Why your own website?
A platform can bring you guests. But every booking costs you around 18%, your price must be the same everywhere, your reviews stay with them, and they can change the rules (or go bankrupt) overnight. Your own website is the opposite: it's yours, and it gets stronger with every retreat.
What you get
- A home for your brand: who you are, what you teach, the transformation you offer, in your own voice.
- A page for each retreat: the story, the days, the place, you, what's included, dates and price, and one clear "book your place" button.
- Online deposits and a booking form: guests pay a deposit by card, and you get every detail you need (dietary needs, emergency contact, room preference).
- An email list that grows by itself: a simple signup, so the people who aren't ready yet hear about your next retreat first.
- Beautiful on a phone: most of your guests will discover you on their phone, from Instagram or WhatsApp.
- Ready for Google: titles, descriptions, structured data and a sitemap, so your retreat pages can show up in search.
Who it's for
- run (or want to run) 2 or more retreats a year
- already have students, clients or a following
- are tired of giving a platform a cut of every booking
- want people to book you, not the cheapest listing
- are planning your very first retreat with no audience at all
Then a platform can help you get started, and our free checklist is a better first step.
They help you plan it. I help you fill it.
Most retreat consultants help you design the retreat. A website is where filling it starts: it's where your Instagram, your emails, your videos and your past guests all send people to book. I've spent years getting small businesses found online, with the Jean SEO YouTube channel and real clients. Now I do it for retreats. More about me.
Questions
Do I have to leave BookRetreats or other platforms?
No. Many hosts keep one platform as an extra source of new guests. Your website becomes the base where your own people book you, without commission, and the platform becomes a bonus instead of a dependency.
I already have a website. Do I need a new one?
Not always. Sometimes the best move is adding proper retreat pages and online booking to the site you have. We look at what you have first.
Who writes the texts?
We write them together. You know your retreat; I know how people decide to book. You'll always approve the words before anything goes live.
How much does a retreat website cost?
It depends on how many retreats you run and what you already have. After the call, you get a clear price for your situation, not a vague range. One way to think about it: a platform taking 18% of a 12-guest, $1,000 retreat costs you $2,160, every single retreat.
Can guests pay a deposit online?
Yes. Guests can pay a deposit by card on your website, and the money goes to you, not to a platform that pays you weeks later.