Bill's Bountiful Blog
May I keep you posted on my thoughts, ideas, observations, and silliness?. Am I serious? Is it relevant?. Does anyone care? Probably not much.
But in today's age of everyone has something to say, why not me? And who can blame me for jumping into to the pool? For speaking up For laying it out?
"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." - Thomas Wiley, Journalist
Teaching Students How to Steal
By Ron Lee
Published: 04/19/24
Topics: Copyrights, Education, Photography, Reputation
Comments: 0

- I thought I paid for them.
- I thought my assistant paid for them.
- The assistant stole the photos, not me.
- She downloaded them thinking they were free.
- It has been been far too long to pay for them now.
- The devil made me do it.
Author: Ron Lee – Contributor, Signatours Photo Team
Blog #: 0988 – 04/19/24
Eloise Rocks Out at Hi-Tide Resort
By Wm. May
Published: 07/10/23
Topics: Art, Fishing, Hi-Tide Resort, Photography, Vacation
Comments: 0
No one knows exactly how it all got started. Maybe it is a myth.
The dreamy story goes like this. Long ago a young guest brought along a painting set to the beach.
The plan was to create a Vincent Van Gogh worthy painting of the sundown just as the mythical magical but very real great green flash that winks when the sun disappears completely. And just for a second.
Her name was not recorded at the time, but for now we have come to call her "Eloise". There is no record of whether she successfully caught and depicted the momentous moment. But it is something that can be frequently be seen year round from the condos at Hi-Tide.
After wandering the beach, exploring the Moclips River and digging a full limit of Razor Clams , Eloise decided to use her leftover paint to leave a message and art on a small round river rock.
The portrait of her dog, who had accompanied her to HI-Tide, included the dog's name "Picasso" and these lovely words, "I love it here. I will be back."
She placed the rock gently into a flower bed just outside the entrance to the resort office. What happened next started slowly but has grown to become a must-do activity for visitors from all over the world.
Travelers journey to Moclips Beach, staying at our lovely Hi-Tide Resort , and enjoying the very same peace and quiet and stunning beauty of the North Beaches of Washington State.
Some stay for just a few days. Others stay for a week or two or longer. But before they leave, they can ask for paint and a brush with directions were to find a suitable rock on which to paint their message for posterity.
Today, the gardens of HI-Tide Resort are filled with painted rocks and messages of love and life. Better yet, most visitors return year after year. To paint a new rock or to touch-up those which have graced the gardens for decades.
You are invited to make your own memory here and rock out at Hi-Tide.
Author: Wm. May – Rock Out at Hi-Tide Resort, Hi-Tide Resort
Blog #: 0940 – 07/10/23Sponsor: Hi-Tide Resort – You can't get any closer to the beach than this. comfy, cozy, modern condos at Hi-Tide-Resort on Moclips Beach WA State. – Hi-Tide-Resort.com
Inch by Inch - Lodging Newsletter October 31st, 2019
By Wm, May
Published: 10/31/19
Topics: Channel Management, Lodging Newsletter, Photography, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP
Comments: 0
Our entire mission is to have happy property owners and happy guests.
Guests are happy when the home they rent is clean, comfy, convenient, and exactly as advertised. They also expect staff to be friendly, efficient, and helpful in all cases.
Owners want their homes to be very well cared for and to make great income when away from their second home. We call it maximum income with minimum fuss.
Our approach is different than any other company or chain management operation. We offer personal service with a smile. Local staff and management who are always Johnny-on-the-spot (or Jill). Local advertising that others can't match. Plus global marketing on hundreds of websites, including the giants Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and Expedia.
Personal. Local. Global.
If you are wondering how we do that so well when our competitors find it so difficult, this month's letter reveals the simple and effective method we use.
It's called "Inch-by-Inch" and we owe the philosophy to songwriter David Mallett.
======================================================================
Whether building a house, a space ship or a winning basketball team, the direct and efficient way to achieve greatness is to approach projects inch-by-inch. There are no short cuts.
PEOPLE: Success starts with people. Always has. Unlike corporate lodging managers who suffer high turnover, we recruit, interview and train our wonderful people inch-by-inch. Many have been with us a great long while. We treat them well, compensate them nicely, and treat them like the customer services experts they are. People who clean toilets deserve our highest respect.
INTEGRATION: Most lodging managers limit their advertising to just a few websites because synchronizing dates, rates and descriptions, and retrieving bookings is convoluted. Initially, we were tempted to settle for incomplete software but, through an inch-by-inch review, found it necessary to author our own software. The result is the most robust lodging advertising system around.
RENTAL v. COMPLEX: The way in which availability is synched with vacation rental sites is markedly different from how hotel complexes are done. Many years before competitors, our inch-by-inch study proved that neither market could be ignored. Luckily, our custom software adapted to advertising in both, making us the only company with software that does so.
TIMESHARES: Recently, timeshare resort operators have fallen on hard times as they suffer from "aging properties and aging owners." Dates go unused while expenses go ever upward. After being contacted by one resort manager, we determined that guests are happy to rent those homes and, inch-by-inch, adapted our software and systems to market those properties far wider than ever before. Now, more resorts are joining us because we are the only people who can solve their problem.
PHOTOGRAPHY: By far the most important factor to increasing bookings is to have fabulous photos. Fifteen years ago, a search led us to the then newly invented High Dynamic Range Photography. HDR is not the HD of your TV. We studied inch-by-inch the very few people doing HDR, interviewed a dozen photographers, and hired the very best person.
RESERVATIONS: Long ago, we wanted to work 5 or maybe 6 days a week, but the Internet convinces guests that every business should be open long hours every day of the year, and have 24/7 help. Inch-by-inch, we have expanded guest and owner service times to meet that need.
FLOOR PLANS: Decades ago, we wanted property floor plans that guests could use to figure out where Grandma sleeps, which kids get bunks, and how mom and dad can get a private bedroom. However, owners seldom had construction plans and the cost of surveying each home was prohibitive. Inch-by-inch, enables us to examine every way to meet the need. Today, we produce customized, accurate "Water Color" floor plans for every home. No one else has figured it out.
ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES: Recently, one of those corporate vacation rental managers crowed that they had just added electronic signatures into their software to ensure valid bookings. We had a good laugh. Nine years ago, our software team pleaded with a major e-sig company to get the computer code and, inch-by-inch, we built, what the vendor called, the first e-signatures in the lodging industry.
All of these little inch-by-inch steps and hundreds of others, benefit guests and owners alike. They prove that consistency, dedication and perseverance always produce good results.
Maine song writer David Mallett said it best "inch by inch, row by row, my garden grows."
Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0712 – 10/31/19Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
What Guests Want - Lodging Newsletter September 30th, 2019
By Wm, May
Published: 09/30/19
Topics: Advertising, Channel Management, Dynamic Rates, Employment, Lodging Management, Lodging Newsletter, Photography, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP
Comments: 0
This month's letter is intended to be a marketing 101 primer for everyone who wants to know more about marketing, advertising, and public relations.
What makes our lodging managers think they are such hot shots about the marketing anyway?
Simply put, some of our partners have spent decades helping clients sell millions and millions of dollars of stuff, and we know our stuff.
Oh sure our explanation could be lengthy and include a lot of fancy words, but whether selling clothes, groceries, soda pop, yachts, or nights at a vacation rental, the process is exactly the same.
One of our partners said it best. "Marketing is easy. Ask customers what they want and then give it to them."
This update is all about that - giving customers what they want. Plus we'll sneak in a little about how we do it and how the competitors don’t.
Why would we publish this when competitors could learn the secrets? Because it's not a secret and they won't do it all anyway. We double dog dare them.
======================================================================
The only trouble we have with giving customers what they want, so we can produce absolute maximum income for owners is pleading with and even begging owners to do the little things necessary. Here is what guests want:
WHAT WE DO
Hospitality clean - Yep we can do that for you. Guests absolutely want that.
Hospitality maintenance - Fix everything, all the time and quickly. Guests expect it.
Personal - When the guests call, we gotta go take care of them. Guests require it.
Personality - Answer the phone with a genuine smile, or guests will bristle.
Photos - Crisp HDR photos help guests choose. Guests want to see.
3D Tours - The best in the industry. Guests want to see everything.
Floor plans - Professional water colors, so guests can plan who sleeps where.
Website - Custom e-commerce website for each property to help guests return.
24/7 Bookings - Online, phone, chat, and email. Guests book when they want.
24/7 Service - Onsite at any time, we take care of guests or we lose out.
Visible - Advertise on 400+ websites, with dates and rates. Guests find us everywhere.
Social - Posting, commenting, and cooperating. Guests want to interact.
Materials - Rack cards, postcards, bookmarks, etc. prove legitimacy to guests.
Payment - Credit cards, payment plans, occasional incentives that guess want.
Dependable - No double bookings. Guests expect no errors when booking.
Returnees - Extra benefits for loyal guests. Keeps happy guests happy.
Dynamic Rates - Up and down by many factors. Guests accept variability.
WHAT YOU DO
Internet - 49% of guess say no internet wrecks their vacation. Gotta give it to them.
Cable - Gotta have a big TV and cable. Guest don’t book homes without it.
Hot Tubs - Number one requested amenity. Guests can not resist them.
Leftovers - Don’t slough off your used furniture. Guests hate that.
Design - Comfy chairs, quality tables, books, and mattresses. Guests demand comfort.
Color - Creative paint colors, art, and throw pillows, Guests are impressed.
Sleeps - The more beds, the better, with night stands and lamps. Guests read.
Luxurious - Quality towels and linens, replaced regularly. Otherwise guests seethe.
Furnishings - Lots of pots, pans, flatware, and tableware. Guests cook a lot.
Outdoors - Patios, decks, and yes that hot tub. Guests want to lounge.
Now that we see this list, it doesn't seem so very difficult does it? Just follow the list, do your thing and let us do ours. A winning combination.
Marketing is easy, give customers what they want. But will you?
Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0705 – 09/30/19Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
How to Become a Professional Lodging Photographer
By Ron Lee
Published: 02/21/17
Topics: AirBnB, Lodging Management, Marketing, Photography
Comments: 0

Becoming a professional lodging photographer has never been easier.
All you need is a camera and business cards. Just put the words "Professional Photographer" on the cards and people will think you are a pro.
Can you imagine a doctor getting away with that? Would you go to a dentist who says, "I am a professional dentist" who didn't have the training? Yikes. Those people would be driven out of the industry.
Unfortunately, there have always been a greatly many people who love the idea of being an artist, a photographer. It sounds like such a great job. For Inns, Resorts & Vacation Rentals, photos are the way guests make instant decisions to view your property or pass on to the next.
No longer is it necessary to burn hundreds of dollars of physical film, toil in the dark room and only later learn if your photos were adequate. Now a good digital camera gives you a thumbnail view instantly that you can call "good enough."
But, great camera gear doesn't make you a true photographer any more than buying your new born child a piano and pronouncing them a "Concert Pianist."
Today, a new higher title has been added to the photography professional. Its called "High Dynamic Range," or HDR, and it is a vastly superior way of shooting, processing, and delivering world class photography. It is a requirement for almost all photos, but an absolute requirement for shooting interior architectural images.
HDR Photos are crisp, clean and brighter, but only enough to match what the human eye actually perceives. By comparison, non-HDR photos are fuzzy, bland, and actually underestimate and mis-represent the property.
Unfortunately, most professional photographers are no longer professional because they are more in love with being "Artists" than they are in spending thousands of hours mastering HDR.
That means more lodging operators are wasting lots of money hiring pros or don’t begin to understand HDR.
To see the difference between Pros and HDR Pros, all you have to do is spend a little time examining listings on your favorite websites like VRBO.com, Expedia.com, or even AirBnB.com.
A company called Evolve Vacation Rentals offers "Free Professional Photography" to property owners. Because Evolve does not have on site staff they must call any "professional photographer" they can find and hire them without realizing that non HDR photos are robbing their listings of maximum bookings.
Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Vacation Rentals does the same thing. Their recent foray into Matterport 3D photos is a good start, but ignoring HDR still photos causes them to lose bookings.
Turnkey Rentals out of Austin is trying to take over the world, but right there on their home page are fuzzy, out of focus, non-HDR photos. How could a management company call themselves professional when the number one listing tool - photos - are all messed up?
All of these companies talk the professional photographer game, but non walk the walk. And all because they refuse to spend the slightly more money necessary to find and employ high level HDR photographers.
Ignoring the absolute requirement for HDR photos is like the proverbial canary in the coal mine. If your manager does not understand the difference between truly professional HDR photos and want to be professional photographers, what else don’t they understand?
Author: Ron Lee – Not a Photographer, Signatour Photo Team
Blog #: 0521 – 02/21/17Sponsor: Signatours Photo Team – It is not enough to have a camera and cards that say you are photographer. Today's technology demands study, practice and perfection along with an artists eye. Every Signatour photographer has all of those along with a support and professional staff to ensure the highest quality HDR photos. – Signatours.com
Drones Will One Day Be Old News
By William May
Published: 05/01/15
Topics: Hotels, Photography
Comments: 0
At a recent meeting of hotel operators the questions were all about drone photography.
Signatour Photo Team Experts were there to display dramatic " Before And After" photos showing how bad lodging properties can look online and how attractive they become when properly shot in the HDR photo technique.
But every admiring hotelier also wanted to know how to get an aerial photo shot of their hotel from a drone. Amazon.com is going to delivery packages with them. Hobbyists are sending drones into their neighbors yards and they are regularly featured on the news.
Of course, shooting an aerial, or a series of them, can be helpful in showing guests exactly where they may be staying. We are happy to provide that services to our clients.
But soon, every lodging property will have aerials and then property managers will need to find a new and better way to attract guests.
Good news - that ability already exists and it is called High Dynamic Range.
To clarify, HDR is not the HD as is common in High Definition television and computer monitors. Read our white paper: HDR is not the HD
Some hoteliers had regrets when seeing the Before and After photos that Signatour creates using proprietary High Dynamic Range HDR) techniques.
Said one, "Damn, I just paid a photo vendor, recommended by my Franchisor, a bunch of money for what are junk compared to yours."
More good news - Signatour guarantees our photos will impress and even stun you with their accuracy and vibrancy, or your money back.
Frankly it is an easy guarantee to make because we have spent a decade perfecting our Perfect Touch product. No one can match it. And we will throw in the drone shots too.
Author: William May, Signatour Photo Team
Blog #: 0395 – 05/01/15Sponsor: Signatours Photo Team – Our Perfect Touch photos use High Dynamic Range (HDR) To create the most accurate and compelling photos every devised for architectur, hospitality and loding properties. Affordable Too. Just call 866-765-7520 today. Get more bookings tomorrow. – Sigantour.com
How to Choose a Vacation Rental Photographer
By William May
Published: 03/01/15
Topics: Photography
Comments: 0
Exciting indeed is the increase in lodging consultants and experts who put great photos at the top of the list for improved bookings.
Guests give websites but a few scant seconds to decide if it's professional, if it has what they need, and whether they are willing to look further. In two seconds, most people can read only a few words but a glance at a photo reveals dozens of thoughts and conveys quality, emotion, and content.
So why do those who tout themselves as experts constantly talk about the need to hire a professional photographers but then recommend vendors whose work is not up to modern standards?
An easy comparison of various vacation rental photographers will reveal the obvious differences. To help illustrate the differences, here are questions to answer when considering a photographer for an Inn, Resort, Hotel, or Vacation Rental Home.
Education - Digital cameras are great but it is not easy to use every bell and whistle to create accurate, stunning photos. If your photographer did not get a professional education then they won't know how to do everything they should.
Self Taught - Teaching yourself to shoot photos is fine, but unless you have 40+ hours (per week) to devote to the craft and for many years, you can't keep up on technology.
Flash Lighting - If your photographer uses a flash attachment to shoot your homes, they are shooting incorrectly. With today's technology, all photos should be done using High Dynamic Range techniques. Because HDR relies on multiple shots and accounts for each pixel at different exposures, a flash should never be needed.
Raw format - All great HDR photos must be shown using a camera's raw format because it is the most densely packed number of pixels. With more pixels, color correction, toning, and sharpening have the best chance for establishing accuracy. Any photographer who does not shoot in RAW, is not up on technology.
License - Sometimes you can get a better deal on prices if you only need the photos for limited use. For example, if you put them on your website but not elsewhere the price maybe lower. If you want all internet rights, usually a bit higher. And if you want exclusive rights, even denying the photographer the right to display them on his portfolio website; that can get trickier.
Travel - If your photographer is local he is less likely to be at the top of his game. Great photographers are in demand which means they usually travel from destination to destination. That is because they are in demand.
Time - Hiring someone who is instantly available should make you wonder why they are always available. Sure you might get lucky to fit in a shoot between your photographers other sessions.
Speed - Anyone who can shoot your property one day and have dozens of quality HDR photos to you the next, is fooling you. Retouching photos and creating HDR masterpieces takes time and talent. A photographer who needs some time to complete work is more likely to produce excellent products.
Weather - Even interior photos look better if shot on a blue-sky, bright sun day. If your photographer can set a date days in advance and stick to them when the weather is bad, they are taking advantage of you. The schedule must slide if the sun "don't shine."
Cost - If the cost for shooting is anything under $500 for a condo, $750 for a house, or $2,000 for a complex then they are only shooting and not processing.
Great photo sessions and images can cost much more depending on the size, type, and location of the property.
Barter - If your photographer is willing to do all the work of shooting and processing great photos for the privilege of staying at your home when he does it, he isn't a professional. Sure everyone loves to go on vacation but a great travel photographer has more free stays than he can stomach.
Expert - Not everyone who says they are an expert is one. Great photographers are found by looking for great photographs. No sales pitch or self-professed expertise can make up for a lack of quality.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Now that you are ready to talk with photographers, get prices, and look at their portfolios; here is how to go about picking the very best one:
Big Screen - Be sure to look at each photographers portfolio using a very big computer screen. Not all guests have large monitors but many do. The larger screen will show you photos that are not sharp or explicitly in focus. If a photographers shots are not super clean, scratch them off your list.
Portfolio - Lastly, open a web browser, simultaneously pull up each photographer's website portfolio, and then switch back and forth. Great HDR photographs should stand out.
The difference between them and conventional (even professional) photos will be stunning.
Save your pennies until you have enough to hire an HDR expert photographer. The expenditure will pay off quickly and repeatedly with greater bookings and more occupancy. You'll make more money by spending the relatively small cost of finding a truly qualified lodging photographer.
Author: William May, Signatour Photo Team
Blog #: 0008 – 03/01/15Sponsor: Signatours Photo Team – Perfecting how to shoot and process accurate compelling architectural photography for Inns, Resorts, Hotels and Vacation Rentals. Our Perfect-Touch program requires technical education, years of experience and the artistic skill that most profession photographers can not match. – Signatour.com
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