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Holiday cottages are becoming increasingly popular as people look for alternative accommodation options to hotels. Guest reviews are one of the most crucial factors that people consider when choosing a holiday cottage, as they provide an insight into what the holiday cottage is really like.

Positive guest reviews can make a significant difference to a holiday cottage’s success, so it is important to try and get as many as possible.

Here are some of the reasons why guest reviews are so important:

• They Show That You Care About Your Guests

Getting complimentary reviews from guests shows that you care about providing a wonderful experience for them. This is especially important for holiday cottages because people are looking for a place to relax and escape from their everyday lives. When guests have a wonderful time, they are likely to leave a helpful review and recommend your cottage to others.

• They Show That You Listen to Customers and Improve the Guest Experience

Simple comments from the guests on your holiday cottage would give you good insight into your business. Property owners or managers must carefully listen to their guests' opinions to understand their likes and dislikes about their holiday home. It is wise to consider any constructive feedback, this way owners and / or managers can improve the property and / or their customer service. Furthermore, if improvements are evidenced then this allows for potential guests to consider your willingness to improve when deciding on committing to a booking. You can also use positive comments in your advertising to attract potential guests.

• They Build Trust and Customer Loyalty

Having the opportunity to read reviews about a holiday cottage would help guests build trust. Since most bookings are made online or over the phone as opposed to at the venue itself, guests can sometimes feel nervous about booking as they cannot guarantee that they are getting what is shown on the listing. Therefore, providing future guests with the opportunity to read comments from previous guests, can generate more confidence in the buyer’s mind. Furthermore, when guests arrive and love the property, they may even become returning customers!

• They Improve Search Ranking and Visibility

Do you know reviews on various platforms play a crucial role in helping you become recognised in search engines such as Google and other sales channels? The search engines see guest reviews as an essential element helping drive more guests to view your holiday rental or property and thus increase sales value.

When you have reviews on your listing pages, the search engines will deem your property appropriate and trustworthy, boosting ranking and visibility to potential guests. In addition, the more 5-star reviews you will have, the more it will positively impact your reach, and will provide visibility to your service to a broader range of audiences. Reviews are also beneficial to SEO techniques and can help increase CTR or click-through rate.

• They Display Your Transparency and Professionalism

Professional replies alongside the guest reviews will let the public and potential customers know how sincere, transparent, dedicated, and trustworthy your company is. Even if there are negative reviews and you professionally handle them, people may appreciate your service and integrity.

Approaching the guest reviews and complaints with transparency will reflect the company's professionalism, confidence, transparency, and commitment.

• They Increase Conversion

Guest reviews can assist in conversion growth. We have seen how reviews can help drive organic traffic, improve click-through rate, visibility, image, content credibility, reliability, trust, transparency, and professionalism. All these translate into an increased booking rate, which improves conversion.

• Obtain More Reviews

What came first, the chicken or the egg? The same applies for reviews! The more reviews a guest sees, the more likely they are to leave on of their own. It is not merely because of the algorithms, but the new guests may feel encouraged when they find previous guests have left reviews for you. Positive reviews are the most profound of all. The more you have them, the more you get exposure, build a reputation, increase your lead and conversion, aiding your business to rank high in search engines.

Is it Necessary to Publish Guest Reviews on Vacation Rental Listing?

Yes, it is necessary. You may get nervous because you will be inviting negative reviews, which has the potential to damage your reputation. Nevertheless, you cannot skip negative comments. Hence, learn to accept both positive and negative ones. And yes, public, and future guests will also see that. However, there are ways you can handle negative comments. It would help if you worked on improving according to the feedback. Ensure the best hospitality and hygiene for your guest. Learn to respond professionally to bad reviews by addressing them politely and appreciating their concern. Therefore, list reviews on your holiday rental pages and other media, no matter what you get.

Approaches You can Adapt to Increase Positive Guest Reviews.

There are a variety of ways to enhance your holiday cottage experience to encourage visitors to leave favourable reviews.

Here are some examples:

• Make sure your holiday rental is as described. You should ensure that your holiday let meets or exceeds the description. Guest satisfaction is our top priority! If they do not get the property you described, it will negatively impact their impression of your holiday rental.
• The communications should be clear and on point. It would help if you did not sugar-coat or give less information. Since it is a holiday cottage, all your contact would be over the phone or online. Hence, be proactive and let the guests know all essential details before their arrival either through detailed emails or a conversation over the phone.
• Holiday cottages are usually self catered. However, you could ease your guest's tasks by giving them information about the surrounding, supermarkets, local markets, restaurants, cafes and whether you provide the basics (i.e., tea, coffee, and sugar).
• Maintenance issues should be kept on top of, always. If your guests encounter any problems, you should be available immediately over the phone or online to assist them with their needs.
• You should also maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of your cottage through proper and regular cleanings.
• Since you get to greet guests over the phone or online, you can leave charming and thoughtful gifts for them. Consider a handwritten card, or a welcome pack including local produce. These small but thoughtful gestures go a long way.
• It would be best if you allowed guests to enjoy their privacy. So, no frequent calls or visits should be permitted, but you can let them know about a specific hour to call them about matters or greet them casually if required. Allow your visitors to contact you whenever they require assistance.

Conclusion

The guest's holiday cottage reviews are undoubtedly crucial for others to know about your service. Yes, there will be some negative ones, but that should not discourage you from listing reviews on different platforms. If you want to build trust, attract more customers, get validation from the search engines, and have more visibility, you cannot skip this process. Handle the negative reviews with the professionalism they deserve, and your business will reap the rewards.

Please contact us at Come and Stay Ltd if you have any questions regarding running your holiday let business. We can help you manage all aspects of your holiday rental, including finding guests, dealing with customers' queries, advertising, and maintaining your online presence.

Our team of experts are always on hand to offer advice and support, so please do not hesitate to get in touch on 01242 964417.