There is a decision to be made regarding your new site, regardless of whether you’re just starting in the field of vacation rentals and want to build your first website or are just looking to upgrade the one you already have specifically, whether you use a specific website builder for vacation rentals or a more general content management system (CMS).
You’ve come to the right place if you need clarification on the distinctions between these two categories of website construction tools. This essay will examine each system, explain what they are, and go over the advantages and disadvantages of each for owners of vacation rental businesses.
What does a website builder for vacation rentals do?
Website builders typically enable consumers to develop their websites without any prior technological skills. Using website builders, you may easily construct your website utilizing drag-and-drop features. Using a website builder designed specifically for vacation rental enterprises is a terrific alternative for owners who want to publish their websites immediately but need more coding knowledge.
Website builders are for more than just inexperienced users; more tech-savvy business owners can also benefit from them. A decent vacation rental software will allow you to add any bespoke parts of code, should you wish to, in addition to giving you the foundation for a fully optimized website (such as mobile friendliness and a template that supports on-page search engine optimization).
A generic CMS is what?
A CMS, or content management system, is an online tool that enables users to create, edit, publish, and manage digital information anytime they want. A CMS often operates on a server that is overseen by a web hosting company. Since a general CMS does not support any particular business kind, using one sometimes necessitates having coding experience to custom-build your website.
Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are a few examples of well-known content management systems.
CMS vs. website builder for vacation rentals
Before determining the ideal addition to your online vacation rental business, you should weigh the many benefits of both types of software. Asking yourself these inquiries is one of the simplest strategies to make the proper decision:
1. How user-friendly is it?
Website builder for vacation rentals
Drag-and-drop website builders enables consumers to easily and without any technical knowledge to create stunning websites.
By creating a website in this way, landlords of holiday rentals may rapidly finish and publish their site and begin promoting their lodging options over the internet. Additionally, these vacation rental businesses can benefit from accepting direct bookings online, receiving payments, and handling all other elements of their queries and reservations when the website builder is just one component of a larger all-in-one software solution.
Common CMS
It may take some time for owners and managers who use a CMS to create their vacation rental website to get their bearings, especially if they have minimal prior coding experience. It can take a lot of time and effort to customize a CMS-built website; in some circumstances, professional development assistance may be needed.
2. How adaptable is it?
Website builder for vacation rentals
Since website builders are tools created specifically with one user in mind—in this case, vacation rental owners—they generally offer less flexibility. Any owner or manager may design a professional website for their vacation rental business using the majority of website builders, but if you need assistance with complex bespoke alterations, you may still need to contact a developer or the website builder’s support staff.
Common CMS
When it comes to expanding to enterprises and customizing for certain needs and markets, a CMS gives much more versatility than a website builder.
3. How would you host your website?
Website builder for vacation rentals
Because there is no need for manual setups, users may favor specialized website builders. Users on this easily hosted website may post pages as they go and view updates immediately. The drawback is that, should the need arise, switching service providers can be challenging.
Common CMS
In general, having a hosting service is necessary to use a CMS. However, this can frequently be set up and deployed with your CMS for free. Users of content management systems frequently value the independence of preserving all of their material and moving it to a different host at any time.
4. What kind of maintenance is necessary?
Website builder for vacation rentals
It’s doubtful that anyone who utilizes a website builder would ever need to update or maintain their website manually. Your supplier will instead take care of them automatically, as well as routinely back up your data and safeguard it from internet security threats. If new features are made accessible, users can use them right away on the back end of the website.
Manual software updates and maintenance can frequently be necessary when using CMS programs. This could entail hiring someone knowledgeable to assist you or learning the procedures on your own.
5. What is the price?
Website builder for vacation rentals
Business owners typically pay a flat rate monthly or annual fee for a package that meets their needs. If a need arises, it is typically relatively simple to adjust the strategy later on. Always verify whether the plan you select is all-inclusive or if there are additional costs or commissions associated with, say, each booking you make.
Common CMS
Most content management systems, at least in their basic form, are free to use. There is potential to purchase third-party add-ons and specialized features that will optimize vacation rental websites for things like accepting online reservations. However, there are additional costs to consider when buying your name and hosting your CMS on a server. A reservation system, the ability to accept payments online, and any other tools that may be required for a vacation rental business will come at an additional expense to you. Your free CMS could become a far more expensive investment due to these additional fees.
Making the proper choice between a CMS and a website builder for vacation rentals?
You can develop an expert website for your company using a CMS or a dedicated website builder for holiday rentals. Owners themselves will have to balance the advantages and disadvantages of each to choose which is the better option.
Drag-and-drop vacation rental website builders may be preferred by those with little technical expertise and a pressing desire to go online because it will provide them with the resources they need to create their site fast and effortlessly. A CMS might be preferred by individuals who want total flexibility and have the time and resources necessary to construct the site from scratch.
The whole vacation rental solution is Lodgable.
If you do decide to use a website builder, Lodgable is the best option for managers and owners of holiday rentals.
All websites created with Lodgable come pre-optimized for mobile browsing and accepting online reservations. Our team will help you create a website that you will love. With Lodgable’s software and the website builder, you’ll have access to a booking system, channel manager, and reservation system, allowing you to manage your rental data in a single location.Â
Already have a website? No problem we have solutions for you that will make managing your reservations easier.Â
