From no website to 34% of bookings through a direct channel — in three months.
"Harbourside had no website and was paying 15–18% commission on every OTA booking. We built a WordPress site with direct booking integration and local SEO. Within three months, 34% of bookings came through the direct website."
Harbourside's owner was paying 15–18% commission on every booking to OTA platforms. Without a direct-booking website, there was no alternative. They had a Facebook page, good TripAdvisor reviews, and loyal return guests — none of whom had a way to book directly. Every booking cost the owner a significant cut, and there was no way to build guest relationships outside of the OTA platforms.
A bespoke WordPress site built around direct bookings: a Beds24 booking widget integration with real-time availability sync, room pages built for conversion, and an SEO strategy targeting 'bed and breakfast Bristol harbour' and related terms. We set up and optimised a Google Business profile linked to the site and submitted structured data to surface availability directly in search results.
In the first three months, 34% of bookings came through the direct website — a channel that didn't exist before. The commission saving on those bookings paid back the site's cost within six months. Returning guests now book direct as a default, and Harbourside have started building a direct email list for the first time.
Client reviews
"They rebuilt our site in four weeks and we were ranking on page one within the month. It is the best commercial decision we made this year."
"Our old WordPress site was slow, invisible in search and frankly embarrassing. They fixed all of it — we are faster, ranking better and finally winning the right clients."
"WooCommerce, SEO and hosting all managed in one place — it changed how we operate. Sales are up 40% since launch and we have not looked back."
"Our site converts better than anything our competitors are running. They built it around our actual customers — not a template."