What shift in bookings does Mark Simpson claim a single small action can cause?

Mark SimpsonHelping short-term rental hosts get the tools, tactics and training to grow direct bookings with confidence

Unleash the Power of Direct Bookings and Take Control

1 Aug 2023 · 1 min

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0:48

A short YouTube conversation (Mark Simpson and a second speaker) about simple, low-cost tactics to shift bookings from OTAs (online travel agencies) to direct bookings. The speakers claim small changes can produce large effects—e.g., a single action can cause a ~20% shift toward direct bookings, translating over a year into a four- or five-figure financial impact for a property. The discussion emphasizes the need for systems to accept direct bookings and notes seasonal factors (staycation/coastline demand) can increase premium pricing and magnify OTA fees' pain.

Questions this video answers

Approximately a 20% shift from OTA bookings to direct bookings.

Chapters

Tactics that I show are simple, cost effective. A lot of the times don't cost any money at all. And they have maximum, maximum return. Sometimes you can just do one little thing and it will result in a 20% shift in OTA bookings to direct bookings. And a 20% shift over the course of a year can be maybe a four or five figure sum investment. Which is, which is huge.
Absolutely huge. Huge. Huge. It's, you know, 15%. Especially if you are like, here, we're on the coastline, staycation boom, middle of a summer, you can charge premiums, as you said, the fees you're paying to the OTAs, it's painful, as you said. You need that as well, for the visibility, et cetera, et cetera. But you need to have systems in places to be able to take a direct booking.