Understanding UTMs – How to Track Your Marketing Efforts with Precision When you’re running multiple marketing campaigns—like social media ads, email blasts, and influencer promotions—it’s crucial to know which ones are actually driving traffic to your direct booking site. That’s where UTM parameters come into play. What Are UTM Parameters? UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are short snippets of code added to the end of a URL. They help you track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns in Google Analytics by pinpointing exactly where your traffic is coming from. For example:https://yourdomain.com/property-page?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_promo When someone clicks this link, Google Analytics records: How to Create UTM Links There are two main ways to build UTM links: Google Campaign URL Builder Best Practices for Using UTM Links Where to Use UTM Links Tracking Your UTMs in Google Analytics To see your UTM data, head to: With UTMs, you get a clear view of where your marketing dollars are making the most impact. This is the first step toward optimizing your marketing efforts and maximizing direct bookings. Stay tuned for “Part 2,” where we’ll discuss the strategic reasons why tracking your traffic sources is essential for growing your short-term rental business.

For hosts in the short-term rental and vacation rental industry, securing direct bookings is the ultimate goal. Facebook retargeting ads can help you turn casual browsers into paying guests by reconnecting with people who’ve already shown interest in your rental property. These ads are a strategic way to build relationships and maximize your direct booking potential. This guide is designed to help short-term rental hosts and vacation rental operators use Facebook retargeting ads to drive more direct bookings and reduce dependency on online travel agencies (OTAs). What Are Facebook Retargeting Ads? Facebook retargeting ads allow you to show specific ads to people who have previously visited your direct booking website, interacted with your property on social media, or engaged with your content online. For example, if someone browsed your listing, checked availability, or read your blog about local attractions but didn’t book, you can use retargeting ads to remind them of what they’re missing. For vacation rental and short-term rental hosts, retargeting ads help you stay top-of-mind with potential guests and encourage them to return to your site to book directly. How Does Retargeting Work for Short-Term and Vacation Rentals? The foundation of Facebook retargeting is the Facebook Pixel—a piece of code you embed on your website. This pixel collects data on your website visitors, tracking actions like viewing your property page, starting a booking, or abandoning a cart. With this data, you can create highly targeted ads for specific audiences, such as: Why Retargeting Ads Are Perfect for Short-Term and Vacation Rentals Running retargeting ads is an effective way to: Important Note Before You Begin Not all website creators or property management system (PMS)-provided sites allow you to add a Facebook Pixel. Before starting this process, verify whether your website supports pixel integration. CraftedStays websites fully support adding Facebook Pixels, making it easy to track visitor behavior and optimize your ad campaigns. If you’re using a platform that doesn’t support this feature, consider switching to one that does to maximize your ability to run retargeting ads effectively. How to Set Up Retargeting Ads for Direct Bookings 1. Set Up the Facebook Pixel The Facebook Pixel is essential for tracking visitor behavior. If you’re using a platform like CraftedStays to host your direct booking site, the Pixel can be easily installed to track actions like property views, booking starts, and completions. Here’s how to set it up: Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Facebook Pixel 2. Create Custom Audiences Custom Audiences let you segment your potential guests based on their actions. For short-term rental hosts, here are some useful audience ideas: 3. Design Engaging Ads Your ad creative should reflect the unique selling points of your short-term rental. Showcase high-quality images or videos of your property and use compelling copy to entice guests. Some ideas for ads: Use clear calls-to-action (CTAs) like “Check Availability” or “Book Directly Today.” 4. Launch and Monitor Your Campaign Once your ads are set up, launch your campaign with specific objectives like “Website Conversions” or “Traffic.” Set your budget, choose your audience, and monitor your ad performance regularly. Track key metrics such as: Adjust your ads based on performance data—if a particular offer isn’t working, tweak the creative or messaging. Tips for Effective Retargeting Ads Resources to Get Started Drive More Direct Bookings with Retargeting Ads Facebook retargeting ads are a powerful way to re-engage potential guests and maximize your direct booking revenue. By combining smart tracking, engaging ad creative, and a personalized approach, you can turn website visitors into loyal guests—all while reducing reliance on OTAs. Ready to take your direct bookings to the next level? If you’re using a platform like CraftedStays, integrating the Facebook Pixel is seamless, making it easier than ever to track and target your audience. For more tips on optimizing your direct booking strategy, check out our other resources or book a demo to see how CraftedStays can help you succeed.

Backlinks are a key factor in improving your vacation rental website’s search engine ranking. They signal to Google that your site is credible and authoritative, helping drive more organic traffic and direct bookings. This guide covers: What Are Backlinks and Why Do They Matter? A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Search engines consider backlinks as votes of confidence—if reputable sites link to your page, it improves your site’s authority and ranking. More backlinks can lead to higher search rankings, more traffic, and ultimately, more direct bookings. Not all backlinks are equal. High-quality backlinks from authoritative websites are far more valuable than low-quality links from spammy or irrelevant sites. Types of Backlinks Strategies for Earning High-Quality Backlinks 1. Get Listed in Vacation Rental Directories Many industry directories allow vacation rental hosts to list their properties and websites. Some popular options include: 2. Guest Post on Industry Blogs Writing guest articles for blogs in the vacation rental and travel space is a great way to earn backlinks. Reach out to: 3. Partner with Local Businesses Build relationships with local restaurants, tour companies, and attractions. Ask them to link to your website in their ‘Recommended Stays’ section, and offer to do the same for them. 4. Leverage Social Media & Content Marketing 5. Get Featured in Travel & News Websites Pitch your property to travel writers, journalists, and bloggers who cover unique stays. Platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) can connect you with journalists looking for sources. 6. Fix Broken Links on Industry Websites Find broken links on industry-related blogs and directories, then reach out to the site owners suggesting your website as a replacement. 7. Utilize Business Listings and Review Sites Claim and optimize profiles on: These sites often allow you to link back to your direct booking website, improving visibility and credibility. Next Steps Building backlinks takes time, but focusing on quality over quantity will lead to sustainable SEO growth and more direct bookings. Need help optimizing your direct booking website? Book a demo with CraftedStays today!

A well-crafted landing page can be the difference between a homeowner choosing your cohosting services or continuing to manage their property on their own. If you’re looking to attract more homeowners and grow your short-term rental management business, your landing page needs to be clear, compelling, and conversion-driven. Using the StoryBrand framework, we’ll walk you through the key elements of a powerful cohosting landing page that speaks directly to homeowners, builds trust, and encourages them to take action. 1. Identify Your Ideal Homeowner (The Character) Every great story starts with a character. In this case, that character is the homeowner looking for a management solution. Ask Yourself: How to Implement This on Your Page: 2. Present the Problem (Why They Need Help) Homeowners visiting your page need to quickly recognize why they should hand over their property to a professional. Common Pain Points: How to Implement This on Your Page: 3. Position Yourself as the Guide (Why Choose You?) Now that you’ve shown you understand their problem, it’s time to prove you’re the best solution. Key Selling Points to Include: How to Implement This on Your Page: 4. Outline the Process (The Plan) Make it easy for homeowners to understand how your cohosting service works. A simple, structured plan removes uncertainty and encourages action. Sample 5-Step Process: How to Implement This on Your Page: 5. Create a Strong Call to Action (What’s the Next Step?) Your CTA should be clear, action-driven, and reduce hesitation. Examples of Effective CTAs: How to Implement This on Your Page: 6. Show the Transformation (What’s the Outcome?) Help homeowners envision how your service will improve their lives. Key Benefits to Highlight: How to Implement This on Your Page: CraftedStays: Powering Your Professional Cohosting Landing Page With CraftedStays, you can seamlessly create a professional landing page on the same site as your direct booking website. This means potential homeowners can see how you manage properties firsthand, boosting credibility and trust. Ready to take your cohosting business to the next level? Start building your management page with CraftedStays today!

Why AI Isn’t Giving You the Best Results (Yet) We’ve all done it—typed a quick prompt into ChatGPT, hit enter, and hoped for the best. But when the AI spits out something bland or way off the mark, it’s easy to assume the tool is the problem. The truth? It’s probably your prompt. AI tools work best when they have clear, detailed instructions to follow. If you’re using AI to help write blog posts, social media content, or guest communication, learning how to craft better prompts will save you time and frustration. But the secret isn’t just writing a better prompt—it’s giving yourself time to refine it before you even hit enter. Why You Should Stop Writing Prompts Directly in ChatGPT It’s tempting to type directly into ChatGPT and fire off a prompt as soon as you have an idea. But that approach often leads to weak results, making you spend more time tweaking and re-running prompts than necessary. A better approach? Write your prompts in a Google Doc or a notes app first. This simple shift forces you to: When you rush into writing a prompt, you risk starting off on the wrong foot—leading to a cycle of frustrating back-and-forth interactions with AI. Taking a few extra minutes to develop the prompt outside of ChatGPT reduces time wasted and improves the final content. The Google Doc Trick: A Simple Way to Get Better AI Results One of the easiest ways to improve your AI-generated content is to draft your prompt in a document first instead of typing directly into ChatGPT. Why? Think of it like writing an outline before a blog post. A little prep work leads to a smoother writing process. Instead of treating AI as an instant solution, treat it like a creative assistant. The better instructions you give, the better the output you’ll get—saving you time and effort in the long run. Better Prompts = Better Content = More Direct Bookings When you take the time to write better AI prompts, you get: But content alone isn’t enough. It’s just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to growing a direct booking business. A well-structured website that’s designed to convert visitors into guests plays an equally important role. That’s why at CraftedStays, we focus on making direct booking websites that work seamlessly alongside your marketing efforts. Whether you’re driving traffic with AI-generated content or optimizing guest messaging, having a site that’s built to convert ensures you’re making the most of those efforts. Want to see how a high-converting direct booking site can work for you? Explore CraftedStays Today

Creating a compelling landing page for your cohosting business can be overwhelming. You know you need to attract homeowners, showcase your expertise, and drive conversions—but where do you start? At CraftedStays, we’re always looking for ways to help hosts scale their business, and we’ve developed an AI-powered prompt that guides you through crafting a high-converting landing page using the StoryBrand framework. In this post, we’ll walk you through how to use this powerful tool, what to expect, and the potential pitfalls to be aware of when leveraging AI for landing page creation. Creating a compelling landing page for your cohosting business can be overwhelming. You know you need to attract homeowners, showcase your expertise, and drive conversions—but where do you start? At CraftedStays, we’re always looking for ways to help hosts scale their business, and we’ve developed an AI-powered prompt that guides you through crafting a high-converting landing page using the StoryBrand framework. In this post, we’ll walk you through how to use this powerful tool, what to expect, and the potential pitfalls to be aware of when leveraging AI for landing page creation. Why This Prompt Works Most cohosting landing pages fail because they are either too generic or too cluttered. The key to a great page is clarity—homeowners need to understand what you offer, why it benefits them, and how to take action. Our AI prompt ensures your messaging is: ✅ Customer-Centric – It shifts the focus from you to the homeowner’s needs and concerns.✅ Structured for Conversion – Follows the proven StoryBrand framework for a clear and compelling narrative.✅ SEO-Optimized – Ensures you naturally incorporate keywords that help your page rank on Google.✅ Easy to Implement – You answer the critical questions, and AI generates a polished, persuasive landing page. How to Use the AI Prompt to Create Your Cohosting Landing Page Step 1: Copy and Paste This Prompt into ChatGPT To generate a fully optimized landing page, start by copying and pasting the following prompt into ChatGPT: “I want to create a high-converting cohosting landing page using the StoryBrand framework. First, ask me a structured set of critical questions, categorized by each StoryBrand section, to shape clear, compelling, and conversion-driven messaging. Then, use my responses to generate the following: Once the first draft is generated, ask if I’d like any refinements or alternative versions of specific sections.” Step 2: Answer Key Questions About Your Business The first step is responding to a structured set of questions that uncover the essential details of your cohosting business. These questions guide AI in generating messaging that resonates with your target audience. 🔍 Questions You’ll Be Asked: 💡 Pro Tip: Take your time answering these! The more detailed and specific your responses, the stronger the final AI-generated copy will be. Step 3: AI Generates a Fully Written Landing Page Once you’ve provided your answers, the AI will use them to craft a structured landing page that includes: 📝 Headline & Subhead – A clear, benefit-driven statement that grabs attention.📌 Problem Statement – Why homeowners struggle with self-management and why they need a cohost.✅ Your Unique Value Proposition – What sets you apart from other property managers.🚀 Step-by-Step Plan – A simple breakdown of how easy it is to get started.🎯 Call to Action (CTA) – Encouraging homeowners to take the next step (book a consultation, get a revenue estimate, etc.).📈 Transformation Section – A before-and-after comparison of how their rental business improves with your help.📸 Imagery Suggestions – Recommended visuals to enhance credibility and engagement. Step 4: Optimize & Customize Your Page While AI can generate a solid foundation, human oversight is crucial. Here’s where you refine and tweak the content: 🔹 Ensure the tone fits your brand. AI is great at structuring copy, but small edits can make it feel more personal and aligned with your voice. 🔹 Fact-check the claims. AI pulls from your answers but may overgeneralize. Adjust any revenue claims, testimonials, or stats to match your real-world data. 🔹 Refine the CTA. AI can draft effective CTAs, but testing different wording or placement can help increase conversions. 🔹 Incorporate SEO. AI can include your core keywords, but you might want to fine-tune for search intent and add an SEO-friendly meta description. Caution: Where AI Can Go Wrong While AI is an incredible tool for accelerating the creation process, it’s not perfect. Here are some potential pitfalls: ⚠️ Generic or Overly Formal Language – AI might generate copy that feels too stiff or generic. Tweaking it to match your brand’s voice is key. ⚠️ Lack of Emotional Appeal – AI structures the logic well, but human stories and real emotions bring it to life. Add personal anecdotes or client testimonials where possible. ⚠️ Misaligned Targeting – If your responses are vague, AI may not fully capture your ideal audience. Be specific in answering the initial questions. ⚠️ Overuse of Buzzwords – AI sometimes leans into jargon like “cutting-edge” or “seamless solutions.” Replace fluff with real, concrete benefits. Final Thoughts: The Best of Both Worlds AI isn’t here to replace human marketers—it’s here to enhance what we do. By using this AI-powered StoryBrand prompt, you can: ✅ Speed up content creation without sacrificing quality.✅ Ensure clear and compelling messaging that speaks directly to homeowners.✅ Leverage data-driven storytelling to build trust and increase conversions. At CraftedStays, we’ve built our platform with hosts in mind. You can create and publish your cohosting landing page directly on the same site as your direct booking page, adding credibility when homeowners see how well you manage and market properties. 💡 Want to test it out? Try our AI-powered landing page generator today and elevate your cohosting business!

Why a Strong AI Prompt Matters When using AI to help draft content for your vacation rental blog, the quality of the output is only as good as the prompt you provide. AI isn’t a mind reader—it generates content based on the details you give it. If you’re vague, you’ll get generic results. If you provide context, structure, and clear instructions, you’ll get engaging, well-targeted content that resonates with your audience. A well-crafted prompt ensures that: Let’s break down an effective prompt structure and how to apply it to your vacation rental blog. The Key Components of a Strong AI Prompt 1. Context: Set the Scene Before asking AI to generate a blog, give it some background on who you are and what you’re trying to achieve. This ensures the AI tailors the writing to your business and audience. Example: “I run a short-term rental blog aimed at travelers looking for unique stays and travel tips.” This small addition instantly frames the content, so AI knows it’s writing for a travel audience, not just any generic topic. 2. Objective: What’s the Goal? Clearly define what you want the blog post to accomplish. Example: “I need an engaging blog post that helps travelers make the most of their stay and explore local attractions.” This guides AI to focus on useful information rather than a generic vacation rental sales pitch. 3. Specific Requirements: Fine-Tune the Details This is where you dial in exactly what you want. The more details you provide, the more targeted your AI-generated blog will be. Example: By specifying these elements, you make sure the blog is written in the right style and optimized for search engines. 4. Examples or References: Show, Don’t Just Tell If you want the content to match a particular style, point AI in the right direction by referencing blogs or publications you admire. Example: “Write in a style similar to travel blogs like Nomadic Matt or The Blonde Abroad.” This tells AI to adopt a storytelling, first-person approach, rather than something stiff or corporate. 5. Format: Guide the Structure A clear structure ensures your blog is easy to read and flows well. Instead of getting a long block of text, provide formatting instructions. Example: “Write in sections with clear headings. End with a call to action encouraging readers to book a stay or share their own experiences.” This keeps the post organized and drives reader engagement. Tailored AI Prompt for a Vacation Rental Blog Now that you understand the framework, here’s a ready-to-use prompt you can copy, tweak, and use: Prompt Template I run a short-term rental blog aimed at travelers looking for unique stays and travel tips. I need an engaging blog post that helps travelers make the most of their stay and explore local attractions. The target audience includes couples, families, and solo travelers. The tone should be friendly, informative, and inspiring. The post should be between 800-1,200 words and include local recommendations, travel tips, and a call to action. Optimize for SEO using keywords like ‘direct booking websites,’ ‘short-term rentals,’ and ‘vacation rentals.’ Write in a style similar to travel blogs like Nomadic Matt or The Blonde Abroad. Structure the post with clear headings and end with a call to action encouraging readers to book a stay or share their own experiences. Final Thoughts: Make AI Work for You AI is a powerful tool, but it needs clear direction to produce high-quality content. By using this structured approachto prompt writing, you’ll generate vacation rental blogs that are more engaging, well-organized, and SEO-friendly. And if you’re driving traffic to your vacation rental business, having a well-optimized direct booking website is key. CraftedStays helps property owners create high-converting websites that turn blog readers into paying guests. If you’re looking for a seamless way to showcase your rentals, we’ve got you covered. Want to see how your blog and booking site can work together? Check out CraftedStays today.

At CraftedStays, we’re always working to improve how short-term rental hosts get more direct bookings. Our latest update enhances the guest booking experience by replacing third-party booking widgets with a fully integrated booking system. While this update benefits OwnerRez users, it’s part of a larger effort to optimize direct bookings across multiple property management system (PMS) integrations. A Smarter Booking Flow We’ve removed the old OwnerRez booking widgets and built a custom booking component that blends seamlessly into your website. What This Means for You For OwnerRez Users: How to Enable the Update If you use OwnerRez, switching to the new system is quick and easy: Once enabled, the system automatically updates to provide a more streamlined booking flow. More Product Improvements Coming Soon This update is part of our ongoing mission to make CraftedStays the best direct booking website builder for vacation rental hosts. Some of our upcoming enhancements include: We’re committed to helping you increase direct bookings, reduce OTA dependency, and improve the guest experience. Turn on the new CraftedStays booking component today and start converting more visitors into booked guests!

Launching a direct booking site is a smart move for building a stronger business. You own the guest relationship, control your marketing, and keep more of your revenue. But if you’re serious about doing it right, you need to have a Property Management System (PMS) in place. A PMS isn’t just helpful. It’s essential for making sure your direct booking site runs smoothly, stays accurate, and gives guests a professional experience. What Goes Wrong Without a PMS? Skipping a PMS causes real problems that hurt your site’s performance: Incorrect Rates and AvailabilityGuests might see prices that are wrong or dates that are already booked. This leads to frustration, missed bookings, and support issues. Double BookingsWithout automatic calendar blocking, you risk getting booked on your site and on Airbnb or Vrbo at the same time. Double bookings damage your reputation fast. Messy PaymentsHandling payments manually means more risk of missed charges, poor tracking, and messy accounting. It’s harder to reconcile payments and easier to make costly mistakes. Outdated Property InformationIf you update your property details in one place but forget to update your direct site, guests might book based on old information — setting up disappointment before they even arrive. When your systems aren’t connected, mistakes happen. Mistakes cost you money, time, and trust. What a PMS Enables for Your Direct Booking Site If you want your direct booking site to perform the right way, a PMS provides the backbone: Accurate Rates and Availability Your PMS connects your calendar directly to your site. Guests see real-time pricing and availability without you needing to manually update anything. Calendar Syncing and Booking Protection Once a booking is made, the PMS blocks off those dates everywhere. You protect yourself from double bookings and avoid the scramble of moving guests around. Seamless Payment Collection With a PMS, payment processing is built-in. You collect payments securely, manage deposits, and easily track financials through your reporting tools. Dynamic Property Content Updates to your property — new photos, amenities, rules — can automatically push to your site. You avoid showing guests outdated or incorrect details. Extra Benefits That Help You Grow Some PMS platforms even help with: Tax RemittanceAutomating tax collection and filing. Guest Identity VerificationAdding a layer of protection before confirming bookings. Damage ProtectionOffering coverage options that safeguard your property and simplify claims. These features aren’t required to launch, but they can make managing direct bookings easier and safer long-term. Build Your Site on the Right Foundation If you’re thinking about building a direct booking site, make sure you start with the right structure. A PMS connects all the pieces so your site reflects your real-time availability, pricing, property details, and payment flow — without manual work or risk. At CraftedStays, we help hosts set up high-performing direct booking sites that work seamlessly with their PMS. If you need help getting started, book a call with our team. We’re ready to lend a hand.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is critical for increasing direct bookings and reducing reliance on OTAs. A well-optimized site ranks higher on Google, attracting more potential guests. There are three main types of SEO: Each plays a vital role in improving your website’s visibility. Let’s break them down with actionable steps. 1. On-Site SEO: Optimizing Your Website for Search On-site SEO involves making improvements directly on your website to enhance rankings and user experience. Key On-Site SEO Strategies: Action Step: Review your website’s key pages and optimize them with relevant keywords and structured formatting. 2. Off-Site SEO: Building Authority & Backlinks Off-site SEO focuses on increasing your website’s credibility and trustworthiness by earning links from other sites. Key Off-Site SEO Strategies: Action Step: Start a backlink-building strategy by identifying five industry websites where you can request a link or guest post feature. 3. Technical SEO: Optimizing Your Site for Search Engines Technical SEO ensures search engines can effectively crawl, index, and understand your website. Key Technical SEO Strategies: Action Step: Use tools like Google Search Console to identify and fix technical SEO issues on your site. Next Steps: Strengthening Your SEO Strategy To build a strong SEO foundation, explore these topics in future blog posts: A well-rounded SEO approach helps you attract more guests, increase bookings, and establish your website as a trusted resource in the vacation rental industry. Need help optimizing your direct booking site? Book a demo with CraftedStays today!