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Does your Short-Term Rental Website have a Traffic or a Conversion Problem?
Bookings are slower than you’d like, so you look at your website and think: “it’s not converting. I need new photos. I need a new booking system. I need a new website.” But what if that’s the wrong diagnosis entirely?
What if the real problem isn’t conversion at all, it’s that almost nobody is actually visiting your website in the first place?
In this solo episode, Sarah tackles one of the most common (and costly) mistakes she sees accommodation owners make: trying to fix a conversion problem when they actually have a traffic problem. She opens with the question she asks every client whose bookings have dropped: “how many people visited your website in the last 12 months?” and the answer is almost always silence or "I don't know".
Using a brilliantly simple high-street-shop analogy, Sarah explains why beautiful window displays and excellent service mean nothing if only three people walk through the door each day and why most hosts are obsessing over tiny website tweaks while sitting on a traffic problem ten times bigger. She runs the numbers on exactly why doubling your conversion rate often delivers far less impact than simply getting more people to your site in the first place.
Sarah then shares five practical ways to grow website traffic, from SEO and helpful content to email list growth, strategic social media use and the partnership opportunities most hosts overlook entirely.
And once traffic genuinely isn’t the issue, she walks through the conversion fundamentals that actually move the needle.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re guessing at your marketing, this episode gives you the exact three numbers to check before you spend another penny on your website.
---
Key Takeaways:
- You cannot convert visitors you don’t have. Before changing anything about your website, find out how many people are actually visiting, what percentage enquire or book, and where that traffic comes from.
- The industry average website conversion rate is just 1%. If you’re only getting 100 visitors a month, doubling your conversion rate gets you 2 extra bookings — but increasing traffic to 1,000 visitors at the same rate gets you 20.
- Most visitors don’t book on their first visit. Guests compare, browse, save and return — so a steady stream of new visitors entering your world is the lifeblood of future bookings, not just immediate ones.
- Sarah shares five reliable ways to grow traffic.
- Once you have traffic, conversion comes down to a handful of fixable things: making it instantly clear who you are and what you offer, using strong photography and video, removing booking friction, building trust through reviews and FAQs, and giving people a genuine reason to book direct.
- Vanity metrics like likes and reach don’t pay the bills. Every piece of marketing should be designed to move people towards your website — that's where the real opportunity for bookings lives.
---
Want my eyes on your traffic and conversion numbers?
If you'd like to get under the skin of your website traffic and find out exactly where your bottleneck is, a 1:1 Bookings Boost session is a focused 60-minute Zoom consultation built entirely around your business and your numbers. No fluff, just rapid, actionable advice you can implement straight away. Book your Bookings Boost session here.
---
Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?
No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.
---
Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?
Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!
---
Connect with Sarah:
Website
---
View all episodes
By Sarah OrchardBookings are slower than you’d like, so you look at your website and think: “it’s not converting. I need new photos. I need a new booking system. I need a new website.” But what if that’s the wrong diagnosis entirely?
What if the real problem isn’t conversion at all, it’s that almost nobody is actually visiting your website in the first place?
In this solo episode, Sarah tackles one of the most common (and costly) mistakes she sees accommodation owners make: trying to fix a conversion problem when they actually have a traffic problem. She opens with the question she asks every client whose bookings have dropped: “how many people visited your website in the last 12 months?” and the answer is almost always silence or "I don't know".
Using a brilliantly simple high-street-shop analogy, Sarah explains why beautiful window displays and excellent service mean nothing if only three people walk through the door each day and why most hosts are obsessing over tiny website tweaks while sitting on a traffic problem ten times bigger. She runs the numbers on exactly why doubling your conversion rate often delivers far less impact than simply getting more people to your site in the first place.
Sarah then shares five practical ways to grow website traffic, from SEO and helpful content to email list growth, strategic social media use and the partnership opportunities most hosts overlook entirely.
And once traffic genuinely isn’t the issue, she walks through the conversion fundamentals that actually move the needle.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re guessing at your marketing, this episode gives you the exact three numbers to check before you spend another penny on your website.
---
Key Takeaways:
- You cannot convert visitors you don’t have. Before changing anything about your website, find out how many people are actually visiting, what percentage enquire or book, and where that traffic comes from.
- The industry average website conversion rate is just 1%. If you’re only getting 100 visitors a month, doubling your conversion rate gets you 2 extra bookings — but increasing traffic to 1,000 visitors at the same rate gets you 20.
- Most visitors don’t book on their first visit. Guests compare, browse, save and return — so a steady stream of new visitors entering your world is the lifeblood of future bookings, not just immediate ones.
- Sarah shares five reliable ways to grow traffic.
- Once you have traffic, conversion comes down to a handful of fixable things: making it instantly clear who you are and what you offer, using strong photography and video, removing booking friction, building trust through reviews and FAQs, and giving people a genuine reason to book direct.
- Vanity metrics like likes and reach don’t pay the bills. Every piece of marketing should be designed to move people towards your website — that's where the real opportunity for bookings lives.
---
Want my eyes on your traffic and conversion numbers?
If you'd like to get under the skin of your website traffic and find out exactly where your bottleneck is, a 1:1 Bookings Boost session is a focused 60-minute Zoom consultation built entirely around your business and your numbers. No fluff, just rapid, actionable advice you can implement straight away. Book your Bookings Boost session here.
---
Do you have a marketing roadmap for your business?
No more winging it and feeling like you are in constant marketing chaos! Create your easy-to-follow marketing roadmap for the year ahead. My Direct Bookings Bootcamp is now available ON DEMAND! Let’s make this the best year yet for direct bookings! Head to my website for more info.
---
Are you currently rely on Airbnb or another online agent (OTA)?
Take Sarah's FREE quiz here - it's time to give them the boot!
---
Connect with Sarah:
Website
---