Okay. You’ve decided to join the share market and do Airbnb. You have bought new linens, new pillows, and new wall pictures. Next, you’ve taken photos of the rooms, published your ad, and now you’re waiting for those bookings to flow in. Except, it’s been a few weeks since you published your listing and still no guests.
You then ask yourself “Am I doing something wrong? Is my house not good enough? Do I need to lower the price? What should I do??” Don’t worry, we are here to help.
Before you throw in the towel (or take the whole linen set back to Target) remember, there are thousands of hosts that feel bummed out just like you from not seeing that wave of bookings they were hoping for.
Thankfully, it’s not that bad getting potential guests to find interest in your Airbnb.
So how do you rank in Airbnb’s listings?
According to Guesty (a property management software company that works with hosts in scheduling new customers) the key to more bookings is how you rank in the Airbnbs search optimization algorithms.
Additionally, Airbnb themselves say that they: “look at nearly 100 different factors for every listing in every search (and don’t worry—you don’t have to perform perfectly on everything to rank well).”
We had the chance to talk with a few Super Hosts that we clean for. Some rent out 1-2 rooms, while others rent several properties out.
Super Host advice for helping potential guests see your listing are:
1. Take good pictures
Yep. That’s right. If you’re renting out just one or two rooms, take a handful of pictures from different angles of the bedroom.
Take pictures of the bathroom and several of the kitchen. Additionally, don’t forget to take some of the front and backyard (if you’re in a house). These are all important to people looking to stay somewhere, and actually improves your ranking.
2. Offer 1 night stays
We know – it would be awesome to have one guest stay two nights. But remember, a lot of guests are travelers looking for a place to stay for just the night.
Airbnb uses the 1-night option to reach a broader market. Even if you leave this option on for a couple of months and then change it, it will help you rank better.
3. Incorporate the ‘Cleaning Fee’ into your nightly stay
You know how it’s easier to buy something online when it’s “Free Shipping?” That’s exactly how guests feel about Airbnb’s who have a “No Cleaning Fee” on their listing. More guests search for this than you can imagine!
Oh – and if you don’t have someone already taking the cleaning burden off your shoulders, contact us! But be sure you add the fee into your nightly cost. This helps more than you know!
4. Make your personal profile shine
A lot of hosts put the time and effort into their listing, when they should add the same work to their profile.
We can’t tell you how many bad profiles we’ve seen where the host’s picture was blurry, or their bio and interests were too vague.
Let people “meet you” before they arrive at your house! Introduce yourself. Tell them a few hobbies you enjoy.
How long have you lived in the area?
Tell them why you love meeting new people and renting your home.
This goes a long way from the guest browsing to them clicking the “Book Now” option.
Airbnb Cleaning
Valet Maids is a Dallas maid service that gives you your time back for the things that you enjoy. Easily book at ValetMaids.com or by calling 214-438-4804.
