VR.RatesMate.com is a site that K Tori’s has been working on for some time now. It is more than a simple directory for advertising it is a management interface for helping you manage your vacation rentals. To the list…
Pros
1. It is free, at least for now. Monetization has not been settled upon. Ideas are welcome.
2-3 front end stuff
2. Obligatory sideshow plus you can host videos and virtual tours. All these listing have Virtual Tours Link
3. Accept real time reservations online. Accept credit cards, PayPal, or checks. Use your own merchant account to use credit cards. For now you would have to go through authorize.net payment gateway though we will add other popular gateways over time.
4-10 back end stuff
4. Automate your cleaning scheduling and cleaning service. When a reservation is made the Cleaning Management is automatically updated for both you and the cleaning service.
5. Manage maintenance needs by scheduling one time event or requiring events.
6. Portability of listing. You can your listing and place it any ware an iframe can go. Look at this page LINK. This page can be adjusted to fit in any page. As an example I can put it right here. You can use any or all of the tabs.
7. View, edit or decline reservations as needed with the ability to change pricing.
8. Innovative pricing and scheduling solution that allows you to make rates for different seasons, length of stays or any combination of these. Choose Saturday to Saturday or Monday to Monday for a time frame or select no less than 3 day for a time frame. You get the point the system is very flexible.
9. Remove your listing from public view as needed without loosing your data.
10. Edit your privacy policy and terms and conditions to meet your needs, you can also add other pages such as maps or check in instructions. You can require that the terms and conditions be singed online before booking the reservation.
Cons
1. We are in alpha stage. We need to move the site to a secure server to enter beta testing.
2. The system is going to change a lot as new features are added in the future.
3. The user inter face is going to go through major changes to smooth out the rough edges.
4. The site is new so little traffic is coming to it.
5. We are not well funded so marketing will be limited.
6. Major changes or bugs can take time because of funding
I can’t think of any more negatives. If you would like to invest in this site or donate your opinion, time or money please contact me
Future functions
1. Search by distance from point on map.
2. We will add the ability to allow others to rent the property for a fee. A lot like you see with Amazon.com. You can sell Amazons books and get a commission. Essentially the same thing will be offered. You will be able to opt in or out of this service.
3. Improve functions such as guest management, invoices and reports.
This project is something we are very proud of and have high hopes for. All comments about VR.RatesMate.com are welcome. To get on the list to be an beta tester just give me an email at tori@ktoris.com.