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More direct bookings in 30 days
A 30-day handbook to help a homestay win more direct bookings while keeping the OTAs. One concrete task a day, with the reason and the time it takes: build a booking page, get on Google, close guests over Zalo and Facebook, ask for reviews, keep returning guests, take QR deposits, then measure which channel really brings money home.
Free PDF · 8 chapters ·
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- 1Before you start: your baseline and your goalWhy direct bookings matter, how to note last month’s numbers so you have something to compare against, and how to set a realistic 30-day goal.
- 2Week 1 (days 1–7): booking page, photos and QR depositsBuild a place where guests can see availability, book and pay a deposit without messaging you, and redo your room photos and descriptions so they are clear.
- 3Week 2 (days 8–14): get your homestay on GoogleCreate and fill in your Google Business Profile, add your booking link, tell Google your website exists, and get ready for free booking links on Google.
- 4Week 3 (days 15–21): close guests on Zalo and FacebookTurn enquiries into bookings: message templates, a link with the room and price ready, instant booking alerts, and a fanpage that leads to your booking page.
- 5Week 4 (days 22–28): reviews and returning guestsGet more genuine reviews without breaking platform rules, remember your regulars, and give guests a clear reason to book direct next time.
- 6Living with the OTAs: what you may and may not doSafe ways to grow direct bookings without breaking OTA terms, what to avoid, and how to use OTAs as a channel for new guests.
- 7Days 29–30: measure the resultsWork out your direct booking share and the cost per booking of each channel again, and pick three things to keep or do next month.
- 8The 30-day checklistThe whole plan on one page to print, stick up at the desk and tick off task by task.
Who it is for
- Homestay owners who get most guests through Booking.com, Agoda or Airbnb
- New owners who want their own sales channel from day one
- Owners with a fanpage and Zalo who get many questions but few bookings
- Managers of several properties who need a clear plan to hand tasks to staff
Read a sample
From chapter 2: Week 1 (days 1–7): booking page, photos and QR deposits
Everything in the following weeks sends guests to one link. If that link is just a fanpage, guests still have to ask “is it free, how much, which account do I pay into”, and many give up halfway. Week 1 is about building a place where guests can book on their own.
| Day | Task | Why | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gather photos, rates, house rules and the deposit bank account | With everything ready, the page is built in one go | 45 min |
| 2 | Create a booking website, add rooms and rates | Guests see free dates and book themselves | 30–60 min |
| 3 | Reshoot room photos with your phone | The first photo decides whether guests click | 1–2 h |
| 4 | Rewrite each room type’s title and description | Answer guests’ usual questions up front | 45 min |
| 5 | Switch on QR deposits, set the deposit and hold time | A firm hold, fewer no-shows | 20 min |
| 6 | Write the cancellation policy and house rules, put them on the page | Guests feel safe paying a deposit | 30 min |
| 7 | Make a test booking on your phone | Catch problems before guests do | 20 min |
Day 1: Gather what you need
- Photos: 5–10 per room type, landscape, well lit. If they are not good yet, reshoot on day 3.
- Rates: nightly, hourly or overnight; weekend and holiday rates.
- House rules: check-in and check-out times, maximum guests, pets, smoking. You can start from the homestay house rules template.
- A bank account for deposits, ideally one used only for the homestay.
- Your address and map location.
Day 2: Create a booking website
The rest of this chapter and 7 more are in the PDF. Get the PDF
Frequently asked questions
Should I leave Booking.com, Agoda or Airbnb?
Not in a hurry. OTAs are a good way for strangers to discover you. The goal of the 30 days is for returning guests and guests who find you themselves to book direct, while new guests can still come from the OTAs.
May I invite OTA guests to book direct next time?
Read each OTA’s terms. The safe way is not to use the OTA’s inbox or the contact details it provides to invite guests to book outside it; instead, be visible on Google, your fanpage and your sign, and serve guests so well they find you again themselves.
Does following this plan cost money?
Most steps are free: Google Business Profile, Search Console, Zalo, your fanpage. HostBooking’s booking website is on the Free plan, up to 50 bookings a month; some features such as scheduled messages or membership tiers need a paid plan.
How soon will I see results?
The first bookings from consult links, Zalo and regulars can arrive within the month. A Google Maps profile usually shows a few days after verification; ranking for competitive keywords and building up many reviews takes a few months.