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Airbnb is an OTA platform that lets you list your short-term rental property. In return, it charges you a specific percentage of your rental earnings with each booking.
Direct booking website, on the other hand, is your own personal platform that looks like Airbnb or any other OTA platform. You can use it to list your properties, get bookings, promote your brands, and much more without any fee.
It gives you complete control over how your rental is listed, how many listings you create, how bookings are managed, and how you interact with guests.
For many hosts, this is a smart step toward building a stronger business and brand.
Keep reading this guide to learn more about it!
There are many good reasons to set up your own direct booking website.
Airbnb and other booking sites charge fees to both hosts and guests. These fees can add up quickly. With a direct booking site, you don’t pay those commissions, so your profits are higher.
Second, you own your listings. On Airbnb, you have to follow their format and policies.
With your own site, you can describe your property in your own voice. You can add as many pictures and videos as you want. You’re not limited by the OTA platform’s rules.
Third, you can collect guest data. Airbnb doesn’t share much information about guests with you. With your own site, you can ask for email addresses and phone numbers (with consent).
That way, you can reach out to past guests, offer them discounts, and encourage repeat bookings.
You even have full control over your cancellation policies. Airbnb sets many of the rules. But when you run your own booking system, you decide what’s fair.
You can offer flexible or strict policies, depending on what works best for your business.
Many ways are there to build a direct booking website, as per your time, budget, and skills:
The easiest yet recommended way to create your own direct booking website is to hire a professional to build it for you.
If you have a smaller budget, look for a website builder from freelancer platforms, such as:
Another option is to work with a reputable agency and hire their direct booking website-building service for the best results.
We recommend the second option. It can be a bit pricier, but it will give you the best website layout, design, booking features, branding, and much more.
It’s a good choice if you’re serious about growing your rental business and want a unique, professional site.
If you don’t want to hire someone, another option is to use built-in website templates.
Where can you access these templates? You can use these platforms:
These property manager systems (PMS) have website templates that anyone can use to create their own direct booking websites.
Some of the most common features of these templates include payment processing solutions, booking calendars, access to all properties, amenities highlights, etc.
These are easy to use and usually don’t require much technical knowledge. All you need to do is select a template, add your photos, write your descriptions, and go.
This option is affordable and fast, especially for small or medium-sized rental businesses.
If you don’t like either of the aforementioned options, then build your website yourself.
However, you would have to be tech-savvy to go for this option.
You can use Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, or any other content management system (CMS) to create a direct booking website without coding.
When it comes to connecting a booking system and a payment processor, you can use some plugins and tools to help you with this phase.
This option takes more time, but is flexible and can be very cost-effective.
A good direct booking website should be more than just a pretty page. It should include all the features guests expect when booking a stay.
Some of the top features it can have are the following:
Real-time availability calendar
Instant booking or inquiry forms
Secure payment processing
Photo galleries and video tours
Detailed property descriptions
House rules and amenities list
Customer reviews or testimonials
Discount codes and special offers
Mobile-friendly design
FAQs or guidebooks for local tips
Contact form or live chat option
You can add many of these features easily with the help of a PMS or website builder.
The goal is to make booking easy, smooth, and trustworthy for your guests.
The truth is, you don’t have to choose just one. Most hosts use both, so should you.
Airbnb is a great place to get discovered. It has millions of users and strong search tools. New guests can find you there, and you can build your reviews and reputation.
But once guests have stayed with you, make them book directly next time.
Offer them a discount or a special bonus if they use your website. Over time, you’ll get more repeat guests and save more money on fees.
So think of Airbnb as a marketing tool, and your direct booking site as your business home.
A direct booking website gives you more freedom, control, and profit.
You don’t have to pay high fees like on Airbnb; you can run your rental business your way.
Whether you hire someone or use a template, building a site isn’t as hard as it seems. Plus, it helps you connect directly with guests and grow your brand.
Start small and keep improving your site over time.
You don’t have to give up Airbnb—just use both. It is a smart move for any host looking to grow.
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