From the WNAV Office Vacation Rental News

What’s all the buzz about? And why do we homeowners care?

Written by Elizabeth Weedon
5/5 - (10 votes)

GetBackYoutubeLike some of the homeowners I’ve spoken with recently, you may be wondering what all the excitement is about our newly designed website or the new Get Back marketing campaign that we’ve launched along with it.  You may be thinking, “So what? What’s the big deal that you’ve ‘changed the new look and feel’ of the website? And, how does a marketing campaign affect or help me?”

Well, it really is a big deal, and it does affect us homeowners – big-time and in a good way.

For starters, the website doesn’t just look new – more crisp, clear, attractive, and contemporary.  The functionality of the design is also improved.  The inviting, new Home Page is targeted clearly to vacationers, and the new design enables them to search for, view, and inquire about our listings more quickly and easily than before. Plus, the new design is “responsive,” easily viewed on all devices including mobile ones. We have seen a 43% increase in visitors using mobile devices to access our site over the past year, and the new responsive design has already indicated an increase in involvement from our vacationers.

Then the real one-two punch comes from the launch of the Get Back marketing campaign, which is designed to drive thousands of rental home vacationers to the new site and our listings.

All of us are abundantly aware of how incredibly special the Cape and Islands are.  But you don’t have to own a home here to appreciate its magic. So many vacationers have visited here – once or year after year for generations – and been captivated by its unique natural beauty and its ability to provide those soul-regenerating feelings: family, tradition, romance, joy, excitement, relaxation, and pleasure.

Our Get Back campaign invites vacationers to get back to the Cape and Islands – to the physical landscape as well as to the state of mind that it affords: It’s long walks on a sandy beach, or lazy, main street strolls. It’s the quiet of a kayak paddle through the marsh, and the excitement of a whale watch. It’s the magical ferry ride to Nantucket or the Vineyard. It’s family. It’s tradition. It’s relaxation. It’s a return to that uniquely safe, comforting, fun experience that restores our souls.

Although the campaign features video, social media, and digital ads, my favorite part is that a “microsite” has been created to funnel even more vacationers to our rental home listings.  I think its success is particularly result from the microsite’s being so engaging and interactive.  Who wouldn’t want to share a favorite memory or special scene from the Cape or Islands?!  And it’s fun! I just posted a favorite beach photo and entered “#GetBacktoMV” after the comment.  It took about 20 seconds.

So join the campaign yourself by spreading the word to your family and friends to Get Back. Add to the groundswell of enthusiasm, and help us to promote this amazing place – and fill our vacation rentals in the process!

About the author

Elizabeth Weedon

Elizabeth Weedon - Although I’ve worked for WeNeedaVacation.com since 2008, I’ve been a loyal homeowner on the site since early 1998, just a few months after the website was launched by the Talmadges. I grew up summering on the Vineyard and managed my family's rental home there since the mid-1980’s. I’m passionately devoted to the Vineyard – and to WeNeedaVacation, which I credit with enabling me to hold onto the special property that has been in our family for nearly a century. An enthusiastic member of the WNAV Homeowner Support Team, I endeavor to keep my finger on the pulse of the Cape and Islands vacation rental industry so that I can provide homeowners advice about how to ensure their booking success with us. With owner Joan Talmadge, I am also responsible for editing and writing much of the text on our website, our monthly newsletters, and Homeowner Blog posts.