TurtleCon: http://www.homeaway.com/118187 Kiawah Island is a midsize vacation rental market (124 listings on HomeAway as of 1/24/07), frequented by families, windsurfers, and golfers alike.  The market is filled with beautiful old houses on or near the beach.  Most properties in this area offer amenities like washers and dryers, dishwashers, and cable tv.  Very few allow pets, so vacationers looking for bring Fido along with them on their trip have few options.

PROPERTY HEADLINE & PROPERTY ACCOMMODATION SUMMARY

Looking over this listing and the listings for "TurtleCon Too" and the "Turtles Inn," I've gathered that you own one 6BR house and rent it out as as one 6BR or two separate 3BR properties.  This makes great business sense since you can book groups of all sizes.  However, it does make it a bit confusing for casual perusers because they see 3 listings in a row that look remarkably similar and have similar headlines.  What I'd suggest is to use three strikingly different headlines and thumbnails to distinguish the listings.  This could also be a great way for you to test different headlines and photos to see which pull in the most inquiries.  The property names Turtles Inn, TurtleCon, and TurtleCon Too are cute. Those familiar with the area probably immediately associate the property names with the Turtle Point Golf Course.  However, for those unfamilar with the area "TurtleCon" sounds like an event name (like "ComicCon") rather than a property name.  I'm not going to suggest that you necessarily change the names, but I would keep them out of your headlines to avoid confusion. As far as your headlines go, is "pool access" your biggest selling point?  If so, definitely keep it in there, but also add a few other selling points like wireless internet access, private bathrooms, two car garage, near Turtle Point Golf Course, etc.  You're allowed 12 words or 70 characters and I'd recommend stuffing as many keywords in your headline as you can.  This will help renters find your property using the search function on our site, as well as, on search engines. The thumbnail photo of the exterior of the property is a great shot and should definitely be used for one of the listings, but not all.

PHOTOS AND CAPTIONS

Overall, great photos.  Good job using all twelve.  They definitely give a prospective renters a feel for the space and decor of your property.  Most of the shots are well-lit and well-framed.  Good use of the captions.  Many owners are wary of including their address in their ad because they worry about break-ins when the calendar shows that the property is unoccupied.  Do you think that including the address makes renters feel more confident in the location?

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY

Good description.  You hit the key selling points of your property without being redundant or overly wordy.  I particularly like the line "Verandas with rockers catch the ocean breezes, while the large deck is ideal for an evening BBQ" because it paints a picture of the experience, in addition to listing the amenities.   The only thing that I would change is the dashes: They're a little distracting and the description is short enough that it doesn't need to be broken down.  It's great that you packed so many keywords into the location description, but a sentence structure would better service this section.  The location section is a good place to list nearby attractions (like the Turtle Point Golf Course and Night Heron Park).  Even though you mention them in your description above, it doesn't hurt to repeat key attractions.  The average renter is not going to read every section of your listing with due diligence, so it's important that each section includes all of the details that a renter needs to make a decision.  Also include the distance to the beach in feet.  Fewer Americans than you'd think can do the conversion.

AVAILABILITY CALENDAR

Looks like you take your rental business very seriously and keep your calendars updated up-to-the-minute.  By regularly updating your calendar, your property should appear higher in the HomeAway sort results.  Your properties are currently listed 7, 8, and 9 for Kiawah Island.  Other factors in sort results order are number of photos, completed rental rates tables, and special offers.

RENTAL RATE & FEE TABLE

Terrific use of the rental rates table.  Your pricing is very clear and I think that a prospective renter could very easily determine how much their stay would cost.  Great thinking raising your rates for Senior PGA Week.  In the future if you have the week open, you might also want to consider targeting the event's crowd specifically in your headline.  You probably want to change the wording regarding your "security deposit."  Typically, "deposits" are refundable, while "fees" are not, so you may want to call it a "reservation" or "booking fee" instead.  Great choice in accepting credit cards and including your cancellation policy in your ad.  This is something that many prospective renters want to ask about, but don't because they don't want to sound flaky.

BASIC PROPERTY FEATURES

Very thorough.  Renters love properties with private bathrooms for each room, so this is definitely a big selling point.  It's also good that you added "newly remodeled" to the description of your master bathroom.  Renters love things that are "new," so never miss the opportunity to sell your improvements. Great choice including a baby crib.  Do you have a high chair available as well? I'm glad to see that you have living room and dining room seating for 8 people (the same number that you sleep).  One of my pet peeves is when owners cram beds into a property, but don't have room to comfortably sit all of the guests. Good choice including a washer and dryer. Renters find them vital when vacationing in beach areas, especially for summer stays of a week or longer.  Your guests can pack fewer clothes and have more room in their suitcases to bring home souvenirs.

AMENITIES & ATTRACTIONS

Also very thorough and complete.  Good choice offering wireless internet.  This is becoming more and more important and even though not all renters will use it, those that do will find their lifeline to the outside world priceless. When some renters see"audio tape player" in this section, they'll inevitably think "Wow, people still have those?"  But for certain renters this could be the deciding factor that makes them choose your property-- perhaps teenagers of the 80s who can't wait to pull their Gary Numan tapes out of retirement.  If you have an amenity at your property, it's always a good idea to include it in this table even if you don't think that most renters would care.  Someone might and might choose your property over others because of it. You could also use the "Notes" section to let potential renters know that you have another property right next door.

Great use of the "Further Details" section.  It's always beneficial to prospective renters to read guestbook entries from past renters.  The paragraph about "Golf & Tennis" majorly sells the area and should be utitlized higher in your ad (perhaps in the Location section).  The last paragraph with "Golf Information" repeats the second paragraph, but should definitely stay in this section if you move the other one. The Diagnosis: Solid listing with great photos and area information.  Since you have three listings on HomeAway, it's important to distinguish the listings from one another with unique headlines, photos, and descriptions.  You may even consider trying to target different groups with each listing (like families with small children, golfers, outdoor adventurers) just to see who bites. The path to a perfect listing is through trial and error: Try out different combinations until you find what is the most effective. Do you have additional suggestions for this ad? Email us.