The problem
The client was bleeding money to Booking.com and Airbnb. Every reservation meant 15-20% commission.
But the bigger issue was trust.
The client needed an owned online presence that would:
- Prove the property exists and is legitimate
- Capture direct bookings (bypassing portal commissions)
Constraints
This wasn't a typical UX project with proper research and testing phases. I had:
- 2 weeks total (from kickoff to launch)
- Limited budget
- No time for full UX process (no user interviews, no usability testing)
I had to find a way to make informed design decisions fast.
Approach
Without time for user research, I used competitive analysis as my research method.
I analyzed 11 local vacation rental websites in Poland to understand what guests would expect and what the competition was doing wrong. I didn't need to reinvent vacation rental websites. I needed to execute the basics well and do it fast.
The bar was surprisingly low.
Execution
I built the site in custom code rather than using a template or page builder. This gave me full control over performance and mobile responsiveness - critical for fast loading and trust.
No handoff to developers meant I could iterate quickly and fix issues in real-time during testing.
Results
- Increased direct booking inquiries - owner reports more phone calls referencing the website
- Guests now reference the website when calling to book, confirming it solves the original "does this place exist?" problem
What I learned
With proper UX research, I could have validated assumptions about what builds trust for vacation rental guests. My competitive analysis told me what competitors do - not necessarily what guests need. With more time, primary research would close that gap.
An online booking system would reduce friction further. Currently, guests still need to call or email. Integrating a simple calendar with availability would likely increase conversion.
Multilingual support (Czech, German) would tap into cross-border tourism potential that no local competitor currently serves.
