Checklist To Become a Vacation Rental Photography Expert
An image is worth more than a thousand words. It is said they have an important relevance for the Vacation Rental Industry. Why? Because the pictures are an efficient method to stand out from the competitors.
In fact, there is no need to be a professional photographer, you just need a few essential tips.
The Importance of a Good Property Listing Presentation
Website visitors spend on average 59 seconds on booking sites before loosing interest and leave the page
Source: https://stayfi.com/vrm-insider/2021/06/21/the-ultimate-list-of-vacation-rental-statistics-2020-edition/
According to the stats it just takes 59 seconds to attract a user. Obviously, there are many factors influencing the decision process (prices, location, reviews, …). However, one of the most important is a good display through the images of the properties.
Vacation rental photography is a fundamental support for descriptions, as it allows the property to be shown in detail. In addition, it offers the possibility for the guest to imagine what the stay would be like.
On the other hand, a nice overview could involve a great sponsor for the property rates. Guests who are primarily looking for quality and comfort will be willing to book properties in a wider price range if the pictures show it.
Certainly, the better those vacation rental photography images are, the better the chances of booking will be.
Related Post: ➜ How Do I Promote My Vacation Rental Properties on Instagram?
5 essentials Vacation Rental Photography Tips: Become a Vacation Rental Photo Expert
While it is true that there is the possibility of hiring a professional, maybe the budget or other reasons may be an impediment to this. However, this is not an obstacle to get good quality pictures, the only thing you have to take into account are 5 basic requirements:
- Type of image
- Which rooms should appear?
- Styling is vital
- Renew the images
- Optimize photos for website
Type of image
Buying decisions are based on 20% logic & 80% emotion
Source: https://revenuegrid.com/blog/emotional-branding-sales-important/
The pictures should be attractive, but they always reflect what the guest will enjoy during the stay. That is why it’s important to take into account two types of images:
- Emotional: Those that appeal to the user’s feelings and arouse their interest. Images that reflect the full experience of the stay at the property : like a relaxing bath in the pool, a beautiful sunrise on the terrace or a cozy dinner by the fireplace.
- Factual: Those that reflect the complete features of the property. For example the house equipment, size and location of the rooms, garden, etc.
Which rooms should appear?
Vacation rental photography should show the most important rooms of each property: the kitchen, living / dinning room, bedrooms, bathrooms and toilets. Also, if there are extra areas like the garden, pool, …
And of each room there should be at least one picture, although it is desirable to have two: one of the entire room that reflects the space and a photograph that highlights a particular feature.
Styling is vital
You should not create false expectations, but always keep in mind the details when taking pictures:
- Avoid tilted pictures that can be annoying to the user
- The light is the key to avoid dark shadows or blurred images.
- Pictures taken from a low point of view offer a much wider view of the space
- Adjust the arrangement of furniture and accessories to avoid empty spaces or walls that give a poor image.
- Keep each room clean and tidy: countertops cleared, cupboard doors closed, …
Renew the images
It is important to update the vacation rental photography pictures, not only to show the guest a realistic view but also to highlight all the improvements that have been made to the properties: changes of furniture, painting, new accessories, …
Optimize vacation rental photography for website
All these tips will help you create great pictures, but there are always certain “technical” details that allow these photographs to be displayed without problems, and also, if they are on your website, they provide added value such as for SEO purposes.
- Pictures don’t have to be too large or heavy, as they can slow down the speed of the web page.
- Keywords: Google does not rank images, but it does take into account the name they have. That is why it is important to name them using the Keyword you want to highlight and position on the search engine.
Of course, this whole process may seem long and require some time. However, the effort is always worthwhile. A good presentation of the properties has a great potential to attract visitors and therefore to increase the chances of reservation.
At Avantio we work to evolve the Vacation Rental Industry and help all our customers grow. In our blog you will find much more interesting articles to optimize your business. And if you still do not work with our system we invite you to make a free demo with our team.
