How to create business cards for vacation rentals

As a short-term rental owner or host, you may be wondering if it is worth creating a business card for your business. Could it help you attract more guests and grow your business?

In this guide, we’ll explore the key benefits of vacation rental business cards. You will find a list of online options that will help you create modern, professional, and sustainable business cards.

Vacation home business cards: what are they for?

Business cards can be an excellent marketing tool for many businesses. If you are self-employed, a business card could help you network. Not only will you make a good impression on your clients and potential partners, but you will also leave a tangible memory of your work.

In the case of non-hotel accommodation (vacation rentals, bed & breakfasts, or guest houses), having a business card might seem less effective. In fact, in most cases, guests will book your accommodations online through booking sites such as Booking.com or Airbnb.

However, if used consciously, professional business cards can offer several benefits to your vacation rental business.

Strengthen your brand

Defining a brand identity is essential if you want your brand to be recognized and stand out from the competition. Choosing specific colors, fonts, and graphics that convey the idea behind your business can help you build a consistent and professional brand. A business card that fits your brand identity will help reinforce the idea of a brand that travelers can rely on.

Smoobu Guide: “Branding Strategies for Vacation Rentals“

Distinguish yourself from the competition

Because the vacation rental industry has developed so quickly in recent decades, competition can be fierce. Especially in areas where there are more accommodations available, any excuse is a good one to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Take advantage of word-of-mouth

Vacation rental business cards could allow you to get new customers through word-of-mouth. Clearly, the reach is limited compared to the online audience of the various booking channels.

To increase your chances of reaching potential guests, you can partner with stores, InfoPoints, and tourism organizations in the area. A business card displayed in the right place could positively influence your occupancy rate.

Create regular guests

If your guests had a pleasant stay at your accommodation, they may want to book again in the future. They will then become regular guests.

This can happen, for example, to families with children. Once they find an accommodation that has all the necessary facilities and simplifies their travel experience, they may decide to save themselves the trouble and book it again for the following year.

Your guests will no longer have to memorize the name or address of your facility, as your business card will provide them with all the information they need.

Avoid the costs of booking portals

Finally, business cards will allow you to direct tourists and travelers to your vacation rental website. Here you will be able to receive direct bookings, without the commission costs of portals.

By not having to incur these expenses, you will be able to offer better prices for both you and your guests.

How to create vacation home business cards?

You have decided to try adopting this marketing strategy. But how do you go about creating a business card for your vacation rental property?

Keep your target groups in mind

The first thing you should ask yourself is: who will see my business card? Will it be used primarily to attract new customers or to retain past ones?

Implement simple tricks based on your target groups. If you often welcome international tourists, avoid phrases in English that might confuse them. If your vacation rental is perfect for older guests, choose an appropriate size for contact information.

Look for examples of business cards online

Once you have established your target audience and main goal, look for unique business card ideas online. Especially if you don’t have much design experience, look for inspiration on sites like Pinterest.

Save some color and graphic alternatives that might fit your brand and target group and go from there to create your business card.

Consider the material

Nowadays, many people consider business cards to be wasteful. For this reason, it is advisable to use sustainable materials, thus limiting the impact on the environment. Online you can find many sites that print eco-friendly business cards from hemp, recycled paper or other sustainable materials (algae, wood waste, agricultural residues).

Also, print only a limited amount of business cards and let your guests decide whether to take one or not.

Environmental awareness and the resulting search for sustainable tourism options are on the rise. If you don’t adapt your vacation rental to this new reality, you risk seeing your occupancy rate drop.

Digital business card with QR code or NFC?

If you are a particularly modern short-let manager or want to choose the most sustainable option, you may decide to create a digital business card. What is it all about?

Digital business cards allow you to share your information online. Your guests can access your business card by clicking on a link or scanning a QR code. Another option is to have a card with NGC technology, usually made of plastic or PVC. You simply tap your guest’s phone to direct them to your vacation rental’s digital business card.

Key benefits:

1. You won’t waste materials printing your business cards.
2. You will be able to update phone numbers, addresses, and anything else at any time.
3. You will no longer be limited by the size of your business card and will be able to share all important information.
4. You will be able to share interactive material, such as a map or icons of your social accounts.

The US company Popl offers a great example of digital business cards.

What elements should you have in your vacation home business card?

That said, what are the key elements that should never be missing on a business card for vacation homes, B&Bs or room rentals?

The logo of your business

In most cases, one of the faces of your business card should show the logo of your short-term rental business.

Be consistent: put the logo in a prominent position on your direct booking website, on your social media accounts, and on any printed documents. Also make sure the resolution of your logo is satisfactory! Nowadays, most people expect a professional business to be able to avoid poor or grainy designs.

Contact phone number and email

On the second face of your business card add your name, phone number and email.

Create an email for your short rental business instead of using your personal one to appear more professional.

Direct booking website

Add a link to your vacation rental website, where potential guests will have the opportunity to book your accommodations directly. If the link is very long and complicated, turn it into a QR code that can be scanned.

Leverage your website to see if your business card strategy is working. For example, you can check if direct bookings increase after leaving your business cards in stores or tourist offices.

Social media channels

You may want to add links to your social accounts such as Instagram and Facebook on your vacation rental business card. However, only do this if your accounts are active and offer added value. Directing potential guests to pages where you only post once a month will not help your business.

What size should your business card be?

In general, a business card measures 85 mm by 55 mm. In most countries, these are also the standard dimensions for credit cards and driving licenses.

The decision is yours: better to create a standard business card that fits all wallets or stand out from the competition with a special format?

Customized online business cards

At this point, you just need to decide who to trust to create and print the business cards for your hospitality business. If you want a professional job, you might decide to hire a graphic design studio. If not, there are several sites that offer custom business card templates and designs for you to choose from.

Here are some websites you might consider for creating your vacation home business card:

• Canva is the ideal platform if you have some basic knowledge of design and want to create a unique business card
• Vistaprint offers unique solutions, including hemp paper
• Zazzle allows you to select format, borders, paper, and more
• Moo is another great platform for creating custom business cards

Conclusion

Business cards can be a strategic tool to strengthen your brand identity and increase occupancy rates, even in the off-season. At the same time, however, they must be used intelligently to avoid potential waste.

If you’re looking to grow your short rental business, one tool you’ll be hard-pressed to do without is a channel manager. Smoobu, for example, automatically synchronizes your listings and direct booking site calendars. This way you’ll avoid double bookings and can manage your properties from a single interface. If you want to learn more, try our software for free for 14 days.

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