Marketing a cottage in an isolated location

This is the second of our question and answer sessions with Dark Sea Web Design.

If you have a holiday cottage in an isolated and remote relocation how can you achieve good occupancy rates?

Answer: The only way we know is by having a high level of repeat business. You need to keep a record of your visitors and keep in contact with them.

Question: That is all very well but how do you get the visitors in the first place?

Answer: This can be very difficult and we have seen it take two to three years to establish a repeat business for remote cottages.

These are some guidelines and suggestions.

1. You have to describe and sell the area around your cottage.Most visitors will not know where you are or what the area is like.

2. Pictures, pictures and more pictures. Not just the cottage but the area as a whole.
Use a service such as Flickr. This set of photos on the College Valley has had over 8,500 views in a couple of years.

3. Claim your google places account. It is free. You can see an example here for Hethpool house.

4. Check out Tripadvisor, if you are on it already then manage the listings, reply to reviews and promote your cottage. See this example from Lanercost cottages.
An alternative which we also use is My Cottage Holiday

5. Create your own website. With free options from people like Wordpress it need not cost the earth.Check out our blog on Hethpool Mill.

6. You don't always need to advertise but if you have a strong local tourist association such as visit rothbury then get listed.

7. Use an answer machine for when you are not available, have an email account and treat every customer contact as precious.

This is the second of three marketing discussions.
The previous one was on chosing an agency.