Answers to the website questions owners actually ask.
Each guide starts from a real question a business owner asked: in a Facebook group, on a call, or because we found the problem on their site. Plain answers first, then the steps.
- Airbnb and Vrbo hostsHow to start a direct booking website for your vacation rentalStart with the software you already use. Many vacation-rental management tools include a booking site that syncs your calendar. If yours doesn’t, you need your own domain, a booking calendar that syncs with Airbnb and Vrbo, and a way to take payment, a deposit and a signed rental agreement. The site is the easy part; sending guests to it is the work.
- Small business owners“Your Google listing has been flagged” texts and calls: scam or real?Treat it as a sales pitch or a scam. Don’t call the number back. Sign in to your Google Business Profile yourself: if there really is a problem with your listing, Google shows it there.
- Small business ownersThe website link on your Google listing is broken. Here’s what to checkClick your own website link from your Google listing on your phone. If it shows a “for sale” page, an error or a security warning, the usual causes are an expired domain, an expired security certificate or a hosting account that lapsed. Renew whatever lapsed, then make sure the link in your Google listing, Yelp and Apple Maps is correct.
- Restaurant ownersOnline ordering for a small restaurant, without paying delivery-app fees on every orderKeep the delivery apps for new customers, and give your regulars a pickup button on your own website so those orders don’t carry an app commission. Check your POS first, since many include online ordering. If yours doesn’t, a standalone ordering tool can sit on any website, including Wix or Squarespace.