FAQ / Help Share on Facebook
Looking To Advertise With Sol Apartments
Note: See details provided on partner websites for properties in Australasia
- Why use Sol Apartments?
We enable property owners to maximise rental income and rental potential through effective marketing online which is FREE. Enquiries from potential holidaymakers are directed straight to the owner who has control over bookings. There are no fees for 'extras' or commissions.
- How do I sign up and add a property?
This is extremely easy....
- Select the 'Register/Login' page.
- Complete the required fields in the Register dialogue and then press "Register"
- An email will be automatically sent to your address. You need to make a note of the unique password supplied in order to logon to your account at any time (your Username is your email address).
- Once logged on there are four available tasks for you to choose. If logging on for the first time, select "Add a new advert" in order to complete the relevant (user-friendly) property details fields as required. A 'Long Description' box allows you to enter your own text using a 'What You See Is What You Get' (WYSYWYG) text editor. It should be noted that although you can paste text from a text editor such as MS Word into this box to save time it is not normally a good idea to paste code when the 'source code' button (top left) option is selected (for those familiar with HTML), because such code can contain references to styles not available for these adverts. Then press the update button at the bottom in order to save the information input. Then continue to edit the advert - 'Property Details', 'Facilities' and 'Manage Property Images' dialogues can be completed. When uploading images on the Images page there is a generous limit to the byte size of each image to 2Mb (but you should consider the time a browser takes to load your page - a reasonable byte size is 20-50Kb for each image). The optimum width of images for the Flash Gallery is 534 pixels (any wider images are reduced to this). Note also that image files need to have .jpg, .jpeg, .png, JPG, JPEG or PNG extensions). Then you need to logout and wait for the advert details to be approved (this will be within 24 hours and you may like to contact us if it is urgent).
- When approval has been given, adverts will be processed by us and activated.
- Our processing includes quickly adding the Flash Gallery, Availability Calendar and Interactive Map, then emailing you your unique login details to keep the Calendar up-to-date - this is very simply done and it is essential that you address this at least once a week (select the calendar on your advert page, then the 'Owner Update' link under the calendar).
Managing Adverts on This Website
- Can changes be made to my advert once it has been published?
Simply login to your account on the 'Register/Login' page with your unique user name and password and you can make changes to your advert. You can add properties, change details, add/replace photos.
- How can I improve how my advert works?
- It is important to include as much information as possible about your property as well as the area and facilities/activities available. This will improve your chances of your page being found by the search engines. Include words and phrases that visitors might use when searching on the web.
- Remember to include all the best features of your property.
- Make good use of the 'Short Description' of the property. This is the first information that a visitor will see and first impressions are very important.
- Make sure that the property is competitively priced. Compare with other properties/areas in order to ensure that you are not over-charging.
- Make sure that all property and address details are correct as well as spellings. This will impact on the traffic from the search engines
Adding Photos
- What can I do if I don't have any photos on my computer?
Don't worry. You can post any photos to us and we will digitally scan these for you and add them to your page. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope if you require the photos returning to you. We will not charge for this service.
- Can I change my photos at a later date?
You can logon to your account at any time and add/replace photos.
Problems
- I cannot log on
If you are experiencing problems in logging on, ensure that you are using the correct Username (the email address entered when you registered) and Password (in lower case). If you are still having problems try clicking the "back" button and try again. If this fails, it could be that your browser has been set not to accept cookies. In this case, if your browser is Internet Explorer, you can click on Tools, Internet Options, then click on the Privacy tab. Now click on the "Edit" button and where it says "Address of website" type in "http://www.solapartments.co.uk" and click the "Allow" button. This will allow your computer to accept cookies from our site only. You will need to restart your computer for this change to take effect. If your browser is Firefox or any other, there will be a similar procedure.
- Who can I speak to?
If you ever need to speak to someone, please use the routes shown on the 'Contact Us' page.
Looking for Holiday Accommodation on This Website
Note: See details provided on partner websites for properties in Australasia
- What can Sol Apartments do for me?
We can advertise holiday accommodation throughout Europe and the USA (and we now provide links to partner websites in Australasia), which means that holidaymakers will have a great choice of holiday and can obtain great deals by booking directly with the property owners. We also provide a wealth of travel and holiday information via the 'Travel Services' menu items and a Sol Blog.
- How To Use The Site
You can find the perfect property in Europe via the 'Europe' Property Search option in the menu and selecting your personal requirements. Search for properties by accommodation type, location, number of bedrooms, etc - complete the relevant boxes and find suitable properties immediately. When you have found a suitable property, the owner's contact details will be provided for you to make contact and discuss bookings. You can find partner websites offering places to stay in Australia and New Zealand via the 'Australasia' Property Search option in the menu and selecting the links provided.
- How do I get more information about a property?
If you require any more information about a property, you are advised to contact the owner directly.
- Who do I book through?
When you find a property you are interested in, you make contact with the owner directly and all information is then between the two of you. This makes it a personal way of booking your holiday.
- What about getting to the accommodation?
Sol Apartments can give you travel advice, be it airfares, ferries, trains and even driving routes. The property owner will also be able to give you details about transfers, arrival times, taxis, etc.
- How can I be sure of the owner's integrity?
Adverts will have a date to indicate how long the property has been advertised with us. Obviously the longer an advert has been with us, the more information we will have on the integrity of the owner. If we receive any bad feedback about an owner, we will refuse to advertise their property again. Note also:
- Be careful how you pay for the accommodation. Always use methods that can be traced. Make sure that you pay the owner directly or to a reputable agent. Always be wary if you are asked to pay to a third party.
- If you are unsure, try to carry out checks on the person you are dealing with in order to verify their identity. Look for references online (such as Google name search, tourist organisations etc).
- It may be sufficient comfort to speak to the owner directly. This is often the best way to feel comfortable with the individual.
- Always insist on having a booking reservation. This should outline the terms and conditions of the letting, including payment terms, insurance and cancellation details. Again be wary if this is not provided/offered.
- We will always investigate any complaint raised by our holidaymakers. We value your input and this will help us moving forward.
