| If you rent out your Spanish holiday home I'm sure | | | | your site and get it up the rankings in search engines |
| you use the internet to try and increase your | | | | like Google and Bing. Some ideas of places to get |
| bookings but are you using to its full potential? I have | | | | links specific to Spain: |
| rented out my cave house in Cullar (a beautiful house | | | | Link exchange with sispain.org, in-spain.info |
| with a pool but carved into the mountainside) for | | | | Spanish language sites like Find spanish-related or |
| three years and have increased my bookings | | | | travel blogs and add comments to them |
| markedly even during the recession. Here are some | | | | Start a Spain blog and add links and material from |
| quick tips for success with your online rental | | | | your site |
| campaign. | | | | Local and state government sites |
| 1. Get on a good rental website | | | | 4. Free advertising |
| Without a listing on a big international holiday rental | | | | Search around online and you'll find a lot of |
| site you will get lost in the crowd. They are not | | | | Spain-related sites where you can advertise your |
| cheap (100-200£ p.a.) so you will probably only | | | | property for free: |
| have a budget for perhaps two listings, therefore | | | | Friday-ad.es |
| you have to chose carefully. Although this article is | | | | 5. Articles |
| aimed at owners of Spanish property, it is important | | | | Writing articles about your area and posting them on |
| you get onto a global site not one that just covers | | | | sites like and brings a double benefit - you can link |
| Spain. Think of it from the point of view of a | | | | them to your site and tell people about the wonders |
| potential renter. Some will have settled on Spain but | | | | of your area. They can be quite short articles just |
| they are just as likely to end up on a global site | | | | about local features or activities. Remember - include |
| (compare Google results for "Spain holiday rental" and | | | | lots of photos! |
| "holiday rental"). Many will be flexible as to country | | | | Include the articles on your blog (see 3) and submit |
| and just want to browse so by sticking to a Spanish | | | | to Spanish portals like and ThinkSpain. |
| site you will almost certainly lose them. The following | | | | 6. Forums |
| sites are global but strong on Spain: | | | | There are lots of Spain-related forums where you |
| We use OwnersDirect which currently charges | | | | can mention your property or link to its website (just |
| 139£ p.a. but has proved well worth it for us in | | | | search "forums spain"). Remember to respect the |
| terms of bookings. Rentals365 is a cheaper | | | | rules of the forum - some of them don't like you to |
| alternative at 29-49£ annually. | | | | advertise blatantly. They are usually free to join. |
| Holiday-rentals.co.uk is also strong on Spain but is | | | | Examples are absolutespainforums and eyeonspain. |
| more expensive at 189£. To supplement your | | | | 7. It's hot - show off the pool if you've got one! |
| paid advertising you can try a site like which has no | | | | The bulk of your potential market will think of Spain |
| annual fee and which allows online booking with credit | | | | in terms of sunny and hot. It's vital you reflect this in |
| card; the downside to this approach is that they take | | | | your ad listings and website. If you have a pool it's a |
| a commission and also you have to honour all | | | | big selling point so feature it prominently with a good |
| bookings made online. | | | | photo taken on a sunny day with the pool and |
| There's no point in spending the money and then | | | | surrounds looking immaculate. If you don't have a |
| rushing the listing: you need to publish a really | | | | pool feature the nearest beach or seafront. If this |
| appealing ad on the site with good photos and really | | | | isn't applicable bring in the local municipal pool |
| talking up your strengths and facilities (see 2.) | | | | (outdoor) although you will need to declare when this |
| 2. Design a website | | | | is open. |
| Don't be afraid to put together your own website. If | | | | The remaining three points are important but not |
| you don't know how to, involve a friend or relative | | | | Spain-specific: |
| with IT experience. Choose an emphasis ("family", | | | | 8. Keep your booking calendar up to date |
| "luxury", "activities") and back this up on your site | | | | Your ads and website will probably have a booking |
| with the text and photos. We aimed at being | | | | calendar to show availability: most important to keep |
| welcoming and friendly and include lots of | | | | them all up to date. It is frustrating for a potential |
| photographs of local scenic beauty spots. There are | | | | customer to request a "free" slot and discover it is in |
| companies like that will allow you to design a website | | | | fact already booked. |
| (using one of their templates) for free and they will | | | | 9. Adjust your pricing as necessary |
| help you get it online. | | | | Take some time over your pricing and make |
| Tips specific to Spain for your website: add useful | | | | adjustments if there are any quiet or overbooked |
| information from Spanish sites like Angloinfo Spain | | | | periods e.g. if you have a place with a pool it will have |
| and AbsoluteSpain covering events coming up and | | | | to be much cheaper during the months when it is out |
| tourist attractions. Also people booking Spain | | | | of use. Look carefully at what the competition are |
| generally will have an idea in their minds of what they | | | | charging because your clients will. |
| are coming for whether it be sun, beach, culture or | | | | 10. Social networking sites |
| rural charm. Depending on where the property is your | | | | Sites like Facebook are becoming increasingly |
| website should immediately deliver the relevant | | | | important for marketing. You can include photos and |
| promise in terms of photos and copy. | | | | details of the property on there and send round |
| 3. Links | | | | updates to your friends and contacts (like "now |
| To get your website noticed you will need to link it | | | | taking bookings for 2010" or "photos of local fiesta |
| from as many other sites as possible starting with | | | | added"). is another option which can help market your |
| your rental website which will allow you to link from | | | | listings, website and related ads/blog - just "tweet" |
| the listing to your site. If you search "how to get | | | | (publish a short chunk of info) including links to |
| links" on Google you will find lots of ways to link to | | | | relevant material. |