(2025) Best Direct Booking Website Option

This article is based on an interview I did with Gil Chan. Here’s what we talked about:

1. Problems with common direct booking websites.

2. How to build a website that gets bookings.

3. Different marketing strategies for direct bookings.

As always, the interview is linked at the end.

I used to have a survey for new subscribers.

After someone signed up for this newsletter, I asked them 3 questions.

One question was, “what marketing topic do you want to learn more about?"

"Direct booking websites" was a popular request.

That’s what this article is about.

Direct Booking Website Problems

There are three things that drive me up a tree when it comes to websites:

1. They take too long to build.

2. Once it’s built, there’s a low guarantee it’s set up to maximize money in your pocket.

3. Most rental operators still have to accept payments through a PMS site like Guesty.

That's without mentioning the design and technical knowledge needed to launch the site.

With all these variables considered, writing about website design is just like explaining Gen-Z lingo to my dad:

• It's complicated.

• There's too much to explain.

• Which leads to everyone giving up and calling it an "A for effort."

Then, I found CraftedStays.

About CraftedStays

Last fall, Gil Chan had me on his podcast.

Gil is an ex-tech industry professional turned short term rental entrepreneur. 

We talked about marketing. It was great.

Afterwards, he showed me his product. Describing it as the “Shopify of direct booking websites.”

If you don’t know anything about Shopify, they essentially made buying stuff online super easy for sellers and customers. It’s a commerce first website platform. 

I liked his product and wanted to write about it.

I think CraftedStays changes the website game for the short term rental space. Here’s why:

It's Built to Put Money In Your Pocket

CraftedStays tests their website templates to see which variation gets more clicks and bookings.

Not you or a marketing agency. They do it.

This process is called conversion rate optimization (CRO). The goal of CRO is to make the buying flow easy.

Remember the last time you went to Target? You walk around for way-to-long, find your things and buy as you walk out the door. The buying flow is easy.

Now imagine if the:

• Cash register was back by the TVs.

• Men's and women's clothing were miles apart.

• Eggs were by the chips.

The buying flow would be terrible. Yet - some of us have websites with similar poor experiences.

Simple Structure

Two things here.

Websites take hours to build and don’t easily connect with PMS systems like Guesty or Hostaway. Yuck.

Shopify is famous for having almost fully complete templates that users can plug and play into. A full build takes less than a lunch break.

CraftedStays replicated that approach.

Then, solved my last beckoning problem by becoming friends with all the major PMS systems. This friendship allows guests to book nights directly on the direct booking website.

Last Notes

Traditional websites:

• Can take too long to build. 

• Don’t focus on putting money in your pocket.

• Can’t integrate well with PMS systems. 

• Are hard to write about (this is a me thing).

Now, rental operators can:

• Get a website up in minutes.

• Which syncs to your PMS system.

• And has already been tested for an easy buying flow (CRO).

I’m glad these problems finally got solved.

P.S. I have zero financial incentive to talk about CraftedStays. I just think the product is cool and might serve you in a positive way. Check them out at craftedstays.co.

That's all for today. I'll see you in the next article.

Watch My Interview with Gil Chan

Before you go

I just launched my brand new direct booking marketing agency, Lodge Social.

We help rental operators get more guests to like, share, and book.

Apply to work with me and my team here.

Links you might like:

1. Which marketing strategy is right for you? Take this quiz.

2. Drive more bookings with SEO (Podcast).

3. Looking to binge? Here are my best articles from 2024.

4. I’ve been reading the Experiential Hospitality newsletter lately. You might like it.