Checklist: How to Rent Out Equipment Online

Starting a rental business can be difficult and knowing how to rent out equipment online comes with its own challenges. However, once you know what you need to do, it’s not as difficult as it seems. All you need is a website builder, a rental system, and some time to spend learning SEO, Google Ads, and the best practices for posting on social media.

This guide will take you through each step and help you to get set up for success renting out equipment online. Included throughout are links to other resources that will enable you to learn the skills you need to get it right the first time. So, let’s get discover what you need to know to start renting out equipment online.

1. Choose your website builder

If you’re at the beginning of your online rental journey, the very first step you need to take is to choose a website builder. There are many to choose from, but WordPress and Squarespace are the most popular among Booqable users. Spend some time with each to see which one you prefer and if you can achieve the task you want to achieve with them.

2. Get an online booking platform

Unlike eCommerce, most website builders don’t come with a booking platform built-in. There are many booking platforms, but Booqable is an excellent choice for getting started quickly as it includes integrations for your website and a powerful backend where you can manage your inventory, orders, customers, documents, and payments.

3. Add products to your inventory

Next, you will need to add all your products to your inventory. You will need to enter the product information, availability, and pricing. Most booking platforms will allow you to do this manually or through a spreadsheet where you can enter all product information and import it into your account. It’s key to get this right the first time as you don’t want to make any mistakes.

4. Create product pages

One of the most important things you need when renting products online is pages customers can easily reach. These product pages will contain photos and descriptions of your equipment. Once you’re happy with your product pages, you can take the embeddable components from your inventory in Booqable and add them to your pages.

5. Write website copy that tells a story

Once your product pages are complete, you will need to focus on the rest of your website. It is important that all of the copy on your website is focused on leading your potential customers to make a reservation. This means your website copy needs to be clear and concise. You should be telling a story that lets customers know you are the right choice for them.

6. Make it easy to navigate your online store

A key consideration you need to make is ensuring that it is easy for potential customers to navigate your online store. After all, if customers can’t find what they’re looking for, they can’t book equipment. A great way to do this is by breaking products down into categories and having them easily accessible from the navigation menu.

7. Paid advertising

One of the quickest ways to get people to visit your website is paid advertising. This can be done through either Facebook Ads or Google Ads. It is easier to get started with Facebook and you should try out different ad setups with small budgets to see which works best for you. Then, you can move on to Google Ads.

8. Optimize your website

Now you’ve started getting your first visitors, you need to focus on getting people to visit it. You can get started by optimizing your website’s SEO, this will help your website rank better on Google for appropriate keywords. Of course, this isn’t a one-and-done task, but there are some easy wins you can achieve in the early stages.

9. Use social media

No modern business would be complete without a social media presence. At first, it may seem daunting, but you can start a small following by inviting friends to follow and share your profiles. You should post at least a couple of times a week and use hashtags that will improve the reach of your posts, especially on Instagram and Twitter.

10. Maintain your audience

By now, you should hopefully be seeing the benefits of renting out products online. It is time to maintain the audience you have built. For this, you will need to keep working on your SEO, share exciting content, and run ad campaigns with higher budgets. You can also start gathering reviews and sharing them on your website and social media to create social proof.