A website aimed at one city has to speak to that city’s visitors and residents. For New York, that raises a few questions about wording, honesty about location, privacy and the legal context. This guide lists them. It is general information, not legal advice, and we do not build websites or run search optimisation.
For help deciding priorities for your wider marketing, a private marketing consultation gives you a written list of three to five actions.
Write for the reader
- Use American spelling, date formats and time formats.
- Mention the time zone when you announce availability.
- Use the names people use for neighbourhoods and areas, but only where you genuinely work or visit.
- Avoid copying text from other profiles, which weakens your presence.
- Have a native reader review the page, rather than using automatic translation.
More detail is in marketing to US clients.
Be honest about location
Visitors want to know where you are and when. Be precise and truthful.
- State clearly whether you are based in the city or visit it.
- Give exact dates for tours and remove them when they end.
- Do not name areas where you do not work.
- Do not publish an address or details that compromise your privacy. Share arrangements after screening.
Protect privacy
- Use a work number and a work email address.
- Remove metadata from photos.
- Check backgrounds for identifying details.
- Keep enquiry forms short, and explain what you do with the data.
- Avoid storing more client data than you need.
Mind the legal context
Federal law applies throughout the United States, and state and local rules vary. Platforms have also tightened their own policies. We explain the background in FOSTA-SESTA explained. We cannot summarise New York’s rules reliably here, and they can change, so ask a qualified local professional about where you work and how you describe it.
Practical habits that reduce risk:
- Describe experiences and arrangements in general terms.
- Do not list explicit acts.
- Keep records of what you published and when.
- Read the current rules of every platform you use.
Keep the site in line with the rest of your presence
Your site, your listings and your social accounts should say the same things. Check facts such as languages, availability and rates structure. See your channel mix and what your website needs to support your marketing.
Plan for the calendar
Visitors to a large city often plan ahead, so a clear calendar helps both sides.
- Show your confirmed dates and say how far in advance you accept enquiries.
- Update the page when dates change, and remove it when they pass.
- Keep the same dates on your listings and social accounts.
- Avoid last-minute claims of availability that you cannot honour.
Consider who is reading
Residents, business travellers and tourists may all land on the same page. You do not have to address everyone. Decide who the page is for, and write for them in a direct and respectful tone. If you offer more than one language, keep each version equally careful.
Whatever you decide, check the position again from time to time: platforms, local rules and your own plans change.
Checklist
- Wording, dates and times follow American conventions.
- Location and availability are accurate and current.
- No areas are claimed that I do not serve.
- Privacy information is clear and the form is short.
- Photos are cleaned of metadata and identifying details.
- I have asked a qualified local professional about the legal context.
- Facts match my listings and social accounts.
Questions to ask yourself first
Before you plan anything specific to the city, check three things. Do you actually work or visit there often enough to keep a page accurate? Can you reply quickly enough to enquiries from a busy market? And are you comfortable with the level of visibility that a page aimed at a large city brings? If the answer to any of them is no, a smaller, simpler presence may serve you better.
Where to go from here
To talk through your plan, book a private consultation. Related reading: marketing to US clients and what your website needs to support your marketing.
