Increase Online Bookings for Seasonal Rental Shops

Whether you’re renting surfboards in the summer or skis in the winter, seasonal businesses live and die by how well they fill their calendar when it matters most. The truth is, it’s not enough to hope walk-ins carry your season, especially when travelers are planning their rentals online weeks (or even months) in advance.

So how do you get more of those online bookings?

Here are 7 proven, low-cost ways to turn website visitors into paying customers without spending a dime on ads.

1. Make Booking Obvious and Effortless

Most people leave a rental site not because they’re not interested… but because it took too long to find the “Book Now” button or the process felt clunky.

Fix this:

• Place your booking book button above the fold (no scrolling required)
• Cut down on unnecessary form fields, less is more
• Make sure the entire experience is mobile-friendly (most bookings happen on a phone!)

The faster and cleaner your checkout experience, the more customers complete it.

2. Use Social Proof to Build Trust

Trust is a huge part of online conversions, especially for first-time customers. You don’t have to be a huge brand to earn that trust — you just need to show you’re legit.

Try this:

• Add star ratings and customer reviews near the booking section
• Use badges like “Locally Owned” or “Trusted by 1,500+ Customers”
• Mention how many people booked this month or weekend:
  “32 rentals booked in July” adds urgency and credibility

3. Offer Add-Ons and Upsells

Upsells not only increase your revenue per booking, but they also make the checkout process feel customized.

Some quick ideas:

• “Add a wetsuit for $15?”
• “Need a helmet or boot upgrade?”
• “Want to reserve a private lesson?”

These small additions feel like helpful suggestions, not sales pitches — and they make the experience feel more premium.

4. Improve Your Local SEO (Yes, It Still Works)

You want to show up when someone searches “surfboard rentals in [your city]” or “ski rentals near [resort name].” That’s local SEO — and it still drives real results.

Start here:

• Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile
• Post updates and photos regularly
• Ask happy customers to leave a review (and respond to them!)
• Write blog posts targeting keywords like “What to bring for a ski trip in Breckenridge” or “Best surf breaks near Encinitas”

Backlinks from local tourism sites or surf blogs can also give your site a serious boost.

5. Let Customers Book Anytime

If your rental process isn’t available 24/7, you’re losing business.

Modern customers expect to book on their own time and that includes 11pm from a hotel room or the car ride to the beach.

A modern rental system should let you:

• Accept bookings online, anytime
• Automate confirmation emails and reminders
• Sync bookings with your calendar (so you don’t double book)

You do less manual work, and your customers get a smoother experience.

6. Add Scarcity During Peak Times

During the busy season, scarcity drives action. Don’t be afraid to show when things are running out.

Examples:

• “Only 2 beginner skis left this weekend”
• “Weekend time slots filling fast”
• “Early bird pricing ends Friday”

If you’ve ever seen a hotel site say “Only 1 room left at this price” — you know this works.

7. Use the Off-Season to Build Momentum

Just because it’s the off-season doesn’t mean you should go silent. In fact, it’s the best time to prepare for a strong return.

What to do:

• Collect emails with a “Get 10% off next season” promo
• Grow your Instagram/TikTok with helpful local content
• Offer pre-booking for peak season (early revenue + peace of mind)

Use this time to build a following and warm up your audience — so when the season hits, you’re not starting from scratch.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to run ads or hire an agency to grow your online bookings. With a few smart tweaks, your shop can start capturing more customers, making more money, and working less during the busy season.

Want help putting this into practice?
At SurfShare, we help seasonal rental shops streamline the entire process from waivers to ID uploads to checkout all in one mobile-friendly flow.

If you’d like to see how we’ve sped up checkout by over 75% for other shops, feel free to reach out by booking a demo here.