With AllTheRooms making our long awaited debut on the Netflix Original fixer-upper show Stay Here, it seemed important to highlight some of the things that bring success to many of the accommodations listed on our site. While Stay Here highlights improvements made by a duo of experts with a construction team and Netflix dollars at their disposal, making changes to a listing does not have to be complicated or expensive. Read on for a few friendly tips for Airbnb hosts on how to improve response rates and increase booking frequency.
Amenities
Amenities are key with every accommodation option, from hotels to home rentals. A listing that offers the bare minimum is just never going to fetch the same kind of attention as a place that welcomes guests with nice toiletries, maps, and snacks. Bazaar Velvet has a range of beautiful rugs to define any room, as well as tips on interior design.
Taste of the City
Sometimes staying in an Airbnb or home rental can make a guest feel far-removed from a usual tourist experience. Giving a guest a reminder that they are in fact somewhere different and on vacation is a great idea. So why not go out and get some things to give a taste of the area’s surrounding culture. Maps and postcards are a good place to start, but allow things to get a bit more personal. Stock the fridge with beer from a local brewery, leave a trinket that reps a local sports team, or grab some small bites from local vendors at the weekly farmers’ market to give the place some location-specific flair.
Pictures
The pictures of a rental property are always going to be the most important part of getting consistent bookings. Blurry, out-of-focus shots from what seems like a flip phone are not going to inspire anyone to book a stay. Consider investing in a real camera to get clear footage of every room and the features that make the rental unique, or hire a photographer for an afternoon to get the perfect shots. Having quality pictures is going to get your listing more clicks!
Know Your Audience
Certain listings are going to attract certain kinds of people. Keep tabs on who is making visits to each rental. If families with kids are the ones consistently making reservations, then consider investing in coloring books or include directions to the local kids’ museum in the online description. Meanwhile, maybe the short-term rental is within an hour of a national park, in that case, think about having something like a safety whistle or trail maps available to be taken by hikers who are going to call the Airbnb home for a night.
Get Competitive
This is important. To truly succeed at having a vacation rental serve as a consistent means of income, the owner must treat ‘getting the property booked’ as a job. With that being said it is important to always monitor the local market to make sure any listing is getting its highest possible value while remaining competitive with other spots in the neighborhood. Perhaps the best way to get ahead of competitors would be to learn about SEO (search engine optimization for those less tech-savvy readers) strategies. Investing in a high SEO ranking can be expensive but the returns will be well worth it.
Brand the Property
Along with photos, proper language is easily the most effective persuasion tool available to a property manager. Think about what will intrigue a reader enough to not only click but also want to book, before knowing the full story of a rental. How many properties are titled with the bare minimum information like “Bedroom in a House?” That isn’t going to get anyone excited. Instead think of creative ways to describe and market a listing, including architectural style, use local landmarks, and don’t be afraid to get a little ‘adjective happy’.
Don’t forget to watch Stay Here for more ideas on how to become a super host and make your property a five-star listing.