Whose Timeshare Website is it anyway?!

A recurring mistake many companies make when creating their websites is that they neglect to narrow the focus of it, i.e., Is this site supposed to generate sales, provide users information, or capture leads? If you answered yes to all three of these for one website, you might have a problem. That’s not to say that there aren’t websites out there that can achieve all of these and more, however, stretching a website thin often leads to confusion and high bounce rates, which means you lose sales, leads, and visits to your website altogether.

Timeshare Companies developing websites should ask themselves these questions during the planning stages:

• Who is my audience?
• What goals does this website intend to achieve?
• Do our other web assets achieve the same thing? If so, is there really a need for this site?
• How can we offer value to our owners and potential customers through this site?
• How can we leverage our social media sites

This is only the beginning. Whether you’re a timeshare company, marketer, or blogger, answering these questions will help shape your website’s purpose, and assist in bringing in the right traffic.

Image courtesy of Google Images

Bluegreen’s Timeshare Websites

The following is a brief breakdown of Bluegreen’s web assets, and how users should use them.

Colorful Places

Colorful Places is a not only an index of our resorts, it’s also an informational and comprehensive travel guide that:

• Details the areas around our resorts
• Provides vacation ideas
• Showcases local bars, restaurants, amusement parks, hotspots, and places of interest

This is your one-stop shop for planning a vacation and itinerary across the US and Caribbean.

Bluegreen Reviews

Bluegreen Reviews enables owners and guests the ability to document their vacation experience. This is also a community where owners can ask each other specific questions about particular resorts and experiential anecdotes.

Owner Update

Owner update is for Bluegreen owners in particular, providing them with the most up to date news, special offers, updates, and policy information.

Now that we’ve illustrated our point with that quick rundown, we hope you as surfers better understand the how to use our websites, while those of you developing timeshare websites have a clearer vision of what you aim to accomplish with your own.   The inspiration for this article comes from an RCI Ventures’ post, Anatomy of a timeshare website, so please read the source for more timeshare specific information.

What do you expect to see and do when you visit a timeshare website? What would you like to see? Leave your input in the comment section below.

Bluegreen Bear Team

Very few people are aware that Bluegreen has its own in-house team of employees who volunteer their time to set up and coordinate all of the philanthropic efforts of the company. The BEAR (Bluegreen Employee Action Resource) Team is devoted to giving back through several avenues of community service.

Bluegreen BEAR team gives back by:

Jeanerous Fridays

Employees of Bluegreen are allowed to wear jeans on Friday’s only if they contribute $2 to the charity of the month. Giving back has never felt so comfortable.

Christel House

The goal of this organization is to educate children and break the cycle of poverty worldwide. Christel House has been Bluegreen’s partner and Charity of Choice since the BEAR Team’s inception in 2000.

American Red Cross

Bluegreen Corporation and its associates have given back and supported the American Red Cross in its response to national and international disasters. In 2006, the American Red Cross awarded its Circle of Humanitarian award to Bluegreen in recognition of the company’s Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Most recently, Bluegreen has expanded its relationship with the American Red Cross through various volunteer and training activities at its Boca Raton location.

Give Back with Bluegreen’s Upcoming Events

On March 14, 2012, Corporate Headquarters will be holding a Charity Fair, where employees can sign up for future BEAR Team commitments, as well as donate to charities and win fun prizes. Bluegreen associates will be giving back to the community and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) with sweat and donations on March 31 for the 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes installment in Boca Raton. There are many other events Bluegreen plans to participate in throughout the rest of the year, so be sure to check back regularly to see how you might help give back to the community in your own way.

Timeshare Companies Strive to Keep Owners Informed

In early January, Bluegreen Corporation broke out of the gate with a guest post on RCI Ventures Magazine, a leading online timeshare magazine. The trend continued in early February with an online interview about Social Media with an online blog.

You might be saying “Well, that’s great, but what does that have to do with me?”

Short answer—this, and actions like this, offer you, the consumer:

• Accurate information
• Accessibility
• Informed decision making

Accuracy

First of all, whether you’re a Bluegreen owner, other timeshare owner, or just curious about timeshare, there are more outlets now than ever that offer legitimate, first-hand information (this blog, for example). This means that regardless of whom you end up choosing as your vacation ownership provider, the information you get is not only accurate, but straight from the source; while the web is a vast pool of information, results often contradict each other, leaving the inquirer confused and frustrated. We as an industry are doing our best to keep you in the know at all times.

Accessibility

When it comes to accessibility, all you have to do is open your [probably already opened] FaceBook or Twitter account, and search for the company you have a question about. Can’t find the answer? Tweet at or leave a comment on their wall, and watch as your query is answered in pretty good time. If “googling” doesn’t provide clear answers, timeshare companies are readily available to help answer your questions.

Informed Decision Making

There are few things that make consumers feel better than knowing they’ve made the right decision based on the knowledge available; informed customers make informed decisions, which in turn make happy customers, as well as repeat business and referrals. This way, we all win. Being transparent and open [and helpful] about the products and services we have to offer puts us at the forefront of a customer’s decision-making cycle.

Added Bonus

Not only do customers reap the preceding benefits from the timeshare industry’s use of Social Media, we as proprietors reap a benefit as well – engaged customers. This awesome presentation relays that companies with planned social strategies realize ROI in a big way. This goes for every industry, everywhere, so login to your favorite Social Media platform and get in touch with your favorite brands today. While 2012 might signify the end of the world to some, Bluegreen and the timeshare industry as a whole are just getting started on this Social Media odyssey.

What are Timeshare Vacation Packages?

It is a form of vacation property ownership. Each owner has a specific time to use the property. It involves the use and the cost of maintaining the property. But you don’t need any blood relationship to purchase the timeshare

Timeshare vacation packages allow owners to have the benefit of a vacation home without the costly maintenance and upkeep. Typically, costs for utilities, insurance, maintenance fees and cleaning services are built into the annual membership fees. These benefits create an attractive prospect for many potential vacation home owners.

There are many different types of timeshares, as the ownership arrangement is almost changes frequently. The second type is a property can be used commonly by the owners. It is a fixed unit, fixed week, single-family homes and allows you to own a specific timeshare for a specific time each year.

Where did Timeshare Vacation Packages Originate?

Timeshare originated in Europe in 1960s. They boomed in the United States. Today, it spreads throughout North and South America. Also across the European country and the next major timeshare market will be in Asia.

Who Are Timeshare Vacation Packages Right For?

Timeshare, vacation ownership, and fractional programs are great for people who want to budget and know what they’re allocating for vacation each year and to have the opportunity to save for retirement. Timeshare Vacation Packages also make life better for those years because by owning their vacations they can get the vacations paid off and keep enjoying.

Why should I buy a Timeshare Vacation Packages?

Unlike hotels, your family will get the best value for your vacation when you opt for a timeshare. Hotels are expensive and rates can fluctuate. Leave the headache and hassle of booking room months in advance behind. Hotel rooms are small, cramped and not always comfortable. A suite with a kitchen, dining and living room would be much more enjoyable.

How do you decide whether Timeshare Vacation Packages are right for you?

Decide what you’d like to experience and what that would cost without owning your vacation and estimate how much you will spend on vacation every year. Calculate over the next 10-20 years depending on your age and compare your costs to owning

Well – timeshares are a good way to make your vacations trouble free for years to come, but you do need to know what you are doing.

Timeshares have definitely taken a battering over the past few years, and rightly so. In the earlier days, scams and rip-offs were frequent and much publicized by the mass media. What was rarely mentioned then or now, is the fact that there are a lot of happy timeshare owners who have had perfectly happy experiences with the timeshare companies they dealt with.

Want To Buy A Timeshare? Then Read On.

One of the things you should decide first is what type of timeshare you are interested in. Possibly the most popular type are the fixed week and location timeshares. These allow you to know exactly where and when you will be on vacation and what to expect when you get there. You can often swap your week with another owner if you want to try somewhere else. You may find the most flexible of the options is a floating week. This will be harder to trade in though as your week will be rotated across the years and will not be static.

In the early days, high pressure sales were particularly rife and many succumbed to the hard sell techniques that make you feel guilty for one various reasons. Today, if you want to buy a timeshare, most people are aware of heavy sales techniques and this makes it harder for some of the timeshare companies to ply their trade. Thankfully, all of these companies are not bad, but the best thing you can do is to do your research thoroughly. It is easy to use the Internet as an easy tool for this purpose. Providing you do that, and get specialist legal advice to go over your contract to make sure it is exactly what you are expecting, then owning a timeshare is a perfectly safe thing to do. Always be very wary if you are offered a time limited ‘special’ deal and never, ever sign on the spot. Also a legitimate company will certainly encourage you to check over your contract.

Don’t make the mistake of convincing yourself that a timeshare is an investment. The only type of investment a timeshare is, is in terms of your vacations. Timeshares rarely increase in value and will cost you more money every single year in maintenance or membership fees. Therefore, unless you can easily afford it, for now, you should stick to booking your vacation yearly as you never know when something unfortunate may happen. If it does, Bluegreen timeshares are not always easy to sell on.

So, when you tell your partner, “I want to buy a timeshare” be ready with the answers! It is far from a daft idea if you can afford it, and know precisely what you are getting into. If you can answer their questions quickly and efficiently by doing your research first, your enthusiasm is bound to rub off!

Obviously people do a search for a lot of different things on the Internet. At times they’re just surfing for fun or for curiosity. But commonly, it is because there is something they want or some need that has to be satisfied. They are virtually always pursuing 1 of 2 different objectives. These are pleasure-seeking motives, that is; searching for pleasure, enjoyment, gain or profits, understanding or enlightenment, etc. Or perhaps pain avoidance; seeking to prevent sickness, loss, pain, problems, costs, etc. Internet searches on how to finance a timeshare will be made by those with both a positive and a negative motivation. This article takes aim only at the negative, the “pain avoidance” side, exploring the three things, actions, points or mistakes to most strenuously avoid. By way of an overview, you need to know how to avoid problems when financing a timeshare. Before you buy, you should also know some of the specifics. For instance, the different ways of financing a timeshare.

Now what should we avoid? If dealing with timeshare companies, then we would want to avoid being sold finance that costs us more money. Now then, here are 3 things you should to think about.

Finance A Timeshare In 2010 – 3 Problematic Errors To Avoid

Firstly, when you are visiting a timeshare resort, do not feel pressured into a finance deal when you are there. The important reason for this is the fact that the deal may be of extremely poor value when you look at the long term costs, with extortionate rates of interest and dreadful penalty clauses. Do be prepared to walk away, especially if you are told the deal is only on the table for that day. Do that, back out now, and quick!

Secondly, financing will be more affordable if you arrange it for yourself and away from the timeshare companies. And why should that be? As with most things concerning loans and mortgages, the market is highly competitive and there are always deals to be found in other finance markets. Get some expert advice from someone who is well-versed in the area and completely independent of the timeshare company. It just may be that the company does have the best deal, but don’t take their word for it.

Third, do you think you can really afford a timeshare? The reason behind this question is that owning a timeshare is a long-term drain on your bank balance. There will be maintenance fees and/or other membership costs. Therefore, if you can’t find the money outright, reconsider your decision as you never know what will come along in todays economic climate when you could find your timeshare an extra burden. Consider that a timeshare is not a monetary investment, only a vacational investment.

Three Tips For The Most Effective Timeshare Sales

When you are selling a timeshare, it is essential that you do things the right way. If not, the outcome might be upsetting. Chances are you will find yourself still owning your timeshare for months, and even still paying out on your maintenance fees when you can’t afford them. Follow these strategies and they will help you get the best results.

1. Try timeshare brokers

So you don’t have to do it all yourself, try using timeshare brokers especially if your sale is urgent as this will speed things up. If you don’t, this can leave you with your timeshare for some time if you can’t market it yourself.

2. Know that you are unlikely to make a profit

Nearly as important as using a timeshare broker when selling a timeshare, is knowing that you are unlikely to make a profit from your timeshare. It will help you focus on a realistic price, which is something anyone engaged in timeshare sales will prefer.

3. Know where you need to advertise

Last but not least, when selling a timeshare you need to know the best places to advertise. If you don’t advertise in the right place, you don’t stand much chance! For instance, putting your add in a widget magazine is far from ideal. I am sure we can all agree that this would not be a good thing!

As I said at the beginning, on the subject of selling a timeshare, you really want to be sure that you do not make mistakes that will wind up seeing you still with your timeshare for months and months, and perhaps even still paying out on your maintenance fees when you can’t afford them. Bluegreen timeshare sales need to be fast and safe, and you can achieve that by being attentive to the strategies previously mentioned.

Tips For Buying a Timeshare For Sale By Owner

The key things you should consider are research and patience. Completing your research will help you avoid being scammed and patience will get you the best deal.

There are not many people who have not heard about timeshare scams usually being attributed to the larger companies. However, remember that big companies comprise of individuals who have a vested interest in getting a sale no matter what. This is why if you are looking at timeshares for sale by owner, you should remember that these are individuals who may not be as honest as you. I know it is more difficult to research a private owner than it is the timeshare companies, but there are ways of doing a complete background check on an individual over the Internet.

Ensure you do your due diligence on the timeshare by getting the contract checked properly. You need to know exactly what you are getting into, include a check that the timeshare owner has not misrepresented anything in their advertising (a quick visit to the resort will confirm this), and you should be fine.

Make sure you have your own specialist legal representative oversee everything, as there will be no consumer protection for this type of transaction. A specialist will look at are the exit clauses and penalties and that the owner is actually legally able to sell which is rather important!

You should also check out the resort and make sure they are legitimate. Far to frequently, people are tempted to purchase by timeshare companies whose concept of honest business practices is less than honest!

This will be short as it is obvious, don’t jump in without doing your research and hold out for the Bluegreen timeshare you feel will best suit you. Do your research vigilantly and buying timeshares by owner could be your best option.

What is a Timeshare Consumers Association?

A timeshare consumers association is a real bonus for potential buyers and sellers considering the bad press that anything to do with timeshares has received over the past few years. You will get answers from people who have been through the process and are willing to share their experiences and provide you with a sounding board for realistic advice.

How will a Timeshare Consumers Association help me?

The hard sell is still out there, and not everyone is as honest as they should be so you are well advised to be cautious. That said, there are a plenty of trouble free transactions that go through at a fair price so, don’t be put off by the bad press if this is what you want. The message that I hope to impress upon you is to do your research, using all the available resources you can find and you should not have a problem. Knowledge is power, and if you feel tempted to visit a resort or attend a presentation where you have ‘won’ something rather spectacular, be very cautious. Be ready to field off some heavy sales tactics, such as being told you don’t care about your children if you don’t buy – it’s shocking and playing with your mind. If you use a timeshare consumer association they can be expected to know which timeshare companies that you would be wise to avoid.

A timeshare consumer association will also come into its own if you are trying to sell a Bluegreen timeshare. You should also to be able to discover which companies are linked to other supporting businesses. This may be for example, a timeshare broker who may have an unseen involvement in another company they advise. The main thing to watch out for when selling a timeshare is to never part company with your money upfront to any timeshare broker, as you may not get your money back. A timeshare consumers association will certainly help you decide which brokers to avoid and therefore safeguard your money.

In summary, using a timeshare consumers association is a good way to get the information you need about buying or selling a timeshare safely. It does not matter if you need advice about a particular company, a broker or what to do next, the advice offered is normally from people’s personal experience. Remember this, as you have no legal rights based on what you have read or been told by a timeshare association.

What is a timeshare?

For those who don´t know, a timeshare allows people who either can´t afford, or do not want the hassle of owning their own holiday property, to get the best of both worlds. A timeshare is a shared ownership in a vacation property that allows the purchaser to use that property at a specific time of the year. Not everyone would want to go to the same place every year or at the same time. However, it is also feasible to exchange weeks with owners of other properties and/or buy a timeshare that includes flexible dates. Flexible timeshares are not offered by all timeshare companies, so make sure you ask. The ownership of a timeshare is not always related to property in the traditional sense.

Timeshare companies can also deal with for you to obtain shares in cabins on cruise liners and even in vehicles such as camper vans. So you see, the timeshare horror stories you may have heard of in the past have evolved a great deal into a more flexible industry offering something for everyone. Although you don´t have to pay a rental fee for the property during your specific week/s, you would be jointly responsible with the other owners for maintenance and management costs. This may not be just restricted to the property but applies to the facilities (for example, swimming pools, tennis courts, sauna) as well. So do make sure you are aware of the costs before you buy.

The good timeshare companies will have all this kind of material readily available and remember it should be included in any contract you sign. Some timeshare companies run exchange programs, and these will allow you to get x amount of weeks every year in multiple resorts that participate in the program. The programs will relate to resorts in one country or internationally. Don´t be put off by the bad press that you may have seen in the past – it´s the same in a lot of industries, there are some bad eggs out there! However, if you do your homework and are careful then a worldwide timeshare is a great way to vacation! Check out the timeshare companies and see what you can come up with.