How to optimise your Airbnb listing
Have you ever wondered how to earn more on your Airbnb listing?
Wonder no more.
We’re here to share some trade secrets with you (in such a complete and comprehensive way that you’ll probably have a hard time finding anything similar elsewhere) to optimise the attractiveness of your listing:
After careful testing and tons of research, we want to give you valuable expert advice by showing you a guideline of techniques used by professional Airbnb management services. You will be able to use these tricks to boost your listing and hold onto your guest’s attention to get that booking.
Before anything else, you have to take note:
Search on Airbnb functions kind of like a funnel — there is huge potential at the beginning then this narrows quickly towards the point of booking. The goal is to stay in the funnel, by maximizing and optimising different factors along the way that will get your listing booked in the end. We are going to break down these factors for you below.
Step 1: Make sure you show up on relevant Airbnb searches
Before potential guests go on Airbnb, they already have pre-selected travel dates and ideal locations in mind. So, in order to appear, it is important that you meet the potential guest’s criteria (or search filters). While you might not always have control over these factors, it is still helpful to look at these criteria. Some tips to fit the first selection step are:
It’s all about location and availability (hopefully, your flat is at the right place at the right time). Travellers tend to go for apartments near the city centre. For business travellers, that’s most probably where their work will be. For vacationers, it will be easier to see the city sights.
In this case:
You can always show how convenient it is to go around from your apartment (e.g. How near are you to the subway? Are you 100 meters from a bus stop? 10-min walk to an awesome mall?)
Offer an entire place and show them how many it can accommodate. By far, the majority of guests will want to have an entire place to themselves. They also stick together — no breakups here. The more you can accommodate, the more potential groups you can cater to.
Offer amenities. Wi-Fi is a must — this is non-negotiable. Other amenities or essentials could include toiletries, blow dryers, extra blankets or sheets and/or food in the fridge.
Tip: Offer that little extra something your guests will love — we’ll teach you exactly how to do that later on.
The price has to be just right. Price is always part of any filter. Make sure you don’t drop out by being too high or doubtfully low.
Easy peasy for this part, right? But, following and matching these criteria will be very manageable for other hosts too.
For the next step, the aim is to put you on top of other properties.
Step 2: Get on top of search results
Everybody wants this. But how do you make sure that searchers see you first?
The answer is simple — great customer service and regularly updated listings that show complete information.
Keep in mind:
Airbnb’s ranking algorithm is created solely to reward hosts who can provide their guests with a great travel experience. The happier the guest is with their stay, the higher you rank.
Turn on ‘instant booking’. Potential guests are looking for convenience in booking. With this, they can get instant confirmation with no waiting time.
Tip: More importantly, it’s a feature that receives near top marks in Airbnb’s dictionary
If not, make sure to decline as few bookings as possible. Airbnb encourages equal opportunities for all potential guests but you have the right to go with your gut and avoid difficult guests.
Although, always remember — happy guests, happy hosts.
Happy guests also come from quick and timely responses. The faster, the better (as is with most cases these days.)
Getting good reviews from previous guests. This is a listing lifeline. Collect those great reviews!
These will move up your rank and get trust from other potentials. There are so many ways to get good reviews but here’s the thing:
It all boils down to reaching (or exceeding!) guests’ expectations.
Get guests to save your flat on their wish lists. An effective little tip that helps up your rank — make sure the tiny little heart is bright and you are part of their favourites to complement good reviews.
Price, like before, also comes in here (you could probably expect it to appear in almost all steps…) Here is how you do it.
But a basic tip: the better your price matches the ‘Airbnb price tips’, the better the ranking; and bonus points if ‘Smart pricing’ is enabled.
Fill in the complete listing information please. There are quite a few fields to complete when creating your listing and Airbnb likes it when you fill in all this information. The same goes for pictures: ideally put in 12 or more pictures to show Airbnb that you are providing quality visuals of your apartment to your guests.
Tip: Just make sure to put some text in all the fields — Airbnb will assume that you just wrote an elaborate description with good, useful information for your guests’ benefit.
Regularly update your listing. Airbnb is on the lookout for this and it will up your listing if you are actively managing it
Small little updates on price, pictures, descriptions, etc. should earn you some thumbs up.
Are you still with us?
It gets easier after this.
I promise.
Step 3: Convince them to look at your listing
You’re already up there but how do you convince them you’re the right choice and get them to click your listing to learn more inside?
Easy. Be attractive.
Guests see the overview of your listing first so getting their attention at that point is important.
Get the price right. Do a little research and be competitive compared to other similar apartments in your area.
Remember: It doesn’t mean that people will automatically like you if you are cheap — smart pricing techniques are always effective.
Show them a stunning picture. A given for all. Potential guests see this first so make sure to show the best angle of your apartment. Do not overdo it though; we must always manage expectations so create great but realistic first impressions with this image.
Tip: It may really pay off to hire a professional photographer for this cover photo.
Attractive catchy title. What is the first thing your guests read? Yup, your listing title.
Tip: Tell them the unique aspects your apartment can offer. Avoid generic terms like ‘beautiful’, or ‘great location’; be more creative and focus on something unique and amazing like ‘wide terrace for breakfasts with a view’ or ‘spacious, homey living area perfect for hanging out or ‘with the most comfortable massage shower jets you can find’. These will surely spark their curiosity.
Once you’ve incorporated all the above-mentioned advice, your listing is going to look very pretty already.
Now:
How do we make it even prettier?
Step 4: Convincing them to inquire after your listing
So now, you have convinced them to click on your listing and they’ve seen through the details of your listing. But they are also looking at other listings. How do you convince them to book yours?
Stick with stunning (but realistic) pictures. Make sure to provide at least a dozen high-quality ones that show the best sides, and connect it with what your attractive catchy title says.
Here’s the deal:
Guests will instinctively judge from pictures; it gives them a ‘feel’ of how your apartment will serve their trip’s purpose.
What do your reviews say? Sometimes, guests may be swayed if they find good reviews about aspects that are important to them.
Other amenities. Going back to that little extra something:
How you can make their stay more comfortable. For many, it’s the little things that matter…
Speaking foreign languages. This might be a hard one to pull generally but even just allowing translations in your ad text will help.
What should your ad contain? It is always important to portray the emotional connection and comfort rather than the physical qualities — write about things that will make your guests feel happy and excited.
We’re down to the wire.
Everything is perfect and now, all we need is to:
Step 5: Get that booking!
All we want is for that potential guest to click ‘book’. Guests will start inquiring (or instantly booking!) when you’ve perfected steps 1 to 4. To get that desired booking, we go back to the important basics:
Excellent customer service. Let them know they can also receive top service from you like what they get from those multiple starred hotels (this gives you higher rankings too). You can offer this when you ensure to respond to your guests in a timely manner, and make sure you understand their needs.
Tip: Airbnb super hosting skills start with excellent customer service. And excellent customer service also covers responding to guest inquiries quickly — ideally within an hour.
Be friendly and accommodating. Make your potential guests feel at home. We don’t really need to elaborate more on this point. Seems like a tough road to success? We won’t lie to you. It’s not easy. But there is a way for you to perfect your listing and be assured of maximum bookings without lifting a finger.
There are Airbnb property management service companies, like GuestReady, that will take the hassle and stress out of your host duties and help you earn with no trouble at all.
This strategic step-by-step funnel will surely guide you to becoming a great Airbnb host. But why not take it a step further, and remove the hassle and stress along the way, to becoming an awesome Airbnb host? Go show them how to manage an Airbnb best and get those bookings!
