Save Time By Including FAQs On Your Listing

How much of your time is taken up by answering questions from your cottage rental guests? Questions about the length of the dock; the location of the nearest marina, Beer Store or supermarket; bed configuration or type of appliances, are common. It seems that as soon as I've finished answering a set of questions from one renter, another arrives.

But wait for it…..I've just had an ‘AHA' moment, which seems incredibly simple and I really don't know why I hadn't thought of this before.

Add a Frequently Asked Question page on the web site that will answer things like this:

Would it be possible to bring my small well behaved dog?

Can we bring a tent for the kids?

Where is the nearest marina

What is the depth of water at the end of the dock?

Are there Zebra mussels?

Where are the nearest hiking trails?

Can we use the wood stove in summer?

Do you have a blender, kettle, slow cooker, etc?

What is the cell phone signal like?

Is there car parking available for a car and a trailer?

My mom is in a wheelchair. Is your place suitable for her?

Is there any heating inside?

Can I moor my 14ft/21ft/28ft boat?

Is there internet connection?

How far is closest supermarket and hospital?

Even if the answers to these questions are on your listing, it's worthwhile setting up your FAQs to cover every possible enquiry that may come your way. Then you can put a link to the page that says something like, ‘If you have questions about the cottage check here, and give us a call if there is anything we haven't covered'. You can continue to add questions to the FAQ list as you get them.

If you don't have a web site and just list on vacation rental sites, put together an FAQ document that you can just email in response to enquiries. As sure as apples is apples, if people have one question, they will have a dozen, so it's more time efficient to answer them in advance!

So what is the weirdest question you've been asked?  Mine was, "How do we get water out of the well?"