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In this episode of Get Paid For Your Pad, Kaye Putnam (Head of Marketing at Freewyld) sits down with Eli Pritykin, founder of Hudson Creative Studio and creator of HomeRunner, to break down what actually makes a direct booking website convert. Eli has built hundreds of STR websites and explains why trust, UX, data structure, and brand clarity matter far more than most operators realize.
If you have ever wondered why guests abandon your booking flow, why your traffic is not turning into reservations, or how AI search will impact the future of discovery, this conversation gives you the clarity and frameworks to fix the problem.
You will hear:
- Why direct booking websites fail even when operators get good traffic
• The three elements that drive high converting booking experiences
• How trust psychology influences decisions in the first seconds on a page
• Why WordPress gives operators long term control and scalability
• How friction in the booking flow silently kills direct bookings
• Why operators need strong brand identity to avoid becoming a commodity
• How structured data and schema prepare your properties for AI search
We also talk about:
- The navigation mistake that overwhelms or confuses visitors
• How PMS booking tools limit direct booking strategy
• Why STR companies must think like e commerce brands
• How personal AI agents may soon book travel for guests
• Why operators need clean and reliable data layers for the future of search
🎯 Mentioned in the Episode:
• Structured data and schema
• AEO, GEO, and AI driven search
🔥 Favorite Takeaway:
“Your website has one job: to convert. Trust creates momentum. Friction destroys it.”
📍 Want to improve your direct booking performance?
Explore Hudson Creative Studio and HomeRunner to upgrade your booking experience and increase your revenue.
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Kaye Putnam:
A lot of hosts are still thinking about their direct booking website as a nice to have or at best a digital brochure. It is becoming more important than ever to have a strong and effective direct booking website. I am excited for today’s conversation. I am talking with Eli, the founder of Hudson Creative Studio and HomeRunner, who has built tens if not hundreds of direct booking websites for the short term rental industry.
We are going to start there and later explore something that is emerging. It is called AEO and GEO, essentially SEO for AI, and it will change how guests find and book places to stay. Welcome, Eli. I am thrilled you are here.
Eli Pritykin:
Hi, Kaye. It is a pleasure to be here. Thanks so much for having me. I am excited to be part of the podcast.
Kaye Putnam:
I found your work because I kept seeing your name in the footer of many websites. They looked great. We started talking because at Freewyld, we have been wrestling with the PMS built in booking engine. It is functional, but it does not really work. We began talking about HomeRunner, which plugs a booking engine into the site. We will get to that, but first, how did you get started in website design and why short term rentals?
Eli Pritykin:
I always loved technology, but I realized programming was not my strength. I loved communicating through technology, which is what the web is. Before starting Hudson Creative Studio, I spent over ten years as a creative director at a marketing and PR firm in New Orleans. We worked with many industries except vacation rentals. I learned branding, campaigns, websites, and much more.
A close friend, David Jacoby of Hostfully, told me some clients needed websites and the options were limited. I stepped in cautiously around June 2021, and by November I had to put in my notice. The industry is fast, fascinating, and exciting. Every customer has a unique story. People come from many backgrounds, and helping them stand up as brands rather than commodities has been incredible.
Kaye Putnam:
In marketing, we talk about not building on rented land. In STRs, OTAs are similar. They drive bookings, but you play by their rules. One negative review can hurt your revenue. Even operators doing over one million in revenue still get most bookings from OTAs. But more companies are realizing they need to invest in their website.
From your experience, what makes a great direct booking website that impacts revenue?
Eli Pritykin:
The rented land analogy is accurate. You do not own the audience unless you have your own mailing list. On Airbnb, hosts are the inventory and guests are the customers.
When hosts use direct booking tools from the PMS, they are also building on rented land. Vacation rentals are an e commerce business. Browsing happens online, on phones, everywhere. E commerce solved these challenges long ago.
To develop long term marketing, SEO, and scale strategies, hosts need an independent website on a platform like WordPress. WordPress powers half the internet because it is flexible and scalable. HomeRunner brings PMS data into WordPress so operators can have a real digital store.
What makes a great direct booking website depends on where someone is in their journey. Some operators are fine with PMS tools. But those building a brand find the most value. A strong brand transforms a property into a curated experience that guests trust.
Kaye Putnam:
Building a brand creates trust and pricing power. We built our WordPress site as a brand asset. But we still used the PMS booking engine, and while we love Hostfully, the booking experience is not great.
Airbnb sets a high bar for frictionless booking. That is why I am excited about HomeRunner. We invested heavily in our site, but the booking experience did not match.
How did you realize there was a need for a custom booking engine?
Eli Pritykin:
Our first customer, Home Sweet Hudson, helped shape this. After building their brochure site with PMS widgets, we quickly saw limitations. I was excited about implementing real e commerce logic.
I partnered early with a talented developer who is still with me and now leads a full team. We started by pulling PMS data into WordPress and keeping it synced. We iterated quickly based on customer feedback.
This evolved into a powerful booking engine. A year ago, I realized operators wanted it without a full website build. In February 2025, we launched HomeRunner as a standalone product.
Kaye Putnam:
We wanted a better booking experience without rebuilding our entire site. We are excited to implement HomeRunner.
What separates a pretty website from one that produces revenue? If you had three priorities, what would they be?
Eli Pritykin:
It all comes down to conversion. Marketing brings traffic. The website converts it.
First, brand. A clear, trustworthy brand builds confidence.
Second, trust signals. People scan for green and red flags. Green signals relax them. Red flags make them assume other problems exist.
Third, frictionless flow. Once they decide to book, the process must be fast and easy.
Kaye Putnam:
A typo might seem small, but it sends a message. Reviews, accurate details, guarantees, and refund policies reduce perceived risk.
What common mistakes do you see?
Eli Pritykin:
Navigation. The header is crucial. The first seconds on the page matter. Guests scan in an F pattern. A clear navigation guides them. Many operators overload the header with too many options.
Keep navigation focused. Extras can go in mobile menus or footer. If someone reaches the footer, they are still looking for something, so give them everything.
Kaye Putnam:
Let us talk about AEO and GEO. How are AI driven search engines changing discovery?
Eli Pritykin:
Things change fast. With tools like Atlas and Perplexity, we are entering a new era.
In the future, people will have AI agents that know their preferences and calendars. These agents will book travel for them.
Operators need structured data. Schema in JSON format helps AI understand properties. Websites must be robot friendly. Structured data and clean architecture matter.
SEO is still important. FAQ schema, blog content, and data consistency still play a role.
HomeRunner generates valid vacation rental schema dynamically to help with visibility.
Kaye Putnam:
When AI agents handle bookings, design changes in importance, but data becomes critical.
Eli Pritykin:
Exactly. Screens may feel outdated soon, but for now, websites still matter and structured data is essential.
Kaye Putnam:
Trusted platforms like Reddit and YouTube are favored in AI search. Posting content there helps.
Eli Pritykin:
Yes. STR operators are posting more on Reddit. YouTube remains essential. Hosting property videos on YouTube and embedding them properly helps.
Kaye Putnam:
Where can people learn more?
Eli Pritykin:
Hudson Creative Studio builds full websites. HomeRunner is our booking engine, available standalone or with a full build.
Kaye Putnam:
Thank you. This was incredibly insightful.
Eli Pritykin:
Thank you. It was a pleasure.
