If you own a holiday let and want to reduce your reliance on listing sites, increase direct bookings and build a recognisable brand, setting up a holiday let website should be one of your top priorities.
At Schofields, we speak to holiday home owners every day who are looking for ways to grow their bookings, stand out from the competition and create a more professional online presence. While listing sites like Airbnb and Vrbo can play an important role in marketing a holiday rental, relying solely on third-party platforms can leave your business vulnerable to rising fees, changing algorithms and increasing competition.
A well-designed website gives you far more control over your business. It allows you to showcase your property exactly how you want, build trust with guests and encourage repeat bookings without paying commission on every reservation.
The good news is that setting up a holiday let website is far easier and more affordable than many owners think. Whether you choose a dedicated holiday rental website builder, a general website platform or a bespoke design, there are plenty of ways to create a professional website without needing advanced technical skills.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about setting up a holiday let website, including choosing a domain name, essential website features, common mistakes to avoid, payment solutions and how a blog can help increase your visibility online.
Why every holiday let owner should have their own website
Many owners begin by advertising solely on holiday letting portals. While these websites can generate enquiries, they are also highly competitive marketplaces where your property is displayed alongside thousands of others.
Having your own holiday let website helps establish trust and credibility. Guests are more likely to feel confident booking directly when they see a professional website with clear information, quality photography, guest reviews and secure payment options.
Your own website also gives you complete control over your branding and marketing. Instead of trying to stand out within the limitations of a listing site template, you can create a website that reflects your property’s personality and highlights what makes your holiday home unique.
Most importantly, your website can help generate direct bookings.
Many holiday let owners become overly dependent on one or two listing platforms. However, platforms can change their pricing structures, visibility algorithms or terms at any time. If your main source of bookings suddenly becomes less effective, your income can quickly suffer.
A direct booking website gives you greater long-term stability and helps you build a business that is less reliant on third-party websites.
Another major advantage is that you can learn far more about your guests and marketing performance through website analytics. You can see which pages visitors engage with, where your traffic comes from and which content generates bookings.
You also have the opportunity to collect email addresses, encourage repeat stays and build a loyal audience over time.
Choosing the right domain name
One of the first steps when setting up a holiday let website is choosing a domain name.
Your domain name is your website address and should ideally match your holiday cottage or holiday home name as closely as possible. Consistency makes it easier for guests to remember your website and strengthens your branding.
When naming your holiday let, try to choose something memorable, meaningful and easy to spell.
Many owners take inspiration from:
The property location
Local landmarks
Views or scenery
Wildlife or nature
Historical features
Local culture
For example, a cottage overlooking a lake might incorporate words such as “View”, “Mere” or “Waterside”, while a countryside property could reference local wildlife, flowers or woodland.
It’s also important to research competing holiday lets in your area before committing to a name. Choosing a name that is too similar to another nearby property can confuse guests and make marketing more difficult.
Once you have chosen a suitable name, secure the domain name as quickly as possible.
As a general rule:
Keep your domain short and easy to remember
Avoid excessive hyphens or numbers
Avoid confusing double letters where possible
Choose a .co.uk or .com extension
Try to keep your domain closely aligned with your property name
It’s often a good idea to purchase both the .co.uk and .com versions if they are available.
Even if you are not yet ready to launch a website, you can still use your domain name in marketing materials and redirect it to your listing site advert temporarily.
You should also check whether matching social media handles are available so your branding remains consistent across all channels.
Choosing how to build your holiday let website
When setting up a holiday let website, one of the biggest decisions is whether to use a website builder, a content management system like WordPress or hire a web designer.
Holiday let website builders
Dedicated holiday rental website builders are often the easiest option for beginners.
These platforms typically include:
Website hosting
Templates
Security updates
SSL certificates
Mobile optimisation
Booking systems
Availability calendars
Payment integration
Many use drag-and-drop editors, allowing you to create and update pages without any coding knowledge.
The advantage of these platforms is convenience. Everything is managed in one place, making them ideal for owners who want a simple all-in-one solution.
However, there can be some limitations. Some platforms offer less flexibility when it comes to customisation, and moving your website elsewhere later can sometimes be difficult.
WordPress and CMS platforms
For owners who want greater flexibility and control, WordPress is a popular option.
With WordPress, you own the website outright and can customise almost every aspect of the design and functionality.
However, you are usually responsible for:
Website hosting
Security updates
Backups
Plugin management
Performance optimisation
WordPress can be an excellent choice if you are comfortable managing a website or willing to learn.
Hiring a web designer
If you have the budget and want a completely bespoke website, hiring a web designer may be worthwhile.
A professionally designed website can help your holiday let stand out and may improve your search engine visibility if built properly.
That said, a bespoke website is often significantly more expensive than using a website builder and may require ongoing maintenance costs.
Essential features every holiday let website should include
No matter which platform you choose, there are certain features every successful holiday let website should have.
High-quality photography
Your photographs are one of the most important parts of your website.
Guests often make quick emotional decisions based on visuals before they even begin reading the property description.
Professional photography can dramatically improve engagement and enquiries, so investing in quality images is highly recommended.
Make sure your photos:
Are bright and high resolution
Showcase your property’s best features
Include interior and exterior shots
Highlight key amenities
Capture the surrounding location and views
Your homepage image is particularly important because it forms the first impression visitors have of your property.
Clear navigation
Holidaymakers browse multiple websites before making a booking decision.
If your website is confusing or difficult to navigate, many visitors will simply leave.
Your navigation menu should make it easy for guests to find key information quickly, including:
Accommodation details
Gallery
Availability
Booking information
Location
Contact details
Your phone number and enquiry options should also be visible throughout the website.
Mobile-friendly design
A large percentage of holiday rental searches now happen on mobile devices.
Your website needs to work smoothly across smartphones, tablets and desktops.
A mobile-friendly website not only improves the user experience but can also help your search engine rankings.
Fast loading speed
Slow websites frustrate users and can increase bounce rates.
Large image files, poor hosting and unnecessary plugins can all negatively affect website speed.
Fast-loading pages create a better experience for guests and can improve conversions.
Online booking and availability calendars
Modern guests expect convenience.
If visitors cannot quickly check availability or make a booking online, you may lose enquiries to competitors.
At minimum, your website should include:
An availability calendar
An enquiry form
Clear booking instructions
Ideally, guests should also be able to book and pay online securely.
Guest reviews and testimonials
Social proof plays a huge role in building trust.
Displaying guest reviews on your website can reassure potential guests and encourage bookings.
You can integrate reviews from platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo or Google, or collect direct testimonials from previous guests.
Strong calls to action
Every page on your website should encourage users to take action.
Examples include:
Book now
Check availability
Enquire today
Contact us
These calls to action should be clearly visible throughout your website.
Setting up secure payment solutions
One of the most important aspects of setting up a holiday let website is ensuring guests can pay securely.
Offering secure online payment options creates trust and can improve conversion rates.
Guests increasingly expect the booking process to be smooth, simple and secure.
Many holiday let website platforms now integrate directly with payment providers, making it easier to accept:
Credit cards
Debit cards
Bank transfers
Digital wallets
When comparing payment solutions, consider:
Transaction fees
Ease of integration
Currency support
Security features
Refund management
Mobile compatibility
Security is especially important when handling guest payments.
Your website should use SSL encryption and trusted payment gateways to help protect customer data.
Clearly displaying secure payment logos and policies can also help reassure visitors.
Why adding a blog can help generate more bookings
Many holiday let owners overlook the importance of blogging, but a blog can be one of the most effective tools for improving your search visibility and attracting more visitors.
A blog gives you the opportunity to create useful content around topics potential guests are already searching for.
For example, you could write about:
Local attractions
Restaurants and pubs
Seasonal events
Walks and activities
Family-friendly days out
Dog-friendly recommendations
Travel guides
This type of content can help your website appear in Google search results for a much wider range of searches.
A blog also helps demonstrate expertise and gives guests more reasons to trust your business.
In addition, regularly updating your website with fresh content may help improve your overall SEO performance.
When writing blog posts:
Focus on topics guests genuinely care about
Use clear headings
Include high-quality photos
Write naturally rather than stuffing keywords
Link to relevant pages on your website
The goal is to create useful content that supports the guest journey while increasing visibility online.
Common mistakes to avoid when setting up a holiday let website
Over the years, we’ve seen many holiday let owners make similar website mistakes.
Avoiding these issues can help improve the performance of your website and increase bookings.
Poor quality photos
Weak photography is one of the fastest ways to lose potential guests.
Dark, blurry or outdated images create a poor first impression and can make even a beautiful property appear unappealing.
Overcomplicated design
Some owners try to include too much information, animation or clutter.
A clean, simple layout is usually far more effective.
Visitors should immediately understand:
What the property offers
Where it is located
Why they should book
How to enquire or reserve
Slow or outdated websites
An outdated website can damage credibility.
If your website feels old-fashioned, loads slowly or doesn’t work properly on mobile devices, visitors may assume the property itself is outdated too.
Weak property descriptions
Many owners focus purely on features rather than the overall experience.
Instead of simply listing amenities, help guests imagine their stay.
Talk about:
Morning coffee overlooking the countryside
Evenings by the fire
Walks to the beach
Nearby restaurants and attractions
You are selling the holiday experience, not just accommodation.
Missing SEO basics
Some websites look attractive but are difficult for search engines to understand.
Basic SEO elements such as page titles, headings, image optimisation and useful written content all help improve visibility.
Relying entirely on listing sites
Even if Airbnb or Vrbo currently perform well for your property, it’s risky to rely solely on one source of bookings.
Building your own website creates a stronger long-term business asset.
How to encourage more direct bookings
The ultimate goal of setting up a holiday let website is often to increase direct bookings.
Direct bookings can reduce commission costs, improve profitability and give you more control over guest communication.
To encourage more guests to book directly:
Make your website look professional
Offer a smooth booking experience
Display genuine guest reviews
Include plenty of helpful information
Use professional photography
Make contact details easy to find
Respond quickly to enquiries
Many guests who discover your property on listing sites will also search for your website directly.
If they find a professional website with clear information and secure booking options, they may feel more confident booking direct.
Repeat guests are especially valuable.
Once someone has stayed at your property and had a positive experience, your website gives them an easy way to book again in future without going through third-party platforms.
Final thoughts on setting up a holiday let website
Setting up a holiday let website is one of the best long-term investments you can make for your holiday letting business.
A professional website helps you build trust, strengthen your brand, improve visibility online and generate more direct bookings.
Whether you choose a simple website builder, a WordPress website or a bespoke design, the key is to focus on creating a user-friendly experience with strong photography, clear navigation, useful content and secure booking functionality.
At Schofields, we understand the challenges holiday let owners face because we’ve worked with owners for decades. We know that competition is growing and guest expectations are higher than ever.
That’s why having your own website is no longer simply a nice extra — it has become an essential part of running a successful holiday let business.
By investing time into setting up a holiday let website properly, you can create a valuable marketing asset that supports your business for years to come.
Specialist Holiday Let Insurance
Once you’ve set up the website for your holiday let, you may want to consider financially protecting it with holiday let insurance. Get a quote online today.
Please note the information provided on this page should not be taken as advice and has been written as a matter of opinion. For more on insurance cover and policy wording, see our homepage.