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Onboarding guidesUpdated 6/7/2026
Best practices: set up Haven to drive more direct bookings
Once your property is live, the next question is how to make it convert. This guide is the optimization checklist we'd run for our own listings: the choices that quietly move the needle on bookings, repeat stays, and predictable revenue. None of it is required to go live — treat it as the difference between a working site and one that earns. Work through it top to bottom, or jump to the section you're ready for.
Pick a name guests remember — and that isn't already saturated
Your site name is your brand. Aim for something a guest could still recall six months after their stay, and that reads like a destination rather than a street address. "The Cedar House" beats "123 Pine St Rental."
Before you commit, check that the name isn't already crowded out by other vacation-rental businesses on Google. A name that a dozen other listings already use is one you'll spend years fighting for in search results.
- Use the inline name findability check on the naming step as you type — it flags how saturated a name already is so you can pick something you can actually rank for.
- Favor distinctive, brandable names over generic, keyword-stuffed ones.
Match your domain to your brand
Your domain should echo your name so the brand feels cohesive end to end — thecedarhouse.com next to "The Cedar House." A clean, memorable domain is easier to put on a sign, repeat out loud, and type from memory.
Apply the same unsaturated test here: pick a name whose .com is actually available, so your domain matches your brand instead of settling for a hyphenated or cluttered fallback. It's worth checking domain availability before you lock in the name.
See custom domains to connect your own domain, and custom URLs to tidy up the path guests land on.
Order amenities to attract your ideal guest
Guests skim. The amenities you surface first should be the ones your ideal guest is searching for — a hot tub for a romantic getaway, fast Wi-Fi and a desk for remote workers, a fenced yard for dog owners.
- Reorder your amenities so the most persuasive ones lead.
- Or let Haven AI order them for you based on what tends to convert for your property type.
See amenities for how to add and arrange them.
Tune fees and cancellation policy with Haven AI
Pet fees and cancellation policies are a trade-off between maximizing bookings and protecting yourself from risk — and the right balance depends on your property and how you use it. Use Haven AI to model that trade-off for your situation: a stricter policy protects your calendar, a more flexible one can lift conversion.
- Set your pricing, fees, and minimum stay.
- Configure your cancellation policy and let the AI suggest a balance of bookings vs. risk.
Order photos to optimize conversion
Photo order is one of the highest-leverage things on your listing. The first few images decide whether a guest keeps scrolling or bounces. Lead with your strongest, most representative shots.
- Arrange your gallery so the best image is first.
- Use the AI photo sort for an ordering suggestion if you're unsure.
See add great photos and adding photos.
Add video
Video converts. Motion holds attention longer than a still and lets a guest feel the space before they book. On Haven, your hero can be a video, and any image in your page or gallery can be a video too — so you're not limited to one clip.
- Use drone footage for the hero to show off the property and its surroundings.
- Add a virtual tour video so guests can walk the space.
- Swap any gallery slot for a short clip — the view from the deck, the pool, the fireplace.
See add great photos and adding photos for how to add and arrange media.
Set up a guest store
A guest store showcases your add-on offerings before a guest books — the moment of "wait, I could book a private cruise here? They offer in-home massage?" can be what tips a browser into a booking. It also opens a revenue stream beyond the nightly rate.
See the guest store to set yours up.
Add a global direct booking discount
A standing direct-booking discount gives guests a concrete reason to book with you instead of an OTA, and it applies across your dates without per-booking effort.
See the direct booking discount.
Set up offers with the AI tools
Beyond a flat discount, targeted offers — last-minute deals, length-of-stay incentives, early-bird rates — let you fill specific gaps. Use the AI tools to draft offers tuned to your calendar.
See discounts.
Capitalize on demand with holiday price bumps
Demand spikes around holidays and local events. Holiday price bumps let you raise rates for those windows so you're not leaving money on the table when everyone wants your dates. Let Haven AI suggest the events and bumps that fit your market.
See holiday price bumps.
Put your property sign and guest portal tabletent in the home
The guest who books isn't the only guest in the house. Printing your property sign and guest portal tabletent and placing them in the property lets every guest open the portal — not just the primary booker. That's how you capture the friends and family who become your next direct bookings.
See the guest portal.
Turn past guests into repeat revenue
Repeat guests are the most predictable revenue you have. Add discounts for past guests and enable the guest CRM to offer automatic repeat stays. "Same dates next year" is an offer guests genuinely want — and it locks in future revenue you can count on.
See repeat guest retargeting and guest loyalty.
Make it feel like a brand
Branding is what separates a listing from a business. Add your logo, brand colors, and typography so your site, emails, and guest portal all feel like one cohesive brand. Guests trust a brand more than a generic rental page — and trust converts.
Set up a blog and FAQ tabs
A blog and FAQ tabs do double duty: they answer guest questions before they have to ask, and they improve your SEO so more people find you on Google in the first place. Add them in the property editor and write a few posts about your area and your place.
See SEO and discoverability and when will my site appear on Google.
Write a title and description that sell
Your listing title and description are the words that do the convincing. A compelling, specific title beats a generic one, and a description that paints the experience — not just lists features — keeps guests reading. Use the AI writing assistant to draft and polish your copy, then make it sound like you.
Add a local guide
A local guide — your favorite restaurants, hikes, coffee shops, and hidden spots — is one of the most under-used conversion and SEO levers. It shows guests you know the area, gives them a reason to choose your place, and adds local keyword-rich content that helps you rank on Google.
See the local guide.
Showcase reviews and testimonials
Social proof converts. Surfacing reviews and testimonials on your listing reassures first-time direct bookers who don't have an OTA's badge to lean on. Collect and feature them so a hesitant guest sees that real people loved their stay.
When you import a property, Haven automatically picks the best of your imported testimonials to feature — so you start with strong social proof in place rather than a blank slate. Review the selection and adjust which ones lead.
See guest feedback and testimonials.
Set up your Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile puts your property on Google Maps and local search — a major source of discovery you don't have to pay an OTA for. Pair it with your blog and local guide and you've built a real organic-search presence.
See Google Business Profile setup.
You're done when…
You've made the optimization passes that matter: a memorable, findable name and matching domain; amenities and photos ordered to convert; video on the hero or in the gallery; fees and a cancellation policy tuned to your risk tolerance; a guest store live; a direct booking discount and a few offers running; holiday price bumps set; your sign and tabletent printed for the property; repeat-guest automation on; your branding applied; a blog and FAQs in place; a title and description that sell; a local guide; reviews on display; and a Google Business Profile set up. None of it is one-and-done — revisit it as you learn what your guests respond to.