How to Start Accepting Direct Bookings (Without Leaving Airbnb Yet) Last updated: June 2025 You don’t have to ditch Airbnb to dip your toes into direct bookings. In fact, starting while you’re still on OTAs is probably the smartest move. You’ll learn as you go, build your confidence, and slowly shift control back into your hands—all without needing to be some tech wizard. Table of Contents 1. Use the Guests You Already Have If you’ve had guests who loved their stay, that’s your starting point. Don’t overthink it. Just be human. That’s what people remember. 2. Start Collecting Emails—One by One You don’t need fancy email software to begin. A few simple options: Don’t over-email people. One good offer or a reminder before peak season is enough to get started. 3. Make a Simple Site — It Doesn’t Have to Be Fancy You just need something that shows: Add a few reviews, explain what’s included, and you’re off to a strong start. Don’t let perfection stop you from launching. If you want help, CraftedStays is what I ended up using. It took care of the setup, looks clean, and connects to my PMS automatically. 4. Get a PMS That Handles Payments You shouldn’t be collecting payments manually. The easiest way to handle this is by using a Property Management System (PMS) that connects to Stripe. Most of them do. That way, your bookings go through a real payment processor, taxes and fees are handled properly, and you can offer clear terms and policies. If you’re using something like CraftedStays, this is already baked in. 5. Make Guests Feel Safe Booking with You Without Airbnb as your middleman, you’ll need to build trust yourself. It’s doable—just be transparent: The more info you give up front, the more likely people are to book. 6. Don’t Try to Go All-In Overnight Some hosts think going direct means ditching OTAs completely. You don’t have to. Use Airbnb and Vrbo to: Use direct bookings for: Doing both is the move. Give It a Shot The biggest hurdle? Starting. Not everything will be perfect, but that’s fine. Most guests aren’t looking for perfection—they just want clarity, trust, and an easy way to book. I wish I’d started sooner. If you’re ready to make the leap, you can try out platforms like CraftedStays. It makes the setup easier so you can focus on getting your next booking. Start your free trial today Frequently Asked Questions Q: Do I need a website to start direct bookings? A: Not at first. Many hosts start with return guests by using email or forms. A site helps build trust, but you can ease into it. Q: Can I still use Airbnb while doing direct bookings? A: Absolutely. Many hosts use OTAs to get traffic and offer direct bookings to returning guests. Q: What’s the easiest way to collect guest emails? A: A simple Google Form or a tool like StayFi works well. Just ask guests if they’d like to stay in touch. Q: Is Stripe safe for taking payments? A: Yes. Stripe is a widely used payment processor trusted by millions of businesses. Q: What should I include on my booking page? A: Photos, guest reviews, pricing, availability, and reasons to book direct (like lower rates or better communication). Also worth checking out: The Billboard Effect: Turn OTAs Into Direct Bookings The Direct Booking Quadrant Why SEO Matters for Vacation Rentals

When it comes to growing your direct booking business, email marketing is one of the most effective tools in your arsenal. But to get started, you need to focus on building a high-quality email list. That means collecting emails in ways that feel natural, valuable, and respectful to your guests. In this post, we’ll explore five strategic methods to collect emails and how to ensure you’re doing it right. 1. Seamless Collection During the Booking Process The booking process offers an ideal opportunity to collect email addresses. When guests finalize their reservation, include prompts for: By integrating these steps seamlessly, you not only collect emails but also enhance the professional feel of your booking process. On platforms like CraftedStays, you can optimize your booking flow to capture these details without adding friction to the user experience. 2. WiFi Login at the Property Offering free WiFi is a basic guest expectation, but it’s also a smart touchpoint for email collection. Guests can provide their email address to log in to your WiFi network, especially if you position it as part of a personalized welcome experience. Tip: Pair the login with a branded splash page that explains the benefits of sharing their email, like exclusive discounts or local recommendations for their stay. 3. QR Codes On-Site Adding QR codes at your property can encourage guests to engage. But why would guests take the time to scan them? Here’s how you can make it worthwhile: Keep the design clean and ensure the QR code leads to a mobile-friendly page. Platforms like CraftedStays can embed forms seamlessly into these pages, making email capture effortless. 4. Email Collection Through Your Website Your direct booking site is one of the most powerful tools for email collection. Make use of: A well-designed website with clear CTAs (calls to action) can do wonders for turning casual browsers into loyal subscribers. 5. Leverage a Lead Magnet A lead magnet is a valuable resource you offer in exchange for an email address. Think about what your audience finds helpful: Promote your lead magnet across channels—social media, your homepage, and even in post-stay communications. With CraftedStays, embedding these offers into your website is a breeze, ensuring the process looks professional and feels seamless. Ensuring Compliance and Respecting Your Guests While collecting emails is essential, how you do it matters just as much. Here are a few principles to guide your efforts: What’s Next? Nurture Your List! Collecting emails is just the first step. Once you have a solid list, it’s time to engage and nurture those contacts. Whether you’re sending a broadcast email or setting up an automated series, the key is delivering value at every touchpoint. Check out our blog post on series vs. broadcast emails to learn how to maximize the impact of your email marketing efforts. From seamless booking flows to customizable lead capture forms, CraftedStays empowers you to collect emails strategically while enhancing the guest experience. Ready to optimize your email strategy? Book a demo today to see how we can help!

When it comes to short term rentals and vacation rentals, trust is everything. Guests want the confidence to book directly on your website without worrying about hidden risks or technical issues. If your site doesn’t feel trustworthy, potential guests will quickly move on to OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) or competitors. Let’s break down how to establish trust on your direct booking site. By focusing on these key elements, you can create a site that not only drives bookings but also builds lasting credibility with your audience. 1. Create a Polished, User-Friendly Website First impressions matter, especially in the competitive world of short term rentals and vacation rentals. Your site should look and feel professional. A smooth navigation experience ensures guests can find what they’re looking for without frustration. Avoid cluttered layouts, overlapping text, or broken links, which can undermine trust immediately. Pro Tip: 2. Add a Personal Touch Guests don’t just book properties; they book experiences. Whether you’re offering a cozy vacation rental or a unique short term rental, introducing yourself as the host can make all the difference. Share a bit of your story to show guests they’re booking with a real person. How to Personalize Your Site: 3. Showcase Your Best Reviews Social proof is one of the most effective trust-building tools for vacation rentals and short term rentals. Highlight your top reviews directly on your homepage or booking pages. Include testimonials that emphasize your professionalism, cleanliness, and attention to guest needs. Where to Display Reviews: 4. Offer Clear Policies and FAQs Transparency goes a long way in building trust. Guests should have no doubt about what they’re getting when booking directly with you, whether it’s a short term rental or a family-friendly vacation rental. Key Information to Include: Displaying this information prominently can reduce friction during the booking process. 5. Provide Damage Protection Options Accidents happen, and offering damage protection can give guests confidence during their stay. Whether your guests are staying at a luxury vacation rental or a cozy short term rental, knowing they’re protected creates peace of mind. Make It Easy: 6. Ensure a Secure Checkout Process Booking directly with you should feel just as secure as using a major OTA. Whether your checkout process is hosted on your PMS or directly on your site, security is critical for short term rental and vacation rental guests alike. Best Practices for Checkout: 7. Follow Security Best Practices A secure website is non-negotiable. Without HTTPS and SSL certificates, browsers will mark your site as “Not Secure,” instantly scaring off potential guests looking to book vacation rentals or short term rentals. Steps to Secure Your Site: 8. Link Out to Your Social Media Profiles Social media can play a huge role in building trust with your guests. By linking to your active profiles, you provide additional proof that you’re a real, reliable host. Social platforms also give guests a chance to engage with your brand, see more reviews, and explore authentic content like photos, videos, or posts about your property. Best Practices for Social Media Links: Wrapping Up Trust is the foundation of a successful direct booking site. By prioritizing a polished design, personalizing the experience, showcasing reviews, and maintaining transparency, you can build a site that instills confidence in every guest. Couple that with strong security practices, and you’ll create a booking platform that not only feels safe but also encourages repeat bookings. Want to make building a trustworthy site even easier? At CraftedStays, we help short-term rental hosts like you create professional, secure, and high-converting direct booking sites. Book a demo today to see how we can help you turn visitors into guests!

At CraftedStays, we’re always working to make your direct booking experience as smooth and impactful as possible. This month, we’re rolling out some exciting updates to improve how you manage properties, customize your booking widgets, and create stunning sites that captivate guests. Let’s dive into what’s new! New booking flow for Hostaway & Hospitable Users Integrations just got a major upgrade. We’ve fine-tuned our booking widget features for Hostaway and Hospitable users to ensure a seamless and professional experience. Here’s what’s new: • Hostaway Users: Guests can now view their stay total directly on the booking page, offering a more transparent checkout process. • Hospitable Users: Easily activate your new booking component via linked help articles, ensuring your widget perfectly matches your site’s template. Setting it up is simple: • Hostaway and Hospitable ssers: Check out the associated linked help articles to activate the new booking experience. Need a hand? Email us anytime at help@craftedstays.co. Introducing the River Template We’re thrilled to announce the release of our latest website template, River, inspired by the incredible Steph Weber and her Cabins on the Cumberland. • Designed with moody tones and rich visuals, this template sets a polished, high-end tone for your direct booking site. • Whether you’re hosting cozy cabins or boutique properties, River ensures your site leaves a lasting impression. Browse River now in the template library and make it your own! Simpler Property Editing We know how important it is to manage your properties effortlessly. That’s why we’ve reorganized the property edit page for ultimate simplicity. • Quickly update descriptions, photos, or pricing with everything just a click away. • A more intuitive layout means less time searching and more time focusing on your guests. A Better Experience Every Step of the Way These updates are all part of our commitment to making property management and guest booking easier, more efficient, and enjoyable for you. We’d love to hear your feedback! Let us know how these new features are working for you and what you’d like to see next. Check Out What’s New! Ready to explore these updates? Log in to your CraftedStays dashboard today and see how these enhancements can elevate your direct booking experience.

In today’s competitive online marketplace, a strong presence on search engines can make all the difference for short-term rental owners. When prospective guests are searching for unique stays, having a well-optimized website can be the key to showing up at the top of their results. One often-overlooked part of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is something called URL structure—a foundational element that helps search engines (and your guests) understand what each page on your website is about. What Is a URL Structure, and Why Does It Matter? Every webpage has a URL, or web address, and the way it’s structured affects how easily it can be found by search engines. When a URL includes descriptive words that reflect the content of the page, search engines are more likely to recognize it as relevant. This relevance can lead to higher rankings in search results, which means more visibility for your listing and ultimately, more bookings. For example, let’s say you have a beautiful seaside property in Malibu. Which URL do you think would be more enticing (and informative) for both guests and search engines? • Option A: www.yourwebsite.com/property/123 • Option B: www.yourwebsite.com/property/malibubeachhouse Clearly, Option B offers more context and is much easier to remember. The descriptive URL doesn’t just look better—it signals to search engines that your page is all about “Malibu Beach House,” helping boost your relevance for that term. What Is a “Slug”? For those who aren’t familiar, a slug is simply the part of a URL that comes after the main website address and usually refers to a specific page or post. For example, in the URL “www.yourwebsite.com/property/malibubeachhouse,” the “malibubeachhouse” part is the slug. Setting custom slugs allows you to use keywords that align with your property’s unique appeal, making your listing more searchable and memorable. Why Custom Slugs Improve SEO Custom slugs benefit your website’s SEO in several ways: 1. Increased Relevance: Slugs with relevant keywords (like “malibubeachhouse”) make your page more likely to match search queries. 2. Better User Experience: Custom URLs are clean, easy to read, and memorable. Guests are more likely to trust a URL with recognizable words, which translates into better click-through rates. 3. Higher Rankings: Search engines often prioritize pages with descriptive URLs, so having a well-named slug can improve your chances of ranking higher for specific terms. Introducing Custom URL Slugs with CraftedStays At CraftedStays, we believe in empowering short-term rental hosts with the right tools to boost their online visibility. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our new feature that allows you to set custom slugs for your property pages. With this tool, you can now create clear, descriptive URLs for each listing—making it easier for potential guests to find you online. Instead of the default ID-based URLs, you can now personalize your URLs, creating a stronger SEO foundation without needing technical expertise. Whether it’s “/property/malibubeachhouse” or “/property/mountainchalet,” you now have control over your listing’s URL. By taking advantage of this feature, you’re not just giving your website a cleaner look—you’re giving search engines the information they need to connect you with guests who are searching for the perfect stay.

At CraftedStays, we’re constantly innovating to give you the best tools to engage guests and showcase your properties beautifully. Our latest updates bring more flexibility, ease of use, and enhanced design to your websites—perfect for attracting bookings! Here’s a closer look at what’s new: 1. Pinned “Book Now” Button for Mobile Navigation To make booking seamless, we’ve just added a pinned “Book Now” button on mobile. Now, as guests scroll through your property page, the “Book Now” button remains at the top of their screen, making it easy for them to start the booking process from anywhere on the page. This feature builds on last week’s enhancements for desktop, giving guests a smoother experience across devices. 2. Improved Mobile Search Experience Searching for availability is easier than ever on mobile! We’ve redesigned the search functionality, so guests can quickly enter dates and view availability. This new layout is available across all templates, providing a streamlined booking process that’s both intuitive and guest-friendly. 3. Customizable URL Slugs In our latest SEO-focused update, you can now set custom URL slugs for your property pages, creating descriptive and memorable URLs that help guests find you more easily. Instead of automatically generated links, you can now customize your URL to make it more search-engine-friendly and specific to your listing. Not sure what a slug is or how to use it? Check out our help article here for step-by-step instructions. 4. Expanded Hero Image Styling Options The Crafted, Timber, and Sand templates now have additional styling options for hero images. You can apply color overlays and blurs to create the perfect look that complements your brand and property photos. These new design options give you even more control over the look and feel of your site. 5. Small Improvements and Bug Fixes We’re always working behind the scenes to enhance your site’s performance. This update includes various styling improvements and bug fixes across our pages to ensure a smooth, polished experience for both you and your guests. Each of these features was crafted with you and your guests in mind, helping you create a seamless, visually appealing experience. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to build the best tools for showcasing your properties!