How to Build a Direct Booking Website

Want more control over your short-term rental bookings? A direct booking website can help you eliminate third-party fees, build guest loyalty, and increase profits. Here’s how to get started:

• Why Direct Booking? Save 15%-20% in OTA fees, offer better prices, and own guest data for personalized marketing.
• Key Features Needed: Real-time booking engine, mobile compatibility, secure payments, guest reviews, and SEO-friendly content.
• Best Platform to Use: Wix offers customizable templates, drag-and-drop editing, and integration with property management systems (PMS).
• Steps to Build: Define goals, select a platform, add essential features, integrate a PMS widget, and test thoroughly before launching.

Direct bookings can double your revenue compared to Airbnb bookings and give you full control over your business. Start building your website today to grow your rental business and boost profits.

Hosthub x StayFi: Direct Booking Websites and Email Marketing For Short Term Rentals

Planning Your Direct Booking Website

Think of your website as the blueprint for your business. Without clear goals, even the most visually stunning site can fail to deliver results.

Set Clear Goals for Your Website

Your website should do more than just look good. Between 2019 and 2020, the percentage of travelers booking directly through websites doubled, and it continued to grow with an additional 3% increase in 2021. This upward trend highlights the growing opportunity to boost direct bookings.

Prioritize direct bookings to reduce reliance on OTAs (Online Travel Agencies). Use your site to share your story, highlight what makes your property stand out, and create a seamless guest experience - from their first visit to your site to post-stay follow-ups. Additionally, your website is a powerful tool for gathering guest data. This data can fuel targeted email campaigns, special offers, and strategies designed to encourage repeat bookings.

Another advantage? Full control. Your website allows you to set your own pricing, cancellation policies, house rules, and promotional offers without the constraints of third-party platforms.

With your objectives in place, the next step is to focus on the features that will turn casual visitors into paying guests.

Required Features for STR Websites

A successful direct booking website needs the right tools to convert visitors into guests. For example, 67% of travelers say they find it easier to book directly on a brand's website than through a third-party platform. But that’s only true if your site includes the right features.

Start with a reliable booking engine. It should display real-time availability, handle secure payments, and integrate seamlessly with your property management system. High-quality images and concise descriptions of your property are also critical - guests need to know exactly what they’re booking. Since 47.8% of all web traffic comes from organic search, optimizing your content with relevant keywords is a must.

Mobile compatibility is non-negotiable. With 61.5% of global search traffic and 63% of U.S. search traffic coming from mobile devices, your website should work effortlessly on smartphones and tablets. Adding a trusted payment gateway can further enhance guest confidence, as 71% of consumers are more likely to book with brands they trust.

Don’t forget guest reviews and testimonials. These add credibility and help new visitors feel confident about booking. Finally, ensure your site has a user-friendly interface with clear calls to action. Booking buttons should be easy to find, allowing visitors to check availability, view pricing, and complete their reservations without any hassle.

With these essential features in mind, the next step is to choose a platform that can bring your vision to life.

Choosing a User-Friendly Website Builder

Wix is a standout option for creating a direct booking website. With over 900 customizable templates and drag-and-drop editing, it’s accessible even if you don’t have technical expertise.

Sharon Hafuta, SEO Blog Editor at Wix, emphasizes the importance of selecting the right platform:

"In the hospitality industry, your website is your front desk - choose a builder that welcomes guests with seamless design, effortless booking and a five-star experience."

Wix offers both free and paid plans, with the latter starting at $17/month when billed annually. This makes it a budget-friendly choice for property owners looking to attract more direct bookings. Plus, Wix provides AI tools and templates tailored to the hospitality industry, making it easier to get started.

For short-term rental owners, Wix’s ability to integrate with property management systems is a major plus. This ensures your PMS booking widget works seamlessly with your website.

Esin D. Habif, Product Marketing Lead at Wix, highlights the need for flexibility:

"Choose a website builder that allows you to make fast pivots based on your business needs. If, from one day to the next, you need to add events or an online store, make sure your website builder makes that possible for you."

Before committing to a platform, take advantage of free trials or basic plans to explore the features. Make sure the interface feels intuitive and that you can easily update your site as your business grows. Also, consider the level of customer support offered. When you encounter booking issues or technical challenges, having reliable support can make all the difference.

Building Your Website on Wix

If you've decided on Wix, you're already on the path to building a direct booking website quickly and efficiently.

Getting Started with Wix

First, head to the Wix homepage and click "Get Started" to create your account. While Wix offers a free plan, it does come with some limitations: you won’t be able to accept online payments, set up an online store, or access Google Analytics. Plus, your site will display Wix ads and use a non-customizable subdomain. For a professional direct booking website, upgrading to a premium plan is essential - plans range from $16 to $149 per month.

When you register, Wix will guide you through a short questionnaire to tailor the Wix Editor experience to your needs. Once you’re in the Wix Dashboard, click the "Edit Site" button to access all the tools you’ll need. While you can create multiple websites under one account, keep in mind that each site requires its own premium plan. From here, you can start customizing your site to reflect your rental property’s unique identity.

Customizing Your Website

Your website should reflect your rental’s personality and brand. Start by picking a template designed specifically for vacation rentals - Wix offers several options with built-in features tailored to this market. Define your brand with a memorable name, a professional logo, and a design that speaks to your target audience.

To make your site visually appealing, use high-quality images, clear calls-to-action, and plenty of white space to avoid a cluttered look. Choose a color palette that matches your property’s vibe, and stick to three or four easy-to-read fonts to ensure fast loading speeds.

Make sure to include essential pages such as:

• Homepage: Highlight your property’s best features.
• About Page: Share your story and what makes your rental special.
• Property Listings: Showcase details for each available rental.
• Booking Page: Allow guests to book directly.
• Contact Page: Make it easy for visitors to get in touch.
• Terms and Conditions: Outline policies clearly.
• Reviews and Testimonials: Build trust with guest feedback.
• Blog: Share tips, news, or stories to engage visitors.

Wix’s drag-and-drop editor makes it simple to update and tweak your site as needed.

Adding High-Quality Content

Content is what converts visitors into bookings. Be sure to include key details about your property, such as its description, location, capacity, pricing, availability, and unique amenities. Don’t forget to highlight nearby attractions, guest reviews, house rules, and cancellation policies.

Photography plays a huge role here - upload professional-quality images that show off your property’s best features. To improve site performance, use JPG files, which are much smaller than PNGs, without sacrificing quality.

To boost your site’s visibility, take advantage of Wix SEO Wiz. This tool walks you through optimizing your site for search engines. Add unique titles and descriptions for each page and avoid placing important text inside images, as search engines can’t read it. Wix also includes a built-in blog feature, which you can use to share updates, tips, or stories that help improve your search rankings.

Wix automatically creates a mobile-friendly version of your website, but you can fine-tune it using their mobile editor. For a better mobile experience, hide unnecessary elements, crop or resize images, and simplify galleries to ensure faster loading times. You might also want to add a welcome screen to introduce your mobile site’s brand. To optimize performance, keep static elements like text and buttons above the fold, limit heavy animations, and ensure text stands out clearly against backgrounds.

Once your site is polished and ready, the next step is integrating your property management system (PMS) booking widget.

Integrating a PMS Booking Widget

Your Wix website is polished and ready to impress - now it’s time to add a feature that converts visitors into paying guests. A PMS booking widget connects your website to your reservation system, making it possible for guests to book and pay online while simplifying property management tasks. This step is where design meets functionality.

What Is a PMS Booking Widget?

A PMS booking widget is a tool that handles reservations, syncs calendars, processes payments, and updates availability in real-time. It works around the clock, allowing guests to check availability, pick dates, and complete bookings without any hassle. By connecting with Calendar APIs, these widgets ensure that reservations made on your site are instantly reflected across all your calendars.

But it doesn’t stop there. The widget can send automated reminders via email or SMS for upcoming stays, and you can customize the booking form to collect important guest details. It also offers payment flexibility, letting you accept both online and offline payments - giving guests the convenience they expect in today’s digital world.

How to Add a PMS Booking Widget to Your Wix Site

Adding a PMS booking widget to your Wix site is easier than you might think. Here’s how to do it:

• Get the Code: Start by obtaining the HTML code for the widget from your PMS provider. This snippet contains everything needed to display and operate the booking system. Make sure the code is up-to-date and secure.
• Embed the Code: Open the Wix editor and click on "Add Elements." From the "Popular Embeds" section, select "Embed Code." You’ll have two options:
  • Choose "Embed HTML" to paste the code snippet directly.
  • Or select "Embed a site" to add an external URL.
• Insert the Code: After adding the embed to your page, click it to open the editing options. If you’re pasting a code snippet, select "Enter Code" and insert it. For URLs, choose "Enter Website Address" and paste the link. Click "Apply" to save.
• Adjust Settings: If the widget looks cropped, tweak the width and height settings (e.g., set them to 100%) to ensure it displays correctly. You can also add alt text under "What’s in the embed?" to improve accessibility.

One thing to note: Wix has limitations when it comes to supporting external code. As the Wix Help Center explains:

"We cannot provide support for external codes that were not created or tested by Wix. If you are experiencing an issue with your code snippet, please contact the provider directly." – Wix Help Center

Why Integrate a PMS Booking Widget?

Adding a PMS booking widget revolutionizes how your rental business runs. It simplifies the booking process for guests while lightening the workload for property managers. With about 73% of travelers using mobile devices to manage their accommodations, offering a smooth digital experience - like online check-ins and check-outs - is no longer optional.

Direct bookings through your website also mean you can bypass OTA commissions, keeping the full booking fee. The widget ensures no double bookings by instantly updating your availability and automates tasks like guest messaging and cleaner scheduling. This eliminates the need for time-consuming manual coordination.

Ultimately, a PMS booking widget helps you increase bookings and revenue by streamlining operations and enhancing communication with guests. It’s a game-changer for short-term rental managers who want to move beyond spreadsheets and manual processes.

Once your PMS booking widget is live on your site, you’re almost ready to welcome guests. The final step? Test every feature thoroughly to make sure everything works perfectly before going live.

Testing, Launch, and Management

Making sure your direct booking site provides a smooth guest experience is just as important as building it on Wix and integrating your PMS widget. Proper testing ensures you avoid lost bookings and maintain your reputation.

Pre-Launch Checklist

Before going live, test every part of your website to guarantee a hassle-free guest experience. Walk through the entire booking process - from selecting dates to completing payment - to catch any errors or confusion.

Check how your site looks and functions across different devices and screen sizes. For example, if your booking form works well on a desktop but cuts off fields on a smartphone, it could frustrate potential guests. Ensure buttons are easy to tap, text is readable, and the booking widget displays correctly everywhere.

Run test transactions to confirm that payment processing works smoothly and that guests receive instant booking confirmations.

Speed matters too. Use tools like PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix any slow-loading pages. Compress large images, reduce unnecessary plugins, and make sure your Wix site loads quickly, especially on mobile. Slow sites can drive visitors away before they even explore your property.

Don’t forget to test your contact forms, email notifications, and any automated messages. Make sure inquiry forms reach your inbox, and verify that auto-responses are accurate and helpful, providing key information about your property and policies.

Once testing is complete, you’ll be ready to launch with confidence.

Launching Your Website

After thorough testing, it’s time to announce your direct booking site to the world. Start with email marketing - it’s the quickest way to reach past guests and interested prospects. Send a launch announcement highlighting the perks of booking directly, like exclusive discounts or early access to special rates. These incentives can encourage guests to try your new site.

Social media is another powerful tool to spread the word. Share eye-catching photos of your property alongside your website announcement on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Highlight your property’s unique features and include a direct link to your site to make booking easy.

Don’t overlook search engine optimization (SEO). Use local keywords that travelers might search for, such as your city name, nearby attractions, and your property type. Optimizing your page titles and descriptions early helps your site climb search rankings over time.

You can also connect with local tourism boards, visitor bureaus, or travel bloggers. Being featured on trusted local websites can drive targeted traffic to your booking site.

Once your site is live, the work doesn’t stop - ongoing maintenance is key to staying competitive.

Website Maintenance and Optimization

Launching your site is just the beginning. To keep it running smoothly and profitably, you’ll need to stay on top of regular updates and improvements. Update rates frequently, respond promptly to guest inquiries, and refresh your content to ensure your site remains competitive.

Use tools like Google Analytics to track visitor behavior and booking trends. This data can guide decisions about improving your site and refining your marketing efforts. Regular optimization strengthens your relationship with direct guests and boosts your revenue.

Here’s a compelling statistic: direct bookings average $1,935 compared to $906 for typical Airbnb bookings, with guests staying an average of 5.9 days versus 4.3 days on major platforms. Clearly, focusing on direct bookings can significantly impact your bottom line.

Guest feedback is another valuable resource. After their stay, follow up with guests to gather reviews and suggestions. Highlight positive testimonials on your site - social proof builds trust with future visitors.

Keep your website fresh by updating property descriptions, adding new photos, or writing blog posts about local attractions or seasonal events. Search engines favor sites that regularly publish new content, which can improve your visibility in search results.

Conclusion

Creating a direct booking website for your short-term rental can be a game-changer. It’s a straightforward process that includes defining your goals and features, building the site on a user-friendly platform like Wix, integrating a PMS booking widget, and thoroughly testing before going live.

Direct bookings offer plenty of benefits: they eliminate commission fees, help you build stronger connections with guests, and give you full control over your brand and pricing.

"A direct booking website is critically important for any successful short-term rental (STR) business." - Uplisting

The impact can be substantial. Take, for example, a case study from Rentals United: one Australian vacation rental saw direct bookings jump from 10% to 67% after rebranding and implementing targeted marketing strategies. This example highlights the potential of investing in your own booking platform.

That said, launching your website is just the first step. Keeping it successful requires consistent effort. Regular updates, fresh content, and ongoing improvements are essential to staying competitive. Pay attention to your analytics, listen to guest feedback, and tweak your approach based on what works best for your rental. These efforts ensure your site continues to deliver results.

Thankfully, modern tools make the process easier than ever. Platforms like Wix allow you to create a professional site without needing technical skills, while PMS booking widgets handle reservations seamlessly in the background.

Start building your direct booking website today. Every booking you secure directly strengthens your business and boosts your bottom line.

FAQs

What are the benefits of having a direct booking website for short-term rentals instead of relying on OTAs?

Using a direct booking website for your short-term rental offers some clear perks. One of the biggest benefits? You get to keep more of your earnings. Online travel agencies (OTAs) often charge hefty commission fees - sometimes as high as 15%. By bypassing those fees, more money goes straight into your pocket.

Another advantage is the freedom to take control. With your own site, you decide on pricing, cancellation terms, and how you present your brand. This lets you offer a more tailored experience for guests, which can lead to stronger connections and more repeat bookings. That kind of personal touch is tough to achieve when you’re tied to big platforms.

Lastly, focusing on direct bookings means you’re less reliant on OTAs. It’s a step toward independence, while also supporting local communities and helping strengthen the local economy. A direct booking website isn’t just about boosting profits - it’s about creating better guest experiences and truly owning your rental business.

How do I make sure my direct booking website works well on mobile devices and ranks high in search engines?

To make sure your direct booking website works well for both mobile users and search engines, focus on building a responsive design that adapts effortlessly to various screen sizes. Start with mobile-first development by incorporating touch-friendly buttons, legible fonts, and limiting pop-ups to create a smoother user experience.

Boost your site's performance by compressing images, streamlining code, and ensuring pages load quickly. These improvements not only make your site easier to use but also help improve your SEO rankings, especially with mobile-first indexing being a priority. Don’t forget to regularly test your site for mobile usability to identify and resolve any issues that could affect performance or user satisfaction.

What should I consider when adding a property management system (PMS) booking widget to my website?

When incorporating a property management system (PMS) booking widget into your website, mobile responsiveness should be a top priority. This ensures that users enjoy a seamless experience, whether they're booking from a smartphone, tablet, or desktop. Another key feature to look for is real-time booking synchronization, which helps prevent issues like double bookings or reservation errors.

It's equally important to focus on a user-friendly interface that simplifies the booking process for your guests. Secure payment processing is also a must to safeguard sensitive customer data. Make sure the widget works smoothly with your existing website systems and complies with local regulations to avoid any operational hiccups. Finally, opt for a solution that's easy to set up and comes with dependable customer support - this can save you a lot of time and frustration in the long run.

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