Owner's Blog

According to industry trends, mobile internet usage is excelling faster than desktop PCs. USA Today reported that 16% of shoppers will use their smart phones to do holiday shopping this year, and 39% of people ages 18 to 29 reported using their phones to do all of their online shopping.  These are clear indications that smart phones and other mobile devices are changing the way the world is surfing the net, shop, and do business.

In 2011, mobile marketing will expand far beyond mobile messaging, now with 300K Apple’s applications available in iTunes and 200K in the Google’s Android market.   Rentalo.com’s marketing goal for 2111 is to continue expanding its reach by investing in mobile technologies, focusing in the development of new user friendly applications to facilitate comparison shopping for lodging.

“Mobile gadgets provide easy access to the Internet. Similarly, Rentalo.com provides easy access to compare lodging options” says Alfredo Purrinos, “Rentalo’s strategy to penetrate the mobile industry is part of our commitment to the travel industry in making the vacation planning experience as pleasant as possible, to as many people as possible.”

Related Reading(s):
- PRWeb/Vocus Press Release: Rentalo.com Reaches Mobile Users to Facilitate Comparison Shopping for Vacation Rentals and Hotels
- SF Gate/ San Francisco’s Chronicles

2010 has been a tough year for many people in the US and abroad!   For some who may be dreaming of a family vacation, renting the movie Cast Away may be the closest they “think” they can get this year to spending time in the warm Caribbean sun or a favorite ski resort.  At Rentalo we are working hard to change that and give as many travelers as possible the opportunity to live their vacation dream!

Rentalo is giving a special incentive to inventory clients for adding SPECIAL OFFERS on their listings.

SPECIAL OFFERS are a complimentary feature that allow owners to proactively post discounts consisting of 10% or greater.  These SPECIAL OFFERS are automatically posted in several travel sites and travel blogs, and even social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

As a special incentive, for every traveler that registers a booking through a SPECIAL OFFER via Rentalo during the month of January 2011,  Rentalo is giving each owner one (1) free month of advertising added to their subscription.  Also, the top 3 listings that get the most bookings registered will be featured in one of our upcoming Traveler’s Newsletters sent monthly to 1.3 Million opted-in travelers, worldwide.

Activating a SPECIAL OFFER is free and easy, the only catch is the SPECIAL OFFER must be truly special — which means that you must offer at least 10% off the published rates for those dates.  To learn how to activate your SPECIAL OFFER today, click here to watch a step by step tutorial.

You must hurry and activate your SPECIAL OFFER today to be ready for our upcoming January 2011 Traveler’s Newsletter publication.  In this publication we will be promoting SPECIAL OFFERS to 1.3 Million opted-in travelers, worldwide.  Also, as soon as a SPECIAL OFFER becomes active, Rentalo will automatically post it in several travel sites and also in Rentalo’s index page for SPECIAL OFFERS at http://rentalo.com/Special-Offers.html, now featuring more than 500 offers.

So, what are you waiting for?  POST YOUR SPECIAL OFFER today!  > Sign-in

.

Related article:  Traveler’s Blog > Make Your Vacation Dream a Reality with Rentalo’s Special Offers

Streamline your booking process with a tool that allows you to manage your reservations, invoices and payments.

We put a lot of work and thought into EZ Reserve, to come up with a tool that was easy enough for any property owner to use, yet safe and robust to manage your booking workflow.

To help property owners understand how they can take advantage of EZ Reserve we have made 3 videos.

Watch them today and start using EZ Reserve to simplify your vacation rental booking process.

EZ Reserve Tutorial 1
Configure EZ Reserve to receive online and offline payments.

Setup invoice preferences and rental agreement.
EZ Reserve Tutorial 2
Become familiar with the EZ Reserve interface.
Create and manage reservations, invoices and payments.

EZ Reserve Tutorial 3
Know the EZ Reserve reporting interface.
Export and download reports.

[caption id="attachment_147" align="aligncenter" width="497" caption="EZ Reserve"][/caption]

Here at Rentalo we have been hard at work the last few months developing a new tool designed to streamline the booking process through an integrated reservation, invoicing and payment system.

Are you tired of having to keep your reservations,  invoices and payments in a spreadsheet or a notepad?  Ever had a double booking and scrambled to apologized to a traveler because of it?  You are not alone, many property owners have run into these problems over the year and many continue to struggle with the booking process even today.

EZ Reserve is a very easy to use booking engine designed with vacation rental property owners in mind.  We set out to create a tool that didn’t require a steep learning curve, but rather be intuitive so owners can start using it within just a few minutes.  With Ez Reserve owners will be able to manage their reservations, invoices and payments online, as well as print out important reports that will facilitate their book keeping process.

Reservations can be created and managed so that owners can manage their vacation rental more efficiently.  The system will warn you so that you do not create a double booking.  Owners can also send a copy of their rental agreement to travelers and a copy of the reservation for the traveler’s records.  Once there is a reservation, and owner can then generate invoices for that reservation.

Invoices are very easy to create and will make your vacation rental business look more professional.  There is plenty of flexibility within the invoice creation process.  Create a customized greeting, include line items, add a personalized signature with your photo, and much more.  The invoicing interface will keep track of status of your invoices.  Managing your invoices is as simple as clicking a button.  You can resend, mark as paid, void, refund, etc, all from the same page.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of EZ Reserve is the fact that owners can accept online or offline payments.  You can link your Paypal account with EZ Reserve so that travelers can pay you directly via the invoices you create.  Alternatively, owners can specify which forms of “offline” payments are accepted, along with the instructions on how to send the payments.

Most property owners are hands on and prefer to be involved in the entire booking process.  EZ Reserve is a tool that will help property owners keep their information and payments organized and online, allowing them more time to better serve their travelers.

With an introductory price of only $65 a year, EZ Reserve is a tool definitely worth looking into for your vacation rental business.

EZ Calling is a powerful tool that can dramatically boost your bookings and help you communicate faster and better with potential renters; but are you taking full advantage of it? Here is a detailed description of all its features and how to manage them.

1. First Things First…How to Activate EZ Calling

Activating EZ Calling is very easy and only takes a few steps. Log on to your Rentalo listing and click on the EZ Calling tab at the top of the page. You will see the credit amount options $25, $50 or $100. Choose the one you wish and click on the button that says |”Activate EZ Calling Now and Get Additional Credit For Free.”

Next you will be taken to the shopping cart to finish the process. Make sure that the correct option is selected in the “New EZ Calling” section and click on the “Proceed to Check Out” option. Once the transaction is completed your EZ Calling feature will be activated in your listing with the amount of credit that you selected. Activate EZ Calling Now.

2. Configuring EZ Calling Features

Once you have activated EZ Calling the first thing you need to do is to configure your primary and secondary phone numbers. These are the numbers that will get the calls when an interested traveler clicks on the click to call button of your listing.

Next you can choose whether or not to activate all of EZ Calling features. Click to Call, Inquiry to Phone and the 800 extension.

Click to Call: This feature allows you to receive immediate calls from interested travelers that are browsing your listing.

Inquiry to Phone: You will receive inquiries directly to your phone when a traveler places an e-mail inquiry. You can choose to turn on or off this feature depending on your preferences.

800 Extension: You will get a toll free access number for potential guests to call you. This branded phone number will increase traveler’s confidence in your business.

3. Call Forwarding Schedule

You don’t want to receive calls in the middle of the night, so make sure to specify the days and times you want to receive calls and messages. This is possible with the call forwarding schedule that you will find at the bottom of the page. This feature is only available for the 800 extension and Click to Call.

4. Viewing and Understanding Call Tracking Reports

Reports are one of the most useful features of EZ Calling. By clicking on the view call tracking reports button of the EZ Calling configuring page you will be able to generate reports based on dates and properties; if you have more than one property.

You will see records of the calling number, the call type (whether it was
Click to Call or an 800 extension call), the date and time of the call, which number it was connected to (which will be one of the numbers you initially set us forwarding numbers), the call duration and the cost. You will also see the call result, whether the call was successful, the phone was busy or the call was not answered. You will not miss any detail of the calls you receive! And you can keep track of which properties are receiving more calls.

If you want to you can download the reports to a csv file or print them.

By incorporating this easy, cost-effective means to connect with prospective travelers you will be able to answer their questions immediately, beat your competition and guide them through a successful booking experience. Activate EZ Calling Now.

Rentalo is pleased to introduce EZ Calling, our new cutting edge phone technology service that will get vacation rental seekers from the web to your phone in just one click! You will not only get more calls from vacationers interested on your vacation rental; you will also be able to track these calls and receive automated messages that will guarantee a better service and boost your conversions. Sign Up Here.

Closing the Gap between Property Owners and Travelers

The idea behind EZ Calling is to increase online conversions by closing the communication gap between property owners and travelers. This is possible thanks to EZ Calling’s three powerful tools, Click-to-Call, Inquiry-to-Phone and the Toll Free and Tracking feature.

Click-to-Call: With this tool travelers interested in your vacation rental will have the opportunity to directly connect with you through the click of a button embedded on your property listing. You will:

• Receive INSTANT calls from travelers browsing your listing.
• Get more calls from interested travelers. (Calls from travelers convert 47% more than e-mail inquiries).
• Track your click to call activity. Sign Up Here.

Inquiry-to-Phone: The Inquiry-to-Phone is an optional tool that allows you to receive automated phone messages each time your vacation rental gets an inquiry. Inquiry-to-Phone will allow you to:

• Receive INSTANT automated phone messages each time your property gets an inquiry.
• Reply immediately with an offer to the interested traveler.
• Track your inquiry to phone activity. Sign Up Here.

Toll Free and Call Tracking: This tool makes it easier for travelers to contact you by providing a toll free number. It will allow you to:

• Keep your number private.
• Get detailed call activity reports. (Call tracking captures data on missed calls. If a prospective renter calls after hours or hangs up before the call is completed, why let this lead get away? Receive an e-mail with the caller’s phone number and generate additional bookings by returning these calls).

According to a study by TMP Directional Marketing and comScore, the two most common activities following an online local search are a visit or a phone call to a local store; and calls from travelers result in more bookings than e-mail inquiries. By incorporating this easy, cost-effective means to connect with vacation rental seekers you will be able to answer their questions immediately, beat your competition and guide them through a successful booking experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to dramatically increase your online bookings! Sign up now at: http://rentalo.com/ezcalling.html.

At Rentalo.com, we want every traveler to find the perfect accommodation. We are also committed to the online lodging industry by providing more effective and targeted marketing tools. As such, over a week ago, we introduced three branded “satellite” web sites: TripLodgings.com for hotel reservations, 1Stop-Rentals.com for short-term rentals and TravelBB.com for B&Bs. If you have a subscription with Rentalo, you will get a complimentary listing in the corresponding branded satellite site; yes, completely free.

The site: http://TripLodgings.com, links travelers with hotel owners and managers. Here, travelers will find specialized ads for hotel reservations, lodges and holiday resorts online. Hotels that have published listings on Rentalo.com will automatically be included in the lodgings directory.

Equally efficient is http://1Stop-Rentals.com, which directly connects travelers with private homeowners in order to find short term rentals, furnished apartments, vacation villas and other vacation properties owned and managed independently.

 Not to forget B&Bs, in http://TravelBB.com travelers may browse or search classified ads for bed and breakfast accommodations, discount inns and private B&B guesthouses. “Rentalo is committed to providing the most comprehensive worldwide network of specialized lodging sites on the Internet,” says president Alfredo Purrinos. “These three satellite sites are attractive and user-friendly, with powerful search capabilities that allow travelers to find the kind of accommodation they prefer, in the location they want, for a price they like.”

If you want to read more about the launch of these satellite sites, please visit our Vacation Rental Press Page or see what Arthur Frommer is saying about this on his travel blog.

Are you tired of losing travelers due to your security deposit requirements? We know that deposits are an essential part of the travel business; but they may stop travelers from booking your property. Thinking in how to make life easier to our property owners and travelers we have teamed up with Travel Guard (one of the nation’s leading providers of travel insurance) and we are the first vacation rental website to offer travelers a specially designed Accidental Rental Damage Insurance Protection Plan that will help reduce property damage concerns.

How Can Property Owners Benefit from the Accidental Rental Damage Insurance?

• You can offer it to your guests as an added value in lieu of requiring a deposit.
• Your guests will no longer need to worry about how much or when their security deposit will be returned, which may result in more bookings.
• You will no longer need to go through the hassle of collecting security deposits, managing the money or spending time and resources refunding these fees.

Insurance Costs and Coverage

There are two Accidental Rental Damage Insurance options for your guests (You may also opt to include this cost as part of the rental agreement):

Base Premium $45USD: Up to $1,500 coverage if the property or its contents are damaged during their stay. To learn more about this Travel Insurance Plan visit: http://rentalo.com/docs/insurance.html.

Base Premium $69USD: Up to $3,000 coverage if the property or its contents are damaged during their stay. For more information about this Travel Insurance Plan visit: http://rentalo.com/docs/insurance.html.

We continue working hard to make your Rentalo experience as rewarding as possible!

In our continued effort to provide the best marketing for property owners, Rentalo.com has partenered with WOR News/Talk Radio, to promote the New England, Cape Cod, Hamptons and Martha’s Vineyard (and vicinities) vacation properties on the New York Tri-state Area.

Local radio audiences of summer travelers will be able to use Rentalo in their search for vacation rentals in these prime locations. With the help of offline radio marketing and promotion, we are planning on driving quality traffic for the region during peak season.

As an incentive for travelers in the region, we are giving away three fantastic vacation rentals this summer in the New England vacation area. Three lucky listeners will be able to spend one week in homes that are nearby all the conveniences of these resort locations.

Here are samples of the radio promotions being aired for three weeks starting May 18, 2009 by WOR Radio.

summer-vacation-liner-2

summer-vacation-liner-1

For more information on the Summer Giveaway by Rentalo.com in WOR, go to the Summer Giveaway page on WOR

Rentalo’s marketing team is continuously working on alternative media to drive traffic and business to the vacation rental and lodging professionals who trust us. We will continue embracing all available marketing channels that can buttress our brand image and position as a premiere vacation rental lodging online directory.

Founded in 1922, WOR News/Talk Radio 710 HD is New York’s oldest, privately-owned and continuously-operated radio station. WOR provides a well-rounded schedule of informational and lifestyle programming, featuring personalities such as John Gambling, Arthur Frommer, Glenn Beck, Joan Hamburg, Dr. Joy Browne, Lou Dobbs, Steve Malzberg and many others. WOR News/Talk Radio 710 HD is a Buckley Broadcasting Corporation radio station, and it is the first AM Radio station in New York to broadcast in the new HD technology. WOR is streaming and podcasting at wor710.com.