Managing a bed and breakfast business can be challenging throughout the year. Demand can come in peaks and troughs, so keeping your operation afloat is never easy.
One of the most important things B&B owners must do is to capitalise on demand when it is there, otherwise, you could be left short of income in the off-season. In this guide, we’ll explore how you can maximise your bookings during the potentially lucrative summer months.
Why should you be preparing for the summer season?
Summer is the peak season for a lot of leisure and hospitality businesses across the country. Capitalising on soaring demand is crucial for you to boost annual figures and make your bottom line look healthier.
The summer period sees millions of Brits jetting off around the world on holiday, although increasingly more and more are staying in the UK for their holidays for financial reasons. You should be looking to maximise your B&B bookings throughout the summer period given the increased demand for staycation rentals and more affordable accommodations such as B&Bs.
So, industry trends indicate you’re set for a successful summer, but you need to know how to effectively market your B&B to maximise your takings over this period.
Effective ways to attract more bookings
Demand isn’t going to magically result in bookings if your offering isn’t right or accessible for your target market. With this in mind, here are a few things that you can focus on before peak season arrives:
Refurbish your B&B with customers in mind: to achieve more bookings you need to understand the types of customers that are likely to stay with you and create an environment that will attract them. Whether you’re a hotspot for family holidays or walking enthusiasts, refurbish your B&B to cater to these customers and upload photos on your listings and website to emphasise this.
Highlight your unique selling points: making the strengths of your B&B stand out is vital to attract more bookings. For example, if you’re a five-minute walk from the beach, promote this in your listing headings and descriptions. If you’ve got splendid views of the local countryside, evidence this with photos. If you only serve local and freshly cooked produce for breakfast, list this as one of your features. Promote reviews from previous customers to provide additional trust signals on your website – third-party sites should allow you to do this automatically, which is convenient.
Optimise your digital marketing: the overwhelming majority of holidays and short-stays are booked online now, so if your online marketing channels aren’t firing then this is the place to focus before peak season hits. Ensure you are listed on the right websites and get your Google Business listing up and visible if you haven’t already. Don’t neglect your own website and your social media presence because this is important to build trust between you and prospective customers.
Make booking and paying simple: if you’re listed on third-party websites such as Airbnb or Booking.com, these will help to offer customers convenient methods of booking and trusted payment methods. If you rely on your own website or non-digital channels for bookings and payments, then make the process as simple as possible so guests aren’t put off. When making any payments online, trust signals are a big factor – so invest in your website if you rely on that for most of your bookings.
Other things to consider
Preparing for peak season isn’t just about attracting and welcoming as many customers as possible.
You need to ensure that your establishment is operating at full capacity and can handle the strains of heavy footfall. It should also be ready to provide an excellent service to encourage repeat bookings and positive reviews which will be important for next year.
Ensure that any maintenance is completed before the summer arrives and do refurbishments if needed. Review the insurance policy for your B&B and take the necessary precautions to cover yourself in the event of an accident or emergency.
Capitalising on the summer season is important for the success and profitability of your B&B business, so don’t let it go to waste. Take the appropriate steps to encourage bookings and provide a brilliant experience for as many guests as possible. Good luck!