Small businesses know that the key to growth and success is to capture interested clients and then hang on to them. I don't mean tying them up in the basement -- more like getting to know them and then offering them new products or services they might like.

Clients who come to our websites or listings often pay a fleeting visit; those who are interested enough to make a specific inquiry are worth cultivating as they may become guests in the future, even if you are not able to accommodate them now.

Collect email addresses
It's easy to bang out a quick response saying the period required is not available, but that may not encourage a potential guest to come back to you, or bookmark your listing for another time. Consider using an email newsletter service like Mail Chimp to collect email addresses and develop a habit of regularly writing to your list to let them know of special offers or upcoming events.

Get Personal
Respond with a personal question rather than a canned reply. If someone was looking for a week already booked, ask them if they are able to change their dates. Suggest an out-of-season week stressing the lower rates and fewer crowds.

Future events
Create a page on your web site that highlights upcoming events in the area. Someone looking for a summer holiday might be intrigued by the antique fair in the fall, or the photographs of the Winter Sno-Fest.

Special Offers
Encourage interest in the low season with some tempting offers. Three nights for the price of two is one that actually costs you very little and gains you a lot if you would be unlikely to rent the time otherwise.

Side-sell
It's a universal problem that once we have filled all our weeks there is nothing else to offer. Well, that is not quite the case if you have an additional product to sell. What about an e-book on hiking trails, or a guide to the secret beaches in the area? One of the best books we ever bought was called "Maui Revealed" and was our go-to book on our 2011 trip. It had everything we needed to know down to where to buy the best banana bread on the island (which was stupendous by the way). Every area has its guide books, but a real 'insider's guide' from a local can be very successful.

You can check out more about writing an 'insider's guide' from one of our downloads - VRO Guide to writing eBooks.

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