You probably think that really sounds like we’ve made that equation up… And seeing as it is not an equation, you’d be correct. However there is an element (or many elements) of truth to it. With an increasing shift in the market towards booking alternative, unique accommodation (usually with a sprinkle of luxury) in South Africa, being a cabin owner with your own brand is fast-becoming a strong market position in hospitality.
Before we get into the “how is” and “why not” of it, what exactly do we mean by “cabin”? Well, put simply, Cabins in our world range from converted shipping containers, to purpose built spaces with architectural considerations for sunlight etc. Essentially, the idea of a cabin being just a wood hut is a thing of the past (despite the fact that these also make some of the best accommodation ideas too). So whether your brand is a lodge, A-Frame, bell tent, dome, yurt, tipi, shepherd hut or treehouse, you’re going to want to carry on reading…
What’s happening in the market?
Yeah yeah, we can say the market is shifting, kif story – but what does that mean? Essentially, booker behaviour has inevitably changed as the demographic for booking stays moves with the generations. With millennials and Gen-Z breaking into the market, the expectations for what a stay delivers is moving with the times. With extremely technologically adept lifestyles, the new generations of bookers are more focused on “unplugging” and “reconnecting with nature” and with nearly 50% of South Africa constituting “savanna or grasslands” there is untold opportunity to escape to remote locations.
How exactly this supports cabins is pretty easy to outline – with over 60% occupancy in South Africa all things are pointing towards cabins and other such non-residential accommodation types being at the forefront of the movement towards the natural world. Where Inn Style’s booking engine enters the equation (see what we did there?) is also pretty straightforward. We turn your brand into a booking powerhouse, connecting you to your successful booking channels and allowing you to easily manage your business, all in one place.
What do you mean by brand?
Let us tell you a little story. Bern & Anika live in Knysna and after a lot of thought decided to purchase the small piece of land next to their house to ensure their privacy and tranquillity is protected. They decide that to get some pay back on the land, they’re going to install two luxury two-person cabins and list them on AirBnb.
The bookings flow in but they still have occupancy they want to fill, so they set up an instagram and facebook account for their accommodation, driving bookings through their simple marketing into their two preferred channels. They soon realise their content is driving a lot of additional revenue and decide to call their page “Lekker Knysna Cabins”, creating an identity for bookers to recognise them and rebook in future on your booking engine. BOOOOOM! They’ve created their brand. The only issue now is that they’re doing the hard work and their channels are repairing the rewards. What could they possibly do next?
How does Inn Style’s booking engine make the life of a cabin owner easier?
Let’s stick for a moment with Anika & Bern. They have an established brand, they have bookings coming in and so now they decide to build a website to send people to book on their booking engine, allowing them to keep 100% of the booking value. All Troy & Maggie need now is something to power the process. They could go for a big provider with 10,000+ properties who have connections to hundreds of channels (yeah we get the irony that this can be a deciding factor when trying to elicit more direct bookings), or for a system with 1000s of features they’ll never need or use – or they could use Inn Style’s booking engine.
What sets us apart from the others? Well everything really. Firstly, no matter how big we grow, we know every single one of our properties by name and we don’t mean the businesses – the owners, the managers, the staff and even the cleaners. Our support from the moment you step into our world, and allow us into yours, is second-to-none.
We will work with you, your website designer and anyone else who needs to get involved to set you up for success. Once you’re in, you’re part of the family and our support is on hand to solve your issues and provide advice whenever you need it. Whilst the human element of what we do is extremely important, our system stands up to your requirements too.
Our booking engine is built for brands and as such is completely customisable to your brand identity. We’ve built multiple journeys to ensure your website does everything possible to convert lookers into bookers and unlike the vast majority of the market, we ensure the journey remains on your website so that when a booking is made with your brand, it stays with your brand.
If a booker feels as though they are booking with a third-party they’ll book with a third-party, eroding your revenue. So functionally, we’ve got your back, but with a full suite of additional features on your booking engine to increase conversion, visibility and revenue, we have your front covered too. With Gift Vouchers, Promos, Extras, What3Words and our much-loved Waiting List (to name but a few), we know that we’re the system to drive your brand upward. Check out everything our booking engine does and how best to implement it here.
Of course, we handle the admin side of things too, ensuring all of your reservations are shown in one place, that you can contact guests and they can contact you, that your pricing is current and that your housekeeping schedule is efficient but that is given, or least it should be (and this only the tip of the iceberg). Of course, we ensure you have connections to your favourite channels to avoid any double bookings on your booking engine and provide you with one simple dashboard to view everything regardless of where the booking originated, again this is all a given.
The important thing is that we are providing all of this to supplement your availability on your booking engine, rather than it being the other way around. More brand awareness, more direct bookings and ultimately more revenue
How can you have your very own Lekker Knysna Cabins business?
We’ve seen hundreds of businesses come and go over the years but the ones that last, put simply, have a strong brand and know how to market it (and who to). There’s a few simple steps to ensure your brand is long-lasting and whilst we know there’s a bulk of work to go in behind the scenes, we’ll be there with you paddling away.
Find your niche, create your brand – we’ve already touched on this point but creating an identity is key for driving direct bookings on your booking engine. Whether that is your accommodation itself, your location, the surrounding areas, additional extras you provide, or even the reason you have embarked on the journey – the why really does matter.
Know your audience – whether you’ve opted for a basic or rustic experience, or you’re focused on being a luxurious getaway, knowing your audience matters. Identify your target demographics – who they are, what they do, what they love, what they hate. This gives your brand a voice unique to those who need to hear it, empathising with what makes them tick and what makes the tock.
Exploit your marketing channels – from social media to printed, you will know from your research into who your target audience are and how best to get eyes on your brand. Leave no stone unturned and importantly ensure your marketing is consistent and regularly posted. We know ourselves that there are many ways to skin an accommodation and that it takes time to build a presence – so persevere and stay committed.
Partner with the right people and booking engine – obviously we’d like to plug Inn Style’s booking engine here. We know where we’re strong and where we’re less so and so if we’re not the right fit for a business, we won’t push ourselves into the conversation. If we are the right fit, we can also introduce you to our many partner businesses who support our customers with everything from digital marketing and web design to copywriting and consultancy. You can get to know some of the people we partner with here.
Whichever type of accommodation you are, whether you fit into the “cabin” category or not, Inn Style’s booking engine exists to ensure your brand is maximised and your direct bookings trend in one direction. If you are not yet an Inn Style’s booking engine customer and you would like some more information or would like to chat with one of our sales team members click here.
If you have any further questions, please do reach out to us via the chat facility on the Inn Style’s booking engine website, or email contact@innstyle.co.za.