Podcasts
VRS066 - Wordpress for Vacation Rental Owners With Alan Egan
In this episode I talk once again to vacation rental bookings expert Alan Egan from Rentmoreweeks.com.
The last time we connected on the podcast was just over a year ago and it was at the time Alan had launched his course on Google Plus – Bookings Plus 4G so we caught up with what has happened since then. Alan filled us in on some of the success stories from students who have been creating a buzz on Google Plus.
We also talked about the media buzz around Google Plus and the changes they are making. I asked Alan to explain in plain English what all that means for those of use who are using Google Plus as part of our marketing, and he gave a great response. From what he said, I feel comfortable with working on the platform for the foreseeable future. Alan used the expression ‘hater’s gonna hate’ to describe some of the negative media, and I felt that was apt.
I am personally excited about the new course that has been released from the Bookings Plus 4G as I am a student – perhaps a not very good one – but I am working on it.
Alan so firmly believes that every vacation rental owner should have their own web site, that he has created a comprehensive training programme that will guide even the most technically averse novice – yes Me! – through the intricacies of WordPress.
Even though I have some limited knowledge of the WordPress dashboard, Alan’s attention to detail would take a complete newbie from no-website to an attractive and perfectly functioning showcase for their property in a very short time.
The biggest benefit I am enjoying as I work on my site is that some of Alan’s students have already launched their new websites, and I’ve been drawing a lot of inspiration from them.
Holidays on Bornholm is the masterpiece of Alan’s wife, Lisbeth, and since part of this site was used to demonstrate many of the course concepts, it was easy to follow along. I also thank Naomi Saunders of Cotswold Family Holidays for creating her beautiful site that stimulated more ideas.
When you sign up for Alan’s course you also get entry to the Google Plus Community where all the students hang out, help each other, ask questions, and generally network. It’s a helpful place where the community shares ideas and creative suggestions.
Alan talks about:
- the current state of Google + and why he doesn’t think ‘it’s dead’
- why Google will be breaking out Google Photos and Hangouts
- the necessity for having a responsive website
- why your current website may not be seen on mobile search from mid-April
- the method of checking the responsiveness of your website
- how some of his students are achieving measurable booking success
- how long it might take to create a website
- the importance of showcasing your location and not your property
and much more………..
Links Alan mentions:
WordPress for Vacation Rentals Course
Bookings Plus 4G Case Studies
RentMoreWeeks.com
Holidays on Bornholm
Cotswolds Family Holidays (Naomi Saunders)
Villetta – Chillout (in Portugal and not Orlando as I mistakenly said!)
Vacation Orlando (Joanna Allen)
Where Waterfalls (Amy Blomquists Google + page)
How to check your site is mobile friendly
To see how your site looks on a mobile device:
Open a page on your website in Chrome
Go to View and click Developer
In the right of the page you’ll see a lot of html as in this image. Click on the phone icon (the arrow points at it)
Your page will show on the left as it would look on a mobile device
Who's featured in this episode?
