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Why professional photos of your vacation rental are worth every penny

Posted by Aj Mudford on Feb 26, 2014 3:51:00 PM

It is said a picture is worth a thousand words. Most people are drawn to pictures and will judge their rental prospects predominantly on what they see as opposed to what they read. Flipkey, a vacation rental search platform purchased by TripAdvisor, completed a study revealing HD photography increased bookings by 98%.

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Professional photography adds credibility and will make your listings more trusted by potential customers. It shows that time has be taken to present your homes in the best possible way, and that you care and take pride in your properties. There is only a brief moment to grab peoples’ attention so standing out in a crowd is vital for your photos. Here are a few numbers and tips to ensure your return on investment.

Image of the Grand Wailea Resort & Spa courtesy

of our friends at 5 Star Maui Resorts.

 

Watermark your photos- A watermark will mean your photos cannot be stolen and it will give your company extra exposure if the photos are shared around the web, with your company name across the front. A watermark gives you more security and is an extra form of advertising. Simply adding a photo to Facebook will increase the opportunities for your rental property to attract more guests as Facebook photos generate 53% more likes than the average post as well as 104% more comments.

Detailed Photo’s- Make sure there are photos of each room, the exterior and the view. If guests can see where they will be cooking, sleeping and relaxing they will be more comfortable to make a booking. The view is a major draw card so showcasing what you have to offer will help attract customers.

Proper Resolution- The ways your photos are displayed on your website is very important. They should be in high resolution and in full screen with relevant captions. The best time to take exterior photos is just after sundown (no more than 20minutes after) and clouds will give you the best lighting for the house photos.

Tell the story- Photos must show the experience the vacation rental home offers to the guest. Try to get at least 20 true and eye-catching shots with keywords and tags that will get you the most views. Vacation rental properties with more than four photos get twice as many inquiries as listings with four photos or fewer. Homeaway.com allows up to 24 images to be posted with a listing so don’t limit yourself to any less. Additionally, be sure to have images that include more than just the walls and furniture of your homes. Be sure to have images of people enjoying their experience at your vacation rentals.

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Set the Scene- Stage your home to reflect the homely comforts to give people an alternative to a hotel. There are no restrictions on props or staging so make the most of the opportunity to style your home in the most appealing manner.

There is a high return on investment for professional photographs that will trigger more guests to vacation at your rental home. It could make or break your business. 84% of travelers want photos of rooms and facilities on a website. So what are you waiting for? If you haven’t had professional photographs taken recently, get onto it!

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Tags: How to market vacation rentals, Marketing, Rental Management, Vacation Rentals, Professional Photography, Rental ROI, HomeAway listings