation rental, inn or resort desirable will translate into extra guests and greater income.
==========================
Of course, promoting the positives of each vacation rental attracts guests. But giving them an accurate and intricate view of the homes relieves their worries about renting which makes them comfortable, too.
Everywhere - Properties are listed on hundreds of websites, including the giants like VRBO and AirBnB. Making it easy for guests to find the properties makes it easy for them to book them.
Local - Our destination websites appeal to guests who want to rent local and support local. And we show what's fun, where to eat and what to do.
Unique Spots - By building a full-featured booking website for each individual house, those guests who want out-of-the ordinary can find that. Something just for them. But with all our services.
Private Label - For Inns, Resorts and Communities, the websites we create and administer promote the complex instead of our company. Guests don't rent managers, they rent homes.
Imagery - As early adopters of High-Dynamic-Range photography, guests are fully informed about what every property has (and doesn't have.) Drone photos reassure guests about the property, the neighbors and the area.
Floor Plans - After all this years, it is astonishing to see that competitors still don't provide easy-to-view layouts Where will grandma sleep? And all the kids? Rather than sell, plans show.
Ease of Booking - Making and paying for lodging is swift. Guests get quick confirmation to know their plans are solid. Staff are on duty every day of the year and are easier to reach than all our competitors.
2-Click Signature - With their emailed confirmations, guests click to sign their contract and confirm payment. Safer for owners and fast for guests.
Personality - Every guest is phone while booking to acknowledge their enthusiasm for renting. Callers love people who they can "see" smiling when they talk. They select and book quicker and easier.
Nervous Arrivals - Can they find it, are the keys or codes handy, is there backup to ensure everyone gets in at any time of the day? Yes, yes and yes. Before they get in, they worry. Once inside, they leave stress behind.
New to Town - Inside the place, guests get further instructions about the house, the area and the rules. That makes it smooth for them to enjoy the property.
Instructions - Prior to arrival, visitors get extensive property and area facts and knowledge. The best surprise is no surprise.
Instant Service - Guests can call anytime to reach a live human helper 24-7-365. Questions are answered or staff dispatched to property for most any little thing. Guests expect to be taken care of. So we do.
Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0939 – 01/31/23Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
Year(s) In Review - Lodging Newsletter December 31, 2022
By Wm, May
Published: 12/31/22
Topics: Advertising, Education, Lodging Newsletter
Comments: 0
I haven't done a "year in review" for many years, so maybe it's time for 2022. Or better yet, a three years in review because the last three years have been strange, startling, spooky and suspicious, too.
In February 2020, Covid arrived to teach us all the definition of the word "Unpredictable."
Although college was long ago, I remember my esteemed English literature professor's delight in explaining Shakespeare's "theory of nothingness." It seems "nothing" fascinated the bard as the presence of absence.
Professor Virginian Younger explained, when there ought to be abundance - of will, or judgment, or understanding - there was nothing. It looms large in the lives of so many of old Bill Shakespeare's characters, so powerful in part because it is universal. Not even kings are exempt.
King Lear: A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.
Cordelia: Nothing, my lord.
Lear: Nothing?
Cordelia: Nothing.
Lear: Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again.
The scene is one of the tensest, most suspenseful moments in theater, a concentration of tremendous force in a single word - Nothing. It is the ultimate negation, tossed between the old king and his beloved youngest daughter, compounded and multiplied through repetition. Nothing. Zero.
So rather than pretend to predict, let's look back a few years in our little world of lodging. If the past was unpredictable, as Shakespeare wrote in 1505, surely the future will also be.
Don't think of this letter as doom and gloom. The future of our industry is ever upward. While the details are indeed unpredictable and the growth graph will have ups and downs, there is one certainty:
Guests will want to visit wonderful locations, will bring their families and friends, and will often prefer to stay in private vacation rental homes provided by professional vacation rental managers.
=========================================================
Twenty years ago only 10% of the traveling public had stayed in a private vacation rental home, with the majority being in resorts or ski areas. By 2019 it had grown steadily to over 40%. That was predictable.
No one listened as Bill Gates warned the world of what a pandemic could do, until Covid overtook our lives in February of 2020. All business plummeted, especially travel, of course. We hoped for the best, but presumed the worst.
Just a few months later, humans (let's call them consumers) who could not fly around the world, and would not stay in common facilities like hotels, figured out they could break out by renting a private home at the ocean, the lake or in the mountains. They could bring their families, their pets and wander the area, while never seeing a soul.
Vacation rental lodging skyrocketed as did rental rates. Market awareness went to 60% very quickly, a growth of 50% seldom seen in business. Full-stack managers made more money for owners. And then real estate sales soared.
New second-home owners greatly increased the number of vacation rentals. Corporate vacation rental managers suspiciously promised owners ever increasing profit to list the homes. Software companies promoted the ease of being a landlord. It all sounded like a "Get Rich Quick" scheme.
Coincidentally, owner monitoring technology (Home automation) arrived promising noise, occupancy and other controls, all good things, without disclosing that managing vacation rental home requires boots on the ground, a trove of knowledge, and a genuine need to be hospitable.
All this happened while cities and counties continued their onslaught of new egregious and unnecessary regulations and even prohibitions, ignorantly that they were butchering the new tourism golden goose. Their false promise that stifling visitors would cause second-home owners to rent them as "Affordable Housing" was ignorant.
At long last, the "normalcy" of prior years has returned in predictable ways. Occupancy and rates are again subject to weather in the area, the quality of attractions, the inevitable inflation, and home purchase interest rates. Competitor rates, features and flexibility will intrude.
For that reason, full-stack vacation rental managers must again offer specials and discounts, must communicate more often with email and direct mail, can push for direct-bookings, but also must kowtow to monolithic vacation rental advertising websites. All to attract the flow of visitors, which is thinning.
And they must do all of that while retaining the latest technological tools they have adopted in recent years, while paying staff members more, while increasing instant guest services, while providing more guest and owner services and, in short making their "product" better at every opportunity.
Naturally, not all managers will commit to being great at their craft. Some will dawdle, be overly frugal and resist what is inevitable, believing they can live in the past. Some will not keep up. But now more than ever, while the future is as unpredictable as in King Lear's day, it is obvious that only those who embrace every possible opportunity will succeed.
That is what we've learned in the past three years.
Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0935 – 12/31/22Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
Be Nice to People on Your Way Up
By Wm. May
Published: 01/09/20
Topics: Advertising, Business, Communications, Reputation
Comments: 0
My father and Maya Angelou didn't know each other but they thought very much alike. It took a very large business client to make me put the dots together and realize a fundamental rule. Read more
What Guests Want - Lodging Newsletter September 30th, 2019
By Wm, May
Published: 09/30/19
Topics: Advertising, Channel Management, Dynamic Rates, Employment, Lodging Management, Lodging Newsletter, Photography, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP
Comments: 0
This month's letter is intended to be a marketing 101 primer for everyone who wants to know more about marketing, advertising, and public relations.
What makes our lodging managers think they are such hot shots about the marketing anyway?
Simply put, some of our partners have spent decades helping clients sell millions and millions of dollars of stuff, and we know our stuff.
Oh sure our explanation could be lengthy and include a lot of fancy words, but whether selling clothes, groceries, soda pop, yachts, or nights at a vacation rental, the process is exactly the same.
One of our partners said it best. "Marketing is easy. Ask customers what they want and then give it to them."
This update is all about that - giving customers what they want. Plus we'll sneak in a little about how we do it and how the competitors don’t.
Why would we publish this when competitors could learn the secrets? Because it's not a secret and they won't do it all anyway. We double dog dare them.
======================================================================
The only trouble we have with giving customers what they want, so we can produce absolute maximum income for owners is pleading with and even begging owners to do the little things necessary. Here is what guests want:
WHAT WE DO
Hospitality clean - Yep we can do that for you. Guests absolutely want that.
Hospitality maintenance - Fix everything, all the time and quickly. Guests expect it.
Personal - When the guests call, we gotta go take care of them. Guests require it.
Personality - Answer the phone with a genuine smile, or guests will bristle.
Photos - Crisp HDR photos help guests choose. Guests want to see.
3D Tours - The best in the industry. Guests want to see everything.
Floor plans - Professional water colors, so guests can plan who sleeps where.
Website - Custom e-commerce website for each property to help guests return.
24/7 Bookings - Online, phone, chat, and email. Guests book when they want.
24/7 Service - Onsite at any time, we take care of guests or we lose out.
Visible - Advertise on 400+ websites, with dates and rates. Guests find us everywhere.
Social - Posting, commenting, and cooperating. Guests want to interact.
Materials - Rack cards, postcards, bookmarks, etc. prove legitimacy to guests.
Payment - Credit cards, payment plans, occasional incentives that guess want.
Dependable - No double bookings. Guests expect no errors when booking.
Returnees - Extra benefits for loyal guests. Keeps happy guests happy.
Dynamic Rates - Up and down by many factors. Guests accept variability.
WHAT YOU DO
Internet - 49% of guess say no internet wrecks their vacation. Gotta give it to them.
Cable - Gotta have a big TV and cable. Guest don’t book homes without it.
Hot Tubs - Number one requested amenity. Guests can not resist them.
Leftovers - Don’t slough off your used furniture. Guests hate that.
Design - Comfy chairs, quality tables, books, and mattresses. Guests demand comfort.
Color - Creative paint colors, art, and throw pillows, Guests are impressed.
Sleeps - The more beds, the better, with night stands and lamps. Guests read.
Luxurious - Quality towels and linens, replaced regularly. Otherwise guests seethe.
Furnishings - Lots of pots, pans, flatware, and tableware. Guests cook a lot.
Outdoors - Patios, decks, and yes that hot tub. Guests want to lounge.
Now that we see this list, it doesn't seem so very difficult does it? Just follow the list, do your thing and let us do ours. A winning combination.
Marketing is easy, give customers what they want. But will you?
Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0705 – 09/30/19Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
Its Always something - Lodging Newsletter November 30th, 2018
By Wm. May
Published: 12/24/18
Topics: Advertising, Dynamic Rates, Government, Lodging Newsletter, Online Travel Agents (OTAs)
Comments: 0
In 1977 Gilda Radner, one of the original cast members from the first years of the "Saturday Live" television sow, invented a character that made her famous.
Her "Roseanne Roseannadan" was a recurring character on their "Weekend Update" feature offering consumer reporting by reading a letter from a "Mr. Richard Feder, " form New Jersey, with a series of questions to which Roseannadanna then made derogatory comments.
In later shows, for some inexplicable reason Mr. Feder moved to Mt. Saint Helens, Washington State in our neck of the woods.
Invariably while answering the questions, Roseannadanna digressed, launching into stories having to do subjects which had nothing to do with the questions until - and finally - the news co-anchor Jane Curtin would intercept her saying with the catch phrase "Roseanne, you're making me sick"
Roseannadann would smirk and then pause and then conclude, "Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it's always something - if its not one thing, then its another."
It does seem odd now however, that forty years later, in business in general and our micro world of vacation rentals and lodging we still spend most every day deal within one thing or another.
This is an industry that continues to grow and morph and change and yes "It s always something."
=============================================================================
Yes, in this industry it really is always something. Something unexpected, something unknown, something new..
REGUATIONS - After decades of operating alternative lodging for guests, cites and towns have begun to restrict, regulate and even prohibit vacation rentals ostensibly because they take away affordable housing. It is silly to think that people with expensive second homes are going to rent them out long term for low rates. Its always something out of the blue..
OTAS - Online travel agents like Expedia, HomeAway, AirBnB and so many others are a great way to advertise but make no mistake they are all out to beat out each other. to guest by restricting communications by requiring guests to communicate using their closed-walled messaging systems. That means dozens of new systems to track and master. Its always something more complicated.
EXPECTATIONS - It is rumored that, decades ago, vacation rental customer service consisted of these words, "Here are the keys, good luck." Today guests want quality furnishings, high speed internet, hot tubs, hotel grade mattresses and much more. Its always something, so we provide it.
GUEST SERVICES -
GOOGLE HOTELS - Wanting to dominate the world, Google is rolling out advertising where lodging operators can display their wares directly on Google pages, possibly by passing those pesky OTA's. Its always something jiving.
ODD ADVERTISING - Ever heard of Glamping? Or Camping? And why would they have anything to do with vacation rentals. We'll websites with odd goals are becoming just another place for guests to find us. We must be diligently looking for the whatever is the new way that consumers are shopping. Its always something innovative.
RATES RACE - As use of dynamic pricing, and automated supply demand response, rent by owners and insufficiently distributed lodging operators rush to lower rates in a dangerous race to the bottom price. Wide adverting, creative imagery, instant service and more allow us to stay ahead of the pack. Its always something innovative.
LOCALIZE - Venture Capitalists are rushing into the vacation rental industry, but allow want to build global brands that reject the local hospitality that guests have come to prefer from vacation rentals. We use local brands, local partners and local tourism to provide more fun and more happiness Its always something local that is better.
FLEXIBILITY _ Unlike other managers with a "one-size fits all" approach we offer flexible programs from full-service Do-It-Yourself assistance and extra bookings. Its always something that must fit what property owner clients want.
Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0628 – 12/24/18Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
Vacation Rental Psychology - Lodging Newsletter October 31st, 2018
By Wm. May
Published: 12/23/18
Topics: Advertising, Lodging Newsletter
Comments: 0
Not everyone is as big of a rabid reader of vacation rental industry news as we are. In fact, I hope you are doing more recreational reading than business reading!
A regular review of vacation rental news, blogs, and forums might lead someone to think that our industry is all about technology, websites, dynamic pricing, online travel agents and many other topics. We have to admit that these devour huge amounts of our time because they do indeed affect inquiries, bookings, and maximum net income for owners.
But, hidden in all of those disciplines is a topic seldom reported on, and that is the psychology that controls why consumers buy things, why they prefer one over another, how they evaluate price versus quality, and how to help get more bookings than the competition.
This is not really rocket science stuff, but our staff has been advertising experts for decades - long before most of them even entered this industry. They were schooled in marketing and advertising, and have the ability to speak to prospective guests in ways that the giant corporate managers have never embraced.
So this month, we have a short primer on how psychology affects vacation rentals.
=============================================================================
Why would Budweiser Beer buy a half dozen ads in the Super Bowl broadcast for about $5 million dollars each? Most viewers watch the entire game, wouldn't just one ad be enough? Is Budweiser stupid?
Nah, executives at this dominating brand know that people forget. They don't always fully retain what they are told and are sometimes reluctant to believe a message.
All advertising requires "reach and frequency" which means properties must be advertised on hundreds of websites of various types - Online Travel Agencies (think VRBO, Airbnb,, etc.), hotel-type websites (think Expedia and Hotels.com), and even consumer-oriented websites such as Trip Advisor.
If your manager is not operating an individual website for every home and each local management office, if they're not using email newsletters, local tourism websites, search engine pay-per-click, and even Craigslist, then they are failing to reach enough consumers and in enough ways.
But the internet ties our hands - many websites are demanding that rentals become commodities. They are very much like newspaper classifieds. They limit space and writing creativity. Some remove property names for fear that guests will "go around" them and book directly.
Smart managers know that they must have a name for every home, use floor plans, and include calls to action. This includes indicating when homes are new to renting and why renting today is urgent. -- "Buy Today!"
Giant hotel chains have promoted uniformity and consistency, but that has made them especially vulnerable to recreational guests who have always subconsciously wanted to "build memories." It's impossible to do that when every product looks the same. But it's easy for vacation rental managers (like us), who offer unique homes, unusual locations, and personalized attention.
Giant managers fail to deliver on the latter end because their focus is to increase their percentage of rental income, cut personnel, cut costs and to deliver undeserved profits to their venture capital backers.
Small local managers on the other hand, provide personality and the kind of service that the big guys fail at. We speak to guests personally. If and when they call back, they can speak to the same person. When they contact us late at night, they get a sympathetic voice that's anxious to help.
Giant companies have hundreds and even thousands of complaints. Local companies have almost none. This fact alone reveals flaws in the "I am bigger and better" myth.
Technology has progressed, so that localized vacation rental management companies like ours employ all of the same big-time marketing tools that the corporate managers trumpet - such as instant bookings, wide advertising, electronic integration and dynamic pricing. But, we offer even more with local marketing, local contacts and local long-tenured staff who are fixated on helping guests build memories.
We use the psychology of vacation rentals to match the needs and wants of guests We not only match, but also exceed the technical capabilities of those complaint-ridden giant firms. In short, we market globally but manage locally in ways that the institutionalized managers can not.
Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0627 – 12/23/18Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
Monster Trucks - Lodging Newsletter November 30th, 2017
By Wm. May
Published: 11/30/17
Topics: Advertising, Dynamic Rates, Housekeeping, Lodging Newsletter, Vacation Rentals
Comments: 0
Jeff Bainer of Kittitas County Washington State may know nothing about the vacation rental industry, but he does know all about monster trucks.
The Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper reports that Bainer is a member of the Monster Truck Hall of Fame. Who knew there was such a thing?
Fans of monster trucks know of Jeff's first truck "Hot Stuff" which was launched in 1986, and later rebuilt into a humongous red jeep, said to be the world's largest.
Today he considers himself to be semi-retired because he transports, races and wins "only" 17 events per year, around the country. Who knew there were even that many?.
Bainer makes a comment that is just as relevant to the Vacation Rental business as it is to monster trucks. "Our industry has changed so much in the last three years." It has gone from an industry of independent drives to one dominated by a single company.
As the vacation rental industry has also morphed into something different than what it was just a few years ago. Luckily for us, the big guys are making big mistakes. Smaller vacation rental managers who band together have far more to offer by operating locally while also marketing globally.
================================================
Just like Monster Trucks, Vacation Rental management is changing fast. Innovation has always been at the heart of business. In some industries bigger can be better, but vacation rentals are the opposite. It requires stellar onsite services combined with today's technological tools to advertise globally.
Big Company #1 - has been around for decades, being sold from one conglomerate to another, charging high commissions and loading their overhead with "executives" who do more talking than they do cleaning toilets. Today the company is again for sale to the highest corporate bidder. No where do they promote the sale as better for property owners and guests. In effect, they are selling their property owners short.
Big Company #2 - Likes to buy up local competitors and then discard the local personal touch. They promise technological competence and dynamic pricing which is really no different than what savvy local managers can provide. They offer a comprehensive fee, but supplant it with undisclosed fees, resulting in a large class action law suit. Staff members come and go resulting in HUNDREDS of livid online complaints.
Big Company #3 - Offers a low commission but "manages" from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Owners are forced to find local housekeepers, maintenance staff and hosts because, as the Big 3# spins it, those people are cheap and desperate to work for you. How predatory. The heart of every lodging are the hard-working, loyal, committed and friendly people who do the heavy lifting and are on call 24/7. Then when this company gets a complaint, they blame it on the owner and the local staff.
Big Company #4 - Also promises a lower commission and secret technology to advertise rentals worldwide and on major websites. They fail to admit that all top local managers can now meet or beat their advertising distribution, dynamic rates and photos. They also fail to disclose that they are encumbered with greedy venture capital that requires growth at all costs, even if their services are not up to snuff locally.
Our Company - If you like some of the big company capabilities, but fear the lack of personal local service to care of your valuable vacation home, there is good news. We offer the best of both worlds.
Our well tenured local partners live nearby to keep close track of your place. Our world-class back office professionals provide compelling websites, superior software, dynamic rates, stunning HDR photos as well as 3D tours, not to mention courteous quick sales and reservations, topped off with attentive guest and owner services. Although our first office opened in 1964, we have tech tools none of the big guys have even dreamed of yet.
For our clients we must admit the industry is not perfect and duties are relentless, but we promise to keep investing more time, money and commitment per house than those big guys.
If you are not yet a client, we make you the same promise - lower fees and greater service. Call today. Why wait?
Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0572 – 11/30/17Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
Lodging Newsletter 20160331 Change & New Complex - Lodging Newsletter March 31st, 2016
By Wm. May
Published: 03/31/16
Topics: Advertising, Lodging Management, Lodging Newsletter
Comments: 0
Spring has sprung so it must be time for an update on all things Inns, Resorts and Vacation Rentals.
We hope to start sending an update with the monthly statements to keep you posted on our work and the state of the Vacation Rental Industry. This month is a good example because there have been momentous changes from some of the websites on which rentals are advertised.
This month we also have a few other topics that you may be interested in. Please rest assured we are working more diligently than anyone in the business to keep your homes safe, provide attentive guest services, and produce the most comprehensive advertising around.
=================
April 30, 2016 Update Statements Dated March 31, 2016
Here is an update on your property, our work for you and the industry in general. There is not room to cover every topic but over time we'll cover important and informative topics.
PROPERTY COORDINATION: Kylee Genett has been promoted to Property Coordinator, responsible for the many details necessary to setup properties, arrange services and onsite staff, and work with our advertising experts and website engineers. She has been with us for a year and has more energy than the Energizer bunny.
AD WEBSITES: Our managed homes are advertised on over 300 websites and that is not an exaggeration. Other managers use just a few websites, and some up to 5 or 10. Our large reach is sure to garner more inquiries and bookings for properties.
Because we employ our own programmers, we have been able to automatically distribute listings to dozens of websites. We are able to synchronize calendars to dozens more (which prevents double bookings), but we still manually submit advertising to all the others. It is a chore but that is why we produce more bookings and better rates.
HOUDINI WEBSITES: A reminder that we usually produce an individual full e-commerce website for every home in our care. These help to garner more attention on the internet. If you have not yet sent us your portrait photo and a few paragraphs for the "About Us" section, please do so as it will comfort guests and gain bookings. For privacy reasons we do not recommend using your last name.
HUB BUB: On January 1st 2016, HomeAway.com, owner of many websites such as VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com, was purchased by Seattle based Expedia. They are now implementing many changes such as charging guests an extra fee on top of rental costs, employing "Best Match" which means not all properties are displayed to all guests at all times and more.
The industry is aflame with dissatisfaction but complaining will do no good. So we cooperate and place further emphasis on all the other websites we use including Houdinis, Kreskins (our local manager websites), and Marcos (affiliated tourism websites). Our full integration with HomeAway and other websites should cause these changes to benefit your property. Time will tell.
SUMMER: The high season is well on the way and our onsite staff is beefing up and being trained. Over the past decades the industry has noted that guests are not booking as far in advance of arrival. That makes it more difficult to examine advance sales to determine the future but our office staff has also expanded to take care of last-minute bookings. We are open 100 hours a week by phone and 24/7 for guest and property services.
NEW RESORT: Our newest project is Oyhut Bay Resort in Washington State. 36 condos, 24 cottages and soon 200 more along with retail, restaurants, pool, wedding chapel and more. As clients, you get an additional 10% off the already low introductory rates. See www.OyhutBayVacationRentals.com.
That’s it for this month. You are invited to send in questions you would like to see covered in future months.
Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0519 – 03/31/16Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
Best Halloween Advertising. Cheapest too.
By William May
Published: 10/31/15
Topics: Advertising, Marketing
Comments: 0
Many experts will rattle your brain with every kind of advertising and marketing. But the restaurant - Two Doors Down - exceeds them all with their latest Halloween advertising idea. It may not be what you expect. Boo. Read more
Sponsor: MayPartners – Pumping Advertising for decades but a new kinda marketing machine. Old fashioned marketing smarts with new technological know how. Our platform of constant promotion pumps up your sales. But you gotta call us now to start. – MayPartners.com
Nothing Beats Chateau Chocolate Cake
By William May
Published: 10/01/10
Topics: Advertising, Marketing, Packwood WA, Radio, Selling
Comments: 0
Years ago when I operated an advertising agency we sure thought we worked long and hard. Not to reveal my age, but I remember when we had to "spec" type, courier the details to a type setter and then wait days while it was set and returned to us. We then had to paste the galleys onto art board along with photos or other art to arrange the desired final ad. Read more
- Topics
- Aberdeen Washington
- Advertising
- AirBnB
- Art
- Behavior
- Boats
- Booking.com
- Branding
- Business
- Channel Management
- Channels
- Communications
- Cooking
- Covid-19 Virus
- Do It Yourself Rentals
- Dynamic Rates
- Education
- Employment
- Events
- Expedia
- Family
- Fishing
- Football
- Goldener Inns
- Government
- Gratitude
- Guest Behavior
- Guest Management
- Hawaii
- Health
- Hi-Tide Resort
- Holidays
- Hood Canal
- Hotels
- Housekeeping
- Inns
- Insurance
- Investment
- Kindness
- Lodging Management
- Lodging Newsletter
- Marketing
- Moclips Beach WA
- Mount Rainier WA
- Music
- Newspaper
- Ocean Shores WA
- Online Travel Agents (OTAs)
- Pacific Beach
- Packwood WA
- People
- Photography
- Profit
- Radio
- Regulations
- Reputation
- Seabrook Resort
- Search Engines (Google, Bing, Safari)
- Seattle
- Self Improvement
- Selling
- Sports
- Things To Do
- Timeshares
- Vacation
- Vacation Rental Association
- Vacation Rental Management
- Vacation Rentals
- Venture Capital
- Videos
- Vortex VIP
- VRBO.com
- WAVRMA
- Websites
- Wildlife
- Yield Management
DETAILS: We work to keep this information up to date, but details do change from time to time based on circumstances, often on short notice, and sometimes beyond our control. To verify any answer or other information you may need, please call or email us anytime. Allow a reasonable amount of time for response. Only legitimate inquiries will be answered.