114. Marketing Your Brand Through WiFi Portals with Arthur Colker

Marketing and branding are how you take your short-term rental business to the next level, but how do you introduce your brand to all of your guests - especially those that book through online travel agencies? And how do you capture email addresses during their stay?

Arthur Colker is the Founder and CEO of StayFi, the #1 provider of WiFi marketing services for vacation rental companies. Vacation rental managers use StayFi to brand their WiFi, collect guest data, and increase direct bookings – all while providing a better online experience for vacationing rental guests. 

Arthur holds degrees from Columbia Business School and Georgetown University. Prior to founding StayFi, Arthur led digital marketing strategy at several startups and ran his own marketing and branding consultancy.

What is WiFi Marketing?

Have you ever logged on to WiFi at a hotel, airport, or even Starbucks? Typically, you’ll be prompted to log in to an online portal using your email address. That’s a form of WiFi marketing. StayFi was the first company to offer this functionality in the short-term rental industry.

What do you need to take advantage of this?

The systems that are used at hotels and airports are incredibly sophisticated. Without an IT background, you would have a lot of trouble setting one up. StayFi wanted to create something that’s “plug and play,” something that just works without a lot of fiddling. Their access point can simply plug into your router and create a new, guest WiFi network.

What does it cost to get started?

StayFi’s most common product is their long-range access point, which gives around 30% more coverage than the typical router given by internet service providers. It costs a one-time payment of $109 and, then, you own the device. One access point is free and it costs $6 a month for each one after that. All access points are mesh-compatible, meaning they will automatically work with each other on the same network. If you have a larger home that requires two access points, they’ll set up the mesh network on your behalf.

Getting direct bookings is only going to be more important as time goes on, so don’t make the same mistake we did; start collecting those emails now!

Resources:

• Try StayFi and use code THANKS for 50% off your first 3 months of service
• Visit thanksforvisiting.me/workshop to take your hosting to the next level!
• #STRShareSunday: @thegingerbreckhouse