Planning your dream vacation rental business but feeling stuck when it comes to building a website? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Choosing the perfect vacation rental website builder can feel a bit like deciding where to travel. There are so many options, each with its unique highlights and benefits, but which one is truly the best fit for you?
Our guide will help you choose a platform to create an impressive website that wows your guests and serves as a simple-to-use hub for managing bookings. This article will explore the very best website builders for vacation rentals to choose from.
Should I create a website for my vacation rental?
Yes, you should create a website for your property by using a vacation rental website builder. In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is a must for any host. Using a vacation rental website builder allows you to bypass platform fees from sites like Airbnb and Vrbo, strengthen your brand identity, and have more control over your listings.
Key features of vacation rental website builders to consider
Not all vacation rental website builders are created equal. This section will discuss the key features to look for when selecting the best website builder for short-term rentals in your portfolio.
Booking and payment integration
You can’t run a business if you aren’t taking bookings and getting paid on time. A vacation rental website builder should have an easy-to-use booking and payment integration system. This allows your guests to easily reserve their stay and enables you to receive payments directly. Look for website builders that offer features such as:
- Real-time availability calendars
- Automatic email confirmations
- Secure online payment gateways
As mentioned above, it’s best to work with a holiday rental website builder that easily integrates with popular booking and payment platforms, such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. This will make it easier to manage reservations and track payments from different sources.
User-friendly interface
The best website builders for short-term rentals are easy to use. You want your tools to be straightforward and intuitive. Look for a platform with drag-and-drop design capabilities, customizable templates, and easy navigation features so you can quickly make updates and changes to your website.
Mobile-friendliness
A study shared by Travelperk from Statista found that 68% of online traffic for travel and hospitality websites came from mobile devices. As more and more people acquire smartphones around the globe, it’s becoming increasingly important for websites to be mobile-friendly.
This means that the website is optimized for viewing on smaller screens and has features such as:
- Easy navigation
- Larger buttons
- Content that is easily readable without having to zoom in
- Fast loading times
If your website isn’t easily usable from a mobile device, you risk potential guests getting frustrated and leaving your site. This results in decreased traffic and a loss of income.
Additionally, having a mobile-friendly website can even boost your website’s search engine ranking. Search engines like Google prioritize websites that are optimized for mobile devices, as this makes it easier for users to find what they’re looking for and stay on the page longer.
Templates
Another important aspect of the best vacation rental website builder design is the use of templates. Templates are pre-designed layouts that can be easily customized to fit your brand or specific needs. They often include features such as:
- Navigation menus
- Headers
- Footers
- Any other elements that make designing a website easier
Furthermore, you’ll also want to consider themes. Themes refer to the overall look and feel of a website. This includes:
- Color schemes
- Fonts
- Images
- Any other visual aspect
Choose a cohesive theme for your website that helps create a professional and visually aesthetic experience for your website visitors.
SEO optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is another important aspect to consider when designing a website. SEO refers to the techniques and strategies used to improve the visibility of a website on search engine results pages (SERPs). This includes using:
- Keywords
- Meta descriptions
- Backlinks
- Alternative text
- Image optimization
- Title tags
You’ll want to research popular keywords related to your industry or niche and incorporate them into your content. Services like Google Keyword Planner and Semrush are good starting points for this research. A vacation rental website builder that uses SEO-friendly templates can help streamline this process.
Cost effectiveness
Another important benefit of using a vacation rental website builder is its cost-effectiveness. Building a website from scratch can be expensive, especially if you need to hire a web developer. However, with a vacation rental website builder, you can bundle services together to save money and still have a professional-looking website.
Most vacation rental website builders offer affordable pricing plans, with some even offering free options for basic features. This allows small businesses or individuals with limited budgets to create an online presence without breaking the bank. Plus, many vacation rental website builders offer additional services such as hosting and domain registration at reasonable prices.
Integration with other platforms
Lastly, another benefit of using a vacation rental website builder is the easy integration with other platforms. Many builders offer integrations with popular booking and management systems such as Airbnb and Vrbo. This allows you to easily manage all your reservations and bookings in one place.
The best website builders for vacation rentals
Now that you know what to look for, here are some of the best short-term rental website builders on the market today.
1. Lodgify
Lodgify is the #1 vacation rental website builder. Its platform is specifically designed for property managers and vacation rental owners by offering a range of features to help you build and manage your website.
Key features
Lodgify offers a range of powerful features, including:
- Customizable SEO-friendly templates: Easily design a professional website with a variety of visually appealing and mobile-friendly templates.
- Online booking system: Enable guests to book directly through your website with a secure and hassle-free booking process.
- Mobile optimization: Never worry about your website looking funky on a mobile device. With Lodgify, your website will be fully optimized for all screen sizes.
- Custom domain included: Make your website stand out with a personalized domain name.
- Channel manager: Sync your listings across major platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo to avoid double bookings.
- Secure bookings with Lodgify Payments: Accept secure payments directly through Lodgify, no additional integrations or third-party fees required.
- Property management system (PMS): Manage reservations, rates, and calendars all in one place.
- Easy integrations: Connect with tools and platforms like Google Analytics, Stripe, and PayPal for enhanced functionality.
With these features, Lodgify simplifies vacation rental management while ensuring you have a professional online presence.
Check out these beautiful vacation rental websites built with Lodgify.
Pricing
Prices begin at $16 per month plus a 1.9% booking fee.
Lodgify offers flexible pricing plans designed to suit the needs of vacation rental owners and property managers. Lodgify’s pricing is subscription-based and allows you to select monthly or annual billing for added flexibility. Additionally, there are no hidden fees, ensuring you know exactly what to expect when managing your vacation rental business with Lodgify.
2. Wix
Wix is a versatile website builder that enables vacation rental owners to create professional, customizable websites with ease, even without prior coding experience.
Key features
Wix offers a variety of features to help vacation rental owners establish an online presence. It provides:
- A drag-and-drop website editor
- Short-term rental-specific templates
- A customizable booking system
- Integration with popular vacation rental platforms, such as Airbnb and Booking.com
- Mobile-friendly design options
- SEO tools to improve search engine rankings
While Wix offers customization options, it lacks features specifically tailored to vacation rentals, such as a dedicated property management system or built-in channel manager, that are critical for successful short-term rental hosts.
Pricing
Prices begin at $17 per month.
Wix offers a variety of pricing plans, including a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting at $17 per month. The higher-tier plans offer additional features, such as unlimited bandwidth and storage, an advanced marketing suite, and the ability to accept online payments.
3. Squarespace
Squarespace is a versatile website builder known for its sleek, modern templates and robust design customization options.
Key features
Squarespace offers a range of features to help users create professional websites that include:
- Visually appealing, modern templates that are designed to showcase properties
- An integrated booking functionality through third-party tools
- Basic SEO tools to improve site visibility
- Mobile-responsive designs for seamless access across devices
While Squarespace offers flexibility, it has a strong reliance on third-party integrations for booking functionality, which can add unnecessary complexity for rental hosts.
Pricing
Prices begin at $16 per month.
Squarespace offers four pricing tiers to cater to different user needs. Prices begin at $16 per month for the personal plan.
4. WordPress
WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. However, it handles a lot of sites that aren’t focused on short-term rentals like yours.
Key features
WordPress provides several features that can be useful for short-term rental hosts. Key features include:
- Customizable themes to create a unique website design
- Plugins for bookings and availability calendars
- Integration with third-party tools like payment gateways
- Blog functionality for sharing updates or travel tips
Unfortunately, WordPress doesn’t offer built-in channel integration with platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. Additionally, setting up and maintaining a WordPress site often requires more technical knowledge compared to the user-friendly, all-in-one solution provided by platforms like Lodgify.
Pricing
Prices begin at $4 per month.
WordPress offers a range of pricing plans, starting at $4 per month for the Personal plan and increasing to higher tiers. However, keep in mind that the Personal plan wouldn’t provide enough perks for a vacation rental host as there are very limited customization features at this level.
5. PromoteMyPlace
PromoteMyPlace is a website builder designed specifically for vacation rental owners. Their platform offers a simple interface that makes it easy to create a professional-looking website.
Key features
PromoteMyPlace provides a selection of tools to help vacation rental hosts effectively manage their online presence. Items include:
- Customizable website templates tailored for vacation rentals
- Mobile-friendly designs to enhance user experience
- Options for integrating booking calendars and inquiry forms
- Features to showcase property photos and descriptions
However, PromoteMyPlace’s automated communication systems fall short compared to more advanced platforms like Lodgify. Unlike Lodgify’s robust, high-tech system that enables seamless, automated communication with guests, PromoteMyPlace’s solutions are simpler and lack the same level of sophistication. This may require hosts to rely more on manual efforts to manage guest communications.
Pricing
For a single-property website, prices begin at £89 per year. This UK-based company offers a variety of plans with additional features and customization options for larger rental businesses, but no option for monthly subscriptions.
So, what is the best website builder for vacation rentals?
Logify stands out as the top choice for the best vacation rental website builder. Offering customizable templates, mobile-friendly designs, and integration tools, Logify ensures that your website caters to both your needs and those of your guests.
Our user-friendly platform, combined with competitive pricing starting at just $16 per month, makes it a cost-effective yet powerful solution. Whether you’re managing a single vacation rental or multiple properties, Logify provides everything you need to streamline operations and attract more bookings. Choose Logify today and take your vacation rental business to the next level!
Try Lodgify for free to see for yourself with a seven-day trial, product demo, or demo call.