- Should you go?
-
Was there anything new in this seminar?
- Did sponsorship change the seminar?
- Why are such ugly web sites so popular?
This was my second seminar by Christine Karpinski. This time it was free thanks to the sponsorship of Rent One Online and attracted more that 40 folks. You can read about my first seminar here.
Should you go?
My brief review is: I had a great time. It was free. You should go. The attendees covered the spectrum. Some were about to buy their first property; others owned many properties. Some used property management, some were totally by-owner, others were in between. Common interests made it a very sociable meeting and promoted some very pleasant networking. The audience's questions generated many interesting discussions as well. We were tired at the end but I think we could have stayed longer.
The middle of the crowd, Christine is holding the "scroll"
Was there anything new in this seminar?
Well, yes and no. Christine emphasized the things that haven't changed: You can do it. You have to use the web. You have to choose properties carefully. You have to vet your customers. You have to pay attention to taxes. You have to do some work. This is all in "Her Books" of course but it more fun in person.
Growth in by-owner vacation rentals has produced the "new." The market is starting to pay attention. Growth is attracting services that cater the by-owner market. The business is far from mature so expect changes.
The left hand side
Did sponsorship change the seminar?
Yes, and for the better in my opinion. First, it freed Christine from the many housekeeping duties of organizing the seminar. She was able to focus on the subject and the guests.
Second, Greg Argyle from Rent One Online was a perfect, unobtrusive host: It was free. The Galleria is a very nice, central location. We got name tags, nice tables with full water pitchers, and bowls of mints. Christine got the setup she needed, her computer and projector worked. Greg gave away a free vacation to Hawaii at the end of the seminar. All we had to do is sit down and enjoy.
But who knew that Greg would morph into a technology guru for his presentation? In the process of explaining Rent One Online's "Personal Vacation Rental Manager" he tutored us on web design, web based services, Google ad words, search optimization, and how technology will improve services for owners and renters. I've had a long career in computing and I'm as jaded and cynical about technology presentations as I can be. But this was fun. Greg covered a lot of interesting material, took time to explain it, and gave us a glimpse at services that will soon help owners. Thank you Greg.
The right hand side
Why are such ugly web sites so popular?
I don't think rental owners can get together without complaining about ad portals. Today VRBO took a few aesthetic lumps.
In my youth American Bandstand presented a great irony every Saturday. How do such ugly guys get to dance with such pretty girls? Well, I still haven't figured that one out so I'll jump ahead to the today's questions: Why is VRBO.com, which is nobody's standard for graphic beauty or sophisticated services, so popular and effective?
Here are quotes from Jakob Nielsen
" ...the site still needs to target novices in its design since people will not enter a website if it is not immediately obvious how to use it in a few seconds. Zero learning time or die."
and
"...(users) form their expectations for your site based on what's commonly done on most other sites. If you deviate, your site will be harder to use and users will leave."
and
"Anything that stands in the way of immediate task completion will negatively impact the user's experience."
So what's to like about VRBO? First: One click and a little scrolling take me to all the rentals in a state. I don't have to enter an arrival date, a departure date, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, proximity to the beach or anything else. In the library metaphor, it's an open stack and I can walk right in and browse around. Amazon.com is wonderful but it seems like they are building bookstores on every corner these days. Second: I think that VRBO's design reflects the image of the by-owner rental business. It's a business all right, but it's person to person business. Both owner and renter intentionally bypass the professionally trained sales people, the slick marketing, the trained customer service reps in the call centers. In my mind a highly designed and sophisticated site may reflect the professional property management image rather than the person to person transaction that is the foundation of by-owner. The by-owner business is becoming an industry and in the process it is becoming much more professional and sophisticated. There is no stopping it. If it drives a wedge between the owner-persons and the renter-persons, will a new, unsophisticated by-owner movement reemerge? We'll certainly find out.
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Operation "Winter Renter": Eleven Tips For Attracting Off-Season Guests To
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